By Winnie Brennan and Tess Nelson

“You know what Chef means? It means Head Cook, that’s it,” Chef Jimmy said. But the cafeteria members do so much more than only cook.

In the morning, they arrive when it is dark and no one is in the parking lot, usually around 6:45 am. One upside to this is “We get our choice of any [parking] space we want,” Chef John said. 

Once the students arrive, “[they] are always in the cafeteria, from the time they get here in the morning until 3:30,” Chef Jimmy said. 

During the day, they don’t stop. They are always putting out baked goods in the morning, doing dishes, prepping the kitchen, taking orders, or cooking.

 Some of the most popular ordered items in the cafeteria are pizza. “Pizza days are the biggest days,” Chef John said. Other popular items are any pasta, especially mac and cheese, as well as chicken sandwiches, and meatballs. 

“We love getting you what you want and learning what you guys want,” Chef Jimmy said. Seeing students with their friends makes the cafeteria workers’ day. 

Even when they aren’t at school, they enjoy cooking. “As soon as I get home, I start cooking,” Chef Jimmy said. Chef John and Harold do the same. They are cooks. That’s what they do. They also enjoy watching sports and hanging out with their families.

At the end of the day, they wash the dishes, shut the machines down, lock all the doors and check that all the food is arriving the next day. 

Next time you are in the cafeteria make it a goal to thank them for all of their hard work and everything they do.