Ordo vs. My Hot Lunchbox: Choosing the Right School Food Service

When it comes to choosing a meal program for your school, finding a reliable food service provider that meets your school’s needs is crucial.

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My Hot Lunchbox is a school lunch company that partners with restaurants to provide food for private schools. Ordo provides fresh, healthy meals for all types of schools across the country, powered by an online platform that helps administrators manage their paperwork and track participation.

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Schools choosing between My Hot Lunchbox and Ordo generally look at several categories:

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• Menu pricing
• Reimbursable meals for NSLP/CACFP/SBP
• Meals with or without sides
• Kid-friendly portions
• Toddler safe meals
• Online ordering
• Nut-free options (ex. nut-free)
• Breakfast offered
• On-site services

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How My Hot Lunchbox compares to Ordo.

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Menu pricing

Ordo: Varies by age group

My Hot Lunchbox: Average $9 per meal

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Ordo provides meals for all types of schools. For NSLP/CACFP schools, Ordo can serve food at typical price points to match reimbursement rates, depending on the state. For other schools, the average price per meal is $7, ensuring that schools can deliver fresh, hot meals while managing their budgets effectively. In contrast, My Hot Lunchbox offers meals at a higher price point at $9 per meal, reflecting their restaurant partner business model.

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Reimbursable meals for NSLP/CACFP/SBP

Ordo: Yes

My Hot Lunchbox: No

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Ordo’s meals comply with national school meal programs like NSLP, CACFP, and SBP, making them reimbursable and adhering to strict nutritional standards. My Hot Lunchbox does not provide meals that qualify for these programs due to its business model of partnering with restaurants.

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Meals with or without sides

Ordo: Yes

My Hot Lunchbox: Yes

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Both Ordo and My Hot Lunchbox provide meals that include sides, ensuring students receive a balanced diet with every meal. This inclusion supports dietary guidelines and contributes to student satisfaction and health.

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Kid-friendly portions

Ordo: Yes

My Hot Lunchbox: Yes

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Ordo and My Hot Lunchbox both offer meal options tailored for children, ensuring that portion sizes are suitable for younger students. Ordo’s meals are specifically designed to meet the nutritional needs of various age groups, fostering better eating habits among students.

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Online ordering

Ordo: Yes

My Hot Lunchbox: Yes

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Both providers offer online ordering systems, making meal management easier and more efficient for schools.

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Nut-free options

Ordo: Yes

My Hot Lunchbox: Generally yes, but can’t guarantee

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Ordo understands the severity of food allergies and has implemented strict protocols to ensure that all meals are nut-free. This policy includes rigorous ingredient sourcing, staff training, and menu selection to provide a safe dining environment for students with nut allergies.

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My Hot Lunchbox provides nut-free options on its menus, but, even according to their own website, they cannot guarantee nut-free meal prep due to their restaurant kitchens.

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Breakfast offered

Ordo: Yes

My Hot Lunchbox: No

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Ordo provides a consistent breakfast option, which is an integral part of their meal service, ensuring students start their day with a nutritious meal. While My Hot Lunchbox does offer a variety of menu items for its students, it does not contain breakfast specific items served every day.

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On-site services

Ordo: Sometimes

My Hot Lunchbox: No

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While Ordo typically supplies schools with their meals daily, it primarily offers vended meal service. However, they can establish some on-site food service, depending on the school. This on-the-ground support is tailored to the needs of each partner school, providing a seamless dining experience that caters to their unique schedules and preferences.

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My Hot Lunchbox does not offer on-site meal preparation, relying instead on delivery from various vendors.

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The top 3 reasons schools choose Ordo over My Hot Lunchbox

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Menu price

It’s important for schools to consider the participation rate and order rate of their students. If buying lunch at school is too expensive, students won’t eat and parents will voice their dissatisfaction. That’s why Ordo offers menus for schools at a competitive price, while the average price of a menu item on My Hot Lunchbox is roughly $9–and most items won’t include sides, making daily meals a costly endeavor for a family. For Ordo, affordability and nutrition are our top priorities.

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Reimbursable meals

Relatedly, schools with significant numbers of students on free or reduced lunch programs will be unable to use My Hot Lunchbox as their food service provider. Ordo’s meals qualify for reimbursement under the NSLP, SBP, and CACFP. Additionally, our super intuitive software make managing compliance paperwork much easier for schools–from tracking participation rate to cloud storage for production records.

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Appropriately-sized portions

As Ordo serves a wide variety of schools from preschools to private boarding to public, our team has crafted menus for children of all ages. We offer meals that are age-appropriate in terms of portion size, resulting in lower waste and proper child nutrition.

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When weighing these two programs, it's clear that Ordo provides a comprehensive, flexible, and affordable option tailored for schools of all sizes. By focusing on fresh, kid-friendly meals that meet national nutrition standards, Ordo has become the fastest-growing school food program in America.

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Interested schools can reach out to Ordo’s school partnerships team here.