MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – Northern Michigan University’s Hospitality Management Program is ready to show off some updates to its facilities, The programs courses used to take place in the Jacobetti complex which is now under renovation.
Hospitality Management’s new location in The Northern Center includes a full kitchen, restaurant, and dry bar for students. Those students have spent the past 8 weeks preparing the new space for its first opening next Wednesday, March 22nd.
Loganne Glendening is an Associate Professor of Hospitality Management at NMU. Her Guest Services course is the class operating the entire restaurant on Wednesday nights until April 19th.
“The facility itself is gorgeous, but I think to go along with that it’s really inspired us.” Glendening said, “It’s inspired us as faculty, it’s inspired our students as well and I can see the excitement in our guests.”
Ainsley Bonevelle is the front of the house manager at The Teaching Kitchen. She said the move from Jacobetti to the Northern Center has been an amazing experience for her class.
“it’s a lot more modern and it’s fun and bright in here and it just makes everyone happy to be in a new space,” Bonevelle said, “It’s more of an experience to build something from the ground up rather than looking at past materials and basing it off of that.”
As a part of the course, students plan and develop a fine dining experience from start to finish. The group of 7 students will be doing everything from hosting and serving, to preparing meals in the front kitchen.
“Now we’re moving into the true practical part of our coursework,” Glendening said, “which is an assembly of I would say the past year and a half worth of education in order to operate this establishment.”
This year’s menu includes a selection of dishes for four courses at a set price $45.00 per guest, and at an additional cost, a dry bar menu featuring non-alcoholic wines and cocktails.
Northern’s dining experience will be operating on Wednesday nights with walk-ins welcome from 5:30pm until 7:15pm. Glendening said reservations are filling up quickly, to reserve a table in advance, click here.
