What Lunchtime Solutions, Inc. does

Lunchtime Solutions, Inc. is a privately held K-12 food service management company headquartered in Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, founded in 1997. The company manages all aspects of school food service operations — including staffing, menu planning, procurement, food preparation, kitchen planning, USDA regulatory compliance, and financial accountability — under multi-year contracted agreements with public and private K-12 school districts. As of 2018, Lunchtime served approximately 48-50 school districts across six Midwest states (Nebraska, South Dakota, Missouri, Minnesota, Iowa, and Colorado), feeding nearly 50,000 students each school day, and was ranked #49 on Food Management magazine's Top 50 Food Service Management Companies list.

The company has no proprietary technology platform; its competitive positioning rests on operational specialization, USDA compliance expertise, and a Farm to School brand built around locally sourced ingredients and educational programs (Farmers Market Selections, SchoolYard Garden, WasteWisdom, Classroom Education). Its product portfolio includes core meal programs (breakfast, lunch, summer meals), differentiated value-add services (Kitchen Planning and Development, Procurement and Purchasing services including Buy American provision tracking), and a network of long-term local farm partnerships (Hebda Family Produce, Ely Farms, Birdwood Beef, Geditz Farms, and others).

Revenue is generated through contracted service agreements with school districts, structured as managed services with management fees and/or per-meal reimbursement. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; per-meal pricing to end-users varies by district and grade level (e.g., Aberdeen breakfast $2.20-$2.55, lunch $3.00-$3.45). The company employs 501-1,000 staff including Executive VP (Amy Lundgren), VP Operations & Finance (Tammy Coyle), Director of Operations (Brandy Popken), Director of Business Development (Deni Winter), Director of HR & Operations (Tom Szlanda), and Regional/Area Directors across the Midwest footprint. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales via Regional Directors of Business Development working with school districts through a standard RFP and state agency approval contracting process.

Name

Lunchtime Solutions, Inc.

Legal name

Lunchtime Solutions, Inc.

Website

http://lunchtimesolutions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Lunchtime Solutions is a privately held K-12 food service management company founded in 1997, headquartered in Dakota Dunes, South Dakota. It manages complete food service operations — including staffing, menu planning, procurement, and USDA compliance — for approximately 48-50 school districts across six Midwest states, serving nearly 50,000 students daily.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Food Service Management

NAICS

Food Service Contractors (72231), Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets (722514), Food Service Contractors (722310)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Service & Dining Operations Management (Managed Cafeterias) (EDAEALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Meal Distribution, Serving Lines & Point-of-Sale (Cafeteria Service) (EDAEAEAF), In-House Cafeteria Operations & Meal Preparation (EDAEAEAA), Menu Planning, Nutrition & Dietary Accommodation Services (Allergens, Special Diets) (EDAEAEAD), Food Services Administration (Meal Eligibility, POS, Nutrition Compliance) (EDAJAHAJ), Residential Dining & Meal Plans (EDALADAA)

Keywords

• School food service management
• K-12 meal programs
• Food service contracts
• USDA-compliant meal services
• School nutrition management

Headquarters

HQ city

Dakota

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Food Service Management Contracts: Lunchtime Solutions manages food service operations for school districts through contracted agreements. The company handles all aspects of food service including staffing, menu planning, ordering, food preparation, and compliance with USDA regulations. Revenue is generated through management fees and/or per-meal reimbursement structures negotiated with each school district.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Lunchtime Solutions provides full-service K-12 food service management for school districts across the Midwest, handling staffing, menu planning, food preparation, ordering, facilities planning, USDA regulatory compliance, and financial accountability under multi-year contracted agreements. The company also operates summer meal programs and offers kitchen planning/development and federal procurement services to its district clients, generating revenue through management fees and per-meal reimbursement structures.

Product overview

Lunchtime Solutions, Inc. is a K-12 food service management company offering a comprehensive suite of food service programs and support services for school districts. The company's core offerings include full-service food management for breakfast, lunch, and summer meal programs, featuring multiple entree options and unlimited fruit and vegetable bars. The product portfolio includes educational programs (Farmers Market Selections, SchoolYard Garden, Classroom Education), sustainability initiatives (WasteWisdom, Buy Locally), and operational support services (Kitchen Planning, Procurement). The company was founded in 1997 and serves approximately 50 school districts across six Midwestern states, feeding nearly 50,000 students daily.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-12 Food Service Management Full-service managed food service for K-12 public and private school districts, including staffing, menu planning, food preparation, ordering, facilities planning, USDA regulatory compliance, and financial accountability under multi-year contracted agreements.
• Breakfast and Lunch Programs Daily breakfast and lunch meal programs for students featuring multiple entree options, unlimited fruit and vegetable bars, and milk with every student meal.
• Summer Meal Programs USDA-compliant summer feeding programs that provide nutritious meals to students when school is not in session.
• Kitchen Planning and Development Consultation, planning, and implementation support for kitchen facilities changes including new school startups, kitchen renovations, and equipment upgrades, including identification of equipment grant opportunities and federal funding compliance.
• Procurement and Purchasing Services Federal procurement compliance, supplier relationship management, Buy American provision tracking, and ingredient sourcing focused on quality, taste, and cost control.

Quantifiable outcome

• Student participation increases significantly after Lunchtime Solutions takes over
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hebda Family ProducecoreOthersLong-term partnership spanning nearly a decade with Dale Hebda and family in Mission Hill, SD. Primary suppliers of melons and apples to multiple Lunchtime Solutions school districts. Contributes to the company's Farm to School initiatives and local sourcing commitments.
• Castle Creek Family FarmsminorOthersLocated in Newcastle, NE. Provides specialty produce including heirloom tomatoes and yellow seedless watermelon to Siouxland school districts.
• Prairie Moon HerbsminorOthersLocal herb supplier contributing to the company's Farm to School efforts.
• Morse's Farm MarketminorOthersLocal farm market supplier of fresh produce for school lunch programs.
• Yankton NurseriesminorOthersFamily-owned garden center in Yankton, SD that began experimenting with specialty produce, including Harvest Moon watermelon for local schools.
• Cookies Original BBQ SaucecoreOthersPartnership with Cookies Food Products (Wall Lake, IA) to feature their BBQ sauce in school menu items. Created the 'Cowboy Rito' burrito featured across all Lunchtime Solutions schools as part of their Rito In-cog-NEAT-O program.
• Ely FarmscoreOthersMike Ely of Ely Farms in Grafton, NE supplied nearly 600 pounds of locally grown asparagus to schools in Hastings, Holdrege and York Public Schools through the Farmers Market Selections program.
• Birdwood Beef / Star Cattle CompanycoreOthersPartnership with Birdwood Beef and Star Cattle Company (Star family, fifth generation ranching operation) to provide locally raised beef to Hershey Public Schools. Estimated 1,600 pounds of locally produced ground beef into Hershey schools annually.
• Geditz FarmsminorOthersDavid Geditz of Geditz Farms in Ipswich, SD provides carrots and cucumbers to Aberdeen Public School District as part of South Dakota Crunch Off and Farm to School initiatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Chartwells (Compass Group): Compass Group's dedicated K-12 school food service brand, operating across U.S. school districts with a comparable contract management model, menu planning, and USDA compliance focus.
• Taher, Inc. Mid-sized K-12 food service management company serving school districts across multiple U.S. states with a comparable contract management and fresh/local sourcing model.
• The Nutrition Group: K-12 food service management company operating across the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest, providing comparable contract-managed meal programs, USDA compliance, and nutrition-focused menus to school districts.
• Metz Culinary Management: Family-owned food service management company providing K-12 school meal programs with comparable contract structure, scratch-cooked menus, and farm-to-school orientation.
• Sage Dining Services: Specialty K-12 and private school food service management company with a comparable contract-managed model emphasizing fresh, scratch-cooked meals and customized menus.
• Whitsons Culinary Group: Regional K-12 and institutional food service management company operating across the Northeast and other regions, competing for similar school district managed-service contracts with a comparable value proposition.

Broad incumbents

• Aramark: One of the largest global food service and facilities management companies, with a K-12 education segment that competes directly against Lunchtime Solutions in school food service management contracts across the U.S.
• Sodexo Education: Global food service and integrated facilities management company with a U.S. K-12 segment that contracts directly with school districts for managed food service, making it a direct competitor in the same RFP pool as Lunchtime Solutions.
• Elior North America: International contract food service company with K-12 and education segments in the U.S., competing in the same school district RFP market with comparable managed-service and nutrition compliance capabilities.

Emerging players

• OPA! Salata / Gecko Hospitality: Restaurant-style food concepts entering school nutrition programs as an alternative to traditional K-12 FSMC contracts, representing a partial-overlap emerging competitor in the segment Lunchtime Solutions serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lunchtimesolutionsinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chris-goeb-a221112b

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lunchtime Solutions, Inc.