Low enrollment means closed doors for Culinary Arts’ Student Chef this semester.
A class that supports the Danner Hall-based, on-campus training restaurant saw only five students registering.
CUL ART 19 Kitchen Management shows 25 seats open out of 30 in the Delta College class scheduler. CUL ART 9 Restaurant Operations was not offered this semester.
“The student chef [sic] restaurant will not be opening this semester since there are five students enrolled in the kitchen management course and the restaurant operations course is not offered this semester,” said Associate Professor Kevin Cabrera, a temporary full-time hire for this school year, in an email interview.
Instructional Support Assistant Britney Howard is hoping to improve those issues with marketing during this fall.
“We are working with marketing to do a commercial to help boost enrollment, especially the enrollment for culinary arts,” she said.
However, students who choose to enroll in the program are going to still get the work experience that is taught and offered in those courses even without the Student Chef.
The enrolled students this fall will focus on all culinary skills in a kitchen atmosphere.
“Each student will present four servings of each dish they are cooking and have a staggered presentation,” said Cabrera on what is in place to showcase the dexterity of the five students.
In addition Professor Robert Halabicky is advising the students this semester to apply to an Italian scholarship where they can potentially go to Italy with all expenses paid if chosen and meet the requirements.
“The students volunteer to work with either the culinary arts or baking pastries program and they earn hours. They also have to have a certain GPA and fill out a questionnaire. They actually go through a formal interview process with outside industry professionals and do a cook off as well,” said Halabicky about the scholarship.
The students will also focus more on the baking part through the Artisan Cafe in the Goleman Library on the first floor to gain the work experience they would have received this semester from Student Chef.
The Artisan Cafe is expected to open in October and run Thursday’s from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.