By Arilyn Lopez
Published February 12, 2026
The NWCTA Cafe has been booming since the improvements made by the new chef, Chef Del Cruz, and his students during the last year. The chef and his students work hard to impress their peers to allow them a satisfying experience at the front of the house when visiting the café for a homemade treat or meal.
A well-known teacher at our school, Ms. Farrimond, is very pleased with the school’s Cafe and the experience it offers culinary students, since it gives them real-life experiences with different types of customers, working stations, and crisis situations.
“I think it’s amazing. I think it’s great for those kids who don’t have a job right now; it’s like a real job. Because Chef’s in there like ‘AHH’ know what I mean? And that’s how a real boss is. And I think it’s a great experience for those kids. So the café experience is a great experience for them. They have experience working the register, and they have experience working with customers, especially rowdy ones. And they have experience working on a line,” Ms. Farrimond expressed passionately.
Chef Del Cruz feels as though constructing and helping students by introducing them to the field of culinary arts is self-rewarding as well as beneficial to both himself and his students.
“A little bit challenging, but also rewarding just for the simple fact that you don’t want to scare them. You don't want to scare them out of the workforce, but you also want to keep it real. You don't want to sugarcoat it. You know, you wanna make sure that they have the best idea of what they’re getting into as possible,” Chef Del Cruz remarks.
Ms. Farrimond has many positive things to say about the café, as well as how the students and chefs work together towards providing good service for the staff and students who come to eat.
“I think Chef Cruz has made a lot of improvements. As far as the front of the house goes, it's amazing. I mean, I'm seeing kids left and right, just boom, boom, boom, boom. And Chef’s in there, like, get it and go, get it and go…. It’s awesome.”
Photo Credit: Arilyn Lopez