Stirring Up Excitement at Wellmark

The Stir Crazy exhibition cooking station is drawing crowds and driving rice usage at …

The Stir Crazy exhibition cooking station is drawing crowds and driving rice usage at Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Des Moines, Iowa, reports Wayne Tudor, general manager of the Sodexho-run employee cafeteria.

Customers fill a dish with raw ingredients of their choice—sliced chicken or beef, precut vegetables, and flavorings like soy sauce, ginger, and garlic—and hand it to a chef who stir-fries it and plates it with a big scoop of steamed rice. The rice—typically U.S.-grown parboiled or long-grain white rice—is steamed in the kitchen and held warm at the station.

Tudor estimates his usage at 100 pounds per week, divided among the regular lunch menu, Stir Crazy and a Mexican-themed promotion. “We try to keep the food as varied and authentic as possible,” says Tudor. “People are exposed to all types of good restaurants locally.”