Jonesboro High School

Jonesboro, GA

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A school cafeteria that needs more serving capacity is usually one that expands its space. But that wasn’t the case for Jonesboro High School, where a complete remodel aimed to make big changes to everything except the physical space.

“The project was challenging in that the serving space was already determined, and we couldn’t expand it,” said Jim Richards, foodservice consultant with PES Design Group, who designed the project. “We had to provide maximum flexibility, maximum display capacity and the aesthetic look the school was looking for in the existing space.”

Jonesboro High, a school of about 1,450 students in Clayton County, Georgia, wanted to implement a serving line style that operated as a traditional tray line with the aesthetic appeal of a modern food court. The main serving line components had been in place since the 1950s.

LTI’s local Georgia manufacturer’s rep, Chuck Pace of Pace Reps, had been anticipating the transformation for several years. “Clayton County Public Schools, including supervisor Lee Richards, has been a longtime supporter of LTI and looks to them for anything ranging from major overhauls like this to minor welding projects. It was quite an honor to be a part of the collaboration that resulted in such an amazing transformation of the dining space. This hometown high school is a neighbor of LTI’s – located a couple from its headquarters facility, which made it that much more special.”

To accomplish these goals, Richards turned to LTI to partner on the project.

LTI’s QuickSwitch convertible wells were selected to provide the flexibility that was central to the project. QuickSwitch wells are independently controlled, allowing hot, cold or frozen foods to be held side by side. And the wells can switch temperatures in an hour or less, giving the nutrition staff the option to change their menu from day to day or even from breakfast to lunch.

This flexibility means the school dining leaders can create menus that are appealing to students without having to worry about whether the foods can be served in static, single-temperature wells. The wells adapt to the menu; not the other way around.

Richards chose some other space-saving and capacity-boosting solutions from LTI: a two-tier frost top to increase display space in a small footprint and a convertible food shield that can switch from operator service to self-service, depending on the current or future needs of the cafeteria. And mobile cashier units, which could be moved into the dining area during service, were brought in to maximize the space available for serving counters and equipment.

“LTI is a great company to collaborate with during the design process. They have great ideas and provide the essential information I need as a consultant,” Richards said.

“We chose LTI products for this project because LTI offers the products and service that no one else does. The quality of their materials and workmanship is unmatched. They take pride in their work, and it shows,” he added.