CARTERET COUNTY, N.C. — Carteret Community College has an exciting new facility for its students: a Hospitality and Culinary Arts Center.

Construction crews are still working on some of the final touches, but the kitchen labs will be full of students within a few weeks. The college started this project about two years ago when they received a Connect NC Bond to help fund the project.

 

What to know

  • Carteret Community College completed construction on its new $10 million Hospitality and Culinary Arts Center.

  • CCC built the center with money given them through a Connect NC Bond.

  • The school hopes to get the community more involved and make the Crystal Coast a culinary destination.



“We're so proud because it is a state-of-the-art building with equipment in it that even some of our chefs haven't used before,” says Traci Mancini, president of Carteret Community College.

The building cost over $10 million. While the old building only had one kitchen and was a bit dilapidated, the new building includes four kitchens, a model hotel room, and an event center. They hope this popular tourist area will soon be known for more than its beaches, but for its hospitality and cuisine as well.

Shana Olmstead, the lead instructor for hospitality and food services technology, is excited to expand their reach in the community.

“We are looking at the Crystal Coast becoming an area where people are going to go to dine as a culinary destination. And what we hope this building will do, is really create excitement and help create the new level of hospitality in Carteret County,” Olmstead says.

The college wants to get the community more involved in taking classes and attending dinners put on by the students. They will be offering specialized classes later this year — possibly including bartending, cake decorating, and a course on making chocolate.