At 11:15 every day students at The Bolles High School wonder, “What is for lunch today?”
“The best food the cafeteria has served this year so far is tacos,”said Aiden Pereira ‘28. “This is a classic on Tuesday, and I’ve always loved their taste, although the food is definitely going to be even better as the year moves on.”
Though The Bolles School was established in 1933, the cafeteria was established in 1926 as a part of the San Jose Hotel. It has always been located in Bolles Hall. It has a prestigious history at this school and an important place for Bolles students according to Mr. Curran, a teacher at the high school. It serves not only as the main location to buy lunch for day students, but also provides all meals for boarders.
On the San Jose campus, students and staff can purchase food at the cafeteria and the canteen. Mr. Trego, the Director of Dining at the Bolles School, explains that FLIK Dining is the dining service that serves Bolles, and they have run the cafeteria since 2014. The staff working for FLIK Dining includes 14 associates and 3 management personnel. “Approximately 90% of students buy lunch every day,” Trego said. Food options range from the grill to the salad bar which many students find ideal.
Many students eat cafeteria food in the dining area, and some choose to take food to the outside courtyard or outside the Center for Innovation (CFI).
“My favorite place to eat is either at one of the tables to the side inside the cafeteria or at a table outside,” said Nishta Jijosh ‘26. After she graduates, Jijosh said, “I’ll miss hanging out with my friends in there. We claimed a table and we’d always sit down there during activities and I would always know where to find them.”
The staff at FLIK Dining prepare and serve the food but they also ask for feedback from students to improve the selections and food.
“They’re always really nice,” said Khaleb Basdeo ‘29. “You know, if you have any questions about the food, they’ll answer them for you.”
The cafeteria has already made major improvements to encourage healthier habits. “All candy and sugary items have been removed. We added a Fueled By Flik station to assist in healthier and athletic menu items,” Trego said.
The cafeteria is set up with stations, including the soup and salad bar, the grill, and the entreé station. Basdeo’s favorite station is the soup and salad bar. “I think that there’s a lot of fresh stuff there. I don’t have to really worry, you can really pick from anything, different soups every day, salad bars, and a bunch of healthy options.”
The cafeteria is a really nice place for students to meet and socialize. “The best part about the cafeteria is being able to sit outside on the river campus,” said Pereira. “It’s really different from other schools where the cafeteria is just inside of a cold school building. At Bolles we can actually sit outside and look at the river. I’ve always had a really good time being able to sit outside with my friends and just eat lunch while overlooking the river.”
