VGCC Culinary program announces upcoming dates for The Vanguard Café


VGCC Culinary Arts students serve customers at The Vanguard Café. (VGCC Photo)

The Vanguard Café in Oxford, where students in Vance-Granville Community College’s Culinary Arts program prepare and serve lunch for the public, is inviting the public to participate in developing culinary students’ kitchen and hospitality skills by dining there on scheduled Thursdays during the upcoming spring 2012 semester. “This gives students an opportunity for realistic training, while offering unique cuisine to local diners,” said VGCC Dean of Business and Applied Technologies Bobby Van Brunt. “Vance-Granville can achieve its educational goals with a minimal cost to patrons.”

Members of the public can enjoy à la carte lunch service from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. on the following Thursdays: January 19, February 2, February 16, March 1, March 22, April 5, and April 19.

The two-year Culinary Arts degree program, based at the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford, prepares students for entry-level professional positions in restaurants, hotels, catering operations, health-care facilities, schools and other institutions. “The Vanguard Café is an opportunity for the students to show off the skills they have been learning in a real public service setting,” said Chef Ross Ragonese, head of the VGCC Culinary program. “That’s the best way to prepare them for their careers.” Reservations in advance are required. For more information and to make reservations, call Chef Ross Ragonese at (919) 690-0312.