The use of a kitchen must be arranged through your school’s kitchen manager and the Spring Lake Park Nutrition Services office at 763-600-5041. Please contact us as soon as you determine the date of the event and have received a permit for your event from the Facility Scheduler.
To ensure availability, your organization should submit an Online Facility Request to Nutrition Services soon after securing the facility. We suggest you make your arrangements for kitchen use at least two months in advance of your event.
- No individual or group is allowed to bring food or beverages into a kitchen for storage or use the facility in without prior approval from the Nutrition Services Office
- Any use of a district kitchen facility must include a Nutrition Services employee on site for the entire duration of the period of use at a charge of $40.00 per hour
- The district employee will supervise the operation of equipment and use of the kitchen. Supervision does not include district staff preparation or clean up of the kitchen.
- Supervising staff responsibilities:
- Ensure health code rules are followed
- Ensure equipment is properly operated
- Ensure safety rules are adhered to when using equipment
- Ensure proper hand washing and food safety standards are met
- Ensure kitchen use is by adults only
- Event sponsor responsibilities:
- Order food items from pre-approved food sources. Absolutely no homemade items are allowed into the kitchen or kitchen areas.
- Prepare all food or menu items for their event
- Set-up
- Sell and/or serve food items
- Clean up, including washing pots and pans, prep tables and equipment used for the event
- Return the kitchen back to its original condition
- An additional charge of $75 per hour will be assessed to the event sponsor should district staff incur labor hours to return the kitchen back to its original condition. If you are unsure if the kitchen has been returned to its original condition, ask the supervising staff to inspect your final clean up before leaving the premises.
- Additional district foodservice staff may be requested to work an event for an added $40 per hour per worker
- No children under the age of 14 are allowed to be in any part of the kitchens due to food safety and Heath Department Regulations
- No students under the age of 19 are allowed past the serving lines of the district kitchens into the equipment and preparation areas
- Nutrition Services currently employs a linen service to provide towels, dishcloths, and other linens for our kitchens. Unless you supply your own linens and towels, you may incur a nominal fee for the use of linen supplies while using our kitchens. If you plan to use our linen, please note your needs of your service request form.
School Sponsored Events
When planning a school event, such as a spaghetti dinner or pancake breakfast, contact the kitchen manager at your school.
- Your organization must submit a Service Request Form to your kitchen manager at least four weeks prior to your event
- Final orders for food and/or supply items for school events must be given at least two weeks in advance to accommodate the delivery schedules of our suppliers
- Catering charges and pricing applies for these services. We are no longer allowed to purchase food off of District Food Services contracts for fund raising events, non-school events, banquets or any events not related to school foodservice needs
- Reminder: absolutely no homemade foods may enter district kitchens
Potluck Events
Local health departments do not allow potluck meals to be served from a licensed facility, the code states: “A potluck is a meal at which attendees bring food that is donated and shared by the attendees. A school may sponsor and hold potluck events in areas of the school other than the school’s kitchen, provided that the school’s kitchen is not used in any manner for the potluck event.”
Kitchen Rental for Commercial Use
Kitchens are not rented to individuals, groups, or businesses to prepare items to be sold outside of the school cafeteria. This includes individuals and school groups associated with the district.
Equipment Rental
All kitchen equipment is the property of the Nutrition Services Department. Equipment purchases are partially funded with state and federal subsidy money through the USDA and MN Department of Education--Nutrition Services and therefore are not available for rent to any district or outside groups.
Licensing
All district kitchens are licensed facilities. All local and state health department rules, regulations and guidelines must be adhered to by the Spring Lake Park Nutrition Services Department and its assigned staff.
