Hospitality and Tourism Students Open Flavor (501) Cafe
Melony Ritter
Hot Springs, Arkansas – The National Park College (NPC) Hospitality and Tourism program opened the Flavor (501) Café April 7 and April 21. The project is part of the Restaurant and Events Management Class and is the group’s largest fundraiser of the year. It provides students with hands-on management of a food and beverage operation along with all facets of an event including decorations, music, raffle and silent auction items, marketing, budgeting and more.
The NPC Hospitality program takes students through a rigorous program that includes travel and tourism, hotel operations, food and beverage management, food prep skills, and event management training. In the spring semester, students experience hands-on training when planning and executing the opening of the student café. This year, students decided to embrace the newest trends in food and beverage management and change the name and “feel” of the student café from “The Alternative Café” to “Flavor (501) Café.” There is an increasing interest in the local food movement, popularity of organics, and the overall need for more focus on healthy cooking and nutrient retention in preparation. The name reflects their desire to deliver incredible food with interesting flavor profiles while promoting local producers.
