Culinary Students Serve Up Thousands of Meals for Little League World Series

The Pennsylvania College of Technology's Le Jeune Chef Restaurant, a live-learning lab for hospitality majors, is gearing up to provide well over 15,000 meals for the teams participating in the 2024 Little League Baseball World Series. This annual event not only showcases the college's culinary expertise but also offers students a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in large-scale quantity cooking and serving.

Feeding the Future Stars of Baseball

Preparing for the Influx of Hungry Athletes

When all 20 teams are dining at the Le Jeune Chef Restaurant, the staff prepares for 400 people per meal period, totaling 1,200 people per day. This translates to a staggering 18,000 to 20,000 meals throughout the series, depending on which teams remain after elimination. The crew begins serving as soon as the first teams arrive, several days before the first game on August 14, and continues through the end of the series on August 25.To meet this demand, the food is prepared both on campus and in the team dining hall at Little League International, just a few miles from the college. The Le Jeune Chef's full-time staff and student employees, with the help of faculty and culinary and baking & pastry arts classes, work tirelessly to ensure that the teams are well-fed and fueled for the competition.

Hands-on Learning for Hospitality Students

The college's School of Business & Hospitality sees this event as a fantastic opportunity for its students to gain real-world experience in the food service industry. "We try to involve as many students as possible when we take on this event," explains Chef Mike S. Dinan, the restaurant's executive chef. "It is a unique experience that is rarely offered in our industry."The students assist the Le Jeune Chef staff with daily food preparation, as well as helping to put the finishing touches on the meals at the Grove, the Creighton J. Hale International Grove where the teams stay. This hands-on experience allows the students to see a different side of the food industry, particularly in large-scale quantity cooking.

Building Connections and Resumes

One of the most rewarding aspects of the experience for the students is the opportunity to interact with the coaches and players from around the world. "Getting that personal connection with the coaches and players from across the world is a unique experience that is rarely offered in our industry," Dinan says. This interaction not only provides the students with a valuable networking opportunity but also helps them to develop their customer service skills.Furthermore, the students can add this experience to their resumes, which can be a significant advantage when seeking employment after graduation. "The students can also put this experience on their resume, which will help them when seeking employment after graduating," Dinan notes.

Feeding the Hungry Masses

Last year, the Le Jeune Chef team served up an impressive array of dishes, including 2,500 pancakes, 3,000 pieces of French toast, 1,200 cheeseburgers, 800 hot dogs, 288 pounds of pulled pork, 320 pounds of pasta, and 1,000 pounds of various French fries. This year, the team is prepared to exceed these numbers, showcasing their culinary expertise and dedication to providing the best possible dining experience for the Little League players and coaches.As the 2024 Little League Baseball World Series approaches, the Pennsylvania College of Technology's Le Jeune Chef Restaurant and its talented team of students and faculty are ready to rise to the occasion, serving up thousands of delicious meals and providing a unique learning experience for the next generation of hospitality professionals.