Every Tuesday, January to April, between 5-7 pm, guests can book a table at Vistro, Vancouver Island University’s (VIU) new pop-up restaurant in the Discovery Room in the Nanaimo campus’ Upper Cafeteria building, operated by the students in the Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts programs.
Vistro has taken many forms in recent years, but traditionally has been hosted in the cafeteria offering a take-out menu. Head of the Kitchen, Samara Kretschmer, said the new format offers a fresh experience for students and members of the public who want to dine-in.
“We wanted to be inexpensive, because cafeteria food is so expensive, and we wanted people to find comfort in it, no matter where they were from,” said Kretschmer. “The concept is comfort food from around the world…so if you look at our menu, we have at least a couple of dishes from each sector of the world.”
Vistro offers starters and shareable platters, entrees, drinks, and desserts in a menu that changes weekly. Recent international fare includes: Margarita pizza, Butter Chicken, Hibiscus lemonade, and much more.
Kyle Coble, the current Head of Front of House, said, “Vistro is special because it’s a dine-in option. You actually get to come into the Discovery Room, which not a lot of students get the opportunity to do, because it’s normally a fine dining environment.”
Vistro is part of the required Dining Room Management courses for students of the Hospitality Management program, following a preparatory Principles of Food Production course in their first semester, which teaches them pastry and pasta making, butchering, vegetables, starches, proteins, soups, and more
Maxim Ritterosi, the Kitchen Technician and instructor for the course, said, “It’s their restaurant, they’re all owners in a way. Most of them have never worked in a restaurant in the kitchen. The students are split in three teams — marketing, front of the house, and kitchen — and every three weeks they switch, so they kind of learn a bit of everything.”
This system allows everyone to get a range of experiences throughout the three+ months Vistro operates.
Coble said providing a different experience for clients was a big motivator for the students, “We had the idea to switch it up because we wanted it to be an actual restaurant experience.”
Vistro is “really about community… we wanted people to feel welcome,” said Kretschmer.
To reserve a table at Vistro, call 250-327-0103 and follow them on Instagram to see new menus and updates.
