Decatur Township - Case Study

Customer Profile:

Lynwood Elementary School, part of the Decatur Township school district located in Indianapolis, Ind., provides kindergarten through fourth-grade schooling for approximately 500 students. During the school year, the kitchen offers a before-school program, lunch, an after-school program, and a snack program for kindergarteners and their parents. An approximate participation rate of 93 percent in the school’s lunch program keeps the kitchen full of activity. Additionally, in the summertime the school’s kitchen runs a summer feeding program where children of the neighborhood can receive lunch at the elementary school.

“Though the combi does a lot, it’s not complicated to learn how to operate. And the Hobart team has been fantastic about teaching us the capabilities of the combi that are helpful for a school, specifically.”
Katie Rogers, director of child nutrition, MSD of Decatur Township

Challenge :

To be able to provide multiple meals a day, year round, Lynwood Elementary’s kitchen needed an oven that was versatile and could produce high-quality, nutritious food for a large number of students in a timely fashion.

Solution :

Objective:

Reduce water and energy usage, as well as waste, throughout campus foodservice units.

Hobart Products Involved:

Hobart Combi Barcode Scanner provides convection, steam and combination modes for endless cooking possibilities from one device. The flexibility to choose from three different cooking modes is ideal for maximizing equipment efficiency and consistent results. The optional Bluetooth®-enabled barcode scanner and software kit make Hobart’s Combi® Oven easier to use and ensure consistent cooking results. The combi oven can be loaded with unique and individual cooking recipes that make it even easier for operators to use the oven. Additionally, one or more combi ovens can be programmed to cook a menu item with consistent results any time and every time regardless of operation location or operator.

Actions Taken:

After testing the Hobart Combi Oven, Lynwood Elementary purchased the combi.

“Our number one objective is to produce high-quality, nutritious food for our students, and Hobart’s Combi Oven helps us achieve this objective daily.”
Katie Rogers, director of child nutrition, MSD of Decatur Township

Results :

Increased flexibility and productivity: Due to the combi’s ability to switch between steam, convection and combi modes, the school is able to cook a variety of food in one oven, decreasing the amount of equipment needed and therefore the amount of money spent on equipment. Additionally, the combi reduces the time spent preparing each product for cooking, allowing for increased productivity.

Saves time: The combi cooks evenly and won’t burn or overcook food, saving a significant amount of time that can be wasted re-baking or starting again from scratch when food is ruined.

Increased quality: The combi produces high-quality food on a consistent basis. It also eliminates the school’s need for a fryer, as foods such as french fries and chicken fingers can be baked in the combi. Additionally, with the barcode scanner, food items can be easily reproduced at different schools across a district or in the same kitchen.

Increased efficiency: The combi can cook a large amount of food quickly, decreasing the amount of time spent putting food in and taking it out of the oven, and then finding a place to keep the food warm. Also, with the Hobart Combi, you don’t have to open the door to rotate the pans, which also saves time.

Reduces cleaning time: The Hobart Combi has a self-cleaning cycle, reducing the amount of time spent cleaning the equipment. This feature also increases efficiency, as the staff can spend more time preparing and cooking and less time cleaning.

Hobart is the world leader in commercial food equipment and service for the foodservice and food retail industries. Hobart manufactures products for warewashing and waste handling; food preparation; baking; cooking; weighing, wrapping and labeling systems; and Traulsen refrigeration. Hobart equipment is supported by a national network of nearly 1,700 factory-trained service technicians and 200 locations across the United States. To learn more about Hobart, visit www.hobartcorp.com.

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