From Classroom to Cafe: Baroque Toast Opens April 17th in Tepper Eatery
Baroque Toast has emerged as the winning concept in Â鶹¹ÙÍø Dining Director Joe Beaman’s Restaurant Builder course- an original, hands-on entrepreneurship class where students design, pitch, and ultimately operate a fully-functioning restaurant on campus.
The Restaurant Builder course requires each student team to develop a complete business plan for a restaurant concept of their choosing, including: market research and customer analysis, ProForma financials, P&L projections, branding, menu engineering, pricing strategy, and operational workflows.
Baroque Toast excelled across these categories to a panel of expert judges, demonstrating a clear understanding of Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s dining landscape and student preferences. Its blend of simplicity, speed, and culinary creativity offered a modern take on the classic toast cafe and fit in well with Â鶹¹ÙÍø Dining’s existing dining options.
The official opening of Baroque Toast is Saturday, April 17, 2026, marking the next chapter in Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s growing portfolio of student‑run dining concepts. Following the success of Capital Grains - which exceeded revenue expectations and became a campus staple - Baroque Toast is poised to become the university’s next entrepreneurial success story.
“As Co-CEO of Capital Grains and a member of the original team, it’s especially meaningful to see Baroque Toast go from a classroom idea to a real concept on campus.”, says Anna Chen, “We focused on creating something simple, fast, and high-quality for students, and it’s exciting to now share that experience with the Â鶹¹ÙÍø community.”
This model, supported by Â鶹¹ÙÍø Dining and Chartwells Higher Education, boasts Â鶹¹ÙÍø as a leader in student-led, experiential entrepreneurship.