Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/964617
January/February 2018 37 Urban. at's an important note for vendors looking to partner. How can a distributor better serve Greenville County Schools foodservice program? Get to know the customer and find out what they really need, says Urban. On the equipment side, he puts out a bid package every October and spends about a million a year. "We don't use a ton of technology," says the head of school foodservice. "Instead, we try to focus on equipment that's simple to use, easy to maintain and durable, which means solid proven names that we can stand behind, whether its dish machines from Hobart or custom service lines manufactured by Wasserstrom." en the conversation turns to basic convection versus all-in-one solutions like combis to streamline efficiencies in the back of the house. "If you look at most of the combi ovens that are out there in school foodservice, many are not being used to their full potential," says Urban. "ey're being used in steamer-convection mode but rarely are they being used in combi-mode." Distributors can help with this by working with customers to better understand their challenges, adds Urban. "Keeping up with the equipment replacement needs of our 101 locations is a huge task and partnering with a distributor that can guide me in selecting solutions that will help me serve the highest-quality food for our kids is a great asset." ■ GREENVILLE COUNTY SCHOOLS FOODSERVICE MENUS ARE AMONG THE HEALTHIEST IN THE NATION. "MOST OF THE ENTREES ARE MADE FROM SCRATCH USING WHOLE GRAINS AND LOCAL FRESH VEGETABLES AND FRUITS," SAYS FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICES DIRECTOR JOE URBAN. MENUS ALSO INCLUDE SEVERAL ETHNICALLY-INSPIRED FOOD ITEMS AND BUILD-YOUR-OWN BARS. "MANY OF OUR SUPERVISORS COME FROM THE HIGHER EDUCATION SEGMENT AND WE LOOK TO THEM FOR INSPIRATION," SAYS URBAN. "THEY'VE GOT THEIR FINGER ON THE PULSE OF WHAT K-12 KIDS LIKE TO EAT." His Greatest Challenge: Competing with the Mainstream for Quality Employees "Greenville's restaurant scene is booming and with that comes more competitive wages for foodservice workers," says Joe Urban, director of Food and Nutrition Services for Greenville County Schools. "In the last five years, the wage disparity between what we can pay line cooks and servers and what the industry is paying has grown because there's so much competition for good employees. ey're paying $17 to $18 per hour for a line cook down the street and they're giving them 90 hours a week. We're trying to elevate school food in Greenville and we need as many culinarians as possible. at's hard to do on the school level because of the pay." His Latest Passion: Getting More Seafood on School-Food Menus "It is important to me to introduce more seafood in school meals because of the many health benefits associated with eating seafood," says Urban. "Seafood is a low-calorie, high-protein, heart-healthy food packed with beneficial omega-3s. e current dietary guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommend that Americans increase their seafood intake to at least twice a week. By offering great seafood options at least once a week in all schools, we will be doing our part to help our students meet these recommendations." Why He's an Innovator: Other Districts Follow His Lead From working with a local Papa John's franchise to serve middle- and high- school students a healthier wheat-crust pizza to partnering with Sysco Columbia to secure 10 cases of star fruit, Urban is relentless in his pursuit to provide options to keep students engaged. Last March, he hosted a chef-inspired event at an elementary school, featuring smoked pulled pork cooked onsite by Chef Anthony DiBernardo and Chef Johnny Carino's Low Country Boil with Carolina shrimp, andouille, corn and potatoes. e meal fed about 800 students and parents while Urban spoke about local food and the history of Carolinian cuisine.