Those Who Work In Centers?

[Stepping]

I'm in the process of opening a new daycare center. I'm meeting with an architect this week and she needs to know if I require a full kitchen or heating kitchen.

Those of you that work in or own centers:

Do you cook in house or use a catering service?
What are the pros/cons of either?

I'm leaning towards a catering service as this seems the easiest route. I have no idea how to hire a cook or how to cost for large amounts but I don't want to make a costly mistake by ruling this option out altogether.

TIA

[snbauser]

Most catering services will cost you a fortune. You can usually buy food items in bulk and have a cook to prepare them for a lot less money. But you really need to do the research on the cost differences. Also, you need to know your sanitation rules about what they require. I think a heating kitchen will greatly limit your ability to do things in the future.

[missy]

Kids meals are easy and you can make most of them the night before or in the morning. I wouldn't spend the money on a catering service, but that's just me.

Good luck, it's an exciting time!

[craftymissbeth]

I own a home daycare not a center, but I would be concerned about the possibility of catering not working out in the future. If you only build a heating kitchen then that wouldn't even leave you the option to hire a cook and do it yourself without building a whole new kitchen, kwim? I full kitchen would most definitely be a priority for me if I were to build a new center.


Also, I think it's so exciting that you're opening your own center!

[Stepping]

Kids meals are easy and you can make most of them the night before or in the morning. I wouldn't spend the money on a catering service, but that's just me.

Good luck, it's an exciting time!

Do you make all your kids food in a center?

I make all my food now but it's a home daycare with just 8 kids. I don't think I would have time to cook for 30 kids every night :confused:

[Stepping]

I own a home daycare not a center, but I would be concerned about the possibility of catering not working out in the future. If you only build a heating kitchen then that wouldn't even leave you the option to hire a cook and do it yourself without building a whole new kitchen, kwim? I full kitchen would most definitely be a priority for me if I were to build a new center.


Also, I think it's so exciting that you're opening your own center!

Good advice, thank you! I should at least figure in the cost of a full kitchen just in case the catering option doesn't work out.

Thanks everyone

[Patches]

I would hire a cook and have them prepare meals/serve/clean the dishes and kitchen during the day. If that's not in the budget, then I would do it myself at night. I think a catering service would be extremely expensive

[melilley]

I've worked in a center with a full kitchen and a center with just a microwave and stove top to heat things. Let me tell you, the kitchen with just the microwave and stove top was not good at all! We had to boil noodles in the microwave which took forever, everything had to be baked or microwaved.

The center with a full kitchen was awesome! We had a whole stove and a microwave. Cooking didn't take that long, but they did have a lot of canned stuff. Some of the food was homemade though. And for breakfast, almost all centers around here buy frozen foods like pancakes, waffles, bagels, etc...

In both centers, we had a cook, but sometimes when they quit or we had extra staff, a staff member or director would cook. Or the cook would cook and during nap when a staff member wasn't on break, but enough kids in the room were sleeping, they would do the dishes.

I too think it would cost a fortune to cater! Like pp said, you can buy in bulk. Just plan out meals ahead of time. Casseroles, some homemade soups, just to mention a few, are easy and feed a lot of people.

Or you could have them bring lunches and just provide snack, that's another option.

[Bookworm]

I've worked in a center with a full kitchen and a center with just a microwave and stove top to heat things. Let me tell you, the kitchen with just the microwave and stove top was not good at all! We had to boil noodles in the microwave which took forever, everything had to be baked or microwaved.

The center with a full kitchen was awesome! We had a whole stove and a microwave. Cooking didn't take that long, but they did have a lot of canned stuff. Some of the food was homemade though. And for breakfast, almost all centers around here buy frozen foods like pancakes, waffles, bagels, etc...

In both centers, we had a cook, but sometimes when they quit or we had extra staff, a staff member or director would cook. Or the cook would cook and during nap when a staff member wasn't on break, but enough kids in the room were sleeping, they would do the dishes.

I too think it would cost a fortune to cater! Like pp said, you can buy in bulk. Just plan out meals ahead of time. Casseroles, some homemade soups, just to mention a few, are easy and feed a lot of people.

Or you could have them bring lunches and just provide snack, that's another option.

Same here. We buy our food from Sam's Club in bulk. We also have two refrigerators and lots of cabinet space so we only have to go shopping twice a month. Our menus are simple and the majority can be cooked and served in an hour. IMO, I think it would be better to invest in a full kitchen and a cook.

[satcook]

i work in a center

I'm a director at a daycare center and we do not have a full kitchen. For years we catered in our meals. The company we used charged $2.60 a meal. We had to order a set number so on days we had fewer kids we lost quite a bit of money. The food was also terrible!

We have started preparing food at our center and it is amazing how little it costs to feed the kiddos. I would definitely put in a full kitchen!

When we were catering I called around to caterers as we were always looking to switch due to the food quality, but the cheapest I could get anyone to cater was $6-7 a meal!! Not at all a possibility.

Lori

[Mom2TLE]

I just recently went back to home from being a center, I did not have a kitchen and I hated it. Food will already eat up a portion of your revenue so to cater is not going to be the best way to go income wise. I did not have an oven and it drove me crazy. The food program will help with some of the cost but it is different for centers it only covers those who are income eligible and if you are catering they won't cover anything.

[Stepping]

I'm a director at a daycare center and we do not have a full kitchen. For years we catered in our meals. The company we used charged $2.60 a meal. We had to order a set number so on days we had fewer kids we lost quite a bit of money. The food was also terrible!

We have started preparing food at our center and it is amazing how little it costs to feed the kiddos. I would definitely put in a full kitchen!

When we were catering I called around to caterers as we were always looking to switch due to the food quality, but the cheapest I could get anyone to cater was $6-7 a meal!! Not at all a possibility.

Lori

Thanks. This is exactly what I needed to hear. A full kitchen it is.
Do you find it relatively easy to recruit a cook? Would you mind sharing what kind of qualifications you require a cook to have?
Other than food and sanitation certification, I'm pretty clueless about this part of the process.

[racemom]

We have a full kitchen and the baby room has its own kitchenette. We have cupboards for storing baby food, formula, bibs, wash clothes etc. Sink for washing bottles, refrigerator and microwave. We love it, because that way we are pretty self - sufficient only need to get food for older infants brought from main kitchen. The director or available staff do cooking during afternoon nap time, then just warm it up the next day works great.

[Stepping]

We have a full kitchen and the baby room has its own kitchenette. We have cupboards for storing baby food, formula, bibs, wash clothes etc. Sink for washing bottles, refrigerator and microwave. We love it, because that way we are pretty self - sufficient only need to get food for older infants brought from main kitchen. The director or available staff do cooking during afternoon nap time, then just warm it up the next day works great.

Another great idea for the baby room to have a small kitchen of its own.
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