Students Blend Culinary and Business Expertise in Café Review Collaboration
By: Ava Edwards
Baking and Pastry Arts Management and Digital Business Management students joined forces in a unique multi-disciplinary collaboration. Led by Chef Alastair Gray and Hanadi Alnawab, this project aimed to explore the world of café experiences through a comprehensive review initiative.
Digital Business Management students took charge of developing the YesChef.reviews blog, which served as a platform for hosting content created by the BAKE 204 class. In a strategic move, BAKE 204 students were granted "Author" access to the website's dashboard, encouraging them to independently write, upload images, and edit their own posts. The Digital Business Management students also provided guidance on how to use the WordPress dashboard to create, optimize, and publish content.
Meanwhile, students from the Baking and Pastry Arts Management program delved into the art of café management as part of their curriculum. Specifically, the BAKE 204 course "Coffee, Tea, and Café Service," provided students with hands-on experience in every aspect of running a café, ranging from ambiance to menu selection. In the Fall 2022 and Winter 2023 semesters, students were assigned the task of thoroughly reviewing various cafés across Southern Ontario. Their observations were documented on the YesChef.reviews website, capturing every detail from the moment of arrival to the presentation of the food and the efficiency of order taking. By analyzing elements such as customer service, food quality, restroom facilities, and even the café's exterior, the students gained a heightened awareness of how each factor contributes to the overall customer experience and influences their likelihood of returning.
In the post-COVID era, customer service and ambiance have become pivotal factors in the success of café establishments. Consistently, the students' ratings emphasized the significance of staff treatment as the most critical determinant of a positive experience. This project served as a reminder that while quality coffee beans, tea leaves, and delectable cuisine are important, customers' interactions with the staff are just as vital.
Interested readers can explore the Fall 2022 and Winter 2023 student reviews on the YesChef.reviews website, sorted by geographical location for each reviewed café.
