Culinary arts students at McCann Technical School get real-world experience operating the school's tea room. The tea room opens to the public at various times during the semester.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Students in McCann Technical School's Culinary Arts Department opened the McCann Tea Room for its 61st year on Thursday morning, with plans to open the kitchen several more times throughout October, November and December.

The tea room operates on select days inside the school from 10:45 a.m. to noon each semester. Students serve a small menu, currently offering three appetizers, a daily dessert and two choices each for salads, sandwiches and entrees. Culinary arts instructor Patrick Cariddi said the program allows students to get practical experience working in a restaurant environment.

"When the students come in, and they actually have a live customer to wait on, to take care of, it gives them all the variables that we can't give them," he said. "... It gives them real restaurant experience, and it's good hands-on practice for them. And it's just a wealth of information that the students really do get a lot out of."

In addition to the tea room, culinary students also work with the school's lunch program in the cafeteria, which Cariddi said is even more experience for the students.

"That gives them real-world experience as well. So we serve real people every day, even if it's their own students," he said. "It's just a nice mix; it's a different type of service."

One student, Hector Montoya Alvarado, worked as a server during the tea room's Thursday service. He said he was nervous when a lot of people came in, around the middle of service, but that it went well.

"I thought I'd mess up a couple of times, but I've been doing pretty good," he said. "It's pretty fun."

The tea room will open again later this month on Oct. 19 and 21; next month, it will open on Nov. 2, 3, 9 and 10. The kitchen will also open two more times this year after the students' Thanksgiving break, on Dec. 7 and 8.

Cariddi said the tea room is also a good way for the community to connect with the school and students in the program. He explained that the tea room allows people to say hello and discuss in a less formal setting.

"The students have, as far as the dining room service goes, a reputation. Most of the customers that come in are customers that have been here before, so they already have an idea of what goes on," he said. "We have a lot of parents come, which is really nice, because it gives them an opportunity to see their student in action," he said.

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