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Aramark presents all-day cafe and student-run IH Blends at Indian Hill
Summary
Aramark food-service director Adam Loop told the Indian Hill board the district will launch an all-day high-school cafe and a student-run smoothie bar, IH Blends, next school year; the vendor said menus meet USDA standards and described student mentorship and payment changes including credit/debit readers at the high school.
Adam Loop, food-service director for Aramark, told the Indian Hill Exempted Village School District board that Aramark will expand operations next school year to include an all-day high-school cafe and a student-run smoothie bar called IH Blends.
"Making students happy through food is something that drives me to do what I do every day," Loop said as he described the vendor's approach to menu planning, student surveys and nutrition compliance. He told the board Aramark's menu-creation software helps ensure that lunch offerings meet USDA nutritional guidelines.
Loop outlined the all-day cafe plan, which he said would operate in the cafeteria from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., providing healthy snacks and meals beyond the current lunch window. The district will also install credit and debit card readers at the high school next year so students can make immediate purchases, Loop said, addressing a common concern about account loading delays.
Loop described IH Blends as a student-run smoothie bar he and Aramark staff will mentor. "IH Blends is going to be a fully self-sustaining small business within Indian Hill High School," he said, noting the program grew from a student pitch and will operate in morning and lunch hours with Aramark providing mentorship and startup support.
Board members and district leaders praised Aramark's role. One member recounted that after a recent bomb threat and school evacuation, Aramark staff fed roughly 650 students within minutes, an episode board members used to illustrate the vendor's emergency responsiveness.
The presentation also highlighted curricular ties: Aramark said it collaborates with project-based classes and a hydroponics club whose lettuce is used in the deli bar, and that student focus groups informed menu changes. Board members agreed to add consideration of whether to remain in the National School Lunch Program to the operations committee agenda as part of broader planning tied to an upcoming RFP.
The board did not take formal action on the presentation; next steps include operations-committee study and RFP timing discussion with a decision point expected around the next year's procurement schedule.
