Learning by serving

At Kamaxi College of Culinary Arts, Verna, culinary students gain hands-on experience by running their own cafe on campus

RAMANDEEP KAUR | NT KURIOCITY

Putting their classroom learning to practical use, the culinary students at Kamaxi College of Culinary Arts (KCCA), Verna, have been taking turns to run a fully operational cafe on campus. Every few months, a group of budding chefs takes over the cafe, managing everything from menu planning and ingredient sourcing to customer service and finances.

The cafe is part of an initiative by Fierce Kitchens, the in-house culinary incubator at KCCA.

“After the pandemic, many young chefs expressed interest in starting their own cafes. We wanted to nurture that entrepreneurial energy by giving them a platform to practise their skills while taking ownership of a real food business,” says founder of the Kamaxi Group, Parixit Pai Fondekar.

Each cafe cycle features a team of six to 10 students who apply with their own concept. Selected teams are chosen based on the clarity of their vision, leadership potential, and readiness to take full responsibility. The opportunity is typically reserved for final-year students, who are deemed capable of operating independently with minimal supervision.

On average, three to four cafe cycles are conducted annually, scheduled to avoid clashing with classes or exams. “This gives students enough time to plan, execute and reflect on their experience without academic pressure,” says Fondekar.

Through this initiative, students gain skills such as menu engineering and costing, customer engagement, financial management, problem-solving and teamwork. “It’s a bridge between theory and reality,” says Fondekar. “They learn what it truly takes to run a kitchen, manage a team and sell a product in real-time, with real people and real stakes.”

Student performance is evaluated based on key criteria such as menu innovation, execution, teamwork, customer feedback, budgeting, hygiene, and time management. “Feedback is gathered from mentors, customers, faculty, and peers to offer a well-rounded assessment,” explains Fondekar. “Each cycle ends with a reflection session where students discuss what worked and what could be improved.”

Although the cafe experience does not carry traditional academic credit, participating students receive a certificate of participation and completion

The latest edition, Kurkurit’s Cafe, which concluded yesterday, was led by food influencer Ruben Rodrigues, popularly known as Mr Kurkurit, who has returned to the classroom to specialise in baking. He was mentored by Allison Styles, who guided students through the business side of culinary arts.

He describes his involvement as both exciting and eye-opening. “After completing my course at IHM, I joined Kamaxi to sharpen my skills and gain real-world exposure. When I heard about the café project, I knew it was a chance to apply what I’d learned and grow further,” he says.

The menu was a collaborative effort between students and faculty. “Everyone contributed ideas, and we ended up with a diverse selection. I suggested adding a tres leches milk cake, and it became one of our bestsellers,” he shares.

Rodrigues states that running a cafe taught him lessons beyond the kitchen. “People often think starting a café is just about money. But there’s so much more to it, managing people, handling day-to-day operations, and dealing with unexpected issues like staff absenteeism or slow business days. As an influencer, I thought marketing would be easy, but promoting a business is very different from promoting yourself.”

To build visibility, he leveraged his network. “I invited fellow influencers and hosted a special tasting table to generate buzz. We also focused on offering quality at an affordable price, around Rs. 70 to Rs. 80, while others charged Rs. 250. Since Verna isn’t known for a cafe culture, attracting footfall was a real challenge but we found a strategy that worked.”

He adds that the toughest part was team building. “Many students had never worked in a professional kitchen. I had to motivate them daily, conduct briefings, and create a sense of shared responsibility. It was demanding but also the most fulfilling part.”

What made the experience special for him was the creative freedom and support from the management. “There were no restrictions. Even if I suggested using premium ingredients like truffles or wagyu, the chefs and owners encouraged it. That kind of support is rare.”

For student chef Melissa Clark, the opportunity was just right for what she wanted to do in the future. “I’ve always imagined opening my own café so being part of this project gave me the experience I needed,” she says.

Clark was involved in menu planning and contributed recipes she learned during the course. “We shared ideas as a team, and our most loved dish turned out to be the eclair,” she recalls, adding that although she wasn’t a baker before, she now feels confident enough to take on such tasks independently.

The biggest takeaway, she says, was learning to work through challenges as a team. Marketing the cafe however was a challenge. “Attracting customers and standing out from the competition was tough, but we managed. It was a great learning experience.”