The District at 410 Blackwell is one of Durham's newest lunch spots, but for the people working there, it's another day in the classroom.
The servers, the chefs, the hosts... they're all students in the Culinary Arts Program at the Art Institute of Raleigh-Durham.
It's a chance for them to get a close-to-real-life experience of opening and running a restaurant.
"Well, if you want to be an owner, you have to know everything about the entire operation," said Chef Daniel Taylor, academic director. "You have to know how to run the back of the house, you have to know you have to be able to control the costs."
The students planned the restaurants theme, menu, budget... everything down to the table settings.
"I was thinking at first it wasn't going to all come together, but it did," said student Heather Gatlin.
The menu features cuisine with some local flair, such as the Highway 147 Spinach Salad and the Bleu Devil Chicken Breast.
"I enjoy feeding the customer and having the customer leave with a smile," said Christopher "Todd" Guin, who hopes to one day own his own establishment. "Even in the economy today, I feel like my experiences here are helping me towards my goal."
The District is the art institute's first student-run restaurant. It will change themes and menus every semester as different groups of students enter the class.
The restaurant is located in the Fowler building at 410 Blackwell St. in the American Tobacco Campus.
It's open Thursdays and Fridays from 11 am to 2 pm. You can make reservations at 919-317-3200 or thedistrict@aii.edu.
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