EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — It’s about time to get a bite to eat and in one school, the kitchen is open!

The stove is hot, the food is ready and the kitchen is busy and there are hungry customers ready to be served.

“This is the Rising Star Cafe. We are open to the public,” said the Department Head for the Culinary Arts Department at Prince Technical High School Christina Tartaglino.

A restaurant is totally run by the students at A.I. Prince Technical High School, in the back of the house and the front.

“It feels like an actual actual job when I do this. But its ok,” Nyarah Kelly said.

They’re serving students, staff and even the general public can come in or order takeout.

Today’s special?

“We have a little prefix menu going on, its like $8 per person,” Kelly said.

The operation is self-funded. The customers are actually paying for the meal and the service. The students, however, aren’t getting paid, they’re learning.

Tartaglino said it gets busy and the learning opportunities are endless.

“They’ve got knife skills, safety and sanitation. This is our senior class so they are learning different international cuisines as well … The menu changes weekly, we do seasonal items, today we have corn bisque because we’re ending corn season,” Tartaglino said.

Our server today, Isaiah is soaking it all up and taking notes when he’s out in the real world.

“When I go out there, I know what they’re doing since I’m learning it here. I can see what they’re doing out in the world. So when I see something I say oh I know how to make that I made it at Prince Tech,” Isaiah Mera said.

It’s all happening at the Rising Star Cafe.