- April 16, 2024
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Matanzas culinary teacher Lisa Kittrell instructs students. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas culinary students sit at tables inside the Black Pearl Cafe. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Some of the Matanzas culinary students: Back row, Laurel Amate, Brayden Landi, Jack Lescak, Abrien Sundell, Caden Penny, Grace Collins. Front row: Ashley Burdick, Feliciti Krem, Emma Diaz, Bryson Williams. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Emma Diaz serves poke bowls. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Teacher Lisa Kittrell shows Marco Ortiz and Alaina Rumrill how to arrange a table setting. Photo by Brent Woronoff
The Flagler County Education Foundation secured a grant to buy furniture for the Black Pearl Cafe at Matanzas. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Ashley Burdick, Grace Collins and Emma Diaz. Photo by Brent Woronoff
The Jan. 21 menu. Teachers can purchase lunch from the culinary program each Friday. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Friday is the day Matanzas High's culinary students prepare lunches that faculty and staff can purchase for pickup or delivery.
Soon, students will be able to serve meals as well in the culinary program's new Black Pearl Cafe.
The Flagler County Education Foundation secured a grant for $11,500 to purchase furniture and equipment for the cafe. It is part of about $100,000 the foundation has raised this year to help supplement Flagler Schools' Career and Technical Education programs, said Joe Rizzo, the foundation's executive director.
"The workforce development grants help make sure the programs can provide state certification that give kids the opportunities for jobs," Rizzo said.
On Jan. 21, the students were practicing their back-of-the-house skills, preparing Buffalo chicken calzones and baked-from-scratch chocolate chip cookies for faculty and staff. The cafe will help the students practice their front-of-the-house skills, serving customers directly, said culinary teacher Lisa Kittrell.
"They train here, and they're landing jobs in the industry."
LISA KITTRELL, Matanzas culinary teacher
The furniture arrived this month. In the future, the cafe will be open to the public by appointment. When the principal brings in guests for a luncheon, the Black Pearl Cafe will be the dining room they use with students preparing and serving the meals, Kittrell said.
At the end of the school day, students, faculty and staff at Matanzas will be able to purchase coffee and fresh baked pastries served at the cafe. With the help of culinary student Abrien Sundell, the program will soon be upgrading ifs coffee beverages. Sundell's family owns SunBros Cafe in Flagler Beach, which buys its coffee beans from Kaldi's Coffee Roasting Company in St. Louis.
With SunBros Cafe's help, the Black Pearl Cafe will also start serving Kaldi's coffee, Kitrell said, and Sundell, who attended a training seminar at Kaldi's headquarters, will help teach his fellow culinary students how to make lattes.
In St. Louis, Sundell said he learned how roasts affect flavors and what decides a good or bad flavored coffee.
Sundell and fellow culinary student Alaina Rumrill are both baristas at SunBros. Many other culinary students are also working in the food industry, Kittrell said.
Laurel Amate works for Redfined Food Co at City Marketplace, 160 Cypress Point Parkway, where she specializes in desserts. Caden Petty is a team leader at Panera Bread. Bryson Williams also works at Panera.
Emma Diaz and Ashley Burdick work at Cracker Barrel restaurant. Grace Collins works at Oceanside Beach Bar and Grill, and Felciti Krem works at Lagerheads Bar and Grill in Ormond Beach.
Marco Ortiz works for his dad, who owns a restaurant in Jacksonville and three in Georgia.
"They train here, and they're landing jobs in the industry," Kittrell said.
