January 13, 2006

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Publication Date: Friday, January 13, 2006

Banquets at a bargain

When Judi Deetz heard the good news of her daughter's engagement, she was thrilled. She had long hoped her daughter, Elizabeth, would marry a man like Saul.

But her happiness turned to dismay as planning for the big event started: The guest list was 300 people and funds were tight. How could she host the wedding reception of her daughter's dreams with so many guests?

Deetz, a long-time Pleasanton resident who moved from the area late last year, remembered that there was a catering class at one of the schools and wondered if the students could help. A call to the school district directed her to Kit Little at Village High School, who operates the Village Cafˇ Catering Company, a student-run business that caters special events.

Initially, Deetz met with Little and a student project manager to help identify her needs. The trio designed a budget-friendly menu, developed a plan for event set-up and figured out a staffing strategy.

Prior to the reception, students prepared many of the menu items. The day of the event, students set up the room, served the food, ensured punch bowls were filled and even stayed late to help clean up. And the outcome of their efforts was fabulous. The wedding reception went off without a hitch.

"No one could believe they (the caterers) were students," said Deetz. "I was so happy with the job they did. The room looked so great. Everything was perfect."

Most importantly, Deetz adds, "They took so much stress off me the day of the wedding."

The Village Cafˇ Catering Company has been making events easy for clients since it was founded in the year 2000. Under the direction of Kit Little, who was Pleasanton's 'Teacher of the Year' in 1995-96, the Village Cafˇ caters events within the Pleasanton school district and community-at-large several times a year.

Little began teaching Home Economics classes in the Pleasanton school system over 20 years ago. These days she is working with students at Village High School, a continuation high school for students from the city's comprehensive high schools who need more help. As she described it, Kit is teaching her charges life skills they will need to survive after graduation. But if her method of teaching cooking is about survival skills, graduates from her program will be living in style. The results are anything but standard cooking course fare. The Village Cafˇ serves up breakfasts, lunches, dinners and more to clients from a state-of-the-art kitchen facility that Little designed herself. There are no traditional cooking class bays. This classroom is a full-fledged food production laboratory that includes two large stainless steel workstations surrounded by restaurant quality appliances, such as refrigerators, cook tops, ovens and a dishwasher.

With 25 students at the helm, the company caters events big and small. Most are repeat customers who schedule many events throughout the school year because they find the service outstanding, the food delicious and the prices cost-effective.

One customer is the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce. In its fifth year of using the Village Cafˇ to cater several of its annual events, the student chefs continue to impress local business leaders. According to Dave Bouchard, President and CEO of the Pleasanton Chamber, the Village Cafˇ's food quality, presentation and service is competitive with many professional catering companies.

The Chamber uses the Village Cafˇ for everything from breakfast buffets complete with omelet stations to cocktail parties with students passing trays of hors' d'oeuvres. According to Jenny Doehle, Business and Project Manager at the Chamber, the Village Cafˇ always delivers. "It's like something you would expect from a really nice restaurant at wonderful prices."

If students are dishing up happy customers, what are the secret ingredients of their success? Discipline, dedication and work, work, work.

The class is open to all students at Village, but students must complete a specially designed curriculum prior to entering the production kitchen. Before ever working on a client's event, all students study measurements, sanitation, knife skills and time management, and are required to pass a test with a minimum score of 90 percent.

But the students don't mind the stringent prerequisites. In fact, they love this class.

For Kenzie Ross, 17, her participation in the catering class is not only fun, it is shaping her plans for the future. Currently a junior and in her second year in the class, she has worked on several events and some day would like to be an event planner.

"I like to cook," said Ross. "But I really like to decorate and make the place look nice. So, after school, I would like to combine cooking and event planning somehow."

Russ Grant, who graduated from the class in June, still shows up to cook with the students on his days off. Currently, taking courses in Diablo Valley College's Hotel and Restaurant Management Program, Grant enjoys showing off his culinary talents to the class.

Grant jokes that he started cooking young because he was hungry and wanted to eat. "I loved this class," said Grant, of the two and a half years he spent working in the Village Cafˇ kitchen. "I have known I wanted to be a chef since eighth grade."

Grant says that he gained valuable experience catering events during his tenure with the program. Before transferring to Village High and entering the cooking program, he was struggling in every class but cooking at Foothill High School. But with the help of Little's program and the continuation school staff, he graduated on time last spring. He credits the class with expanding his knowledge base in the kitchen, teaching him the business side of the food industry and encouraging him to follow his passion. Today, he hopes to open his own catering company.

Like Grant, many of the program's alumni continue their education and pursue careers in the food service industry. Program alumni are graduates of prestigious cooking schools including the Culinary Institute of America, the California Culinary Academy, and Johnson and Wales.

Many of Little's former students are currently employed in the restaurant industry in a variety of roles at establishments like Bubba Gump's, the Wynn Casino, the Claremont Hotel and the Wente Restaurant. The success of the alumni motivates current students and inspires them to keep cooking.

Cooking and running a business provides students the opportunity to not only plan for their future, but also develop transferrable skills that can be used in any job. Little points out that cooking requires reading and following directions, time management, math skills and organization--all very useful life skills. And students learn the discipline of cooking on a schedule.

"We really have to be organized and efficient to get all of our work done in such a short period of time," said Little of the fact that most of their work is completed during their 45 minute classes. "We live and die by production schedules! Students really understand the term 'sense of urgency.'"

The business aspect of the class also requires that the students demonstrate savvy as they develop cost-effective menus. Students must design a menu that is appealing, while minimizing food waste to keep costs down. Then, students must price the menu competitively. While business survival is not part of the equation for the Village Cafe, ending the year in the black is an important goal.

The students are motivated to operate a profitable business for a very important reason: access to the class. The profits from the catering business fund the food costs for the catering class and the majority of the food costs for the two other food classes. "This is one of the few classes in the district that doesn't require a lab fee," said Little. "And frankly, that is very important for our students. Many couldn't afford the class if a fee was charged."

Any funds left over at year's end are used to buy additional equipment for their kitchen.

The district provides some funding for the class and Little applies for grants to help fund other activities such as paid internships to foster further student exploration in the Food and Hospitality Industry.

While Little orchestrates much of the activity in the class, the students take on a great deal of responsibility for making the business work. For many, this is their first opportunity to shine in a professional setting.

As Dave Bouchard of the Pleasanton Chamber explained: "This is a showcase program that is helping students succeed."

And the fruits of its labor are something its customers get to enjoy.
Forty Five Minutes in Kit Little's Class

It's 11:10 a.m. at Village High School. Students are streaming into Kit Little's fourth period catering class. The teens quickly remove the unneeded stools, wash their hands and gather around the teaching work area to get the day's instructions. Their assignment of the day: pie crusts. A church has hired the group to provide 35 pies for a function and students must complete all the pies by week's end.

Kit coaches the students on the technique to make consistent pie crusts, reminds the students of good sanitary practices, points out spots for potential confusion in the recipe and sets them to work.

With a burst of energy that is palpable, the class transforms into a beehive of activity. Someone volunteers to wash dishes; others begin delivering ingredients and equipment to the stainless steel workstations. Students are making double-crusted pie crusts today. "No need for sculpted edges on the bottom crust" are the instructions delivered by Little. One student rushes ahead, perfecting his crust, sculpting his edges neatly. When he discovers an error, it is his assignment to share his mistake with others. It is an opportunity for him to be a leader. Thanks to his efforts, no one else makes a mistake.

"These kids are like race horses," said Little of her students, as she keeps a careful eye on the production efforts. "They have a tremendous work ethic. They just want to get moving."

"I can hear you," Little says to one student as she carries an extra spoon to a student. It is a gentle suggestion that a voice is too loud.

"Just a little more dough on that top crust," she guides another teen.

"Everyone thank today's dishwasher," she calls out.

Without any guidance from their leader, the activity slowly evolves from production to clean up. Dishes are brought to the dishwasher, counter tops are scrubbed down, unused ingredients are refrigerated and equipment is stored.

At 11:55, fourth period ends and students begin to file out of the classroom. Little has a few minutes to catch her breath before the room fills again with another group of eager students. In a mere 45 minutes, eight uniform pie crusts are completed and stored with care and the kitchen looks pristine, ready for the next class.
More information?

If you are interested in hiring the Village Cafˇ Catering Company to lend its culinary talents to your next event, contact Kit Little at Village High School. Her phone number is 426-4260 and her e-mail address is klittle@pleasanton.k12.ca.us.

A few items to note:

* The class cannot deliver food orders. All orders must be picked up on site during school hours.

* Students in the class can be hired outside school hours to work at events, but it is not considered a school-sponsored activity.

* Small orders require a 2-3-day advance notice; larger events require more time.

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