By: Isabella Rojas
As soon as you step inside, the smell of mouth-watering food floods your nose.
You walk into the room that operates as both a classroom and a dining room. The scenery is just as classy as the food that they serve.
You sit down. A server comes to take your order and rushes to prepare it. The plate mixed with savory and sweet is placed in front of you as you prepare to dine.
Redwood’s Ranger Cafe is a student-run restaurant where teachers and staff on campus can pick from a menu of options and enjoy a full meal. Many teachers all over campus enjoy the 3 course meal that is offered every Thursday.
Ranger Cafe has been run by Redwood teacher, Diana Garcia since 2017. Garcia runs a Food Service and Hospitality Class which operates periods 4-5. With lunch right in between the two periods, these students are able to run Ranger Cafe and make these delicious meals.
Garcia says, “We operate the cafe most Thursdays, so we transform the classroom into a sit-down restaurant. We put tablecloths and silverware down on the tables, and we put partitions up around the room.”
Ranger Cafe guests
Photo Rojas/Gigantea
“All of the students take turns with the different jobs that are required so some of them will be the servers, some will be bussers, some will be hosts, some will be chefs, and some will be dishwashers.”
Garcia shares that the class puts out a menu via google form at the beginning of a Ranger Cafe week. Teachers can fill this out with their orders or can let Mrs. Garcia know if they would like to dine in the classroom restaurant. They also have the option to have their food delivered to their classrooms.
Holland Phillips, ‘24, is one of Garcia’s Food Service and Hospitality students. She shares her love for Ranger Cafe and says, “I think it is a great way to be in touch with our community and learn culinary skills. I just love doing it.”
Phillips says that her favorite part of the process is “seeing everyone come in and eat and enjoy the food. When we deliver to teachers they’re always super grateful and they love all of the different foods that we make. It’s just really joyful to see everyone enjoy it.”
Phillips also shares the friendships that are formed in the Food Service and Hospitality class. She says, “This class is probably the one class I have really solid friends in and our bond together as we’re cooking food is really super fun and friendly. We listen to music, cook food, and we’re ready to serve on Thursday. It’s really fun.”
Phillips continues, “There is a wide variety of foods that they get to make in Ranger Cafe.” She shares that her favorite thing to make is the broccoli cheddar soup because it is her favorite.
Syana Moreno, ‘24, who is also in Mrs. Garcia’s Food Service and Hospitality class, says that she formed bonds in the class that were very unexpected. Moreno is also “making a wedding cake for my grandparents.” She says she learned how to make one in Ranger Cafe last year, and it’s her favorite thing that she’s made so far.
Moreno shares the impact of Ranger Cafe on the school. “There’s a lot of teachers who come through, and they taste our food and they really enjoy it.”
cooking to perfection
Photo Rojas/Gigantea
Through Ranger Cafe, students earn experience cooking and teachers and staff get to enjoy delicious food.
Redwood teacher, Jeffrey Eastman, says, “Ranger Cafe gives the opportunity for students to learn, and we get really good food that my wife and I share.”
Eastman adds that he always buys extra meals. He buys 3-4 meals for either their dinner or lunch the next day. Eastman is a very loyal customer to Ranger Cafe, and orders from it every week that it’s offered. He says his favorite is the meatloaf, which he adds is “to die for”.
Holland Phillips continues, “Ranger Cafe has given a positive lookout to Redwood to not be so focused on just going, going, going. Take a break, relax, eat some good food, and it’s okay.”
Isabella Rojas
Isabella is very social and likes to talk to people. She is very funny and makes people laugh. Isabella loves to talk about her interests and listen to music. She likes to listen to Tyler the Creator, Lana Del Rey, Taylor Swift, Deftones, & Brent Faiyaz.
Tags: Redwood, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood journalism, redwood rangers
I love this! Great story.