School Meals Matter Blog

Managing a school cafeteria is far more than making sure meals are served on time. It’s about leading a diverse team through production, busy service lines, special diets, and changing regulations, all while maintaining a positive environment for staff and students. There’s no one-size-fits-all leadership style for this work. Effective cafeteria managers know they need to adapt their approach and flex between different leadership styles based on the situation, the team, and t

School Nutrition is a busy world. Email may not feel like a priority, but in today’s workplace, people form opinions based on what they experience—whether messages are acknowledged, how long they wait, and whether work moves forward or stalls. With less face-to-face and phone communication, the usual cues of body language and tone of voice are often missing. When that happens, the brain fills in the gaps and sometimes assumes the worst. How you handle your email says a lot a

Any conversation about higher wages has to start with the budget. Raises don’t happen just because the work is hard. They happen when the program can afford them. In school nutrition, strong budgets are built through strong participation—and participation is driven by professional decisions made every day. School nutrition is not simple. Every decision has a financial impact. What’s on the menu affects whether students choose the meal. How students are treated affects whether

The holidays bring excitement, special events, and moments of joy—but they also bring stress. Routines change, classrooms feel different, and emotions run higher for both students and staff. Some students carry worries we never see, and many struggle with the unpredictability this season brings. In the middle of all that, the cafeteria becomes one of the most steady, comforting places in their day. That’s why the holiday season is a time when school nutrition teams should dou

Filling open positions in school nutrition programs is harder than ever, but your best recruiters may already be on the payroll. Employees know the job, the schedule, and the culture better than anyone—and they’re connected to parents, retirees, students, and community members who value flexible school-day work. By offering a clear incentive, such as a $100–$250 bonus once a new hire completes 90 days, you turn your team’s pride and word-of-mouth into a powerful hiring engine

In a school cafeteria, everything moves fast from the first breakfast to the last lunch served. But have you ever stopped to wonder what your manager does behind the scenes? Understanding the manager’s role, pressures and responsibilities helps every employee see the bigger picture—and why your support matters. What a School Nutrition Manager Really Does School nutrition managers are the link between district leadership and the kitchen. They take the menus, budgets, and rules

Conflict is part of any fast-paced school nutrition operation. Whether it’s personality differences, work assignment changes, or over job responsibilities, tensions often arise. But great leaders don’t avoid conflict—they manage it before things escalate. The first step is understanding why conflict happens: stress, miscommunication, and unclear roles are common culprits. When managers recognize these triggers, they can respond with a plan instead of reacting or becoming def

In school nutrition programs, every second counts and every task matters. If you've watched The Bear , you'll recognize that phrase as a...

Stepping into the role of cafeteria manager after working alongside your team can feel both exciting and overwhelming, but with the right...

Behind every school meal is a team of skilled professionals working with precision and passion. It’s time to pull back the curtain and...

Can you believe the classic lunch lady stereotype still exists? When I was a young School Nutrition Director in 1993, Adam Sandler...