FSCR kitchen

Introduction

The Father Shield’s Club Room kitchen underwent a complete renovation in the summer of 2009. This renovation brought the kitchen up to current State and County health department codes required for re-heating pre-cooked and frozen foods. The kitchen has also been greatly improved with new appliances, countertops and cabinets and more.

Background

The Father Shields Club Room Kitchen is classified as a commercial kitchen, because the kitchen serves the public and we charge for the food served from the facility.

(The faculty/staff kitchen located in the elementary school is classified as a “self-serve” kitchen because food prepared in this facility is meant for the people cooking the food only).

The Women of St. Regis initiated the project and hired a commercial kitchen consultant to guide us in our choices and our options for the renovation. A summary of the consultant’s recommendations are below.

Code Violations

Current FSCR kitchen is not up to code. Its plumbing and its appliances have to be upgraded to meet State of Michigan and Health Department codes.

Types of Commercial Kitchens

Type III: Warming kitchen for pre-cooked, hot foods

All food served from this facility must be brought in pre-cooked and warm from a Health Department approved facility and may be kept warm using warming appliances. A vent-less convection oven which will heat up to 250 degrees F is permitted. Stove tops are not permitted.

Type II: Limited cooking kitchen

The kitchen can heat and serve pre-cooked refrigerated and frozen food from a Health Dept approved facility. Such a kitchen would require a hooded ventilation system to the outside of the building with make up air intake. Stove tops are not permitted.

Type I: Full Capability kitchen

The kitchen can cook and serve any food. Such a kitchen would require moving walls for additional sinks, commercial stove tops, commercial refrigerator, overhead fire prevention system, a more extensive ventilation system with exhaust fans and air take up units. Stove tops are permitted.

Timing Constraint

For a Type III or II renovation, a 2 month construction window (while school is on summer break) would be required without any students using the FSCR area of the school for lunch or activities.

A Type I renovation would need additional time.

Cost

Thanks to all contributors, we were able to upgrade the FSCR kitchen to code and renovate it to a Type II kitchen, which will allow us to re-heat food from a pre-cooked frozen state.

Project Scope/Description

The FSCR kitchen was renovated to a Type II commercial kitchen in June 2009, satisfying State and County Health Department regulations.

Warnings on Kitchen Use

The approved process and procedures for heating food, as well as the Health Department mandates, will be posted in the kitchen area to inform all users of the approved usage of the facility. There will also be a training session for staff and volunteers that will be using the kitchen for school and bereavement events.

Financials

Cost of the Kitchen renovation is quoted to be $65,000. It is an extremely good price. Plumbing upgrades, maple cabinets and stainless steel counter tops and backsplash would normally account for almost 90% of the cost We are able to enjoy this low cost due to parishioners in the kitchen/construction business, who have made the price so reasonable. We currently have a shortfall of about $10,000. Please make all donations to St. Regis Fund: Kitchen Renovation.

Major funding for the project has been provided by:

The Women of St. Regis
The Ushers Club
The Moms and Dads Club
The St. Regis Fund
Numerous St. Regis Families
Marilyn Kinna Memorial

Opportunities

There are multiple opportunities we may realize with the renovation of the FSCR kitchen.

With the large variety of frozen foods available on the market now, there are more options to expand the meal offerings for school lunches as well as other events which utilize the kitchen for serving large crowds.

Consultants and Contractors

Consultants:

William A. Robinson of Bar Lines Consulting
Bloomfield Township Health Dept: Bob Haralabakos
Bloomfield Township Mechanical Inspector Tom Benson
State of Michigan

Contractors:

Saad Kalabat
Land Construction

Contributors

The following parishioners have participated in the needs analysis for the FSCR renovation project:

Jo Ann Bonahoom, Head of the hot lunch program at school and Health Dept liaison
Ann Bate, Kitchen Coordinator 2006-2008, cook for SOS
Pam Murdock, President WSR
Karen Daniels, Former President WSR
Mary Jo Warner, Former head of Booster Club concessions
Mary Pat Stacy-Blake, Former Kitchen Coordinator and head cook for SOS
Susan Reid, Former Kitchen Coordinator
Heather Pitcher, SOS Coordinator
Ann Klima, SOS Coordinator
Vicki Gorman, Hamburger hot lunch chief, 2008-2009
Fr. Norm Nawrocki, St. Regis Pastor
Ken Krach, St. Regis Parish Administrator
Francis King, St. Regis Finance Commission
Beth Kinna, Volunteer/St. Regis Public Relations & Marketing