Flik Independent School Dining to manage our food service program in 2022

A benefit of Flik's management will also include additional resources to support great culinary and health programs in place in our classrooms.

Oct. 19, 2021

Contributed by Shaundor Chillingworth

I ola nō ke kino I ka māʻona o ka ʻōpū.
The body enjoys health when the stomach is well filled.

Campus dining is an integral part of our daily haumāna experience. Well-filled ʻōpū are essential for optimal mauli ola (heath and well-being) as learners actively engage in robust academics, athletics, co-curricular experiences, and all that Kamehameha Hawaiʻi has to offer.

Through the pandemic, we continuously adapted core services such as our food service to the changing safety and daily demands of our campus. What was “normal” preparation of our food line to serve 2,000 meals per day to a bustling campus, to preparing and packaging individually boxed meals and transporting meals to haumāna pressed all aspects of food service operations to its limits. From leadership, procurement, supply chain, and kitchen operations to service and clean up, we have been in a constant state of change. We mahalo our Food Service staff and leaders, and all of you for your patience, kindness, and grace during this time as we made real time adjustments which required a new approach. As such, beginning January 1, 2022, management of our dining program will shift to Flik Independent School Dining with the commitment to deliver a consistent high quality meal service.

Flik is one of the leading independent school dining contractors across North America and currently services Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy, and Hawaiʻi Baptist Academy in the state. Flik focuses on cooking from scratch, providing healthier food choices with menus that celebrate seasonality and use the freshest and locally-sourced ingredients possible.

Flik is committed to a wellness-first approach, providing wholesome meals, nutrition education, and environmentally conscious programming so that each campus they serve is better equipped to support mauli ola. Their regional leadership structure includes a director of wellness, who will provide nutritional information, support in the classroom, and menu research.

Flik has job opportunities to retain all current KS food service employees so our current staff can continue working on our campus under Flik's management. They also have a network will provide staff members with mentorship and professional development opportunities in the food industry.

Flik’s on-island support will enable them to pivot quickly in an emergency and continue reliable, quality food service. Their expertise, reputation, and resources in food service will allow them to build upon our current services and provide an independent school model to include catering, wellness and nutritional education, and process improvements immediately.

In 2014, Flik was selected as the vendor to provide Kamehameha Schools Kapālama’s dining program, and has been instrumental in up-skilling dining services staff and connecting students with vendors and resources to assist in sustainability efforts, including an on-campus farmer’s market. Flik at KSK introduced guest chef programming exposing haumāna to some of Hawaiʻi’s finest chefs as well as training students to participate in an annual, national gingerbread competition each Christmas season.

Flik's ability to ensure a high quality and consistent food service program to nourish our haumāna and hoa kumu alike, along with a commitment to safety and wellness that mirrors our own, is a partnership we look forward to in the new year ahead.

For more information on Flik Independent School Dining, visit https://www.flikisd.com/.