Date Posted: October 19, 2025
Griffin, GA — October 19, 2025 — Southern Crescent Technical College is proud to announce the launch of its Culinary Arts Live-Work Program, an innovative initiative designed to cultivate highly skilled, creative, and career-ready culinarians. This immersive, real-world experience blends academic instruction with hands-on practice to prepare students for leadership and entrepreneurship in the global hospitality industry.
Beginning October 28, 2025, the Crescent Café will open for limited service on select Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:00–4:00 p.m. Students enrolled in the American Cuisine and Baking and Pastry courses will prepare a variety of dishes, while those in the Restaurant Operations class will manage the café’s day-to-day functions. This live-work model provides students with valuable, practical experience in both the culinary and operational aspects of the restaurant industry. “Live work offers the opportunity for students to put their learning into action with real-life application that will benefit them in the future,” said a Culinary Arts faculty spokesperson. “With the guidance of skilled chefs, students will hone practical culinary skills and develop the business acumen needed for a long, successful career in the industry.”
Dr. Sean Brumfield, Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs, emphasized the importance of connecting classroom learning to practical experience: “The Crescent Café shows how we connect instruction to experience. Students aren’t just learning recipes—they’re learning to work together and take pride in their craft.”
Chef Thurman, Culinary Arts Instructor, shared his excitement for the program: “Live work gives us Chefs a chance to see how our students will apply the skills they learned in the classroom. I am excited to see the successes, obstacles, and triumphs that the students will experience in the program. As a father, it’s like watching our baby birds take their first flight.”
Chef Campbell, also a Culinary Arts Instructor, added: “I am excited to see how the students will adapt and get better with their culinary skills during the live-work program.”
The Culinary Arts Live-Work Program reinforces Southern Crescent Technical College’s commitment to experiential learning, professional growth, and community engagement. The Crescent Café will not only serve as a learning environment but also as a space for the community to experience the creativity and talent of SCTC’s aspiring chefs.