One of the best aspects of Providence Academy is the lunches. From Greek Salad to Italian Dunkers, and even a soft-serve ice cream machine, every dish has its own appeal, and none of these would be possible without Chef Marshall Morris.
This is Chef Morris’s 22nd year at Providence, but his dreams of being a chef extends farther back than that.
“I have always loved food. Food brings people together,” he reflected.
Before Providence, Chef Morris worked at Applebee’s as an assistant general manager. There, he worked with others to create the recipe for the fan-favorite Oriental Chicken Salad. He was there for nine years, then Morris worked for Radisson Blu.
Chef Morris’s hard work in the kitchen does not go unnoticed. His meals make an impact on everyone who tries them. Delaney Flanigan, ‘25, says, “Morris’s lunches have brightened my days since kindergarten. I feel so lucky to come to school everyday and know that lunch will be delicious and healthy.”
French Teacher Madame Anne Heitzmann added, “I have the utmost respect for Marshall. I’m always amazed at all the options he is able to put together.”
Chef Morris is in charge of both the main line and the grill line, and he makes an array of different dishes. Some of the most popular include the Santa Fe Rice bowl, Crispy Orange Chicken, Buffalo Chicken basket, and Chicken Mini Tacos.
Morris says, “My favorite food to make is the bowls. The bowls are very convenient for the staff and easy to serve. I love how everyone adores the bowls and it is fun to see how excited the students get.”
Chef Morris’s work extends past just cooking the food for each day. He arrives at Providence at 5:45 am, and begins the day’s work. He starts by baking cookies and making the soups. He then makes the meals for the day and begins to supervise the other employees. Finally, after all the students have been fed, he goes back to his office, works on bills, and cleans up.
Additionally, Chef Morris also creates the main line menu for the month. Many aspects go into the planning, like shopping for the groceries and scheduling the staff for the day.
When planning the grill item, he tries to pair it with a mainline entrée to even out the wait times for students.
Explaining the most gratifying part of his job, he said, “The best thing as a chef is seeing empty plates. That’s how you know you’ve done your job.”