This fall, the Lafayette Parish School System (LPSS) will open the LPSS Cafe, a unique establishment that will serve as both a dining space for LPSS employees and a hands-on training ground for culinary students. Housed within a building on the LPSS Central Office campus, which will also accommodate additional Special Education offices, this cafe represents a creative solution to several challenges faced by our culinary program and aims to deliver significant benefits to students and staff alike.
A Vision for Student Success
The main goal of the LPSS Cafe centers around providing students with valuable learning experiences. For LPSS culinary students, obtaining the required 400 hours of practical experience for certification has been a challenging task. Placing students in internships with companies across the parish involves numerous logistical hurdles, including transportation, teacher supervision, insurance concerns for minors, and finding businesses willing to participate. These complexities often make traditional internships impractical and costly.
Nearly 50 students are currently enrolled in the ProStart Culinary Program at the W.D. & Mary Baker Smith Career Center. They are all working towards the National Restaurant Association Certificate of Achievement. In addition to 400 hours of industry experience, students are n required to pass the ServSafe Food Protection Manager exam, the ProStart Level 1 and Level 2 exams, and master over 50 culinary skills.
Principal Dr. Holly Boffy says, “The Cafe will provide another opportunity for students to obtain industry training and create opportunities for the work-based learning experiences we are working to scale in the district.”
This arrangement not only simplifies logistics but also ensures that students receive consistent, high-quality instruction in both culinary skills and restaurant management. The cafe is designed to be a fully operational learning environment where students can gain hands-on experience in every aspect of running a food service operation, from food preparation to inventory management.
LPSS Superintendent Francis Touchet, Jr., says the Cafe represents one of the ways the district is expanding its offerings. “We want to make sure our students have opportunities to grow academically, but we are also striving for success after they graduate,” says Touchet. “The LPSS Cafe embodies that commitment. By bringing culinary training in-house, we are not only addressing logistical challenges but also creating a vibrant learning environment where students can thrive.”
For LPSS employees, the cafe will serve as a convenient and welcoming space to dine, meet, and collaborate with colleagues. It will offer an affordable and nutritious meal option close to the school board office, especially valuable for those without access to a cafeteria on their property. Additionally, by dining at the cafe, LPSS staff will be directly supporting our students and contributing to an innovative educational pathway that enhances their success.
Hours and Offerings
The LPSS Cafe will operate from 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM, serving breakfast and lunch to LPSS employees. The chef, who will be responsible for training the students, will arrive early to prepare breakfast items like muffins, biscuits, scrambled eggs, and grits, ensuring that everything is ready when serving begins. Lunch will feature a hot meal each day, such as red beans and rice, stew, or spaghetti, along with fresh salads prepared by the chef and students. A selection of grab-and-go desserts, including cakes, cookies, and brownies, will also be available.
Meals at the Cafe will not be free of charge. Food prices will be set to cover the cost of operating the cafe.