By the time they are juniors and seniors, prospective managers know the reasons people dine out - for nourishment, good food, good service, and a nice atmosphere that is worth the price, Moreo says. They have to be ready to train others and make sure these goals are met for every customer. Rumor has it that HTS seniors display their best managing skills while preparing fine cuisine at their international dinners. MacHatton got the idea for the course, advanced restaurant operations, while receiving his master's degree at Purdue. The students work in teams, planning, preparing food, and supervising.
Dinners sell out each year.
About 150 HTS alumni have jobs all over the country. Most of them work in New Mexico and other Western states, while others return to their homelands like Mexico and Japan. After finishing the program, graduates find themselves working in supervisory positions at hotels, restaurants, convention and visitor's bureaus, universities, hospitals, and other institutions. Chad Gasper, general manager at Osteria d'Assisi in Santa Fe, has no complaints about his salary or position. As customers arrive, Gasper quickly jumps from one role to another - a host seating a family of three, a cashier ringing up a customer's bill, and then, a manager chatting with employees in the kitchen about one of the house's popular Italian dishes.