Café Is Job Training For East Bay Students With Special Needs

CONCORD, CA — On a recent cloudy, chilly winter day in the East Bay, there was no better place to warm up and fill up than the longstanding Strawberry Corner Café in Concord, located on the Contra Costa County Office of Education’s Marchus School (special education) campus. On March 8, the bustling little eatery was in the middle of its annual "Dine-In Service at Strawberry Corner" program, CCCOE Jonathan Lance said in a news release.

CCCOE’s Strawberry Corner is a restaurant occupation class training program (CTE/ROP) for students with special needs, ages 18-22, who are learning community transitional skills to better assimilate in the general public. The program is open to students who need a little extra help, and come from nine school districts in Contra Costa County, according to Instructor Laurel Patterson.

"The students are with us for a half of the day, and usually spend the second half of the day with independent-living skills programs," Patterson said. "Here at Strawberry Corner, we teach basic restaurant skill, including cooking, serving, busing, cashiering, and dishwashing. In addition, we teach job skills, including how to find employment and how to fill out a job application."

During the first two weeks of March, it is tradition for the students to test some of the skills they have been learning by coming out behind the kitchen and counter and provided full table service.

"The waiters and waitresses were professionally dressed in black slacks, white shirts with ties, and aprons," Lance said. "On this particular day, there were table reservations for parties two to four customers. The luncheon guests were primarily administration employees of the CCCOE."

Each member of the wait staff greeted a dining party, led them to their table and took their beverage and lunch orders.

"On this particular day, the hamburger and meatloaf daily specials were especially popular," Lance said.

After serving the lunches, the waiters and waitresses cleared the empty plates and successfully tempted their guests with a delicious chocolate cake-and-ice cream dessert.

Servers completed their table service by totaling and presenting each diner with their check, then running the checks and payments through a cash register.

"The Dine-In Service program is an excellent opportunity for our students to obtain real-life experience, dress for success, and receive an excellent simulation of what it would be like to work in a real restaurant setting," said Marchus School Principal Dave Fendel. "Their instructor, Laurel Patterson, does an excellent job of preparing the students to be professional restaurant workers."

Though the skies were still clouded over, every customer walked out of Strawberry Corner filled with a delicious lunch and very impressed with their service, Lance said.

"... At the same time, their servers were proud of the job they did with this excellent life-skills opportunity," Lance said. "And, the non-required tips they earned were pretty cool, as well."

Main photo: CTE/ROP special needs students Tony (of Brentwood), Amy (of San Ramon) and Rachel (of Oakley) are pictured during lunch service at Strawberry Corner Cafe in Concord, March 8, 2018. (Photo credit: Jonathan Lance, CCCOE)