Aurora Public Schools hopes new drive-thrus will keep students' dollars on campus

Aurora Public Schools in Aurora, Colo., is looking to compete in its local fast-food scene. 

The district is launching drive-thrus at two high schools with open campus policies this spring to encourage students to dine with them instead of stopping by McDonalds. 

This idea is the brainchild of Nutrition Director Shannon Solomon, who noticed the popularity of drive-thrus while working at KFC and Taco Bell.

“A lot of our customer base was high school kids,” says Solomon. “And so, when I became a [school] kitchen manager 15—almost 16—years ago now, I realized that a lot of our students, or our customers, are leaving because they wanted to go through drive-thrus.”

Solomon hopes this new style of service will meet student demand and keep kids closer to campus during mealtimes. 

Tweaking drive-thrus for K-12 

Aurora’s drive-thrus vary from the traditional setup in that they are free-standing kiosks located in the parking lot. 

The kiosks will have a drive-thru section as well as a walk-up one for students who are carless. During nice weather days, benches and picnic tables will also be setup nearby for students to enjoy their meals alfresco.

Both drive-thrus will serve federally compliant school breakfast and lunch, and students will be able to order via mobile app or in person. The menu is full of items students would see at their favorite fast-food spots, such as breakfast sandwiches and burritos, wings, burgers, chicken sandwiches and salads.

“It’s quick service-type and fast food-type menu items that will travel well,” says Solomon. 

None of the food will be prepared in the drive-thrus, which will only act as a serving area. Instead, it will be cooked in the school kitchens and then transported outside. 

One of the biggest challenges in getting the drive-thrus off the ground has been staffing, and Solomon has worked closely with student groups to hire student volunteers and student employees (if they’re over 16). She plans to have two to three students working at each drive-thru, along with one adult staff member. 

Adopting new styles of service 

If all goes well and the drive-thrus prove popular, Solomon aims to have an actual drive-thru window attached to the kitchen in future high school builds. 

But for now, she and her team are focusing on getting the first-generation drive-thrus up and running. The original plan was to launch them early next month, just before spring break; however, they will now make their debut sometime after the holiday. 

Solomon is aware that this is new territory for the team and that they’re taking a risk, yet she believes it’s one worth taking.  

When asked if drive-thrus and other nontraditional formats are the future of K-12 dining, Solomon said she expects traditional cafeteria-style service to continue at the elementary and middle-school levels, but today’s high schoolers want something different that’s more in line with what they’re seeing outside of school. 

“If you’ve seen the movement at places like Chipotle and stuff, there’s really less dining in and more calling ahead and using an app where you just walk in, and you've already paid online and you grab your food and go,” says Solomon. "And so, I think at the high school level, the answer to that question is yes.”