Tickets print. Guests chatter. The fire in the pizza oven burns hot, illuminating the kitchen with a warm glow. Students move briskly across the kitchen, sautéing, grilling, plating, and assembling, all cogs moving as part of a bigger mechanism. Tim Bucci, head chef and Joliet Junior College professor of culinary arts, stands in the center of it all. He explains the intricacies of the dishes to the servers, corrects members of his staff, lends a helping hand to a station “in the weeds,” and oversees every dish that is served to customers. This is a dance performed twice weekly, all for paying customers, in a restaurant that mirrors many aspects of the real-life culinary experience.
The JJC culinary program leads students to become an integral part of the staff of Thrive and Saveur, JJC’s lunch and dinner restaurants, respectively. Students do not start out on the floor of the kitchen, however, a lot of teaching is involved in getting students ready to work in these establishments, including basic skills, working at the bake shop, and then finally the restaurant.
“We teach them a lot of the basics, especially in the beginning classes,” Bucci said. “Then, as they get to the restaurants, we can still enforce those basics but then give them a little more. Adding extra plating, different dishes, get them more motivated, more excited.”
Students learn the ins and outs of the restaurant world at the City Center campus in downtown Joliet, which boasts 10 state-of-the-art kitchens and many staff members, such as Bucci, who have received a plethora of culinary awards and have strong connections in the culinary industry.
“Just last week I sent him [Bucci] a resume to check over for me and he sent me back a lot of feedback. It’s very nice that I have that support,” said Natalie Moyer, JJC culinary arts student.
But working for these restaurants does not come without its fair share of challenges. Stations switch constantly, the menus are complex, and student communication is absolutely crucial for a functioning kitchen. Plus, the customers are paying; one wrong dish may cause someone to not want to come back.
“They [customers] are a little forgiving, knowing that it is a student-run kitchen, but you can only forgive so much,” Bucci said. “Getting students to stay motivated is one of the biggest challenges. It’s good to have a short memory. If they burn a chicken, I mean it happens, so let’s figure it out, get rid of it, and do another one. I always say what’s the worst that could happen?”
Luckily, it seems that students at Thrive have developed positive and uplifting connections with each other and help each other out when someone makes a mistake.
“I feel like in this sort of environment, you definitely have to make good relationships with your peers so that you can work together,” Moyer said.
“One time I was in the weeds on grill, and the other guy with me was just kind of in his own little world. I was on salmon and burgers, and the orders just kept coming,” said Sarah Erdman, JJC culinary arts student. “But one of my friends came in to help me. In these classes, I started out knowing no one, and now I have my own group of friends.”
Bucci continues to mentor the students and pushes them to give each dish their full effort.
“I can teach you how to cook,” Bucci said. “I can’t teach you motivation and passion. Working in the industry means a lot of hours, working weekends, and working hard. But I think if you love to work with food, there’s always something new and exciting to learn.”
Thrive is open Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., and Thursdays, 6 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
Saveur is open Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
