Sara Clifft
Editor
In October, two new items will appear on the DHS menu: a barbecue salad and a barbecue baked potato.
“Have you ever had a barbecue salad or a barbecue baked potato? You’re fixin to!” Cafeteria Manager Cindy Sawyers said.
Sawyers described the barbecue baked potato as being a baked potato with barbecue and cheese, and the barbecue salad as one similar to the barbecue salad from Neil's Barbecue & Grill, a local barbecue restaurant in Dyersburg.
The decision to introduce these items follows the success of the popular barbecue sandwich and barbecue nachos.
“We had it that one time, the barbecue sandwich, and a lot of people liked it. And they love barbecue nachos, so we thought, let’s try a barbecue salad and a barbecue baked potato. We’re trying new things!” Sawyers said.
The process by which the new items are chosen comes as a result of student consensus. The cafeteria supervisors create the menu by keeping items students favor and discarding those they do not.
“That’s how we make the menus! If y’all don’t like to eat it, I need to know it. Cause I don’t wanna cook if you’re not gonna eat it,” Sawyers said.
The cafeteria staff places a lot of emphasis on students and their comfort.
“We wouldn’t feed anything to y’all that we wouldn’t feed our kids or our grandchildren. We want y’all to like it,” cafeteria staff member Amy Kolwyck said.
In addition to tailoring the menu to students’ preferences, the cafeteria advertises an open door policy. Unlike other schools in the region, DHS allows students to come back through the lunch line. Students are free to come through the lunch line as they please, given they have enough money.
“If you got the money, come on back in darlin’,” Sawyers said.
And now, because of the new USDA policy, the cafeteria will also be offering free meals to students through December 31 or until available funding runs out. To qualify for free meals, students must get three items and one of them must be a fruit or vegetable.
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