In today’s busy school environments, giving students a quick and easy way to order and collect nutritious meals is essential. A grab-and-go meal offering allows students to select pre-packaged meals or snacks and pay for them easily, using modern meal ordering methods like pre-order apps and self-serve kiosks.
The grab-and-go approach that includes methods such as meal pre-ordering and contactless payments reduces queues by enabling multiple students to collect their meals simultaneously at designated grab-and-go stations, so students can enjoy their break instead of waiting in line.
Why should schools consider grab-and-go?
Schools are facing growing challenges, from shorter lunchtimes to increased student numbers. A grab-and-go offering addresses these challenges by:
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- Boosting meal service efficiency: Whether students have pre-ordered meals, checked out using kiosks, or used contactless payments at the point of sale, long queues can be a thing of the past. Multiple students can easily collect their meals at different locations simultaneously.
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- Ensuring accessibility: Students can always grab a meal no matter how busy the school dining hall is, encouraging the use of on-site catering.
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- Catering to variety: There’s something for everyone, with options ranging from hot meals to portable snacks.
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- Streamlining Operations: Utilising pre-order apps such as Fusion Online simplifies the meal ordering process for staff by allowing students to pre-order their meals from their phones. Catering staff can prepare the right amount of meals in advance, reducing food waste and ensuring efficient operations.
It’s not just about convenience. It’s about creating a system that benefits the entire school community.
By integrating efficient processes and smart technology, such as Self-Serve Kiosks, Fusion Online for pre-ordering school meals, and Chip & Pin payments, schools and caterers can create a seamless grab-and-go system that works for everyone.
Tips for implementing a grab-and-go service in schools
Looking to set up a grab-and-go system in your school? Here are some practical tips to help you get started:
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- Plan your menu: Focus on nutritious, portable options like wraps, salads, pre-packed hot meals, and healthy snacks.
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- Leverage technology: Incorporate tools like Fusion Online, Self-Serve Kiosks, and Chip & Pin to simplify ordering and payment.
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- Design the space: Create clearly defined grab-and-go stations to keep the dining hall organised and traffic flowing.
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- Go cashless: Embrace solutions like Fusion Cashless, which support biometric payments, eliminating the need for cash and making transactions faster and safer.
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- Adapt based on data: Use insights from Fusion’s reporting functionality, from monitoring best-selling meals to scheduling daily sales report emails to help improve your school meal service.
Using these tips, schools and caterers can implement a seamless grab-and-go meal service and transform their dining experience, combined with innovative technology like Fusion Online, Self-Serve Kiosks, and Chip & Pin to create a quick, efficient, and student-friendly dining hall experience.
Get the ultimate Grab-and-Go Recipe Guide
Need some inspiration? Our Grab-and-Go Recipe Guide, created in partnership with school caterers Impact Food Group, is packed with practical tips on implementing a grab-and-go service and tried and tested tasty recipe ideas to get started.
