Built by foodservice and nutrition experts, Menu Freedom helps directors run compliant and sustainable meal programs
One of only about a dozen platforms in the U.S. that's USDA-approved for both nutrient analysis and meal pattern assessment.
Our History: Born of Passion and Experience
Menu Freedom extends the expertise and intellectual property of CKC Good Food, a Minnesota-based school meal catering company specializing in delicious, nutritious meals kids love. Founded in 1990, the company serves more than 110 public charter and private schools, daycare centers and nonprofit organizations in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul metropolitan market. Each regular school day, CKC provides over 70,000 breakfasts, lunches, after-school snacks and dinners meeting the respective program’s federal nutritional guidelines. CKC’s proprietary recipes, processes, methods and tools have fundamentally raised the quality and nutritional standards of school lunches.
Leadership Team
Nancy Close
CEO and Founder
My heart and soul are anchored in the food world. My parents started and ran Caravan Serai, one of the first Afghan restaurants in the U.S. and I saw from an early age how the warmth and graciousness of the Afghan culture, combined with delicious food, created a powerful experience for customers. After working in the corporate food world, I took the reins of the restaurant from my parents and went on to win numerous awards for the food and service.
In 1990, I started catering meals for my brother’s daycare business. Other schools soon expressed interest in my food, leading to the formation of CKC Good Food®. My passion for delicious and nutritious food fueled our growth and CKC is now one of the finest school catering companies in the nation. With CKC’s 30+ years of experience in child nutrition programs, NutriStudents K-12/Menu Freedom was launched to help schools with tools to serve delicious, nutritious, and compliant meals nationwide.
“The school I went to made mostly homemade lunches. I loved tator tot hot dish! My father was from Afghanistan, so the food we ate at home reflected the cultural foods my dad grew up eating. I loved the Minnesota comfort foods and hot dish-type meals. The one thing I that would have made the hot dishes over the top is if they would have had crushed red pepper to put on the meal. I also loved the mini homemade desserts… still do and always will.”
James Hanold
General Manager | Email
You could say I’m a Swiss Army knife of sorts in the foodservice world, having worked as a foodservice manager, chef, server, procurement representative, chef trainer and menu planner. I’ve translated my years of front-line foodservice experience into an audit support and menu, recipe, and ingredient database development role–and now, I’m proud to lead the incredible team here at Menu Freedom as General Manager. Together, we’re focused on supporting schools with practical, compliant, and creative menu solutions.
“My favorite school lunch was popcorn shrimp with mac & cheese.”
Shelly Miller
Director of Client Relations & Sales | Email
I’m a former school foodservice director and I’m truly proud to say I was one of NutriStudents K-12/Menu Freedom’s first clients! As Director of Client Relations, I help onboard and train foodservice directors on all aspects of the Menu Freedom platform, including recipe and menu building, and serve as the primary point of contact for clients, answering questions and communicating system updates. I serve as client advocate to ensure every user’s success and total satisfaction with the platform. In my free time, I love camping and fishing, especially ice fishing!
“My favorite school lunch was lasagna.”
Andrew Behrman
Director of Product Development & Technical Support | Email
With my background as a prep cook, kitchen manager, and foodservice director, I understand the craziness foodservice professionals cope with every day. As Director of Product Development & Technical Support, I love working with our foodservice clients in a training and customer support role, hearing their challenges, and working to help solve their problems through simple solutions. Client feedback fuels product development and I’m constantly looking for ways to improve our product that in turn simplifies time consuming tasks for clients.
“School lunch was one of my first opportunities to be creative with flavor. I remember I really didn’t like this pizza that was served in a paper boat, but I put hot sauce on it one day and it instantly turned into my favorite meal on the menu.”
Linnea Redinger
Director of Marketing | Email
My work relates to the storytelling component of our organization. I handle all aspects of our communications ranging from writing blog posts, designing ads, creating content, and managing our social media. Prior to joining the Menu Freedom team, I spent 15 years as a product development and marketing specialist creating nutrition education resources and signage for child nutrition programs and public health organizations. I graduated from Concordia College with a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics. In my spare time, you’ll either find me in the kitchen experimenting with new recipes, in the woods on a backpacking trip, or out on the road riding my bicycle.
“I loved the homemade breads and rolls that were on the school lunch menu, especially the fluffy cinnamon rolls that always were served with a bowl of chili and the soft, pillowy dinner rolls. I remember always hoping I wouldn’t be served a roll from the edge of the pan – the inner rolls were far superior!”
Jeanne Hopkins, RD
Registered Dietitian & School Relations Adviser | Email
I’m the Registered Dietitian and School Relations Adviser at Menu Freedom. With my background in mainline food distribution, both in K-12 and health care sales, and as a former school foodservice director, I serve as the Registered Dietitian, analyzing menus and recipes for nutritional content and compliance with federal guidelines. I consult directly with the Menu Freedom team and our clients on any menu and nutritional challenges that bubble up. I also enjoy presenting professional seminars and trainings at trade shows and conferences.
“My favorite school lunch was tuna casserole with celery sticks. I was always impressed with how many celery sticks the lunch staff had prepared and how nice they looked with ice cubes scattered over the top.”
Cindy Anderson
Customer Service Representative | Email
Cindy brings more than 17 years of experience in the foodservice industry, including hands-on work in school nutrition programs serving daily lunches to students. Her background gives her a strong appreciation for the dedication, consistency, and care it takes to deliver fresh, high-quality meals along with a clear understanding of the time constraints foodservice professionals face when planning menus.
She is passionate about supporting others and helping make their day-to-day work a little easier. Outside of Menu Freedom, Cindy enjoys running, spending time with family, fishing, camping, swimming, walking, catching a good Netflix series, and skiing in the winter.
Carrie Frank
School Nutrition Program Consultant | Email
Carrie brings more than 25 years of experience in K-12 food and nutrition leadership to Menu Freedom. Growing up in St. Paul, Carrie studied Food Service Management and Culinary Arts before beginning her career in Minnesota restaurants. This sparked a passion for nutrition, which led her into healthcare and earned her Certified Dietary Manager credential. Throughout her career, Carrie has built a strong track record of success in school food and nutrition programs, combining operational expertise with a deep commitment to child nutrition. She believes healthy eating is one of the greatest gifts we can give to children and ourselves.
“One of my favorite school lunch memories is about the kindness of the staff. As a student, I remember noticing that lunch tickets came in different colors. After learning mine was a free meal ticket, I felt embarrassed and would try to hide it in my hand. But our cashier never looked at the ticket. She looked me in the eyes, smiled, and simply said, ‘Have a good day, Carrie.’ I still remember walking away thinking, ‘I want to grow up to be just like her.’ That moment showed me the lasting impact compassion can have in a school cafeteria.”
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