Sérénité Restaurant & Culinary Institute is a social enterprise whose profits are used to fund the tuition and recovery programs for this unique job training program. Proceeds from the restaurant provide approximately 50% of the revenue to support the recovery programming.
Sérénité Restaurant & Culinary Institute is at the core of the Recovery Center program and offers a distinctive and innovative approach to substance abuse recovery which encompasses a 12 month training program, teaching techniques of classic European cuisine from the American Culinary Federation’s Certified Culinarian Curriculum and including high quality restaurant service training. The program can accommodate up to 12 students at one time who rotate through a curriculum that includes classes on all aspects of the culinary and hospitality industry, kitchen and culinary skills and front of house training. Students receive an income during training, daily meals, transportation assistance, Health and fitness training and job placement assistance.
Every quarter, a new cohort of 3 students are added to the program. After roughly 6 months of culinary training, in a dedicated culinary kitchen, with a dedicated ACF certified culinary instructor, the students will begin to transition into the restaurant downstairs, both in the kitchen (cooks and line preps) as well as the front of the house (servers, hosts, etc.). Although they will be working in the kitchen (back of the house BOH) and dining rooms (front of the house FOH), they will remain as students and not employees. This is a true culinary program, with instruction, testing, certification, graduation and eventual placement into one of NE Ohio partner restaurants. Our students graduate, fully qualified to operate in the FOH or BOH, with discipline, structure and commitment.
The key to success is the support from Hope Recovery Community that each student receives during and after their time in the program. Hope Recovery is an integral part of the program offering daily student guidance, peer support and recovery services. Together we offer the balance and structure needed to graduate students dedicated to their recovery and their careers. As alumni, students will have weekly opportunities to stay involved in the restaurant, the culinary institute and the Hope Recovery Community to help them with their recovery journey and to help others with the same. The Alumni Engagement Hub allows past and present students to stay connected and find information on daily recovery support, local restaurant job openings, Serenite event opportunities, etc.
Students are held to a high standard of excellence in their culinary training which will enable them to acquire jobs in restaurants offering higher wages that will support a family. The Recovery Center of Medina County (RCMC) and Hope Recovery Community (HRC) is a safe place that extends continual recovery support helping our clients achieve their full potential.