It's A Tasty Learning Curve For Elementary School Kids Running A Coney Restaurant

GROSSE POINTE WOODS (WWJ) - How tough is it to work in a busy restaurant? Just ask the fourth and fifth graders at Ferry Elementary School in Grosse Pointe Woods.

Hoping to give the kids some real life experience, the teacher turned their classroom into a Coney Island restaurant for a day and WWJ's Marie Osborne says the kids are scrambling to service hundreds of customers.

Teacher, James Fisher says experience is the best teacher and the kids came up with the idea of running a restaurant.

The students came up with a menu, prepared food, waited on tables and counted out change at their Coney Island restaurant Fisher said.

"... to take a loan out with their parents, with interest, for a business loan. We had to figure out what to buy; plates, decorations and some food," said Fisher. "They are well-trained. We have busers, we have waiters, dessert stand ..."

Many parents loaned twenty dollars each for the restaurant opening and it's expected they'll get their investment back with interest.

"I think I've also learned a couple of terms that restaurants use," said student Sophie Monarez.

'I'm in the weeds' and 'on the fly', just some of the restaurant lingo she picked up in a day's work.

She says that when she grows up she might like to own a restaurant.