bagpiper

Sam Richardson, a culinary arts teacher, instructs sophomore Anissa Williams, 16.

Student-run restaurant has big-city style

Jennifer Calhoun
The Fayetteville Observer

LAURINBURG — Most people don’t think of mustard crusted Cornish game hen or apple chutney when they think of school dining, but Scotland County High Schools may be changing that.

In October, the school opened its own fine dining facility — a restaurant open to the public, in which students run the show.

The Bagpiper, located inside the high school, is open Tuesday through Thursday for breakfast and lunch. Students learn to cook, serve and manage a commercial kitchen, while guests get to enjoy tasty food on the cheap.

“The food is fantastic, and the prices are unbelievable,” said Brenda Gilbert, a repeat customer and director of the Storytelling Arts Center of the Southeast.

Gilbert also happens to be a former public relations officer for the school system, but she swore she wasn’t biased about the restaurant.

“They do an amazing job,” she said. “I’m not here as a charity. The presentations are like a big city.”

On Thursday, Gilbert ordered the Cornish game hen, sauteed zucchini and a white and wild rice blend for $5.95.

And while the big-city touches are one of things the students pride themselves on, it’s not the only thing they’re learning, said Chef Steven Dibble, director of the culinary arts program.

The 12-week course includes classes on Mondays and Fridays, and restaurant work the rest of the week.

Each week, students take on a different job. One week they might be serving, while the next they could be grilling fish, chopping vegetables or washing dishes.

“They’re learning the skills they need to be a success, and it’s building their self-esteem,” Dibble said. “They’re learning skills and doing stuff they see on cooking shows on TV.”

Dibble, a graduate of the Johnson and Wales College of Culinary Arts in Rhode Island, has owned and managed several restaurants, from bar-and-grills to four star, fine-dining establishments.

About three years ago, the school system recruited him to develop the program, which includes beginning and advanced culinary classes on Mondays and Fridays and working in the restaurant for a participation grade the rest of the week.

But Dibble took the program a step further than most of the state’s 89 high school culinary programs by opening the restaurant.

The Bagpiper is one of the few student-run restaurants in the state that serves the public. It opened in February, but it didn’t go “full force,” as Dibble said, until October’s grand re-opening to the public.

Dibble said the students have been excited about the program.

“They have a lot of pride,” he said. ”My kids are our best advertisers. They’re constantly talking it up.”

On Thursday, the restaurant did a brisk business, with nearly all of its 15 or 20 tables full.

Back in the kitchen, Chef Dibble did a walk-through in an effort to pick up the students’ pace.

“Get it out there!” he yelled. “Come on, you guys are getting busy. You’re going to get slammed.”

Dibble disappeared as quickly as he had come, returning to the dining room to check on customers.

Dasmon Ellerbee, an 18-year-old senior, smiled at the yelling as he sprinkled a salt and pepper-herb mix over a pan of sauteed zucchini.

“I like the fast pace,” Ellerbe said. “I love it when it gets busy. Once you go to a fast pace and then you get done, you’re really proud of yourself. You’re like, ‘I did it. I didn’t let the fast pace get me down.’”

Other students said they loved the class, too, even though it often feels more like a job than school.

“It gives you behind-the-scenes experience,” said Reva Jackson, a 17-year-old junior who was serving. “You actually get to cook the food. In the dining room, you get to see if you like serving.”

For Reva, serving is the best part, although it still feels like work, she said.

But it’s the kind of work that will pay off, Dibble said.

“There’s such a high demand for food service workers,” he said. “I’ll put them up against any college graduate. They will have to do very minimal training.”

Photo by Stephanie Bruce, The Fayetteville Observer

Reprinted with permission