A New Cafeteria Experience at Chesterfield County Schools

“It is fresh. It is new. Kids are excited about it. It has the ability to change and expand over the future.”

Dennis McDaniel, Principal, Plainview Elementary School

The district’s food has always been wholesome and tasty, but the physical states of the cafeterias, while technically functional, were well past their prime. Some estimated that the dining furniture was close to twenty, if not thirty, years old.

“You’d walk in there and it’s like you’re walking into the early 90s or late 80s,” says Kevin Caskey, Chief Financial Officer. More than just being old, some of the furniture was quite literally falling apart. “Seats were breaking off, with kids forced to balance on a broken seat to eat lunch.”

Recognizing the problem, district leaders moved some excess funds around to revitalize the cafeterias at each of their sixteen campuses — a unique chance to upgrade every school. “When you can provide a solution that touches everybody and gets the entire district excited together,” says Caskey, “that’s a rare opportunity.”

“Our tables might have been original to the school, to be honest. They were quite dated and old. They needed a refresher.”  

Sherry Young, Principal, McBee High School

With their goals in place, the work of modernizing Chesterfield’s cafeterias could finally begin.

The Solution

To bring their vision to life, Chesterfield partnered with the furniture experts at Meteor Education. Right from the start, Meteor reps met with district leaders, then visited each school to talk with principals and cafeteria managers. “The principals had not done something like this before, so they didn’t really know what they wanted,” says Caskey. “Meteor was great at guiding them through the process.”

The plans went beyond furniture, incorporating custom logos and murals to give each space its own identity. “Most cafeterias look the same, where you can’t even tell what school you’re in. But now, it’s obvious. It’s new, it’s unique, it’s branded to their school. All of that was built by Meteor.”

More than just replacing old tables and chairs, the district aimed to create dining spaces that worked for every student. At McBee High School — technically a middle-high school serving grades 6 through 12 — that meant finding seating suitable for both younger and older students. “That wide gap in ages is always a challenge,” says Principal Sherry Young.

“Working with Meteor was one of the easiest projects I’ve been involved in. They were onsite and involved from day one, getting all the information from all the stakeholders and delivering the best product possible. And they came in under budget.”

Kevin Caskey, Chief Financial Officer

The answer was to provide a mix of seating styles so every student could find a comfortable spot. Round tables encouraged conversation. Booths offered a cozier, more private space for those who wanted it. Students across the district were especially excited about the high-top tables, as it “gives them a college-type feel,” says Rob Ransom, Principal at Central High School.

Throughout the entire process, Meteor maintained full transparency, keeping the school informed of every update. “Most vendors I have to follow up on and check in,” Caskey says. “But not with Meteor.”

“I felt like I was part of their team, which just makes everything work together. It was more of a family environment.”

Reba Powers, Food Service Director

Once the work was finished, it wasn’t just district leaders who were thrilled. Recalling the first post-renovation lunches, “To see the faces on those kids when they came in… it’s just amazing,” says Reba Powers, Food Service Director.

The Impact

Reflecting on what was once a cafeteria with broken seats and slapped-on 2x4s to keep tables from collapsing, Caskey notes that now the students, “are going into something that looks like a multi-million-dollar facility.”

One of the clearest differences is how much more open and airy the cafeterias feel, even though the room’s dimensions haven’t changed.  “It makes it look bigger and more open now. There’s more space to be able to walk around, where it used to be confined and cramped,” says Courtney Vanderpool, Food Service Field Director.

“The room itself is exactly the same, as there was no major alteration to the building, but the space looks completely different.”

Kevin Caskey, Chief Financial Officer

Staff have also noted that the new setups create a more welcoming environment, one that makes students want to stick around after they eat to socialize with their friends. “It makes them feel safe,” says Lisa Baker, Food Service Admin Assistant. “It’s like they’re at home.”

While the physical environments have obviously been transformed, there have been some noticeable changes regarding the food itself. “My lunch count has gone up,” says Tamika Evans, Cafeteria Manager at Ruby Middle School, as more kids are now opting to eat the school-prepared hot lunches. As a fun note, Pageland Elementary Principal Thomas Brewer says his students like to joke, “It even makes the food taste better!”

The flexibility of the new furniture has given schools a whole new way to use their cafeterias. “We now have a space that’s functional not just for 2-3 hours a day for lunch, but also as we do assemblies, have award ceremonies,” says Dennis McDaniel, Principal of Plainview Elementary. “It’s very easy to transform from one thing to the next. Perfect for us.”

Leaders across the district agree that the cafeteria upgrades have been a roaring success, with benefits reaching far beyond food service. “This project lays the groundwork to help pass bonds and secure funding for future success,” notes Caskey. And while perhaps still known as “lil’ old Chesterfield” to some, the district’s cafeterias are now the talk of the lunchroom, a source of pride for students and staff, and a springboard for further renovations and updates.