Over the summer of 2016, Creighton Prep underwent a plethora of physical changes. The largest and most drastic alteration occurred in the Commons, specifically the culinary facilities. Led by the experienced Jon Dye and Nick Sutton, Flik Dining Services has transformed Prep’s lunch program to provide fresh meals made on-site.

Sutton, head chef in the newly renovated kitchen, awakes at 3:30 a.m. and arrives at Prep by 4:30 to begin preparations for the breakfast program. The rest of the kitchen staff arrives by 6 a.m. to complete breakfast production so that the breakfast burritos, breakfast pizza and breakfast buffet are ready for consumption.

After breakfast is ready, lunch preparations begin. These efforts typically go until about 10:45, fifteen minutes before the first rush of hundreds of students. The fifty minutes between lunch periods consists of the staff bustling to restock the “hot boxes”, containers that keep additional meals warm for the second rush of students.

The new lunch program did not come without growing pains. Most students remember the long lines the first week of school, but changes were put into place by the Flik staff to combat this problem. With the temporary addition of “grab-n-go” sandwiches” and the permanent additions of additional entree lines and a salad bar island, the time waiting in line went down drastically. What most students don’t know, though, is that Sutton only had five staff members during the first month of service compared to the 10 to 11 he oversees now.

The added entree lines have put a strain on the kitchen staff because more staffers must man the serving stations instead of other work to help the kitchen run more efficiently. The lines have also increased the amount of food sold because students are going back for seconds and thirds, a testament to the high quality of the meals.

In the near future, Sutton hopes to open an after-school snack bar. Healthy options, like power parfaits and healthy grains, will accompany strawberry bars, brownies and other “grab-n-go” items.

According to Sutton, the hardest part about preparing meals for 1200 people is planning and the management of time and space. While summer renovations created a kitchen much more equipped to meet the demands of an in-house meal service, the kitchen “isn’t terribly large, just perfect to get the job done.” Sutton is limited by having only two ovens, so when entrees require an oven, the side dishes have to be prepared by methods other than an oven.

With twelve years of experience under his belt, no entree on the Prep menu is difficult for Sutton and his staff to make. However, when meals have to cook overnight, it can be very difficult to ensure that those items are cooking at exactly the right temperature.

Prep students have left a positive impression on the Flik staff. According to Sutton, the politeness of the students has made them easy to interact with. The excitement that students express over a new variety of dishes is refreshing for Sutton when compared to the older crowd he has previously catered to.

When Sutton isn’t preparing a delectable meal at Prep, he is detailing the menu for the month ahead. For World Language Week in February, Sutton is collaborating with the Language Department to feature a signature dish of a different culture every day.

Despite arriving at Prep at 4:30 a.m. every day, Sutton doesn’t typically leave until 3 or 3:30 p.m.

Reflecting on the long days spent at Creighton Prep, Sutton said, “eleven hour days aren’t that bad. I used to work two jobs, but now I put all of my energy into this one.”

The extensive efforts of Sutton and the other nutritional service employees will continue to transform the role food plays at Prep and they are greatly appreciated by a well-fed student body and faculty.