by Ariana Mount | Thursday, October 8th 2020
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTGS) — This school year, the Savannah Classical Academy (SCA) has introduced a new meal service for its students.
The charter school has hired chefs from the Daniel Reed Hospitality Restaurant Group to cook breakfast and lunch for SCA students.
Previously, the school district brought meals in from off-campus. This summer, the school spent $250,000 renovating their kitchen to accommodate cooking on campus.
“We’re trying to improve the meal quality for our students,” said Barry Lollis, the executive director of SCA.
Lollis said this meal service has been something the school has needed for years.
“This is something I’ve been wanting to put in a school since I’ve been a school administrator. I’ve worked in several systems in schools, and every system for the most part, students complain about the service and quality of the food,” he said.
Each week, students choose which meals they want, and chefs prepare the meals accordingly.
“It is now a service very much like when you go to a restaurant, the students collect their meal options, then they go through the line, it’s actually plated and served for them,” said Lollis.
Students say the service is a major upgrade.
“Last year, the food wasn’t really that good, and I wasn’t eating. For sports, I didn’t really have energy because I wasn’t eating,” said Kameron Bennett, a junior at the school.
The food service is now inspiring students beyond the cafeteria.
“(My favorite meal is) the pizza. The pizza is good by itself, but when you add it with the Chick-Fil-A sauce, it’s delicious,” said Asean Rockmore, a junior at the school.
The chefs are now offering interested high school students, like Rockmore and Bennett, culinary internships.
“Cooking’s not only helpful, but when you do it with a lot of other people, it can be fun too,” said Rockmore.
“If basketball doesn’t work out, I could be a chef,” said Bennett.
Lollis says they will be prioritizing nutrition and healthy meal habits through this program.
