It's not unusual for college programs to close during the summer when students and staffing might not be in full swing. That's true of Orlando's, Spokane Community College's teaching restaurant facility, but somehow, after the end of the 2021-22 school year, rumors began swirling about Orlando's closing for good.
Not true, says Curtis Smith, an instructor at the college's Inland Northwest Culinary Program. In fact, it's the exact opposite. Orlando's is not only open for business, it has an all-new format, he says.
Previously, Orlando's focused on different cuisines, such as Asian or French, but now it will offer different types of eateries, such as fast casual, a pop-up style format, and formal dinner service.
"It's all about style of service because students going into the industry don't typically all go into fine dining," says Smith, noting that the shift gives students a better, real-life skill set for the range of jobs out there.
The changes also came about because of adjustments to the college's vocational program driven by data that shows students are more likely to complete a program when it's 90 credits or less, Smith explains. Over the years, the culinary program had ballooned to 105 credits.
"Removing 15 credits is a pretty big lift," says Smith, but it also gave the program team an opportunity to rethink how to better serve students.
Students can still earn an associate degree in two years, but the reduced credit load costs students less money. And they'll spend fewer hours on campus, which is ideal as most culinary students are also working in the industry while attending school.
What does that mean for diners who have come to enjoy student-prepared meals? Although phone-in takeout has been discontinued, takeout's still available on-site during lunch service, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, through October.
Bistro dinners are scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 5:30 pm and Thursday, Nov. 3, at 8 pm (reservations required), and a Thanksgiving takeout meal is on the calendar for Nov. 22 at 10 am. The popular end-of-semester buffet opens at 11 am on Tuesday, Dec. 13, and it is the only dining event during which complimentary parking is available. Otherwise, bring quarters for metered parking on the east or west side of Building 1, where Orlando's is located.
In addition, the bakery is still on the same schedule, open Tuesday through Friday, from 7 am to 1 pm.
OPENINGS
Call it eastward expansion: ROAM COFFEE HOUSE opened a second coffeehouse in Spokane recently (1908 W. Northwest Blvd.) in the same building as The Supper Club. Roam's flagship cafe is in Medical Lake (107 E. Lake St.). The company, with the tagline "coffee for the adventure," also has a primary roasting facility in Harrington, about an hour west of Spokane.In addition to coffee, tea and related beverages, both coffeehouses also serve light bites like breakfast burritos ($4.50) and paninis ($7.50). Visit roamcoffeehouse.com to find out more about Roam's array of events, including paint-and-sip nights and classes on roasting your own coffee.
Chef Chad White's new UNO MÁS TACO SHOP has opened a second location in Spokane Valley (11205 E. Dishman Mica Rd.), in addition to its Wonder Building location in downtown Spokane (835 N. Post St.) that opened in summer. Visit facebook.com/unomastacoshop. ♦
To-Go Box is the Inlander's regular dining news column, offering tasty tidbits and updates on the region's food and drink scene. Send tips and updates to [email protected].
