Long before the first bell rings, and the commotion of the school day ensues, the campus is quiet and still — with one exception. Step into the kitchen and you’ll find a bright and bustling scene of energy. By 5 a.m., Prep’s talented kitchen staff, led by Chef Kenyetta Carter, are already hard at work, pouring their heart and soul into the lunchtime favorites we know and love.
It’s a known fact that a day for a chef starts early in the morning. But for Ms. Carter and the lunch staff, they like to get things moving hours before students come rushing through the doors. “I get here around 4:00 am…do a quick hour workout, and then actually start work around 5:00” says head chef Ms. Carter. Even still, she’s not the earliest member of the lunch staff, “The kitchen manager is also here, Violette” says Ms. Carter. “She’s the baker, and she usually beats me by maybe 15 minutes”.
Running a school kitchen is not a simple task, and Ms. Carter describes it as a careful balancing act. “The hardest part is trying to predict what people are going to buy,” she explains. “One week something is super popular, and the next week nobody wants it. And every day is different—early lunches, late lunches, early dismissals. There’s a lot to keep track of.”
Despite all the challenges and hard work, Ms. Carter loves being a chef, and says one of the most rewarding parts of her job is the students. “They’re great,” she says. “I’m so happy when people say thank you or please, or are conscious of others. I think this is usually the best part of most students’ day, because I ask nothing of them.”
When it comes to favorites, as most of us might have guessed, Ms. Carter says that fried chicken is the runaway favorite, but she also sees other more consistently served lunches like burgers and baked ziti get a lot of love as well. She also encourages students to branch out, like trying new dishes such as chicken adobo, a Filipino dish she loves. As for herself, Ms. Carter says she’s more of a salad fan, but admits, with a smile, that fried chicken and fish and chips are some of her guilty pleasures as well.
Twelve years at Prep have given her plenty of memorable moments. One favorite: the Connect Four tournament from her first year at Prep held at the cafeteria tables, with cookies for the winners. “If that came back, I wouldn’t be sad,” she laughs. I don’t think I would be sad either.
Ms. Carter didn’t start out planning to be a lead chef. After years at the legendary Capitol Hill restaurant, Kingfish Cafe, she sought a position with better hours and work-life balance. “I love the food service business, but I never thought I’d be in charge,” she says. “I just love the business so much, and this felt like the right next chapter.”
From 4 a.m. workouts to balancing student tastes, Ms. Carter and her team bring dedication, creativity and heart to every school lunch! For someone who once swore she’d never run a kitchen, Ms. Carter ended up shaping the heart of ours.
