Aramark Pilots New Dining Concept

Bright colors, mascots, express lines make up new Cool*Caf.

PHILADELPHIA—In an effort to bring better nutrition and more fun to elementary school cafeterias across the nation, Aramark has developed a new dining concept called Cool*Caf.

Aramark - Cool*Caf- Better nutrition and more fun to elementary school cafeterias

In order to create a program that would accomplish a fun and healthy environment, Aramark first completed research to determine what students, teachers and parents were looking for in school lunch programs.

According to Michael Pursell, associate vice president for Aramark Education, the research provided five main findings. The first finding was that parents and teachers wanted an environment in which students could make healthy dining choices. The second was that children wanted a lunch environment that resonated with them. Third, students have sophisticated palates and they are looking for more food choices. Fourth, the research determined that the mascot, Ace, has influence on the students. Lastly, the research showed that long lines were a detriment to students purchasing school lunches.

After these findings, Aramark set out to create a program that would address these key research points. One of the most important aspects of Cool*Caf is the environment. The walls are painted bold, bright colors and signage is found throughout. Pursell said students said they wanted a place where they could socialize with their friends during lunch and they wanted to be in an environment that resonated with them, which meant that kids wanted a cafeteria that met the entertainment values associated with elementary school children. Animated art the walls with buzz words such as “friend,” “strong” and “healthy” are found throughout. “A lot of times these cafeterias are multipurpose rooms with dull white walls,” Pursell said. “With Cool*Caf, we wanted to make the walls bright and make this a fun and engaging place for students to eat a healthy school meal.”

Aramark - Cool*Caf- Better nutrition and more fun to elementary school cafeterias

The express line also has a new sack lunch program. “The sack lunches are kind of what McDonald’s has done with Happy Meals,” Pursell said. This has provided an additional point of service. It’s not your traditional paper bag lunch. There are lots of bright colors and the mascot and educational games are on the packaging. One of the things we learned from the children doing the research was that kids didn’t want a mystery sack lunch. The kids can now see what’s inside these bags.” The sack lunches can either be sold as a reimbursable meal or á la carte, depending on what the needs are at each school.

Another new operational addition in Cool*Caf are the fresh fruit and vegetable bars. “In our research we found that the students really wanted to be able to be involved with their food,” Schlosberg said. “Through the bar, they can select different fruits and veggies and they can chose different dipping sauces to make it more fun.”

Ace and his friends also play a large part in the educational aspect of Cool*Caf. “With Ace and friends, we have a new platform to reinvigorate our nutrition education platform,” Schlosberg said. “We have a live show where Ace can be booked to show up at the school. He teaches kids about making healthy choices. We also have a monthly education program, which is themed ‘Ace Goes Around the World.’ Schools receive passports along with a small educational item that can be given out to the students to reinforce the nutritional components.” Ace and his friends are also featured throughout the servery in signage.

To address the savvy food audience being found in younger students today, Cool*Caf provides students with meals that exceed USDA nutritional guidelines, and the menus offer students different choices throughout the week. More fresh fruits and vegetables are also found in the new concept.