Midwest Hospitality Program
Where Students & Local Businesses Lead, Learn, and Level Up the Industry
Where Students & Local Businesses Lead, Learn, and Level Up the Industry
Midwest Hospitality is not your traditional training program. It's a hands-on, management-focused initiative designed to equip high school students with real-world leadership skills—while supporting local Black-Owned hospitality businesses in the community.
This innovative program blends curriculum-based learning with business improvement internships, giving students the opportunity to audit, manage, and uplift real restaurants and hospitality establishments in their community.
The Midwest Hospitality Program is an innovative educational initiative that bridges the gap between classroom learning and real-world experience. Designed for restaurants and hospitality businesses, we have made sure high school students passionate about the industries get a unique blend of academic instruction and hands-on internships with local Black-owned businesses. Students don't just learn about hospitality—they actively participate in enhancing it within their communities.
Central to the program is its partnership with local Black-owned hospitality businesses. These collaborations provide students with real-world platforms to apply their skills, while businesses benefit from fresh perspectives and dedicated support. Together, they work towards enhancing service quality, operational efficiency, and overall customer satisfaction.
The Midwest Hospitality program structure includes separate training modules for students and businesses, focusing on leadership, auditing, customer service, and overall performance. Students take on managerial and auditing roles instead of traditional internships, determining business eligibility for a Grade A Black-Owned Establishment certification. They also gain comprehensive exposure through on-site visits, addressing challenges faced by local businesses.
Separate Training Modules: Students undergo rigorous training sessions independent of their internship placements, ensuring they're well-prepared for the challenges ahead related to certifying local businesses via audits, performance, customer service, management, leadership and ownership. Businesses are trained on the delivery side of customer service, environment, logistics, performance, management, leadership and ownership.
Leadership Roles: Instead of traditional internships, students assume managerial and auditing positions, fostering a sense of responsibility and initiative. Students will determine whether or not the businesses in the program will receive a Grade A Black Owned Establishment for successfully implementing their training and increasing their performance within 3 months.
Comprehensive Exposure: Through on-site visits, students gain firsthand experience of the hospitality and restaurant industry's dynamics, circumventing challenges faced by local businesses revealed by customers and food critics.
Students will gain insights into every part of the hospitality business, from front-of-house systems to back-of-house kitchen operations. The program will enroll 16 students per city where businesses are being trained.
Students will be split evenly between hospitality and culinary tracks, and prioritize senior internships with Black-Owned businesses in need of staffing and operational development support. Culinary students will hone skills in food quality, timing, and presentation; hospitality students will specialize in ambiance, aesthetics, and systems management. The program bridges curricular gaps and fosters career connections after high school by providing insight into every facet of the hospitality business, from front-of-house to back-of-house operations.
A key component of the program lies in its collaboration with local Black-owned businesses, offering them a unique opportunity to enhance their operations while simultaneously providing invaluable hands-on learning experiences for aspiring young professionals.
To ensure the program's effectiveness and maintain a focused approach, specific guidelines have been established for business participation:
Limited Participation: To maintain a manageable scope and provide optimal support, the program can accommodate up to four businesses at a time. This allows for dedicated attention and resources to be allocated to each participating establishment.
Targeted Selection: Businesses that have encountered recurring service-related challenges are given priority for initial participation. By addressing these existing issues, the program can serve as a valuable case study and demonstrate its effectiveness in improving operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Owner Training: Recognizing that sustainable success extends beyond temporary staffing solutions, the program incorporates an owner training component. This ensures that business owners are equipped with the knowledge and tools to implement lasting improvements and maintain high standards of service.
Through their involvement in the program, participating businesses can expect to experience a range of benefits, including:
Improved Service Quality: By addressing existing service issues and implementing best practices, businesses can enhance their overall service quality and customer satisfaction.
Enhanced Operational Efficiency: The student teams work closely with business owners to identify and address operational inefficiencies, leading to smoother workflows and improved productivity.
Fresh Perspectives and Innovative Ideas: The students bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to the table, helping businesses to identify new opportunities and stay ahead of industry trends.
Long-Term Success: The owner training component ensures that the improvements implemented during the program are sustainable in the long run, leading to continued success and growth.
By participating in the Midwest Hospitality Program, businesses can leverage the energy, enthusiasm, and skills of aspiring young professionals to achieve tangible improvements in their operations and overall performance.
By the end of the program, students emerge as well-rounded professionals equipped with practical skills, industry knowledge, and a network of community connections. Businesses, in turn, experience tangible improvements in their operations and service delivery, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous growth.
This is more than an internship for high school students or training for local businesses. It’s a movement to elevate hospitality education, empower young leaders, invest in the next generation of local businesses and build a thriving community through excellence and equity.
Are you a student eager to dive into the world of hospitality? A business owner looking to collaborate and uplift the community? Or an educator passionate about experiential learning? Join us in shaping the future of hospitality.
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