Baltimore students taught proper etiquette at hotel luncheon

BALTIMORE -- Nearly 100 Baltimore students got a special lunch in Fells Point, learning the art of fine dining. 

But, they learned more than just which fork to use. They learned skills for their future careers.

Students from elementary to high school learned from an etiquette expert at the Sagamore Pendry Baltimore Hotel important techniques, including where to put your napkin and which fork and spoon to use for each course.

Milos Hall, a freshman at Renaissance Academy High School, told WJZ she never thought she'd have this experience.

"It's nice to know how to use your forks when and why, how to place it on a plate," Hall said.

This etiquette luncheon is part of the hotel's "Distinguished Series," meant as a sort of introduction to the hospitality industry for city students who may not have access to this.

"We want to make sure we're opening doors so people feel strongly about showing up," said Juan Webster, the hotel's general manager. "Feeling like they're confident enough that they belong."

The course is to provide students with the confidence to bring not only to a future fine dining reservation but through their careers. 

Part of the luncheon also gave the students an up-close look at how the hotel is run.

Webster wants to make sure these students know this is all attainable.

"We want to showcase that we can also be the guests that come and dine in these high-end establishments," Webster. "[That we can have] opportunities that give everybody a chance to be celebrated."

It's made an impression on some of the students for sure.

"Say you want an opportunity to do what [Webster] does," said Hall. "To know what that  is, you can take that forward and apply it to anything that you do."

Moving forward, these etiquette luncheons will be happening once every few months at the hotel. The next one will be in February and it's going to have a focus on student-athletes.