NEW for 2010! School Foodservice Equipment Grants

On January 14, 2010, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the availability of $25 million in grants to help school nutrition programs replace outdated equipment with new energy efficient appliances such as refrigerators, ovens and other foodservice-related equipment. This funding is a one-time fiscal year 2010 appropriation.

These grants will be awarded to school districts that operate the National School Lunch Program and did not receive equipment grants through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (stimulus bill). Any district may apply, but priority will be given to school districts where 50 percent or more students are eligible for free or reduced price meals.

School foodservice professionals are frustrated with outdated and difficult to operate equipment. Equipment should be easy to use, simple to maintain and repair, and easy to clean. In addition, undependable and aged cooking equipment and refrigeration can be a safety issue.

Curtis Restaurant Supply can assist you in determining the efficiency of your existing equipment, and preparing documentation for your grant application. We also understand the challenge of updating an existing kitchen space. We can help you choose equipment with a small footprint to maximize space constraints for your kitchen, and determine if the item makes the best use of space for worker productivity.

Oklahoma has been allotted $372,503 in grants. Please do your part to keep this money in Oklahoma. Curtis Restaurant Supply is locally owned and operated. Headquartered in Tulsa, and with a sales office in Oklahoma City, Curtis Restaurant Supply has provided superior products and services to foodservice professionals for over 60 years. In 2008, Curtis was recognized by a national trade publication as having the second highest growth rate among the top 100 foodservice equipment dealers in the U.S.

For more information about the 2010 school foodservice equipment grant, please contact your sales representative, or call Curtis Restaurant Supply, toll-free at (800) 766-2878.

Additional Resources

January 14, 2010 – USDA Press Release

January 14, 2010 – USDA Policy Memo

National Food Service Management Institute
Equipment Purchasing and Facility Design for School Nutrition Programs (280 pages)

USDA Foodservice Equipment Guide

Curtis Restaurant Supply & Equipment Company in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is a provider of foodservice supplies, including smallwares, cooking equipment, food storage, kitchen tools, flatware, glassware, dinnerware, pots and pans, and cutlery, as well as commercial kitchen planning, equipment service and repair to independently owned and national chain restaurants, hospitals, casinos, churches, schools, military and healthcare facilities.