Maybe you’ve dined in the South Shore Cultural Center at the Parrot Cage, at Sikia on 63rd Street or grabbed a dessert at the Fountain CafΘ near Buckingham Fountain.
DEFENDER STAFF WRITER
Maybe you’ve dined in the South Shore Cultural Center at the Parrot Cage, at Sikia on 63rd Street or grabbed a dessert at the Fountain CafΘ near Buckingham Fountain.
Did you know culinary students from the City Colleges of Chicago operate those food establishments? During a student’s last semester at Washburne Culinary Institute, they are required to work in the Parrot Cage or Sikia, in order to give them the full experience of working in the restaurant industry.
The students work every role of the business, from hostess, to waiter, to cleaning, to cooking. No aspect of the restaurant industry is untouched, giving patrons the experience they’re in a five-star restaurant.
"Most of our students who come into the program don’t have any experience at all. Although our classes are hands-on, it’s still not enough to have the students go out and get their first job," William Reynolds, Provost of Washburne, told the Defender.
Washburne Culinary Institute, housed inside Kennedy-King College in the Englewood community, is one of the country’s oldest culinary schools. It was founded in 1937.
The City Colleges, in partnership with the Chicago Park District, opened the Parrot Cage to give that "extra" industry experience that will help them get a foot in the door after completing the program. The Parrot Cage serves American cuisine and is open for business Wednesday through Sunday.
"The idea is to give them at least 16 weeks of training in a restaurant," said Reynolds, who worked at the Culinary Institute of America for 25 years before coming to Washburne.
Mark Fowler, a student in the final phase of the culinary portion of the program, works at the Parrot Cage but started before his last phase in order to get "front end" experience. While he’ll obtain his Culinary Arts associates degree soon, he’s in his first phase of the Baking and Pastry Arts program.
Washburne also "opens your eyes" to other avenues within the industry besides cooking. They make sure students know about research and development, the commercial side of the business, food styling and merchandising, he said. He plans to open his own restaurant and wanted to get the full experience of the restaurant business.
"I work in the front half the time and in the back the other half. Up front, I’m serving, fixing drinks and dealing with the customers. On a typical night, we serve about 40 to 50 people. Those front-end nuances are things you can’t learn in a classroom," said Fowler.
Adding more to the "real life" experience for the students, Washburne opened the Sikia restaurant next to the culinary school.
Sikia prepares African-inspired cuisine and adds a bonus for its patrons. They’re allowed to see the students at work while waiting to be seated, said Rhonda Purwin, Director of Enrollment and Industry Relations for Washburne.
"While taking in the dΘcor of the restaurant, you will also be able to see the students in the kitchen preparing meals through carefully placed windows. As soon as you walk in, the student can see they’re on display," Purwin said.
Sikia, open Thursday through Sunday, will also be available for special events rental and will incorporate entertainment starting in October. Every Friday next month, the "Sounds of Sikia" will offer customers of the restaurant a jazz experience.
"We are really giving our students the full gamut of the restaurant industry so when they finish our program, they’re ready to hit the ground running with solid experience behind them," said Reynolds, who said the community’s support of the Parrot Cage and Sikia has been tremendous.
To add to the full scope of industry experience, Purwin said the park district opened a pastry shop near the Buckingham Fountain for the Baking and Pastry Arts students to showcase and sell their goods.
The Fountain CafΘ is not part of the curriculum that requires students to work in the store. Students are hired, adding the merchandising part of the industry to their experience, Purwin said.
"The shop opened after the Taste of Chicago ended this year. The City of Chicago liked the pastry spread we did at the chef’s table during the Taste and offered us the opportunity to do the cafΘ. It’s been busy," said Purwin.
Student Ashley Stewart who works at the Fountain CafΘ and at the Parrot Cage said Washburne gives her the most bang for her buck and the instruction and experience gained has been invaluable.
"There’s so much they teach you that you’re left with many options within the industry to choose from. I’m not sure what I want to do after I finish the program, but the curriculum allows me to be experienced as a caterer, chef or restaurateur. I’ll be happy as long as I’m able to feed people," said Stewart, who’s in her last semester in the Culinary Arts program.
Washburne has about 200 students enrolled, part- and full-time, all working towards either a basic or advanced certificate, or an associates degree in either Culinary Arts or Baking and Pastry Arts.
Several of its students currently have employment as preparation cooks in restaurants throughout the city. A prep cook is usually the first step in a full-service restaurant, Fowler said, adding that based on experience, the pay generally averages between $8 and $12 per hour.
"The industry is just like any other. There are many qualified people for so few spots. It’s all with how you market yourself and how competitive you are. I have classmates now that are line cooks, the next step above a preparation cook," Fowler said.
Purwin agreed.
"The television shows and the glossy ads give the appearance that once you graduate from culinary school, you can get a job earning about $50,000
a year. I tell all our students and prospective students, if someone at another school tells them that, they need to get it in writing," she said.
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