Based on feedback from LT students via survey, smoothies, slushies, and milkshakes have made a return to the menu in the NC cafeteria since before COVID-19. 

The process for changing or adding items to the cafeteria menu is rooted in student feedback and the availability of the products, Associate Principal Sarah Smith said. The student feedback comes from a bi-annual survey that lets students communicate what they think about the choices offered in each cafeteria. Consideration is then given to whether or not the chosen food and drink items can be procured and priced reasonably. 

“It’s important as a school district that we are ensuring that students are able to purchase the items that we offer,” Smith said. “It’s a balance between what the students are looking for in the cafeteria and what we can produce and secure for the cafeteria and whether it’s at a price point that’s reasonable.” 

The smoothies, slushies, and milkshakes all come from a company called Island Oasis, NC Cafeteria Manager Marcy Lingo said. These drinks were added to the menu prior to COVID-19; however, when COVID-19 hit and students weren’t eating in the cafeteria, the company took back their blenders that were used to make the drinks. Once a machine became available, the smoothies and milkshakes were added back to the menu. 

“We were hoping the students would enjoy the smoothies and react favorably to them, and they did,” Lingo said. “They seem to be enjoying them very much.”

Each drink costs $3 for a 12-14 oz serving. They’re offered in the following flavors: Strawberry Banana, Lemon, Cappuccino, Peach, Wildberry, and Strawberry. Each flavor can be paired with ice cream (to make milkshake), yogurt (to make a smoothie), or plain ice (to make a slushie). 

“I love the smoothies because they’re a healthier option than some of the other foods served in the cafeteria,” Elyssa Replin ‘25 said. “I feel like having a separate stand for the smoothies shows you can have healthy alternatives that still look and taste good. The smoothies are definitely refreshing and a solid pick-me-up throughout the day. I love to recommend the different flavors to all of my friends.”