Many outside factors affect the operations and success of your food service program. Stay informed about the latest developments from CKC Good Food and the food service industry.
CKC Good Food News
Grace Simpson Named Administrative Coordinator
We are thrilled to announce that Grace Simpson (they/their) has joined CKC Good Food as our new Administrative Coordinator. Grace brings a wealth of experience, outstanding leadership skills and a dedication to fostering inclusive and engaging environments.
Prioritizing Local & American Produce
CKC Good Food prides itself on providing the freshest, most tasteful food possible to our client sites. Our menus feature a wide variety of local and American products, including seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Team Spotlight: Hiawatha Collegiate
Hiawatha Academies is a network of tuition-free public charter schools in Minneapolis's Northrop and Seward neighborhoods. CKC Good Food is proud to be the food service partner to Hiawatha's three schools, which combined serve students from kindergarten to 12th grade. This edition of our Team Spotlight shines a light on our team at Hiawatha Collegiate High School.
Team Spotlight: Naj Bagdadi
In this edition of our Team Spotlight, we’re highlighting a team member who works almost exclusively by himself: Najil Bagdadi, our Executive Catering Chef.
Taste Tests & Facility Tours: Look Behind-the-Scenes of Your School Meals
One of our favorite times of year is approaching - the season when we welcome groups to our commissary for tours and taste tests of foods we're evaluating for our menus. Our guests always give us very honest, valuable feedback that only makes CKC Good Food and our menus better. And guests are generally engaged as we tour them through our massive kitchen and warehouse. We invite schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program to bring a group to our commissary for a session between March 3 and May 22.
Vegetarian Menu Refreshed
While only about 10% of the meals prepped at our main commissary are for our hot vegetarian menu, our menu development and recipe team doesn't neglect refreshing the menu. They aim to offer a menu that has a variety of tasty options, including some ethnic meals, such as bean and cheese pupusas, cheese quesadillas and bean & cheese burritos.
Team Spotlight: Francis Yang
Francis Yang manages all aspects of the milk program for 20-25 client partners. While he serves some of our larger client sites, he also delivers to smaller sites that would have limited options for milk if CKC Good Food did not have its own milk delivery truck.
Team Spotlight: CAPRW
At the Ruth O. Benner Community Center in St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood, CKC Good Food operates a commissary that preps and serves meals at 10 Head Start locations and one childcare center scattered around Saint Paul. The program, operated by the Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington Counties, serves infants, toddlers and children under age 5 from low-income families. All told, CKC Good Food's Head Start team of 11 provides 730 hot lunches and 638 breakfast and snacks daily, Monday through Friday! Let's meet the team!
Tailoring Menus to Specific Eaters
One of the many benefits of having CKC Good Food manage the daily food service operations for the kitchen at your site is having a menu tailor-made for those you serve. It's one of the many ways we ensure maximum participation in your food service program.