SCRANTON, Pa. -- The grand opening for a new restaurant in Scranton takes place Thursday night.
What makes this restaurant unique is who runs it. Culinary students from Lackawanna College are opening up their classroom to the public.
409 on Adams is the new restaurant in downtown Scranton run by members of the Lackawanna College culinary department. They have a big night ahead; it's sold out.
Philip Palmiter is getting a little closer to his dream.
"I want to open up my own restaurant and be a very successful chef," Palmiter said.
Many of his Lackawanna College classmates have the same dream and it's certainly on their minds as they get ready to open up the school's new student-run restaurant.
"I'm not nervous," Palmiter said. "I've been working in restaurants for a while now, so I'm just pumped, I'm ready to be a leader, I'm ready to lead my team and get everything done."
The newly renovated space will host meals when the students have class Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the semester.
For the public, it's a new place to eat. For the students, it's a chance to get a taste of the real world.
"To come in here and see all this equipment, it's changed all of our minds, and how this program has grown, it's awesome. I'm so glad we get to open for the public," Palmiter added.
The restaurant is in a relatively new part of Lackawanna College's campus. The college bought the former office building a few years ago and the restaurant's name is its address -- 409 on Adams.
"What's really unique about this space is that the theme and the menu will change with the classes, so Tuesday was a class that's different from tonight, Thursday's, class," said Stephanie Decker, director of the school of hospitality.
Stephanie Decker helped start the college's culinary program eight years ago using her own collection of pots and pans. This, she says, is a huge upgrade.
"We started with really humble beginnings over eight years ago at our Lake Region Campus, and just, we had a vision for this and just slowly built to this. So, this is a super exciting time for us."
You need a reservation to eat at 409 on Adams but there are several available dates throughout the next few months. Get more information here.