From Lunch Lady to Entrepreneur

"How did I get here?"

I’m often asked the question of how did you get here.  Actually, it’s a question that I often ask myself.  How did I go from being a lunch lady of 16 years at a prestigious private school to a budding entrepreneur of a growing online school lunch management system.

In order to answer that question, I need to take you back to the beginning.  My career in the food management system started from my need to be on the same schedule as my three kids.  Since I had no family around me to help during school breaks, I sought out a career that could put me on the same schedule as them.  When the opportunity of developing a lunch program for their school arose, I took it, never contemplating that my business management degree could aid me so significantly in this position.

I was determined not to be the typical lunch lady.  There were no hair nets or aprons in my future.  I was going to change that perception right away.  So, hair tucked away neatly in a professional bun and clothes that you would wear to a business meeting was my “uniform”.  The children who I helped serve everyday needed a role model and a smiling warm face and that’s what I was determined to provide.

I eagerly learned the likes and needs of my student body and was quick to adjust. I fostered relationships with local vendors and adapted our menu to meet those needs for the vendor, student and parents.  That's where the unique concept of managing food lunch programs was born.  This concept was developed and perfected during my amazing tenure as a “lunch lady” but it blossomed when I realized that I could take it to schools all around the country.

This is just the beginning of the new platform for the “lunch lady''.  The goal of the effort is to explore new vendors and share our knowledge with schools in the hope of simplifying their lunch program.  By implementing an easy solution to the burdensome task of the lunch ordering process, our team is able to free up administrator's valuable time to concentrate on more immediate school related issues. 

The beauty of what we do is unique and that is why many schools choose to work with our team.  We get to connect with local vendors, who after the pandemic are still slow to get back on their feet, with local schools who want a viable lunch program with no stress.

Through this program we found a way to nourish communities while aiding schools.  It’s a win-win team!