The bell sounds. Hundreds of chattering students bustle out of their classrooms, crowding the halls as they make their way to the cafeteria. Lunch has started at Wayzata High School.
Students are allotted thirty minutes each day for their lunch period, which includes walking to the cafeteria and waiting in line to receive a meal. This short timeframe has given rise to many complaints from unsatisfied lunchgoers.
When asked if enough time was scheduled for eating, freshman Apurva Bharadwaj shared her perspective. “I don’t believe so, especially since passing time is cut short for lunch,” she noted. “I believe it’s to create more class time, but in the long run hurts students because not enough lunch time can decrease focus in class.”
This shortened time partially stems from the fact that only five lines have been implemented in the cafeteria, creating snaking queues that weave around tables and halls. Many have shared Bharadwaj’s frustration, including freshman Summer Zhou. “I feel like most of the time, you have to wait at least ten minutes,” she said. “Which is kind of annoying.”
In light of the discontent among students, Michelle Sagedahl, the Director of Wayzata Cafés, has spoken about the challenges that come along with feeding the masses of students passing through each day. “It’s a bit of a puzzle game,” she said. “We want everyone to get through in at least fifteen minutes or less.” She continued, adding, “The staff here do a wonderful job, they take pride in what they’re preparing and make the food fresh.”
Wayzata High School has also announced plans for a new serving line by the expressway, to be finished by December 1st. “That will be our salad bar line and we’ll also serve hot panini sandwiches,” Sagedahl stated. “We want to provide as much menu variety as we’re able.”
Though many frustrations have arisen from the lunch lines, the Wayzata Café team has been working hard to address them and make lunch an easier, more efficient experience for all.