New Rockland County hospitality and culinary arts facility opens

Rockland Community College’s Culinary and Hospitality Arts Center opened ‘Hudson on the Main’ today, a new facility designed for young chefs.

News 12 Staff

Nov 14, 2019, 7:50 PM

Updated 1,791 days ago

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Rockland Community College’s Culinary and Hospitality Arts Center opened ‘Hudson on the Main’ today, a new facility designed for young chefs.
"The idea is that students in our hospitality and culinary arts program will be able to get real-world work experience by working in the market, providing foods that are sold in the market,” says Mark Davidoff, the Hospitality Culinary arts interim coordinator at Rockland Community College.
The new facility partnered with the community college and FLIK to help run a food market designed to assist the community and college.
Students are taught to use parts of food that many would often discard. For example, News 12’s Nikita Ramos witnessed students making broth out of the ends of carrots and onions.
"There are a lot of people that are food insecure, so instead of throwing something away always try to give it -- give it to someone who really needs it," says Sofiia Rolbina, a Rockland Community College student.   
Along with feeding the needy, Hudson on the Main chefs give food to high schools to be used as compost.
“We are collaborating together, our students are actually making food for the market. They're actually learning about the management part of the FLIK management, so it's that collaboration that's phenomenal, and they're coming out with these real experiences,” says Cris Spezial, the culinary art director at Rockland Community College.
Students are set to open their first pop-up restaurant in the new facility beginning in the spring.