Going back to school is still presenting a lot of challenges for foodservice employees. As rules and regulations continually change across the country, one thing remains the same: provide breakfast and lunch safely to students. No matter how your school is planning to serve meals this year, we rounded up the best products for each method. Grab-N-Go was made for social distancing! Whether you’re serving in the cafeteria or hallways, the third and last blog in our Back to School series features how to safely hold, serve and transport Grab-N-Go food and beverages.

1. Make the Flex Station Your Own

If you can dream it, the Flex Station can achieve it. Completely customizable, the Flex Station is the ultimate Grab-N-Go merchandiser. Elementary school students love the Flex Station because it makes them feel like they’re at a convenience store and high school students love it because it’s easy to grab what they want before getting back to hanging out with their friends.

The Flex Station can be designed in a number of different ways to suit your needs and offerings. Use divider bars and Camwear® Boxes to hold shelf stable products like muffins, cereal or fruit; add a Camchiller® to keep milk and juice cold during service. Choose shelves and Camwear Pans, Delivery GoBags® or GoBoxes® to safely hold cold food, hot food or both! Plus, Flex Stations are rust-free and easy to maneuver around campus and through hallways.

2. Heat Up Breakfast with the Cam GoBox

We’ve heard countless school foodservice professionals talk about their desire to provide hot breakfast for students. Offering students hot breakfast options can increase participation because these foods are typically more interesting and provide a larger variety. Imagine being offered a fresh breakfast burrito versus a standard yogurt.

While it’s easy to serve kids hot items at the cafeteria, it can be more difficult to safely hold food at their ideal hot temperature when you’re serving around campus. Top Loading GoBoxes make it easy to transport hot food anywhere. Simply set up a table or cart and put GoBoxes on top. Students can line up six feet apart before easily and quickly picking up each item and heading to class or an outdoor seating area.

3. Get Vending  

Stock vending carts with Grab-N-Go items and easily wheel them anywhere around campus. Position them in high traffic areas to attract students to stop by to grab breakfast, lunch or a snack between classes. Our sleek, professional vending carts have optional personalization, attracting even more students with a spirited school logo or popular food item. CamCruisers®, CamKiosks® and the Cambro Vending Cart all have ability to hold an umbrella or canopy to provide shade for employees during warm weather.

You can also position a vending cart in the cafeteria to quickly serve Grab-N-Go items and increase social distancing by providing another pickup point. Vending carts are ideal for sandwiches, burritos, salads, chips, cookies and more. Plus, plastic barriers keep students and staff safe during service.

For the foreseeable future, schools will need to continue taking precautions to keep staff and students safe from the coronavirus pandemic. Utilizing any of the products mentioned in this blog will help you safely provide Grab-N-Go items at the right temperatures. Contact your Cambro sales rep today to get started.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: ADRIANA DESIDERIO IS THE DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER AT CAMBRO.