OPERATIONS GRAPEVINE-COLLEYVILLE ISD: WHERE CAFETERIA AND CLASSROOM COME TOGETHER
“
Our diners are kids: If they have an unseasoned boiled green bean, they’ll decide they hate green beans. But if we can add some lemon pepper, or a little bit of Mrs. Dash, and keep an eye on the cooking time that same kid might enjoy it and decide they love green beans. That’s a big thing.”
- Chef Jason Aronen
Aronen says. “Test the food. Season the meal. Our diners are kids: If they have an unseasoned boiled green bean, they’ll decide they hate green beans. But if we can add some lemon pepper, or a little bit of Mrs. Dash, and keep an eye on the cooking time that same kid might enjoy it and decide they love green beans. That’s a big thing.” Children are also more likely to try meals when they’re part of it, Aron- en knows. That was one of the driving philosophies behind a pilot program last summer: “ Chef Jason’s Cooking Class, ” held over three days in late June after the district had closed for the year. Students learned how to safely chop strawberries for a refreshing ice cream, to be enjoyed along with chick- en egg rolls, dumplings, dipping sauc- es, and shortbread cookies that they took home—along with recipe cards. These extra efforts have won Grapevine-Colleyville recognition. In October, Telesca learned she received the most prestigious hon- or of the 2024 FAME (Foodservice Achievement Management Excel- lence) Awards: the Golden Foodser- vice Director of the Year. (A member of the FoodService Director editorial team was part of the selection com- mittee.) Telesca, in the industry for 28 years, says she was “so humbled and excited” to receive the award. “We view ourselves as servers—here to serve others—so you’re never look- ing for pats on the back,” Telesca says. “But it’s always nice to hear validation that we’re doing what we’re supposed to, and that we’re having a positive im- pact. That makes it certainly one of the highlights of my career.”
See what’s in store for Telesca’s oper- ation, which was named FSD’s April Foodservice Operation of the Month. GET TO KNOW GRAPEVINE- COLLEYVILLE ISD’S JULIE TELESCA
Q: WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES YOUR OPERATION EXCEL? As a team, across the board we’re always looking to improve what we’re doing. And if someone makes a mistake, it’s not about catching them or a “gotcha.” Instead it’s, “Let’s evaluate how we are doing things and let's make it better. How can we support you? What is it that you need from us to help this im- prove?” Each one of my team knows that all of us—me, my assis- tant director, our culinary trainer, our dietician and more—are all here to ensure they have the tools they need to do their job. I believe that goes a long way. They can come to us—good, bad, indifferent, doesn’t matter—and they know we’ll imme- diately ask how we can help. In turn, our team members are so passionate and have such heart. It makes it a great place to work; we make each other better. Q: WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE OPERATION IN THE COMING YEAR? We have a few. We’d like to rebrand our coffee shops for our stu- dents, including bringing in new products. We're also focusing a lot on global flavors for the next school year, including fusions of a few different cuisines, as that continues to be a hot trend. That will be part of an overall strategy of enhancing our menu and updating some of our overall program profile. We’d also like to expand our cooking club, possibly including running it throughout the school year or at least holding one in the middle of the year so we can reach more students. We are always looking for ways to have a greater impact, so I could go on and on about our goals!
PHOTOS COURTESY OF GRAPEVINE-COLLEYVILLE ISD
FSD QUARTERLY
Q2 2024
36
Powered by FlippingBook