A Taziki’s Mediterranean Café will be opening next month in the Mountainlair, the West Virginia University student union.
The new café will be run by students concentrating their studies in management from within the college of Business and Economics.
Students will get experience in restaurant management as well as academic credit.
Nancy McIntyre is the associate dean for academic affairs with the business school.
“The idea actually came from our alums, Michael Bodnar and Doug VanScoy,” she said.
“They came to us with this idea of creating a lab, a place where our students could gain hands-on experience in restaurant management.”
Forty student workers will be hired by the restaurant.
The management students will play a major role in day to day operations of the café.
This includes maintenance, and learning the policies and the procedures of running a restaurant.
The undergraduate students will work with a lab supervisor, an adjunct professor, who will act as the restaurant’s manager.
Michael Ellington, assistant vice president for Student Affairs at the university, says this is a unique opportunity for the students.
“We are bridging the academic side of the house, the student affairs side of the house, and a student service component for students,” Ellington said.
“It’ll function just like a business; we don’t give them specialized treatment.”
Ellington says the restaurant will feature a set-up where anyone can walk-up to the counter and place an order.
Customers can then enjoy their meals in the common area of the Mountainlair.
Ellington says hospitality management is a field of growing interest across the country.
“I think hospitality management in every state, every locale is a potential boon,” he said.
Jesse McNeely is a recent WVU graduate, who is currently working in the Taziki’s management training program.
He’s learning the ins and outs of every position that will be offered at the café.
When he completes the program, he’ll be working at the Mountainlair operation in the capacity of general manager.
He expects to start next spring.
“This experience is just an honor for me. Not only do I get to be a part of my school, but I’m also working in an industry that’s really fast-paced, and it keeps me on my toes every day,” he said.
The restaurant is under construction with a soft opening scheduled for August 19.
All profits from the operation will be given to the business school.