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More than 100 guests were served Thursday, Nov. 7, during the grand opening of the Mules Café at its new location on the Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center campus.
Culinary arts students have held a series of soft openings for students and staff in preparation so kinks can be worked out on the new equipment in the state-of-the-art kitchen, following the ribbon cutting for the Culinary Arts Center celebrated last month. (Read about it here).
“Being in a new environment, the students have a lot to learn and process, so we started a little later than usual,” explained Brandon Moon, culinary arts instructor. “We’re figuring out which students are in charge of what task, and have used our internal openings to iron that part out.”
Located at 3203 Oak Grove Road behind the High School, the Mules Café will serve the public from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Thursdays for the month so the students have a day to recap, and then Moon plans to add Fridays back into the schedule come December.
By the new year, the hope is to rotate the weekly specials, which supplement menu staples such as smash burgers and paninis designed to help students learn repetition. In addition to trifles of the month, Moon said he plans to sell individual desserts in the new display case in the lobby. The double-hood system and dual-range ovens allow assigned bakers to complete side tasks during lunch service simultaneously.
“We want to ensure each student gains employability so we have to reflect on whether they are meeting industry standards,” Moon said. “If anything these kids need to learn, it’s time management, that’s why we switched to cooking to order during Covid.”
To service the goal of preparing graduates for the workforce, Moon has transitioned the student-run restaurant from the previous batch-style cooking, this way experience can be gained seating guests and taking orders as well. The Mules Café went from 2,880 square feet in its previous location in the Administrative Building to 4,460 square feet in the new facility.
“It’s so rewarding to see at the start of their junior year, some of the kids at the front of the house are bashful and I gotta stay right there, then by the end of the year, they got it down,” said Monica Lewis, culinary assistant. “Thank goodness 99 percent of our customers know its student-ran, and they are very patient and supportive.”
The educators hope to grow the program, now that the Culinary Arts Center shares a campus with Poplar Bluff High School. They will work toward establishing a unique identity for the Mules Café by showcasing the other TCC programming on the walls, along with the student-created logo and slogan: Career Driven, Student Ran.
The dining room features a seating capacity for around 60 guests, and walk-ins are welcome. For carry-out customers, placing orders in advance is recommended by calling 573-785-5768. Follow PBTCC Mules Café on Facebook for menu updates.
Above: The first customers of opening day come over from the PBHS campus on Thursday, Nov. 7.
Below: Mules Café customers start filling the dining room that was converted from a conference room in the original building of the TCC campus.
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