If you’ve walked by the I-building recently, you may have spotted a giant metal box branded with the Oak Park High School logo on its side. Soon, these high tech vending machines will open, helping to shorten lines and increase efficiency.
“I think it will be more helpful because the lunch lines are just way too long,” freshman Faith Yoon said.
Unlike the machines located near the gym foyer, which require either cash or credit to purchase a snack or drink, these dispensers use student IDs to provide one free snack or grab and go lunch. They operate only during the set time periods of nutrition and lunch and will be systematically shut down during different times.
“Students will input their ID number and their birth date, then they will make a selection on the keypad just like a regular vending machine,” Katherine Adams, Oak Park Unified School District Director of Student Nutrition and Wellness, said. “The item will then drop down and the transaction will go into our point of sales system.”
The vending machines work like refrigerators so there will be a variety of cold options to choose from for students.
“Breakfast will be a variety of prepackaged items, including muffins, bagels with cream cheese, cereal,” Adams said. “Then for lunch, we will have two options of each category, so two salads, two sandwiches, two wraps, two snack packs. One meat, one vegetarian.”
Though the automated kiosk will be a convenient addition for students on campus, help shorten the cafeteria lines and decrease the overall workload for the cafeteria staff, it presents new challenges.
“For the cafeteria staff, it’s more work for us to take the food over to the machine because we need to prepare the food bags either the day before or earlier. But it is good for students because they can have more time to go outside and have fun with their friends and more time to eat lunch and nutrition,” Araceli Prieto, Cafeteria Head Manager, said.
With an anticipated deadline set before spring break, students are eager for the new vending machines.
