If you have always wanted a job in a high-end restaurant or with a thriving catering company, or if you hope to work in the front of the house at a hotel, now is a great time to pursue your passion. The restaurant industry added jobs at double the rate of the overall economy in 2012 and that is expected to continue through 2014. The U.S.  Department of Labor reported that many people applying for “front of the house” positions often don’t have the skills to attain them—but here is a chance to get those skills. Gateway Community College’s (GCC) Workforce Development Institute is offering an exciting new course, Professional Server/Front of the House, that teaches the art of service or “the front of the house trade.”  

Students in the four-week program will train in GCC classrooms and local food establishments and will leave with the professionalism, polish and presence needed to be successful in the field.

“If you want to work in high-end restaurants, a catering company or hotel, you have to know how the front of the house works. You have to know your wines and cheeses and know what wines go well with the daily specials. You need poise and real sense of how to interest people in what you are serving,” said Erika Lynch, GCC’s Continuing Education coordinator.

Students will receive top-notch server and customer service training; they will also learn about food service operations and sales and marketing. The skills, Lynch said, are applicable to work they will be performing in restaurants, hotels, catering business, assisted living and continuing care facilities.

Students who successfully complete the course will sit for the National Restaurant Association Food Safety Certification Exam and the Alcohol Server Certification Exam. 

GCC’s Professional Server/Front of the House course runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesdays through Fridays, May 21 - June 13. The cost for the course is $800. 

To register or for more information, email Jane Masse at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 203-285-2300. You can also email Erika Lynch at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or call 203-285-2080.