Long before the 8:10 bell rings, the Prep kitchen is buzzing with life. Ovens hum, pans sizzle, and the mouthwatering scent of melty chocolate chip muffins and warm cinnamon twists wafts through the air. While students rush to class and settle into their daily routines, the culinary team is busy preparing what will soon be 200 pounds of chicken wings for lunch.
The Prep Kitchen doesn’t just satisfy culinary cravings; it’s the steady, comforting heartbeat and the highlight of many students’ school days. In this little haven, the magic of meal preparation stirs the pot of Prep culture, tradition, and values. But how does the kitchen team ensure that every meal is more than just food on a plate? To find out, The Flintridge Press spoke with Mr. Marko Penich, Assistant Director of Dining at Prep.
The key to the kitchen’s success is based in its structured, yet adaptable, approach to menu planning. A baseline from previous years, seasonal adjustments, input from the Prep Community, and themed events like National Pancake Day in February mix in to create a final menu cycle of between six to eight weeks. If certain dishes underperform compared to the foods they were competing against, they’re swapped out with new dishes, often inspired by culinary trends and food preferences. Over time, the culinary team has seen some dishes surface as favorites: chicken wings, meat sauce or pesto chicken pasta, cheeseburgers, Indian cuisine, and refreshing acai bowls consistently perform well.
Following the renovation of the kitchen in 2024, the layout has shifted to more of an open concept, replacing the previous “movie theater window” design with an area where students and faculty can see the culinary team in action. This alteration has strengthened the connection between staff and students through interaction and feedback, which, Mr. Penich says, is “the biggest part of what I enjoy coming here and doing. We really vibe and feed off of that energy that you guys bring in here every day.”
Feeding the population of Flintridge Prep is only possible through the kitchen’s carefully orchestrated operation of daily organization, teamwork, and precision. From planning menus to keeping up with the flood of students during lunchtime, the kitchen works tirelessly to keep every step of the process running smoothly.
Mr. Penich explains how Prep maximizes its delivery schedule to stock the freshest items for students and faculty. Larger meats and cheeses are ordered from a large-scale standard food vendor, bakery products are delivered daily, and shipments of sushi and onigiri come in twice a week. Sometimes, the culinary team will even introduce items that haven’t yet become available to the public, bringing new flavors and options to campus. In order to meet the dietary restrictions and needs of students, the culinary team provides a variety of lunch options. They stay ahead of potential issues, hold daily pre-shift meetings, and display allergens in the daily bulletins and in front of food stations.
During busy lunch periods, the kitchen relies on coordination and flexibility to keep up with meal preparation. With the daily goal of serving students and faculty on campus, Mr. Penich describes his day as a mix of inputting orders, covering the registers, restocking as needed, planning future menus, meeting with the leadership team, and coordinating upcoming events. If the grill is busier or a more labor-intensive dish (such as the crispy chicken Caesar wrap) is on the menu, Mr. Penich ensures that there is extra help where it’s needed.
The kitchen has partnered with two local food banks where excess food is donated at the end of the week. After tracking the amount of food, full descriptions, dates, and allergens in a database, the kitchen ensures that the food is properly labeled and packaged for pickup. By referring to historical numbers, for example, ninety-five Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, waste, and overproduction are prevented.
Mr. Penich furthers, “The energy from the students, always happy, always saying good morning, always smiling, always open to chat and give their feedback. It’s a really great community here on campus, and it really, really boosts the morale of this team in the kitchen.” Having worked in various corporate environments, he has found Prep to be the most fun and rewarding campus to work on.
So, the next time you swipe your ID (or forget it for the third time that week) as you exit the lunch line with your Chipotle Mac n’ Cheese or Sicilian-Style Pizza, remember: thanks to the dedicated kitchen staff, we are served with more than just food; we’re gifted with the magic of nourishment, comfort food, and the daily reminder that someone cares.
