Sandusky High students cook at The Brass Lantern

SANDUSKY

One of Sandusky's most obscure businesses is nestled away in the back of Sandusky High School.

The Brass Lantern, a restaurant and learning tool, is named after a common sign for hospitality.

"I'm guessing that name goes back closer to 40 years. I think it was originally created by one of the first teachers who ran the program," said Viki Kaszonyi, director of career technical and adult education.

In 2000, a faculty member transformed the restaurant into a Sandusky High School sports-themed restaurant and renamed it Blue Streak Cafe.

The cafe was adorned with past trophies, old varsity letters, throwback jerseys and an Orlando Pace poster, among other memorabilia.

Despite the efforts to revitalize the establishment, the restaurant management program lost enrollment, and the restaurant closed in 2002.

"It sat for a couple of years and people really missed it," Kaszonyi said. "Even though we changed the name, people still called it Brass Lantern and asked when it would open again."

While the culinary program had fizzled, Kaszonyi noticed the lodging industry was taking off in the area.

"We found that we didn't need to just open it as a restaurant, but also as lodging. We wanted to expand and cover as many career fields," Kaszonyi said.

In 2005, Kaszonyi and Brent Mesenburg, instructor, began the lodging management program.

The program focuses on culinary arts, sales and marketing, human resources, facility management and customer service, which prepares career technical students for careers as a chef, assistant manager, concierge, marketing assistant and property maintenance assistant, among others.

Every week on Wednesdays and Thursdays, the Brass Lantern is open to the public from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The restaurant is completely student operated from preparation to cleanup, under the guidance of Mesenburg.

"We're not a huge operation. Most of our clientele are teachers, they really support us." Mesenburg said. "We would love to have more outside business so we can practice what we learn."

The restaurant serves a variety of appetizers, salads and sandwiches and a weekly special.

Mesenburg said the Brass Lantern should be a source of community pride for the city of Sandusky.

"Too often you hear about some of the bad things kids do. This shows the community that some of these kids are ready to work," he said. "These students love it when anyone from the outside comes in. They get a grin on their face as wide as Lake Erie."

In keeping with the Lake Erie theme, the restaurant is being redecorated with a nautical theme.

The wallpaper border features light houses, and the woodworking class is putting together a valance for the window.

Money from restaurant sales covers the cost of the food and is used for class field trips.

"People should come here so they can have a positive feel for what is going on within our school system," Kaszonyi said. "They are doing something positive and gaining expertise at the same time."