Changes made to the food sold at Carlmont’s lunchtime vendor brings the same varied student opinions considering taste, appearance, health, and value, just as the hot lunch has in recent years.
Labeled as “Pit Stop,” three kiosks that sell hot meals during lunch are conveniently placed around campus, and are open throughout lunchtime. Any stranger to Carlmont that spends five minutes of lunch on campus will be able to see that the Pit Stops are very popular, with long lines of hungry students.
Despite having many of the same entrees that were sold last year, the Pit Stops now sell food at slightly higher prices, and have introduced new meals to their menu. In addition, some of the food sold this year is different in taste and appearance.
Junior Madi Hubbell said, “I didn’t really notice the changes in food, and I still think the lunch sold at the kiosks is really good. I love eating their salads and burritos.”
Hubbell is one among many that often buy lunch at school as opposed to bringing lunch from home. Students are offered a wide range of lunch choices including pizza, burgers, salads, wraps, chicken and rice, and more, all priced at $3.75.
“The price is fair, but I wouldn’t pay more to buy my lunch at school,” Hubbell said.
Freshman Alexis Freiermuth enjoys the perks of being able to buy her food easily, as opposed to middle school, where students often need to pre-order hot lunch.
Freiermuth said, “It is really convenient to be able to buy school food when I want. I have enjoyed eating the food at the Pit Stop this year.”
Despite much positive feedback on the hot lunch’s changes, some students are left unsatisfied. Concerning food health and appearance, the Pit Stop’s ratings fall flat.
Junior Sophie Fox said, “I have only bought hot lunch twice. My salad came wrapped in a plastic bag, which was unappetizing. The fruit that my meal came with was rock hard.”
Employees at the Pit Stops encourage students to take fruit, vegetables, and milk with their meal, but their efforts to make Carlmont’s lunch consumers healthier backfires due to the unsightly appearance and unsatisfying taste of the additions.
Fox said, “Though they are offered, many students don’t take the healthy options, which makes the extra food unnecessary.”
In previous years, responses to Carlmont’s lunch program have been both positive and negative. The changes made in the menu have not made a big difference in the number of lunch-buyers on campus.
As food providers find new ways to make packaged meals more appealing, fresh, and tasty, hot lunch on campus may be affected by this positively, drawing more students into the lunch vendor program.
With 2,000 different taste palettes to possibly serve, and many standards to live up to, including excellence in taste, appearance, and freshness, the Pit Stops can not satisfy everyone, but strive to please as wide of an audience as possible.
