Wheat Café to open in new Culinary & Hospitality Center Sept. 7

Students will begin serving contemporary American cuisine at the Wheat Café when it opens in the new Culinary & Hospitality Center at College of DuPage on Wednesday, Sept. 7.

Wheat Café is a 60-seat casual dining room that will be open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays during the fall term. Students will prepare and serve the food.

“It is exciting to have a new café and kitchen that is specifically for our students to operate,” said Christopher Thielman, professor and coordinator of the Culinary & Hospitality Management program. “Wheat will specialize in seasonal, contemporary American cuisine, and while it will initially be open only for lunch, we plan to offer dinner in the spring semester.”

The Culinary & Hospitality Center is a 60,000-square foot, state-of-the-art facility with high-tech teaching kitchens, bake shops, a skills kitchen, a culinary amphitheater and a dedicated chocolate room. In addition to Wheat Café, the center features Waterleaf, a full-service fine dining restaurant, and the Culinary Market, which sells student creations.

While the well-liked Escoffier Dining Room in the Student Resource Center has officially closed, Thielman expects a smooth transition for patrons.

“The Escoffier was a wonderful space for us during the last 10 years,” he said. “But I am confident our patrons will like what we've done in our new center even more. The Wheat Café will be an ideal showcase for our students.”

For more information about Wheat Café, including menus and making online reservations, visit www.cod.edu/hospitalityadministration. For more about the Culinary and Hospitality Management program, contact Thielman at Thielman@cod.edu or (630) 942-2720.