Off-campus dining is one of the best perks of being an upperclassman. Going out to your favorite restaurant can make a bland week exciting again–if you can make it there and back in LRHS’s 35-minute lunch periods. Because of the time constraints, it can be hard to get to lunch and back if you go off campus, but there are numerous ways to make off-campus lunch run smoothly and efficiently. 

Picking Your Restaurant

Picking your dining destination is the first step in a successful off-campus lunch experience. Try to pick places that have carry-out options in case of difficulties getting back to school.

Proximity to LRHS is also an important factor. Aim to spend at most 12 minutes driving to/from the restaurant. This means out of your 35 minutes, 24 minutes are for driving, and you still have 11 minutes of wiggle room. 

LRHS is actually in a decent spot when it comes to off-campus lunch. Within just a 10-minute drive radius, there’s a Subway, Taco Bell, Backyard Burger, and a Bojangles, to name a few. 

Coordinate With Friends

Most of the time, upperclassmen will carpool to lunch. While the majority of students do this because it’s fun, it can actually be a critical part of getting to the restaurant and back to school. 

Make sure you solidify your lunch plans well in advance of lunch. This can help you avoid any last-minute indecision that costs precious time.

If you’re going off in a group, ask the person with the car closest to the student parking lot stairs to drive. Avoiding the long hike across the parking lot gives you more time to get to your destination if you have your eyes on a restaurant outside the recommended 12-minute driving radius. 

Ordering Ahead

Ordering ahead is arguably the most important thing to do when going off-campus for lunch. It gives you back time to actually eat your lunch during lunch, instead of relying on the kindness of your 3rd or 4th period teacher to let you eat. 

Most fast food/fast casual restaurants have online ordering options on the web. You just pick your food from the menu, select which restaurant you’re picking it up from, and it’s usually ready by the time you get there. 

If you don’t mind the phone storage it takes up, you can also download the apps most fast food/fast casual restaurants have. This way, you can save meal preferences and payment options to further streamline the off-campus dining experience. Plus, if you buy food from the same restaurant often enough, you might start to accumulate rewards that can save you some money. 

Have Your Pass Ready

This might seem unimportant, but having your pass ready to go as you’re walking to the parking lot is an essential step. With teachers and admin checking passes at all of the parking lot entrances, it’s helpful to have your pass in your hand as you’re walking by. This way, they can’t stop you and take away from either driving or eating time. 

Off-campus lunch can be extremely stressful. By implementing these steps into your lunch plan, you can stop stressing as much and enjoy one of the best upperclassmen privileges LRHS has to offer.