Kenora Catholic District School Board

Pope John Paul II School Gym Transformed into a 5-Star Restaurant

Posted on 04/28/2016

The gym at Pope John Paul II School was transformed into a 5-star restaurant today for the Italian Cardinal. The grade 6 students at the school teamed up to host a pop-up restaurant for their Entrepreneurial Adventure project. The students performed all the roles involved in running a restaurant. They were greeting and welcoming guests at the front door, bartending, serving, cooking, cleaning and overseeing the finances.

Guests had the option of two different entrees to choose from, served with Caesar salad and tiramisu for dessert. Along with two different drink options a fizzy orange drink or a Shirley Temple.

Shai Van Walleghem talks about the experience, "today we are hosting a charity pop-up restaurant to raise money for the Lake of the Woods Hospital Foundation. We sold over 200 tickets so far. I think people are having a lot of fun."

A few guests talked about their experience:

Jack (grade 3 student), "the food was great. I really liked the dessert."

Colton (grade 3 student), "the servers were really nice. It felt like a real restaurant."

Ella (grade 5 student), "my favorite part of the meal was the Caesar salad. I thought the servers were really good and professional and I liked their black outfits that matched the table clothes. I like all the decorations, the flowers and butterflies in the room. I can't believe I'm in my own gym eating lunch. It's just like a restaurant."

Pam Viinikka and Brian Heath from the Cornerstone Restaurant provided mentorship and support to the students.

Here are more pictures from the gala event:

The students greeted and welcomed guests at the front door wearing their Pope John Paul II School shirts.	Students escorted guests to their tables.
The waitressing team were all dressed in classic black and were friendly and professional.	Guests' drink and entree orders were taken by the friendly waitresses.
The cooks took a moment for a quick photograph before they headed back into the kitchen.	Guests had an amazing time enjoying the dining experience.
The bartending team kept their cool under pressure. They had the authentic experience of waitresses placing multiple drink orders.	The drinks were made with care adding slices of oranges and a cherry. The Shirley Temples were delicious!