Palm Harbor Middle School Cafeteria: A Recipe For Success

Palm Harbor Middle school (PHMS) is used to receiving A's. The school has been designated an "A" school by the state of Florida for the last five years. The school cafeteria is also doing pretty good as well. It has received an "A" for cleanliness and sanitation from the Pinellas County Health Department 20 years in a row.

"Cleanliness is very important," says Karen Brown, the PHMS cafeteria manager, "I make sure my kitchen is spotless. I am a fanatic about cleanliness."

Brown has been the cafeteria manager at PHMS for close to 20 years.  She runs a tight ship, and her staff of 16 works closely as a team. Six staff members have been at the school for over ten years. "We are truly like a family," said Brown.

"I love the people I work with,' says nine year veteran Barb Hampton, "The boss and the kids are a pleasure to work with. My own three kids went to school here. It's a great school."

Principal Victoria Hawkins has great admiration for her cafeteria staff. "They are the hardest working people that truly care about the kids." she said, “They are efficient, and want to provide the most nutritional meals for the kids."

Brown adores working for Hawkins. "She is a little spitfire." said Brown. "When she wants something, she wants it now! I love her to death."

Each day, school cafeterias must serve at least two choices of entrees that are on the District lunch menu. Brown and her staff go above and beyond the call of duty and provide eight choices a day.

"We are proud of the extra choices that we give to our students and staff." said Brown. "Many schools just provide an extra choice or two. The kids and the staff thank us every day."

"I love the chicken sandwich," said Steven, a sixth grader, "But my favorite is the pizza."

Staff member Claudette Paradis is also a big fan. "We have the best food in the school system," she said. The substitute teachers, who get to eat at cafeterias across the District, consistently tell us, we have the best food."

Brown gives the credit for the delicious food to 18 year veteran cook Maddie Raiti. "Maddie is  the best cook I have ever seen." said Brown. "Her food is delicious. On top of that, she is like a mother to all of us, even me!"

"I have been doing this for 18 years, and I absolutely love it." said Raiti. "I can't think of myself doing anything else."

Brown ensures that District recipes are followed.  "We want to make sure the food is not only nutritious but tasty," said Brown. "Sometimes we have to spice it up a bit to bring out the great flavors."

Cafeteria workers are also efficient at making and serving a lot of food in a short period of time. Brown says that during each of the three 30-minute lunch periods, she serves up to 350 students in eight lunch lines.

Since it takes around 15 minutes to serve all the students during a lunch period, she is serving 23 students per minute. 

"I always eat the food here. “says teacher Susan Cavanagh. "They do an incredible job serving an extraordinary number of people in such a short time."

In addition to serving the students of PHMS, the cafeteria also provides lunches for the Athenian and Plato Academy charter schools.

What is the largest selling item in the PHMS cafeteria? Chocolate chip cookies, and lots of them.

Brown estimates that in an average school year, the PHMS cafeteria sells an astonishing 140,000 chocolate chip cookies.

"Our school is a chocolate chip cookie school." said Brown with a laugh. "Our kids just love them."