Aramark rebrands Oswego High School lunchroom

During the summer of 2023, Aramark Student Nutrition took on the task of rebranding and building a new and updated lunchroom experience at Oswego High School. This is the first rebranding of this kind in the area for Aramark.

“In today’s society, students are more savvy and more aware of food choices,” Aramark Director Patty Alexakos said in a news release from the district. Students are looking for options beyond the traditional lunchline. The Panthers Rally Cafe was created for the students to feel like they had a “home” during their lunch periods.

When entering the Cafe, students are greeted with many different food stations to choose from such as Tortilla Station, Pizza Station, Test Kitchen, Rotating Bar Station, Sandwich Station along with “Grab-and-Go” coolers and more.

Everyday favorites like pizza are handcrafted and offered in several daily varieties, as well as a weekly specialty selection. The sandwiches are made much like they would be made at a local sandwich shop; students will pick the type of bread, meat and cheese then take it to the seasoning/sauce station to top it with options like infused olive oils, spices and flavored sauces. Another fun area in the Cafe is the Rotating Bar, where different items offered weekly such as Potato Bar, Ramen Bar, Breakfast Bar, Build-Your-Own Mac & Cheese Bar, Wing Bar, etc.

“Between the Bento-style grab-and-go boxes in the coolers, to the freshly made pizzas, to the sub sandwiches or the Rotating Bar options, there is a wide variety of food choices for everyone,” Alexakos said.

All SD 308 schools operate using a cashless system utilizing PushCoin, where parents can fund student lunch accounts online using an electronic check or credit/debit card. Students scan their school ID at checkout and the payment is automatically deducted from their PushCoin account. Eliminating the need to handle cash greatly helps with the flow and efficiency in the lunchroom.

Oswego High School’s cafeteria was chosen as the first school by Aramark to be rebranded because it was the oldest high school in the district and in need of the most work and repairs. All upgrades and costs for this rebrand, with the exception of small wares bought by the district, was paid for and provided for by Aramark Student Nutrition. The district will decided whether they wish to continue to rebrand additional lunchrooms across the district.