Lexington – The Lemon Tree Café, located inside Scovell Hall at the University of Kentucky, has become a bustling classroom where students earn real‑world hospitality experience while serving the public. Open for lunch on select Tuesdays and Thursdays, the café seats up to 30 guests and sells out quickly each semester.
Students learn by doing
Upper‑level dietetics and hospitality‑management students rotate through every role in the restaurant, from chefs and managers to servers and dishwashers. “This is more than just learning how to run a restaurant,” said Jason Swanson, associate professor of Hospitality and Tourism. “We’re teaching the students about leadership, problem solving and teamwork.”
Chef‑in‑training Brandon Vera described the day’s menu preparation: “I heard there are some oranges that are going to be involved with today’s dessert,” he said, noting the fresh ingredients being prepped for the orange cinnamon cake.
Menu highlights blend culture and nutrition
Thursday’s lunch featured a chicken shawarma couscous bowl, homemade hummus with pita, a Greek salad, and a dessert of orange cinnamon cake with cream cheese frosting. Senior Maranda Carr explained a decorative touch: “We are doing the Greek cross because our meal today is inspired by Greece,” she said, referring to the napkin folds used for the service.
Dr. Julie Plasencia, associate professor in the Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, called the café a “living laboratory.” She added, “It’s been really cool getting to work with all of the dietetics majors and see what they do in an industrial‑size kitchen.”
Community and education intersect
The Lemon Tree Café has been open to the public since 1976 and continues to draw local diners eager for a campus‑crafted meal. At $20 per person, the experience offers both a tasty lunch and a glimpse into the training that prepares future hospitality leaders.
Reservations for the spring semester have not yet opened, but students and faculty encourage interested diners to act quickly when they become available.
Original reporting: LEX18 Lexington (local) — read the source article.
