:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/4YP6FBXHUZBDVCQOIEDM5HEDCM.jpg)
It’s fine dining experiences, open twice a week on a limited basis and reservations are a must.
And the restaurant’s staff, from chef to front of the house, are all students.
The Spartan Terrace Restaurant on the campus of Elgin Community College is known to the community for its elevated dining, but to the students in the college’s culinary arts program, it’s another real-world experience as they prepare to launch careers in restaurants around the world.
“We are trying to make our students well-rounded and prepare them for work in the industry,” explained Kimberly Rother, professor and instructional coordinator for the culinary and hospitality programs at Elgin Community College.
Rother and her team have worked to craft a strong, comprehensive curriculum that ensures students are well-prepared to dive into the industry, whether they plan to start in the kitchen as a chef, a pastry chef or work in restaurant operations and management.
Enrollment in the award-winning program averaged 111 students for the past four years. Students can complete an associate degree at a cost of what many students pay for a single year at a private college. Rother said often students complete one degree and return for a second, in addition to earning certifications.
“There’s the practical, cooking or baking and the business part of the industry,” Rother said, adding that even the best chefs need to understand purchasing, costs, budgets and more.
In culinary, experience is key. From the students’ lab work in the state-of-the-art kitchen to the instructors who bring a depth of knowledge from their work in the field. Rother said two recent additions to the faculty include ECC graduates who are excited to return to the program as instructors, sharing their experiences to help ensure the next generation is prepared.
She’s also launched a visiting chef series where during the semester a chef spends a day providing demonstrations and working directly with the students to prepare a meal. For the students, the opportunity to connect with those in the field provides valuable insight.
“It’s an inspiration for them to work side-by-side,” said Dr. Tremayne Simpson, associate dean of sustainability, business and career technologies.
Simpson said one of the highlights he enjoys is as the advanced students begin to showcase their work, marrying what they’ve learned with their personal flair and diverse food backgrounds.
ECC’s culinary students been able to study abroad with programs in Italy and Austria, further building their food experiences, in addition to the program’s required internships. Rother said the internships often connect students to alumni and career opportunities.
Simpson said ECC promotes thinking of the future and that includes sustainable food practices. The culinary students will package their excess food servings for the college’s Spartan Pantry to support students with food insecurities.
“The best way to teach is to embrace the practices as we do,” Simpson said.
As a culinary program hub, ECC welcomes students of Waubonsee Community College to enroll in its program at in-resident rates, Rother said.
While it doesn’t have a culinary program, staff at its campus in Sugar Grove, Waubonsee Community College is having an impact on the local dining scene in other ways, most notably its Small Business Development Center, which is has provided one-to-one mentorship to entrepreneurs as they pursue their dreams of owning a restaurant, coffee shop and even a food truck.
Launching a business in the food industry can easily involve eight to nine governing bodies, from dealing with the local health department to city officials. Noelia Ruiz, a manager with the Small Business Development Center helps individuals navigate the roadmap to launching their business, with a special focus on working with Spanish-speaking individuals.
“Noelia truly guides aspiring food business owners by helping them save time and money,” said Linda Alberty Layhew, communications manager for Waubonsee Community College.
Ruiz joined the SBDC in 2018 and has helped the center see a significant increase, nearly doubling in connections with Spanish-speaking businesses.
“The purpose of the SBCD is that we are here to listen, help, and advise you on the best way to get you to your goal, and that’s why I’m here,” Ruiz said.
Ruiz is more than a guide, she decided to practice what she preaches, and she became a local business owner of La Garrafa in Aurora, which serves ice cream, coffee, street corn and Mexican snacks.
“I was inspired to start a business selling ice cream because in my town where I live in Mexico ice cream is very popular. The little town is known for its ice cream. Opening a food business was a great lesson for me too,” Ruiz said.