Fresh Ideas named new food service provider for R-6

SIKESTON — Sikeston R-6 students, teachers and staff will have a new food service provider when they return to school next month following their holiday break.

The food services bid was awarded during a special session Dec. 2 to Fresh Ideas Food Service Management, which was the low bidder of the companies that submitted bids, according to R-6 Director of Business Services Cheryl Essner.

Five companies attended the mandatory pre-bid meeting and district kitchen walk-through tour on Oct 14. Bids were due and opened on Nov 18. Bids were received from all five companies: Fresh Ideas, Opaa!, Chartwells, Aramark and Taher.

“Three top choices were selected based on a number of factors and those three participated in a food challenge on Dec. 1 with the food tasters consisting of a teacher, an administrator, two parents and three students (one from high school, one junior and one from middle school),” Essner said.

Those same three companies made a presentation and were interviewed by the committee consisting of two principals, two board members, Sikeston R-6 Superintendent Dr. Tony Robinson and Essner.

A consensus was reached by the committee that evening to recommend Fresh Ideas to the board the next day for approval, Essner said.

SFE, the district’s current food service provider whose contract was canceled by the district in September, continues to provide the meals for Sikeston R-6 through the end of the semester.

Fresh Ideas’ contract will be effective Dec. 21. The onboarding process to hire the current food service workers began Dec. 8 at Three Rivers College, Essner said.

Fresh Ideas will prepare a lunch for the teachers work day on Jan. 4, 2021, and their first meal for students will be Jan. 5, 2021.

“Fresh Ideas is a Missouri-based, privately held company headquartered in Columbia, which was one factor in the decision to choose them,” Essner said.

Other reasons, Essner said, the district chose Fresh Ideas were because the price includes an executive chef dedicated to the district (not shared with other schools); commits to 60% scratch cooking with plans to increase that to 70% over time; and references were all positive when Robinson reached out to the other superintendents whose schools partner with Fresh Ideas.

“Fresh Ideas Regional Director of Operations Shannon Fife has several ideas to increase student participation and feed more kids,” Essner said.

For example, Fresh Ideas will establish a food committee of third and fourth grade students to discuss the menu and offer suggestions. These students are encouraged to be an advocate for their classmates, Essner said.

Fresh Idea will also seek menu input from grades 5-12 as well and have a student survey; it will finalize plans for a barbecue club in spring 2021 and launch the program in fall 2021.

Fresh Ideas will offer employment current employees, pending a satisfactory background check and drug screening.

It also offers health benefits and paid time off to employees as well as other benefits.

“Our Fresh Ideas team is excited to partner with the Sikeston School District in providing a quality dining service program for our students and community,” Fife said. “We look forward to having the Sikeston team as part of the Fresh Ideas family. We believe fresh nutritious food is important to fuel the minds and bodies of our students and set them up for academic success. Your feedback is important to us; please reach out if you have any questions or comments.”