It’s time again for the return of the Student Chef and the Mustang Cafe. Located in Danner 108, these student-run food service programs are operated by students in the Culinary Arts 9 Restaurant Operations class and the Culinary 19 Kitchen Management class.
The student-run food service operations started service on Sept. 9. Student Chef, Mustang Cafe, and Mustang Grill run Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Student Chef requires reservations, while the other two options offer takeout services.
Associate Professor of Culinary Arts Andrew Griggs has been teaching in the field for 11 years. Griggs has spent the last two years at Delta focusing on teaching students new skills while keeping them on track. The focus has also been on keeping customers happy and full, he said.
Culinary Arts 9 focuses on caretaking and serving at the restaurant, while Culinary 19 is the kitchen manager, focusing on cooking and prepping food for both the Student Chef restaurant and the newly-opened Mustang Grill.
Students enrolled in the classes work in all the roles related to food delivery, including server, runner, cook, cleaner and cashier.
The Mustang Grill is a new addition this year. Located inside the main Danner food service area, the menu includes grilled cheese, fries and burgers.
At the Mustang Grill, Delta student Marco Egas, 20, said “I don’t know if it’s the sauce but it tastes like In-N-Out to me.”
Nakita Dunbar, 34, said participating in the Culinary Arts program has helped her with confidence and professionalism. Dunbar, who is in Culinary Arts 9, worked the front of house in early September. She expressed much gratitude for how much this program has helped her.
Jesus Cazares, 19, had prior experience before joining Delta’s program. He was in the FCCLA program and was nominated for many events. In high school, Cazares’ teacher saw a lot of potential in him, and that motivated him to keep going, he said. His job at Student Chef is serving food to customers this week.
Deila Calderon, staff, said she is grateful for the Student Chef on campus. She noted how much thought and creativity the students put into the restaurant and into creating unique dishes.
