Kitchen Prep with Jaime & Chris

In a place like Southern California that is home to so many hospitality groups and food providers, finding a partner to complement Oakwood’s visions for our new state-of-the-art kitchen and servery would require research, site visits, focus groups and more than a few meals along the way.

Jaime Dominguez, Head of School, and Chris Thomas, Chief Operating Officer, set out to visit several other schools in the Greater Los Angeles and Orange County area to visit their cafeterias and meet with food providers at independent schools, all with the goal of finding one who could nourish Oakwood students with fresh and healthy meals, and with a commitment to building strong bodies and sharp minds. 

After much deliberation, Jaime and Chris decided that Flik Hospitality Group would be the ideal partner for Oakwood based on their commitment to scratch-made, locally sourced food and their ability to customize menus in ways that aligned with our healthy eating principles. Their focus on fresh, scratch-made, healthy, and locally-sourced food will surely be an excellent addition to the Oakwood community.

The Oakwood Kitchen begins its final weeks of construction as spring turns into summer. New furniture and sitting areas are already coming into place at the secondary campus and in classroom C, every floor, ceiling, and wall has been transformed—or removed altogether. But without a doubt, construction has faced its fair share of challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also due to the building’s age, the Oakwood Kitchen’s scope of work grew to include necessary upgrades such as installing brand-new ADA-compliant restrooms and an entirely new fire sprinkler and alarm system. 

Oakwood’s new state-of-the-art kitchen, servery, and dining area covers 1,800 sq ft. Due to its constrictive space, Chris Thomas worked to engage architect consultants, Brenda Levin with Levin & Associates, to study building capacities and best determined maximum output to ensure flow. Chris’s previous work experience with food service spaces has also been a big help in making improvements to function and design. 

Despite the challenges, the new Oakwood Kitchen will result in a safer and more up-to-date building, making way for what will be a dynamic and inviting space to gather.

Although permitting delays have set back plans by more than a month, Oakwood anticipates the project to be completed in June. Oakwood will soon embark on the journey of hiring a chef and staff. When complete, the brand new kitchen will support meal prep with state-of-the-art equipment and staff to serve it efficiently in a bright, airy, open-plan servery that will be ready to serve students at both campuses in the fall.