Ocean Springs News
OS Board of Aldermen Accepts Culinary Arts Cafe’ Business Plan; Cafe’ Opening Set for December
Ocean Springs, MS – The Mary C. O’Keefe Culinary Arts Cafe’, a joint business venture between the City of Ocean Springs and the IP Casino Resort & Spa, is a step closer to opening, following the acceptance of a business plan by the Ocean Springs Board of Aldermen at Tuesday night’s Board meeting.
The Culinary Arts Cafe’ will offer the public hands-on cooking classes taught by professionally-trained chefs. IP has donated $60,000 in cash, approximately $40,000 per in-kind equipment, and $38,260 in donated labor and materials for the remodeling and the building of a commercial-grade kitchen for the cafe’. Viking Range of Greenwood, MS has donated appliances and equipment. Additional funding was received through a $25,328.56 Community Development Block Grant, $5,000 from Friends of the Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Arts Center, and approximately $20,000 from the City of Ocean Springs.
For the current fiscal year, the City has budgeted $23,500 for the cafe’: $6,000 for opening supplies and equipment and $17,500 for six months of salary for a cafe’ chef/manager.
“This is another opportunity for the IP Casino Resort & Spa to participate in giving back to the community,” said Stephen Morgan, Vice President of Food and Beverage for IP. “On behalf of the Trustees of the Engelstad Family Foundation and Jon Lucas, our President and General Manager, we are proud to be a part of an ongoing involvement in the culinary learning center at the Culinary Arts Cafe’. Each chef at the IP will donate a substantial portion of their time to compile curriculum for classes and in teaching those classes. We are excited to partner with Mary C. and Viking to showcase the Culinary Arts strength that the IP has developed and use it in a positive way by interacting with the community.”
“The IP/Viking Culinary Arts Center is a symbol of a relationship that IP has developed over several years with the Mary C. It all began with IP’s major sponsorship of the Mary C.’s fundraiser, Le Bal au Chocolat in 2006 and continued to build momentum with IP’s magnanimous cash and in-kind contributions totaling over $100,000,” said Elaine Stevens, Public Relations Manager, IP.
“This is a great example of partnering with the Friends of the Mary C. Board of Directors to offer our citizens yet another exciting activity,” said Mayor Connie Moran. “The commitment of the IP and Viking is exemplary as we all strive for a top quality facility!”
City officials hope to open the Culinary Arts Cafe’ in early December. Cooking classes, tuition, and class dates will be made available to the public through the Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Arts Center, 1600 Government Street, 228-818-2878.
