On September 2, 2009, the Los Angeles Times published “Dorm food gets schooled,” an article on Saul Sutcher, a junior at Occidental College, who is “redefining cuisine with his campus ‘cafe.’” Saul, like many college students, grew tired of the uninspiring offerings of cafeteria food. But instead of wallow away with “overcooked, unseasoned pasta that lies on the plate as mush,” Saul used his cooking skills and entrepreneurial vision to launch Cafe Norris, a once-a-week gourmet cafe offering such fares as duck ragu, pancetta-wrapped quail, and tarte aux pommes for dessert (pictures included in case you lack a gourmet cafe at your school / in your life).
The original article is well-worth a read (find out how a top-notch summer internship helped Saul prepare for dishing the goods at Cafe Norris). Last week, I caught up with Saul to learn more about this awesome venture and find out how his experiences in college helped him achieve his gourmet goals.
Kevin F. Adler: What is Cafe Norris, and where did the idea come from?
Saul Sutcher: Cafe Norris is a cafe that I run out of a dormitory kitchen at Occidental College. We offer a fixed price meal on Saturday nights consisting of three courses: appetizer, main, and dessert. We showcase local seasonal ingredients and prepare simple food that is a great break for students who may be tired of the dining hall. Not only is there good food, but diners sit at communal tables, where one has the chance to meet new people.
Cafe Norris really came about from a dinner conversation at my house – stemming from both the desire to cook while I was at school as well as really being sick of the dining hall food. Cafe Norris seemed to be the perfect remedy to both of these problems.
KFA: How did you do it? How were you able to create Cafe Norris?
SS: Cafe Norris was a somewhat slow process. Accumulating twenty chairs, tables, silverware, plates was not an easy task. Not to mention all of the cooking implements and equipment. With the help of craigslist, and some flea markets, Cafe Norris really started coming together. One really important step that I took during the process was setting a goal for myself. I set a date for the first night of Cafe Norris. I had 15 people signed up to come to dinner that night, so I was really forced to find things quickly.
KFA: How supportive was the campus community in launching this venture? What resources did you use to create Café Norris?
SS: Although the administration was not helpful setting up and carrying out Cafe Norris, Occidental definitely was as a whole. Friends of mine who were on committees defended me during housing meetings. A number of Faculty members came forward, sending me really nice emails showing their support – which was great to hear, and really in a way motivated me. Getting a note from a professor saying that what you are doing outside of class is an inspiration to them was really special. These are the people I look up to in college. Professors are big role models for me not only in an academic setting but in who they are and what they are doing with their lives.
KFA: How has your experience in college prepared you for launching this venture?
SS: Academically, college helped a lot with Cafe Norris. College has given me the insight that if you really want something, no matter how hard the material is, no matter how big the task, you will be able to get that A or accomplish the goal you set out to achieve. It gave me the confidence that I could get Cafe Norris up and running.
KFA: Did you have a good sense of what college would be like out of high school? Were you right? What surprised you?
SS: Coming out of high school I really thought college was a place where you sat down in front of professors and you were bombarded with all sorts of boring facts and you would be writing all sorts of papers on books that were way too long to finish. But what I didn’t realize is that college isn’t about the facts, it isn’t about the long books; it’s about learning how to learn – which was unbelievably important in creating Cafe Norris. Learning how to teach yourself skills, how to solve a problem … that is what is important. That is what I love about college.
KFA: If you had five minutes to talk to a group of high school students about college, what would you tell them?
SS: There is really one piece of advice that I would give to anyone in high school: don’t do something because you think that is what you should be doing. Do the thing that you want to be doing. Whether that is going to the college you want to go to, not the one you think you should go to, or taking a class because you think you should take it, take the class that you want to take. The rest of your life out of high school is about you, and so live the life you want to live don’t let people tell you what life you should be living.
KFA: Is there anything else you would like to share on your college experience, Cafe Norris, or the impact college has had on you personally or professionally?
SS: If you want something badly enough, then don’t let anyone or anything get in your way of achieving your goals.