68
INNOVATION
F
ounded in 1982, Primrose Schools
is a large early childhood educa-
tion provider, with 304 franchised
locations in 25 states and a company-
owned school in Atlanta. The schools pro-
vide care for children as young as six weeks
old, and up to six years of age. Additionally,
children up to 12 years old can participate
in after-school programs. Each school
serves anywhere from 180 to 220 students,
along with faculty and staff.
The kitchens in these schools, says
Bob Benowitz, Executive Vice President of
Operations for Primrose, originally had a
household stove and a small microwave. "As
we progressed," Benowitz says, "we had
commercial ranges and ovens, stovetops
and commercial refrigerators," which ne-
cessitated a costly fire suppression system
in each kitchen. "We were looking to save
money on our kitchen and the overall costs
of our building," he says.
Concurrently, parent satisfaction
surveys were showing that the school's
food offerings needed improvement. "We
knew our meal service at that time prob-
ably wasn't as strong as it needed to be,"
Benowitz says. "We got so much response
Menumaster Microwave
rates an "A+" with
Primrose Schools
www.acpsolutions.com
ACP Culinary Sales
Manager Tony
Aguiar demonstrates
how to use the
Menumaster
microwave.