KCSOS Unveils New Central Kitchen, Scaling Up Fresh, Scratch‑Cooked Meals

Marchelle Bruley, a food production lead who’s been with the department for nearly 18 years, said the new space has been a long time coming.

“This kitchen has been brought up since I started at KCSOS and even before I got here,” she said. “To see it finally here is kinda like a surreal moment.”

For Food and Nutrition Services Director Rafael Juarez, the opening of this kitchen represents more than just a bright new facility. It marks a turning point in the opportunities and services it can now offer.

“We’ve always made it work with what we had, but this facility gives us the tools to truly grow,” Juarez said. “It’s going to allow us to reach more students, experiment with new recipes, and provide better support to schools and programs countywide.”

Juarez also sees the new kitchen as a space to reinforce the team’s commitment to from-scratch cooking, which means preparing meals using raw, whole ingredients sourced from local farms rather than pre-packaged or heavily processed foods.

“This facility is going to allow us to create even more meals made from scratch,” he said. “That type of cooking embodies what we want to do when it comes to food and nutrition services.”

Dr. John Mendiburu, Kern County Superintendent of Schools, said the Central Kitchen is also a meaningful investment in student success.

“Healthy meals lead to healthy students, and healthy students tend to do better in school,” said Dr. Mendiburu. “When students aren’t getting the meals they need or aren’t eating properly, it affects their education, social life, mental health, and behavior.”

Now that the dream of a bigger space is a reality, Bruley said it’s not just about new walls and equipment. More importantly, it’s about how the extra space will benefit the Kern County community. With additional room, the kitchen can now offer expanded training and internship opportunities for students through JobsPlus!, a KCSOS Alternative Education program that helps young people connect academic skills with real-world careers.

“We have two students working with us right now who came from the JobsPlus! program,” she said. “These students are trying to get back on track. They’re trying to better themselves and it’s been great having them in this new space.”

Juarez added that with the expanded facility and updated equipment, the department has now grown to over 40 employees. Many of them came through employment support programs.

Looking ahead, Juarez hopes the Central Kitchen will continue evolving into more than just a place where meals are made. He envisions it as a hub for culinary education, student empowerment, and deeper community partnerships. 

“We’re creating ambassadors to go out there in our community and share that KCSOS Food and Nutrition Services brings in locally sourced ingredients and converts them into something very tasteful,” said Juarez.

With plans to expand internship opportunities, collaborate with microproducers, and engage students through cooking demonstrations and tastings, Juarez sees the kitchen as a launchpad for healthier habits and stronger connections. 

“This is just the beginning,” he said. “We want to be a model for how school meals can nourish students and communities. This kitchen gives us a chance to do that on a whole new level.”