Before enrolling in FAB 410, Hospitality senior Donovan Strouse considered herself a “microwave chef” with limited cooking experience. Then she was unexpectedly assigned a kitchen role in class and she was inspired by her peers to rise to the challenge. A few weeks later, she found herself volunteering in the back-of-house, excited to show off her new skills.
“When you’re put in a class like this, it forces you outside your comfort zone and encourages you to grow as a person,” Strouse says. “I’m grateful for how much more confident I am in my abilities because of this class.”
The class’ final culminating experience challenges hospitality seniors, like Strouse, to demonstrate their proficiency in both theory and practice by creating and operating a pop-up restaurant called Bistro 410.
From menu planning to venue décor, students are responsible for every aspect of the restaurant. They spend the early weeks of the semester working in teams to research various cultures and cuisines, and develop marketing plans using websites, social media, and food photography. Then, as a class, they craft a collective menu that spotlights a featured entrée item and specialty beverages for each event.
“We’re not just handing them some materials and recipes to replicate each service,” says chef Christopher Lindsay, one of the class instructors. “The students own and create everything essentially from scratch. We’re just providing them with a shell of a restaurant.”
In addition to pleasing their instructors, students strive to impress paying customers who expect top-notch food and excellent customer service — and their efforts are paying off! Each dinner service brings in about 60 guests, ranging from industry professionals to the community at large. It's a true test of their skills and abilities, and a chance for them to shine in a real-world setting.
“Sure, the restaurant can be looked at as an extension of the class, but we don’t even think about that,” Strouse says. “In our minds, we’re opening a restaurant for the day, and we want it to succeed.”
Working and communicating as a team can be a difficult task in itself, but the real challenge is how students navigate problem-solving and conflict resolution in a fast-paced, high-stress environment. In these situations, students learn to draw on their individual strengths as they work together toward a common goal.
“We’re building their critical thinking skills and giving them the confidence to make decisions on the spot,” says class instructor Murray Mackenzie. “They’re not only solving the problems, but they’re seeing if it was effective at the end of the day.”
Fortunately, they have some excellent role models to look up to. The course’s three instructors – Lindsay, Mackenzie, and Koco Heo – are all experts in their respective fields, and they demonstrate how to work together and leverage each other's strengths to achieve success. Lindsay is the culinary mastermind, helping students come up with delicious recipes; Heo excels in marketing and technology, providing guidance in promoting the restaurant; and Mackenzie is well-versed in dining etiquette and beverage pairing, teaching students how to create a memorable dining experience for customers.
“The restaurant has a legacy,” Strouse says. “People come to Bistro 410 because they recognize the name and they know they’ll enjoy a high-quality dining experience.”
Bistro 410 is open from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on select Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during the spring and fall semesters. For more information, visit the Hospitality website.
