After more than two years of construction, Gunn High’s new kitchen and cafeteria, the Titan Grub and Titan Hub, officially opened on Jan. 21.
In addition to the upgraded cafeteria, students in Gunn’s Culinary Arts course now have access to a new culinary lab, featuring a demonstration station and individual workbenches.
Staff members, who pay with cash for additional items, have a separate entrance and cashier station, while all student meals remain free.
Two weeks before the cafeteria’s opening, Gunn’s Food Services team hosted a tasting event where over 400 students, staff and community members sampled the new menu, featuring hummus wraps, blueberry muffins and chana masala.
Before construction was completed, the food services team operated out of a temporary kitchen located in the P-building. However, the lack of usable culinary-grade running water in the building restricted menu options.
Now, with a fully equipped kitchen, the team hopes to bring back popular past dishes from the Batcave, Gunn’s cafeteria before construction began in 2022.
The new cafeteria offers five main entree stations: grab-and-go, gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan, a “main digs” rotation, ethnic cuisine and an exhibition cooking station. The dishes offered at each station rotate daily.
Once students and staff adjust to the new space, the food services team plans to open an outdoor window station offering additional entrée options, including street tacos.
“We’re all excited. It’s going to be way more fun and easier to teach and learn in [the new culinary classroom],” said junior Talal Zabadi, who is currently enrolled in Culinary Arts.
In addition to waste reduction efforts, Palo Alto Union School District Nutrition Services has partnered with Peninsula Food Runners to collect surplus food from Gunn High every Tuesday and Friday and distribute it to Santa Clara communities in need.
