WV District Brings Order-Ahead Convenience to Breakfast

Pre-ordering through an app has become part of everyday life for many teens, whether for take-out dinners or their favorite coffee orders. Wood County Schools in West Virginia is bringing that familiar convenience into the school cafeteria with Build a Better Breakfast, a pre-order program giving students more choice while making breakfast service faster and easier to access on rushed school mornings.

Inspired by the ease of use in other retail food operations, Hollie W. Best, Food Service Director for the district, devised the pre-order system to work alongside the district’s traditional breakfast program. She wanted to give students another option to encourage them to start their day with school breakfast.

Students place their orders by 1 p.m. the day before using a form on their school-issued iPad. They can customize their meal by selecting a breakfast entrée with milk, fruit or 100% juice and optional add-ons. The next morning, their breakfast is prepared, packaged and labeled, allowing students to pick it up from a designated area without waiting in the traditional serving line.

The program puts students in control of their breakfast choices while also providing valuable information to the nutrition team.

“The customization isn’t just about making breakfast fun. It gives students ownership of their meal,” Best said. The team can use ordering data to test new menu items, understand student preferences and make informed decisions about what to serve.

The pre-order system has also uncovered some unexpected insights. String cheese became a popular add-on because students liked its portability, while the team noticed some students needed reminders to select a fruit or fruit juice to complete a reimbursable breakfast. Wood County Schools adjusted the ordering process to provide those prompts.

For the nutrition team, having orders in advance has improved production planning. A daily production count sheet summarizes the number of entrées, milk varieties, fruits and other items needed, helping staff improve accuracy, manage inventory and reduce overproduction and food waste. The program has also increased breakfast participation, while students appreciate having more control over their meals.

Ultimately, Build a Better Breakfast is giving Wood County Schools another way to listen to students and respond to what they want.

“Their choices become feedback, and that feedback helps our nutrition team continue to improve what we serve,” Best said. By combining convenience, customization and student feedback, the program is helping students start their day with a nutritious breakfast that works for them.