COLDWATER, MI (WTVB)- The award winning Culinary Arts and Hospitality Program at the Branch Area Careers Center in Coldwater has had another banner year, bringing home over $150,000 in scholarship money for the students from last month’s Michigan Restaurant Association state competition in Frankenmuth.
Kristan Dogan, the director of the program at the Careers Center, says 22 of the 38 students enrolled in the culinary arts curriculum attended this year’s state event March 12 and 13. One of the teams with 3 students from the Careers Center took second place in the state.
The team had to develop a concept for a restaurant with a dozen different menu items and a target market and they chose college students and their families in and around Ann Arbor and the menu featured comfort food from around the world.
Dogan and two members of the team, Sarah Boston and Libya Shears, spoke at last week’s meeting of the Coldwater Sunrise Rotary Club, which donated funds to help pay travel and lodging expenses for the team at the state competition. The scholarship money will be used by the students at different colleges of their choice.
Dogan said the program is now preparing for their school year ending culinary arts showcase June 1, 2017 at the Branch Area Careers Center, featuring foods from around the world with an hors d’oeuvres party that will also attract former students and professional chefs.
