WYOMISSING, Pa. — Penn State Berks hosted its 6th annual fine-dining pop-up restaurant “Mangiamo,” a senior capstone project organized by students in the college’s Hospitality Management major. It was held on Nov. 8 in the Perkins Student Center. 

Under the supervision of Chef Joseph Ertel, the managing chef in Penn State Berks’ Housing and Food Services Office, and Vanessa Frimpong, a transfer student from the Culinary Institute of America, the students created a seven-course Italian meal, highlighting the cuisine in various regions of Italy. The students chose to name the restaurant “Mangiamo,” which translates to “Let’s eat,” in Italian.

Seating was limited and reservations were required. The ticketed event was open to the general public.

This year, the menu consisted of polenta and mushroom ragu, caprese salad, shrimp risotto, mostarda and goat cheese crostini, saltimbocca, braciole and cannoli.

The students built the menu, then cooked, plated and served the food, creating a true Italian fine-dining experience.

“It’s a really good event for seniors to do and it shows the public how much work we have put together,” senior hospitality management major Maya Dolton said. “It puts together everything we learned the past four years.”

Students operating the pop-up are enrolled in HM 430 Leadership in Food Service, the capstone course for the Hospitality Management program.

“The class serves as a culmination of the knowledge and skills that the students learn in their previous hospitality courses,” said Jennifer Wakeman, assistant teaching professor of hospitality management. “The students are presented with real-life situations that require them to make sound business decisions that directly affect food safety, menu development and financial success.”

Elinor Condit, senior in hospitality management, said, “With the knowledge we have gathered as a group in the classroom and in the real world, we were able to use our experiences to produce our one-night-only pop-up dinner. In HM 430, working with the community as well as other departments to meet our needs for our dinner helped us learn how to work well with others while being in a managerial position. This will greatly benefit us after graduation.”

The hospitality management seniors who managed “Mangiamo” include Ellinor Condit, Maya Dolan, Bridgette Engel, Darrel Boateng, Ana Morales Abreu, Matthew Gambino and Taylor Yanczak. 

About the Penn State Berks Hospitality Management degree program

The hospitality industry is a major economic driver in the Berks County area, and the hospitality management degree program is offered in response to demand for graduates with degrees in the hospitality industry. Penn State Berks is the only campus outside University Park to offer the degree program with the entrepreneurship option.