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
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
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
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
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.
Balboa High School
Student leaders involved with Balboa's nutrition and wellness program helped to design the dining area. The students wanted a space that felt sophisticated and highlighted the values of the schools: Equity, Justice, Empathy.
Lincoln High School
Over 100 students at Lincoln participated in a series of 3 design workshops in order to create a new vision for their dining area.
Marina Middle School
Students, PTA members, teachers, and dining staff all participated in the dining area space redesign workshops for the Marina cafeteria.
Willie L. Brown, Jr. Middle School
The new space was designed with interactive graphics that connect the dining experience to the STEM and Arts curriculum.
Phillip and Sala Burton High School
Student leaders propelled a redesign to transform the dining area at Burton from an underutilized part of campus to a student community hub.
Everett Middle School
Working closely with students and staff, a new dining space was created emphasizing the social justice themes of the school.
Thurgood Marshall Academic High School
In partnership with The Future Project and students leading the "Cafeteria Revamp Squad", Marshall's dining space was redesigned with to convert the previously underutilized space into one that is engaging and fun for students.
McAteer Culinary Kitchen
The McAteer redesign was informed by students from SOTA and The Academy. The idea was to bring a sense of nature and community into the dining space, so students could enjoy their space as more than just a place to eat. Both schools come together to eat in this space, so it's also an opportunity to make connections and build relationships.
This page was last updated on November 9, 2023