OuR House Cafe is back in business at Spaulding High School tech center and open to public
ROCHESTER — A cafe operated by culinary arts students at Spaulding High School's Richard W. Creteau Regional Technology Center is now open to the public once again, for lunch.
OuR House Cafe has made what is being celebrated as a triumphant return from a coronavirus pandemic shutdown. Michelle Halligan-Foley, who runs the program with students, said they are thrilled to be back. It's open 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday to start.
The schedule is "a limited soft opening for the rest of this school year," Halligan-Foley said. "We go along with the school schedule, so if there something like a teacher workshop day, we will be closed. We hope that by next year we can open on a more extensive schedule beginning in the fall."
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Halligan-Foley said the cafe had been operating for a few years prior to the pandemic and was doing so well the space was renovated in 2019. School closures struck in 2020 due to COVID-19.
"Then everything shut down," she said. "We tried last year, and opened for a few weeks but then shut down again trying to get through the flu season we saw. We are shaping up to be back to full capabilities by next year."
"OuR Cafe is a shining example of real-world learning in action," said SAU 56 Superintendent Kyle Repucci. "The physical restaurant is an aesthetical focal point in our school community, but it is our amazing instructors and students who shine above all else. I hope our community starts to gather at this amazing restaurant and gets to see greatness in action as I do."
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Halligan-Foley said the cafe is managed by a professional student team, teenagers studying all aspects of restaurant management.
"It's a great program," she said. "The kids learn how to create a menu, write the necessary grocery lists, cook, serve, do the billing and handle the money and the record keeping. They learn how to budget."
Each day the cafe serves staples like burgers, salads, chicken fingers and french fries. The price can't be beat, with meals ranging from $3-$6.
"It's a bargain, and it's really good food," said Hallgan-Foley. "The cafe is not out to make a profit, but rather to give our students the valuable experience they need. The kids do not get paid. Money made goes right back into buying food and products they need to operate."
OuR House Cafe accepts cash and credit cards.
This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: OuR House Cafe open to public at Spaulding High School in Rochester NH
