January 28, 2018

Started with three chefs. Each chef will rotate on a weekly basis. One chef doesn't have experience, so he will help out with one of the other chefs as an on-boarding process. Food is cooked in kitchen, then brought out to warming chafers where it is served. Decided on a price of $5 per meal, which includes dessert and coffee. Free half-size for kids under 7.

Meal: Chicken A la King
Chef: Raymond

February 4, 2018

A leader took over the task of volunteer organization and scheduling. Collected money on table at entry to fellowship hall. Dishes were in front of serving chafers. Created an instruction binder for volunteers which includes pictures of how everything should be set up for the meal. It also has a checklist that volunteers can check off as they set up. Tried charging money for a pastry and a coffee in the morning. Didn't work as there weren't enough people. Got a Kitchenaid mixer and a few other small supplies.

Meal: Chicken Penne, Rosa Sauce, Caesar Salad, Chocolate Mousse
Chef: Raymond

February 11, 2018

Training: volunteer leader is training new volunteers how to set up in the morning. Currently there is a six week rotation for volunteers. Moved dishes to table where the money is collected. As people pay, they take a plate.  This worked much better as it removed confusion about payment. 

Meal: Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Fresh Vegetables, Strawberry Shortcake
Chef: Raymond

February 18, 2018

Created dishwasher instructions for volunteers. Minor edits to volunteer checklists. Decided one extra volunteer is needed to help in the kitchen. It is taking a large number of volunteers to clean up after the meal, including washing the dishes. Added stand up sign for the payment table.

Meal: Chili, Garlic Bread, Apple Crisp, Ice Cream
Chef: Ty

February 25, 2018

Brought in take-out boxes. Boxed up and sold the extra portions which weren't purchased. This allowed us to clear out an extra 14 portions. People bought them and took them home to have for their lunch or supper the next day. There were 6 remaining portions which were given to homeless people downtown.  Minor edits to the volunteer instruction sheets. Figured we need to make and sell 80 portions to break even on food/chef costs. There will still be a loss in terms of equipment, electricity, supplies, etc.. Eventually we will likely have to increase the cost for the meal. 

Meal: Pork Ribs, Rice, Salad, Tiramisu
Chef: Raymond

March 4, 2018

Rebuilt the whole food serving process to reduce volunteer labor. Cut out the warming chafers. Switched to paper plates and disposable utensils. This cut an hour off the cleanup time. Opened accounts with wholesale equipment and supply places. Started collecting money for meals for homeless people. The extra meals will be brought to homeless people downtown.  Posted up an ad for another chef. 

Meal: Shepherds Pie & Butter tart
Chef: Jordan D.
Church attendance: 108
Meal attendance: 55 adults, 4 kids
Percentage of people who stayed: 55%

March 11, 2018

Moved majority of supplies to main island in hall to make it easier for volunteers setting up. This reduces the need to go in the kitchen where the chef is working. The cleanup time was a lot longer today than the previous week. Slightly changed the way food was served which sped up the food delivery quite a lot. 

Meal: Chicken Cacciatore with English Trifle
Chef: Raymond

Finished: March 18, 2018

The system is running pretty smoothly now. The main thing that will be changed in the future is to choose 8 different meal types and do them on a rotation. This will make it much easier to plan and for budgeting. 

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