Student-run cafe brings Parisian pastries to Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Students at the Philadelphia Performing Arts String Theory Charter School are getting first-hand work experience in the kitchen.
They are serving up warm, fresh, and flaky bakery goods inside Café Vine as part of the school's entrepreneur program.
It opened up about six years ago right inside of the school.
"I thought it would be a perfect way to get a head start on my future career as a chef," student Charles Zulli said.
"I just wanna know how to do new things, like how to make a croissant, design them, and then everything about sorbet and gelato," student Dylohn Graves said.
Jason Corosanite, co-founder of the school, also gets involved with students in their state-of-the-art facilities.
"In order to make all this we built a brand new pastry and bakery teaching lab," Corosanite said. "So the kids do everything from roasting their own coffee, selling coffee to area cafes and hotels. We're wholesaling our gelato, and now we have a teaching lab."
During the school year, students get to school early, before classes start, to prep and earn class credit.
During the summer months, they earn a paycheck.
The experience is not only tasty, but invaluable.
"Super proud, the exciting thing is involving more and more kids everyday," Corosanite said. "There is over 100 students that want to be a part of this program."
Philadelphia Performing Arts String Theory Charter School hopes to expand the program in the future so students can earn their associate's degree.
Café Vine is located at 16th and Vine Streets in Center City.
It's open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cafe seating and take out is available.