Learning the Ropes

Hospitality Management Students Experience All Sides of The Business

By Paul Sterman

When it comes to the restaurant business, senior Janine Raymundo always thought she belonged in the kitchen. Until she began working at The Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch.

The restaurant is operated and managed by students in The Collins College of Hospitality Management. They rotate positions weekly to experience all sides of the business — management, food preparation, serving guests, opening bottles of wine at the tables, handling reservations and more. The rotations were a revelation for Raymundo, who had worked in a restaurant before but was tucked away in the kitchen — “the back of the house,” as it’s known. 

“This class really helped me find out that I’m more suited to the front of the house,” she says. “I really enjoy the interactions with the guests.”

Open to the public for lunch and dinner, the RKR has a sophisticated presence, with sweeping hillside views and a large, open dining room. There is also a culinary garden outside, from which students harvest fruits and vegetables to make seasonal dishes.

The 30 or so students are guided by chef instructor Michael Reyes and general manager Jason Zhang (’10, hospitality management). But much of the educational experience is learning from their peers: Student managers teach, train and lead their fellow students.

“They are asked to be entrepreneurs,” Zhang says. “They have to develop their leadership style.”

“Everybody helps each other out. The most essential thing is communication between the front of the house and back of the house.”
- Felipe Aquino, student

Working both the front and back of the house is great training for future restaurant managers, Zhang says. Even the RKR managerial roles are specialized: Different students manage the kitchen, bar, dining room and events. They also set tables, clean dishes, and learn to use the latest restaurant-technology tools, such as software for meal reservations, event planning, retail and bookkeeping.

“You have to know everything to be a manager,” Zhang says.

Strong teamwork is vital to success.

“Everybody helps each other out,” says senior Felipe Aquino, who has worked in restaurants since he was 15. “The most essential thing is communication between the front of the house and back of the house.”

When the restaurant is extra busy — it averages 85 customers a day — it can be stressful for the students, Reyes says. 

“But it’s also a bonding experience, because when they’re done, they can sit back, exhale and say, ‘Ah, we did it!’”

(Photo caption: Over the course of the semester, Collins students Kirsten Wiesinger and Jay Kang have worked every position, including manager and chef, in The Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch.)