Built Environments

Our Goal: Create Dignified Built Environments

We create dining spaces that delight students and kitchen spaces that make it possible to prepare and serve good food. Comfortable and appealing spaces are central to how students experience the school meal program.

How we get there 

  • Renovated kitchens and equipment
  • Upgraded serving line infrastructure 
  • Redesigned dining spaces
  • Improved food presentation
  • Environmentally responsible meal program
  • More accessible serving locations

Transforming the Student Dining Experience

10 Years of Change in the San Francisco Unified School District

Over the last ten years, thanks to philanthropic support and substantial funding from the 2016 GO Bond, 74 school cafeterias have been redesigned, serving over 38,000 students. In addition, 4 kitchens have been renovated, allowing for scratch and speed scratch cooking of our popular Refresh menu at 21 of our campuses. 

We have accomplished a great deal of meaningful change, and there is still more work to do.  Dive into the widespread work that has been done below.

Kitchen Renovations

Thurgood Marshall High School

Thurgood Marshall High School was the first school site to receive a kitchen renovation nearly a decade ago. To celebrate, we gathered with the community for the grand opening and toured the beautiful new kitchen. The kitchen serves nearly 600 lunches every day to students at no cost. With the renovation, there is upgraded equipment and improved storage to increase their ability to prepare and serve fresh meals each day.  Learn more about our efforts to nourish students with good food

McAteer Culinary Center

McAteer Culinary Team

In Fall 2019, we celebrated the grand opening of the new McAteer Culinary Center. The kitchen will serve our Early Education sites, the two high schools on campus (The Academy and Ruth Asawa School of the Arts), and select elementary schools as part of our pilot to create fresh meals in-house and distribute across the district. At our middle and high schools, we're upgrading equipment to prepare more freshly made meals in-house. As facilities are upgraded to prepare and serve fresh food, our procurement practices can improve as well. Learn more about our efforts to nourish students with good food.

Marina Middle School

Marina Middle School Dining Staff

In the 2022-2023 SY, SNS leveraged our new kitchen at Marina Middle School to begin our production of all meals for students with special dietary needs. Student Nutrition Services is proud to partner with Food Connect for delivery to each school site, which allows for the production of allergy and special accommodation meals at this central location. At the end of the 22-23 SY, our Allergy Meal Program was preparing 101 meals for 55 students per day to ensure they are safely nourished!

A.P. Giannini Middle School

AP Giannini Dining Staff

In March 2022, we celebrated the grand opening of the newly renovated kitchen at AP Giannini Middle School. The kitchen serves nearly 800 lunches every day to students at no cost. With the renovation, there is upgraded equipment and improved storage to increase their ability to prepare and serve fresh meals each day.  Learn more about our efforts to nourish students with good food.

 

Dining Space Redesigns

Welcoming dining spaces that students enjoy are an essential part of the school meal experience. We have opened 73 redesigned dining spaces at SFUSD so far. From 2015 to 2018, a public/private partnership allowed us to complete 18 spaces. From 2018 to 2022, general obligation bond funds were used to create 55 new spaces. With new furniture, graphics, and artwork, we’re creating student-centered spaces that reflect each individual school, supporting our goal to create dignified built environments. For more information on participating in a dining space redesign process at your school, contact Ivan Rodriguez.

This page was last updated on November 9, 2023