As Alan Mallett drove on a motorcycle trip through Germany, he stopped at the Turkish neighborhood of Little Istanbul. There, he discovered the savory sliced meat of Turkish chicken shawarma and dürüm wraps, inspiring him to implement cultural dishes on the school’s menu.

On the surface, what might seem like servers and cashiers managing lines of students is actually a team of 25 dining service workers running behind the scenes to prepare campus meals every single day. This staff oversees all aspects of food production such as catering, concessions, food assembly and serving.

Mallett, the director of food services, described the first step in this process, menu creation. Due to his love for motorcycling, Mallett has traveled through Seattle, Italy, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Mexico and Croatia, taking inspiration for meal ideas from the places he’s visited.

Beginning with the introduction of Korean rice bowls and a banh mi station, Mallett is working with chef Adam May to add a multitude of new meals to represent diverse and global cultures. Currently, the school prepares a variety of dishes like Korean barbecue, chicken tikka masala and taco bowls.

But before adding new items, Mallett requires strict standards before officially adding to the menu.  Safety is first, followed by the ability of the staff to produce it.

To ensure reliable sourcing, every ingredient in the kitchen must be from a certified Texas vendor.

“If we buy meat, it’s not going to be sitting on somebody’s dock for four or five hours before it comes here,” Mallett said. “We know the produce will be handled correctly because we buy it from our vendors.”

As ingredients arrive at the chopping board, the work is transferred to the hands of the kitchen cooks. The staff begin assembling breakfast at 6 a.m., with staple items like cereal, oatmeal, grits, fruit and coffee all laid out for students before their first class. Preparations for lunch follow immediately in order to serve at 10:45 a.m. Similar to an assembly line, each cook is assigned to a station, overseeing ingredients that will be assembled into that day’s entrees.

Doretha Allen, whose favorite dishes are chicken wings and German chocolate cake, began cooking at a young age.

“I started cooking when I was 9,” Allen said. “My dad taught me how to cook and bake, and when I went to school, I took a lot of homemaking classes, so that’s when I decided I wanted to cook.”

Following the end of meal prep, serving begins as students rush into the Flores Hall servery.

“I love to serve the most,” Allen said. “I enjoy serving the kids and making their day, and it makes my own day, too.”

Maria Hernandez, a cook and server at the school since 2005, voiced a similar sentiment.

“I serve in the line every day, and I’m very happy,” Hernandez said. “Everybody is always very nice to me.”

The end of lunch signals the final stretch of the day. As students file out of Flores, tasks like tidying the kitchen, washing dishes and cleaning the cafeteria are all completed by 2:30.

For some, the day doesn’t end there. Certain members of the staff oversee other dining services for holidays, club meetings and other events.

Catering manager Peter Childs, now in his sixth year, supervises all food-related aspects on campus. “Everything that goes out on campus, everything that deals with food, goes through me,” Childs said.

While the cafeteria has a set schedule, catering is rarely the same from day to day.

“I could interact with parents for senior tea or lower school teachers, maybe even with the kids,” Childs said. “If a club wants to have a lunch meeting in the boardroom, the sponsor will come to me and say, ‘Can we get some coffee and water or a sandwich tray for this meeting?’”

This year, the dining staff has also undertaken concession stands at football, track and field, volleyball and lacrosse events. After a surplus of students began to purchase candy at the concession, Mallett recommended the addition of fresh fruit and hummus cups for additional healthy options.

“I told my staff the more candy we put, the more they’re gonna buy,” Mallett said. “We’re trying to limit the sugar intake just a little.”

Whether members of the staff run snack stands or chop vegetables, Allen believes the members of the dining staff are a true team.

“Everybody helps everybody,” Allen said. “If somebody is behind, people will jump in and help you out. We’re all team players in the kitchen.”

This story was originally published on The Review on October 7, 2025.