Building a Foodservice Legacy

When people look at your foodservice business, do they know what’s important to you and your team members? Is it your fresh-baked breads, your food selection, the colorful salad bar, or your innovative ethnic meals? Are you known for your special student celebrations or for your foodservice program’s support of educational objectives? Building a legacy is one of the key elements to successful program marketing.

Your school foodservice legacy is the voice that communicates your goal to students and parents. If built, supported, and integrated into everything you do, the benefits are endless! Your legacy can:

• Elevate program perception among students, parents, and school board

• Motivate and empower staff

• Focus menu planning on key elements to support the legacy

The process of putting together a school foodservice legacy can be fun! Watch your staff’s eyes light up when you involve them in the development process. This is a great exercise to conduct at staff trainings or as part of a marketing initiative. There’s no right answer as long as your legacy incorporates your core values. Keep it short and simple enough to be understood and repeated with ease.

Some sample legacies include:

• We want to be known for serving healthy food the kids absolutely love

• We want to be known for linking the benefits of a healthy school lunch to classroom performance

• We want to be known for celebrating food and friendships

Now that you know the benefits of identifying your own legacy, it’s time to get started!

Once your legacy is on paper, you and your staff will be anxious to bring it to life. But how? One resource is a step-by-step guide, Marketing Your School Foodservice Program, by marketing expert Tom Whitney and Fame Golden Foodservice Director of the Year Jean Ronnei. This complete video and guidebook walks you through the steps to increased participation rates, an improved image, and inspired employees while providing real life examples. Learn more today!