Dining Services

Our State-Of-The-Art Dining Hall

The Mary and Larry Pope Dining Hall, made possible by the generous support of over 350 donors, stands as a testament to our commitment to fostering healthy bodies and minds. Designed with a full-service professional kitchen, our dining hall provides daily selections of nutritious meals for every student, creating a space where the HRA students, teachers and faculty can come together to enjoy dining services, develop social skills and build lasting relationships.

Student Dining Plan Information

Executive Chef Uwe Schulszas and his team serve scratch-cooked meal options, à la carte style. Dining plans are included in tuition and guarantee lunch daily. Students can pre-select their daily meal option, choosing from a hot meal option, a vegetarian option and the deli/salad bar, and pick it up when they go through the food line. All students have access to water or other beverages or can opt in to a milk plan.

Partnering With Our Hydroponics Lab

Connecting the dining hall and Lower School wing is the unique 1,000-square-foot Martha H. Patten Hydroponics Lab. This lab is tended by students and features vertical growing towers that supply greens, fruits and vegetables to the dining hall. Beyond providing produce, the lab serves as a backdrop for science lessons and supports HRA’s community service efforts. HRA has even donated lettuce and produce harvested from the Hydroponics Lab to the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank.

Meet Executive Chef Uwe Schulszas

Meet HRA’s Executive Chef, Uwe Schulszas! With over 40 years of experience, Chef Uwe brings extensive culinary expertise and influence from his native Germany and across the world, including Austria, Luxembourg, France, England, Switzerland and Bermuda. Before joining HRA, he served as a chef at Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg for over 18 years. Chef Uwe ensures that every student and faculty member receives a balanced, fresh and nutritious lunch every day. Thank you, Chef!

Dining Service FAQs

Our dining hall is a central part of student life at Hampton Roads Academy, providing delicious meals that cater to diverse tastes and dietary needs. Below are some frequently asked questions to help you learn more about our dining services and what to expect.

Is a meal plan included in my student’s tuition?

Yes—all dining plans are included in your child’s tuition. At HRA, your child will never have to bring lunch money to school.

What about students with dietary restrictions?

Chef Uwe is considerate of students with dietary restrictions due to religious customs or medical conditions. All dietary restrictions are filed with the school nurse and communicated to our dining services team. Our goal is to provide students with information about meals beforehand through the monthly menu and on menu cards in the food lines so that every student can eat safely. If your child requires a pre-plated meal due to dietary restrictions, please email Chef directly.

Where do Pre-K, Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten students eat lunch?

These students enjoy their lunch from the comfort of their classrooms. Hot meals, pre-made sandwiches and salad options are all able to be delivered directly to the Pre-K, Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten classrooms.