By Megan Sando

msando@stwnewspress.com
Keystone Food Ser-
vice, a family-owned
business since 1993, has
taken off in the last
three years and compa-
ny officials predict more
growth in the future.
What used to be a sole
focus on fraternity and
sorority food production
at Oklahoma State Uni-
versity now is generat-
ing $9 million in food
sales. With contracts at
48 schools both public
and private, projected
sales are $15 million
next year.
The company expand-
ed its business to pro-
viding school lunches
three years ago.
Business began with a
partnership at Coyle
Public Schools. The
company was purchas-
ing its coffee from school
board member Jay
Crenshaw when he con-
fessed the school needed
help in its cafeteria.
Since then, schools
like Perry, Cushing, Oil-
ton and Pawnee are see-
ing increased satisfac-
tion and participation in
the school lunch pro-
gram.
The child nutrition
business is by word of
mouth, Josh Sanders,
co-owner and president
of the Child Nutrition
Division said.
Sanders manages the
company with brother
Jacob, mother Debbie,
cousin Carter, and
Uncle Paul Sanders
with black sheep Bret
Feeback, who is related
to them by marriage,
Sanders said.
Its a misnomer that
kids want chicken
nuggets, he said.
Theyll eat it because
its in their palate, but
what we found is when
you give them fresh
salad, fresh cantaloupe,
fresh fruit and veggies,
theyll eat that. It takes
them awhile to get away
from what they know.
An inner city charter
school in Oklahoma
City, Harding Charter
Prep, has seen more
than a 100 percent in-
crease in students eat-
ing school lunch since
Keystone took over.
Sanders said the
schools they serve are at
least 80 percent free
and reduced lunches,
where he feels the com-
pany is providing
healthy foods to those
who need it.
Regular check-ins
with the United States
Department of Agricul-
ture make sure that
portions, serving sizes
and nutrition content
meet federal guidelines.
A full-time nutritionist
at Keystone helps han-
dle USDA relations.
The company is in ne-
gotiation to add more
schools to its existing 16
accounts and will be up
to 20 by the coming
school year. That means
hiring more workers, at
least 100 positions. The
company will hire loca-
tion managers and food
service workers, where
everything is made from
scratch on-site.
Far for the ultra-
processed world of some
cafeterias, the compa-
nys philosophy boasts
using fresh products
cooked from scratch has
lead to increased excite-
ment and attendance in
public and private
school, cafeterias.
The company pur-
chases its food ingredi-
ents as locally as possi-
ble, with meats from
Enid, Borden dairy and
GoFresh produce out of
Tulsa. Keystones home-
made food menus in-
clude spaghetti and
meat sauce, chicken
wraps, tacos and grilled
hamburgers. A fresh
salad bar is provided
every day.
Schools are reporting
that food waste has
gone down, and atten-
dance and attention
spans have gone up.
Schools are saying a
well-fed kid is ready to
learn, Sanders said. For
now, the company has
no cap for how many
contracts it will take.
With 600 school dis-
tricts, there is a large
market for growth.
We had one school
three years ago, he
said. The next year we
had six, then 16 and
now were adding 20.
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Stilllwater News Press D3 Stillwater ... Its Your Business
Overhead Door Company of Stillwater
405-372-6186
Keystone redefines what kids eat for lunch
MEGAN SANDO/STILLWATER NEWS PRESS
Keystone Food Service co-owner and President Josh Sanders said the compa-
ny expanded into school nutrition services three years ago.
Keystone officials use fresh, cooked from scratch
products in their school menus.