Oakland Community College to Develop New Culinary Institute with On-site Restaurant

Oakland Community College announced that the new Culinary Institute has broken the ground. The new three-story building is a $74 million investment featuring cutting-edge demo and teaching kitchens and a full-service restaurant on the third floor. The building and the restaurant are anticipated to go into operation in 2025.

Located at 739 S. Washington Ave , the new culinary institute is anticipated to open by September 2025. The first floor is designed to accommodate pop-up culinary retail and café service alongside a charcuterie kitchen with a dry-aging cooler. The second floor is mainly occupied by demonstration and training kitchens for students.

The 2,600 square-foot full-service restaurant is located on the third floor. The space features “a sloping ceiling, large glass windows and 360-degree views of downtown Royal Oak, known for its hospitality, cuisine and vibrant culture. The restaurant will offer the community a new dining option where culinary students will prepare and serve fine-dining recipes as part of their training.” The statement read.

The restaurant also features a full bar and glass wine storage cabinets. Royal Oak-based architecture and engineering firm HED created the design and Barton Marlow is spearheading the construction of the new building. What Now Detroit reached out to Steve Simpson, OCC’s Chief Strategy Officer, but by the time of this coverage, it hadn’t received any comments.

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