First Glimpse of Revolution Foods in D.C. Public Schools

By Ed Bruske

aka The Slow Cook

This year D.C. Public Schools hired out two pilot food projects, one to Revolution Foods, the other to D.C. Central Kitchen, to initiate a little competition with Chartwells, the company that acts as food service manager to most of the schools in the system. So far, school officials have kept the pilot projects under tight wraps. But here we have a photograph of the Revolution Foods lunch served today, snapped by a parent.

Here's this parent's description of the meal:

"[My daughter] waited in a very short line and was served a surprisingly delicious looking meal. She had roast chicken in a light, tasty sauce, roasted red potatoes with a touch of melted cheese, and collard greens, which were good, but slightly dry, fresh fruit (choice of apple or orange), with whole grain crackers, (that she couldn't eat because of the gluten) and milk (that she can't drink cause of dairy) - all-in-all, an excellent school lunch."

The Revolution Foods menu on the school website described the meal as "all natural BBQ chicken with cheesy potatoes with seasonal vegetables and fresh fruit." The vegetarian alternate appeared to be "garden vegetable bean soup with Milton's crackers and fresh fruit."

The contract structure with Revolution Foods and D.C. Central Kitchen are somewhat different than the contract the schools have with Chartwells. The contract with Chartwells is "cost-reimbursable," meaning Chartwells charges an annual administrative fee ($1 million) plus a fee for each meal it serves, and bills the schools for all its expenses. Revolution Foods and D.C. Central Kitchen are paid a set price for each meal, regardless of their expenses.