FUHSD approves cafeteria serving line units, kitchen consultant

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

Two Aug. 9 Fallbrook Union High School District board actions will provide improvements to the cafeteria facilities.

One motion approved a proposal from Chereskin Architecture for consultant services to work with regulatory agencies on additional facilities. The school board also approved a contract with ServeSmart K-12 products for replacement serving line units. Both actions passed on 5-0 votes.

Earlier this year, the district contracted with Balfour Beatty to perform renovations at Fallbrook High School including the cafeteria as well as the library, amphitheater and restrooms. The construction work began June 7 and is expected to be complete in early fall.

The state's Division of the State Architect must approve any plans involving a school. The cafeteria is also subject to oversight by the County of San Diego's Department of Environmental Health and Quality. Chereskin Architecture will work with the state and county agencies to determine the feasibility of placing pizza ovens in the snack bar, the best use of equipment for the new preparation space, the optimal installation location for a new freezer, and an evaluation of equipment for a new blast chiller and tilt skillet.

Chereskin Architecture is based in Encinitas and was founded in 1991. Chereskin Architecture principal Samuel Chereskin has a degree in architecture while commercial kitchen equipment specialist Pamela Chereskin has a degree in nutrition and 20 years of Escondido Union School District experience as an area supervisor.

The payment will be based on hourly rates and time expended but will not exceed $10,000. The hourly rates are $165 for an architect, $120 for a project manager, $95 for an equipment planner, $80 for a draftsman, and $65 for an office manager.

The current serving line units are a mix of cabinetry, fold-up tables, and a stainless steel cart. They are 15 years old and are difficult to repair; they are not able to heat or cool food, and they require daily set-up. The school district was provided with three vendor quotes for new serving line units.

ServeSmart K-12 Products, which is headquartered in El Cajon, submitted the lowest bid. The $193,390.50 bid includes $13,500.50 for sales tax, $2,190 for shipping, and $3,500 for on-site setup of serving line components. The equipment being replaced will be removed by ServeSmart K-12 Products at no charge.

The new equipment will include eight four-well open well custom-design cold well cabinets on casters with stainless tray slides, eight custom-design locking cold well covers, seven custom-design hot well shelves with sneeze guards, five four-well custom hot well cabinets on casters with stainless tray slides, four custom point of sale stations with custom graphics, and two five-well custom hot well cabinets on casters with stainless tray slides.