For the past decade, the school restaurant has helped train hostesses, servers and cooks in its Culinary Arts and Hospitality Academy program.
The restaurant is open to the public during the school year with curbside on Wednesdays and full-service on Thursdays.
The students also serve meals to teachers. In October, they dished out more than 100 lunches to faculty in just over two hours.
The four-year program is guided by Chef Victoria Hooker, Chef Joseph Maher, and Culinary and Hospitality Instructor Vernee Reese. Maher has been a chef for 20 years and formerly owned Mirabelle in Dallas. Hooker was the executive chef at Southern Methodist University and an instructor at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts.
The program features 160 students who help with the menu, which changes weekly. Shrimp scampi, roasted pork loin and beef tenderloins were options in September, while grilled chicken, a chicken sandwich and Tuscan pasta were served in October.
“It is a classroom run as a restaurant,” Hooker said. “Kids learn a lot of professional skills. They graduate and are contributing people to society.”
The dining room area is led by sophomores, with freshmen learning from them. The seniors run the kitchen portion of the bistro, and the juniors serve as understudies.
“They work in the shadows of the next grade level up to practice for the next year,” Hooker said.
Located on the right side of the school, customers must have their driver’s licenses scanned before a student directs them to a table.
“We have had really good community support from people in Trophy Club and Roanoke, and they keep coming back,” Hooker said.
Students Serving: Though the menu changes weekly, here are some offerings from this school year.
Tacos ($9) come with rice and beans.
Pork loin ($10) with brussel sprouts.
Cheesecake ($5) is served with fruit.
Byron Bistro. 2775 Bobcat Blvd., Trophy Club. 817-698-5600. bit.ly/3UocSA4. Hours: Wed. 11:15 a.m.-1 p.m. (curbside pickup), Thu. 11:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m. (dine-in service), Fri.-Tue. closed
