Marie Baker’s Culinary Arts class will be hosting “Restaurant Week” every Friday for the next five weeks starting tomorrow. The class is inviting teachers to come experience their food fifth period so that the students can gain experience with running a restaurant.

                Each week will feature different types of cuisine, and each kitchen is in charge of planning their own “restaurant”. The first week features Italian cuisine and is called a Taste of Italy.

The inspiration came from Chicago’s Restaurant Week, but Baker says her class is doing it “LZ Style”.  Restaurant Week is meant to teach students about the service element of food, rather than just the cooking portion.

“I was a restaurant manager before I got my teaching job here. I wanted the students to be able to immerse themselves in what it’s like to run a restaurant,” Baker said. “They have to deal with conflict resolution, service, management, and everything that goes in to have a successful restaurant.”

Restaurant Week is meant to give students a sense of the responsibility required to run a restaurant.

                “Each kitchen gets to decide on their menu, theme, type of dining, and ambiance,” Baker, family and consumer science teacher, said. “Each group had to research and think of a concept, logo, and pretty much everything that goes into a restaurant.”  

                After the Taste of Italy, Asian cuisine is featured at the Great Wall, a sandwich shop opens at Nick and J’s Deli, there is fine breakfast dining at the Hakuna Frittata, and finally a café opens at the Coffee Shop.