Frequently Asked Questions
What is Our Place?
Our Place dining room is a collaborative event between two classes in the Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts curriculums whereby food is produced and served for sale to the public during two class meeting times. Students who are cooking and serving are doing so as lab hours in two required courses. Some students are very new to the tasks they are learning to perform and others have more proficiency. Not every student is yet in a position to be hired to be a server in a white tablecloth restaurant or to be cooking at their assigned kitchen stations. As they are learning through their mistakes as well as their successes, the cost per meal only covers the supplies used to prepare it. We ask that each guest fill out a comment card, rating their experience to assist in student learning. Students in each class rotate through various positions for example server, dining room manager, cashier, chef of the day, grill, saute and dishwasher.
How do I make a reservation?
At the beginning of the fall and spring semesters, emails will go out to individuals who have requested reservations. Please be on the lookout for this email as reservations fill up quickly. Reservations will be booked via email only on a first come basis.
Parties may reserve a table for no more than two dates throughout the semester. Please include your email, phone number, seating time, party size and date requested. Our maximum party size is four. Diners must have a reservation to be seated.
Why is it so hard to get a table?
Our dining room operates as a learning laboratory for students in our Dining Room Service and Culinary production classes; Classical or Global Cuisine. Due to our curriculum requirements, enrollment in other required courses and our desire not to operate in competition with local restaurants employing our students, we are only “open” to invite the public to “come to class” one meal per week; dinner in the fall semester and lunch in the spring. Each table is “sat” only once in order that the classes service can be finished with time for cleaning and closing procedures completed prior to the end of class time. Some students have a class following their service class or may be scheduled for work at paying jobs which does not allow for them to stay longer than the allotted class time.
When are reservations available?
We are open on Wednesdays ONLY. In the fall, our Classical Cuisine class prepares dinner and in the spring our Global Cuisine class prepares lunch. We are “open” to the public about 12 times a semester. A few of those twelve times, we are closed to the public as we are serving private parties of college donors or board members in thanks for their generosity.
How much does it cost and what forms of payment are accepted?
Lunch is $12.00 per person and dinner is $15.00. We accept cash, credit card, or check made out to Cape Fear Community College.
May we tip our student server?
Students are not allowed to accept individual gratuities. They are earning college credit for their Dining Room Service course, however, donations to our student clubs are gratefully accepted at the cash register or at the door. The clubs raise money for student scholarships, community service as well as educational field trips such as the National Restaurant Association Expo in Chicago. Diners who find themselves particularly interested in helping a student further their education may contact the CFCC Foundation.
May I reserve the entire room for my group?
Groups wishing to learn more ways they can support Cape Fear Community College students may contact the College Foundation. They direct us in closing the Dining Room to the general public to serve a private party.
I have food allergies and/or special food requests. Can those be accommodated?
As we are not a “real” restaurant, but a classroom, the menu is dictated by course curriculum & student learning objectives. If it is possible to omit an ingredient, we will be happy to, but if the ingredient has already been cooked into an item or a cooking technique is specified by the day’s lesson, then we must adhere to the lesson plan for the day.
What kind of jobs do students get when they graduate?
The tourism industry is very strong in North Carolina; particularly here in the Cape Fear Region. It is also a community where people come to retire, be educated and for medical treatment. Graduates find that there are more jobs than prospective employees available to fill them. Culinary Arts graduates have gone on to become chefs at area restaurants, private clubs, and institutional contractors such as Aramark which provides food service for UNCW. Graduates of the Hospitality Management include restaurant owners and operators, of entrepreneurs and franchise owners, as well as Food & Beverage directors, Rooms & General Managers of Hotels. Some students have left the area, with the furthest known cooking for over 1000 international employees of a research station in Antarctica. Our graduates have a 100% employment rate.
Where is Our Place Dining Room located?
We are located at 403 Water Street in the Emmart building, room #W018S.
Where do I park?
Our parking attendants will direct you if handicapped or visitor’s spaces are available at the “L” lot on the Second Street between Walnut and Red Cross. During the daytime, diners use metered spaces and the downtown parking deck as most college spaces are numbered and paid for by full-time employees or reserved for students with disabilities. The CFCC parking deck may only be accessed with an activated CFCC student or employee ID card. Students and employees pay for this privilege.
Is alcohol served and, if not, can I bring my own?
We do not have a license to sell alcohol or allow brown bagging.
