Chief Academy Cafe reopens Tuesday

MOSES LAKE - The Chief Academy Cafe reopens Tuesday with a revamped menu featuring a lighter menu and what instructor Vance Frost called artisan recipes.

The cafe's hours will be the same, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. That's about the only thing that stays the same, Frost said. "We're changing everything here."

The restaurant was closed in December after a kitchen fire, caused by an oven left on, Frost said. The fire damage was contained to the kitchen, but "unfortunately, smoke damage was what we faced," Frost said. Students spent the month of January cleaning, repainting, and experimenting with a new menu.

Many of the cafe's customers are women, Frost said, and customers have been asking for a lighter menu with healthier choices. The fire-induced hiatus gave the operators a chance to review and revamp the menu. Since the operators include the students, their opinions went into the mix. "We all kind of sat out here, just brainstorming ideas," said Nieka Lang.

The new menu will have more salads and soups, with soups all made from scratch, Frost said. The packaged turkey, ham and beef will be replaced with turkey, ham and beef cooked at the cafe. There will be more fresh fruit, more fresh vegetables, whole wheat bread and pizza crust. The cafe will continue to sell baked goods, but they will be made with whole wheat flour and raw sugar, Frost said.

"We have a whole lot of different pizza, a whole lot of different flavors," said Rosalie Ramsden. But the pepperoni and sausage pizzas are no more; the instructors were trying to get away from processed meat, Frost said.

The goal will be to buy as much as possible locally, he said, and stick with natural ingredients when possible.

The kids all say the food is better," Frost said.

"Everything we have on the menu, we have to taste test," said Alex Bartunek. Whether it's beef barley soup, tuna fish on a pesto wrap, a salad or the revamped pizza menu, the students try it before it goes to the cafe tables.

The favorite on the new menu is Jenny's pizza, three different kinds of peppers and tons of cheese. "Your eye goes to it instantly," said Aric Gosnell.

Not everything worked out like Jenny's pizza, though. "The artichoke chicken: we threw that out," Bartunek said.

The students serve as cooks and waiters, and Frost said that's part of the learning experience. "The focus is customer service," he said.

Since the cafe is operated by a public school district, Frost said he wants to make sure the teens know and appreciate who's paying the bills. "This is all here because of the taxpayers," he said. "We have a very in-depth conversation" about the money that pays for the cafe and its origin.

The fire wasn't a good thing, but there was a silver lining, Frost said. "This past month that we went through was an incredible education tool," he said. "The kids showed incredible resilience."

The quick action of the Moses Lake Fire Department saved the building, he said. "I want to say a heartfelt 'thank you,'" both to the person who reported the fire and to the fire department for their quick response. He's planning to sponsor a pizza party for the firefighters.

The Chief Academy is located at 101 E. Broadway Ave., Moses Lake.