The challenge
Harker Heights High School needed to feed a large student body quickly, and its existing cafeteria was built around a conventional straight serving line. Killeen ISD wanted a dining experience that offered more variety and moved students through faster — without expanding the building’s footprint.
The design solution
FDP reorganized the space into a food-court layout of themed serving venues, each branded as its own micro-restaurant so students can head straight to what they want instead of waiting one line:
- Einstein Burgers & Grill, La Cocina Mexican fare, and Michelangelo’s Pizzeria for hot entrées
- Plato’s Daily Fare, Garden Fresh Salads, Deli Express, and Ala Carte Alley for lighter and grab-and-go options
- H2O etc. beverages and a dedicated coffee and bakery bar
The serving venues use curved stainless counters with heated display shelves, refrigerated bases, glass sneeze guards, and LED-lit fronts. Behind them, FDP specified a rebuilt back-of-house production kitchen — stacked combi ovens under a new ventilation hood, stainless prep lines, and a full warewashing room — to supply every station through the day.
The outcome
The renovation replaced a single line with multiple parallel points of service, giving students more choice and shortening wait times within the same cafeteria space — a modern, food-court-style servery backed by a production kitchen built to keep it running.
