Contributed by: Sabrina Loi (DHM 0410)

I had an awesome experience at Berjaya University College Of Hospitality (Berjaya UCH) on the 12th of March, 2010.
Me and my best pal, Sook Kuan a.k.a. Amanda, were invited by Mr. Christopher for a trial class at the Upper East Side Cafe at Berjaya UCH, 14th Floor, Berjaya Times Square.

The Upper East Side Cafe - Berjaya University College of Hospitality

I am considered as a  BUCH current student because I registered myself in February.
As they say, “Seeing is Believing”, I too was truly fascinated by the facilities at Berjaya UCH.
I quickly enrolled myself and began counting the days left for classes to begin.
Luckily, I was offered the chance to experience a day of practical classes with the seniors.

So let’s talk about my day as a trainee at the Upper East Side Cafe.
I learnt alot of things about running a cafe, thanks to the seniors; Rainnie, Angela, Dominic, Karan, Hein Yew and Michelle.

Having fun with the seniors.

For instance I learned:-

How to polish a wine glass.
How to serve a customer.
How to arrange cutlery on the tables.
How to be a professional waiter/ waitress.
Where to store the cutleries, plates and glasses after clearing up the cafe.

Arranging cutlery on the tables.

Amanda and I had a great time helping the seniors with their daily operations.
At the end of the day, we were each given a delicious piece of pastry for helping out.
Apart from that, we even got student discounts for all the breads and desserts we purchased.
We made new friends; Rainnie, Angela, Karan, Dominic, Shaun, Michelle and many others.
And we ate alot too!

Enjoying our meal after service.

After the cafe operations however, there was one more very special session… They called it the ‘Trolley Sales’!
All the mouth-watering cakes, desserts, pastries, breads and cookies were loaded onto a cart.
We were given the chance to follow Michelle and Angela to sell the delectables to the Berjaya Corporation employees and Berjaya UCH Staff and students.
The response was enormous! Everyone couldn’t resist the sweet temptation and rushed to buy their favorites!

Delicious cakes for Trolley Sales!

It was certainly a wonderful experience attending the practical class at the Upper East Side Cafe.
I’m really thankful to all the seniors who welcomed us so lovingly and thought us a lot in such a short period of time.
Last but not least thanks to Mr. Resh, Ms. Sheila and Mr. Christopher for the opportunity to attend the practical class!

A Chocolaty Truffle Cake all for MYSELF! Muahahahaha!

I really can’t wait to see you guys this April!

Written by Michelle Quek (BHM 0409)

The Starbucks Coffee Company was the brainchild of three friends – Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker. Combining their shared love for great tea and coffee, Starbucks officially opened its first outlet in Seattle’s Pike Place Market in Washington, USA in 1971. The name Starbucks was taken from the story of Moby-Dick whereby Starbucks was the name of the first mate of a ship. The Starbucks logo depicts a siren, which is a two-tailed mermaid. The reason behind selecting this logo is that a siren is supposed to be intriguing, crafted, adventurous and alluring, which Starbucks tries to portray to the world about its coffee, people and stores.

The very first Starbucks outlet to open in Malaysia was on 17 December 1998 in KL Plaza. Starbucks Coffee Company in Malaysia is a wholly own subsidiary of Berjaya Corporation Berhad thus being known as Berjaya Starbucks Coffee Sdn Bhd which is helmed by Eric Khoo.

Starbucks’ mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time. It is guided by its six guiding principles which are; their coffee, partners, customers, stores, neighbourhood and shareholders.

Just walk into any of their stores worldwide and one can see their mission statement and the guiding principles proudly displayed in plain sight. Starbucks unlike many other companies of its time takes its Corporate Social Responsibilities seriously. It was one of the few major global companies to practice recycling and caring for the environment plus the coffee farmers. Over the years Starbucks has gained a large following and popularity among coffee drinkers and has open a few thousand stores worldwide. Just ask any Starbucks fan to recommend you Starbucks drinks and one would find that the Frappucino’s or blended drinks, and hot coffees will be among the top choices. So go out there, and enjoy a delightful cup of Starbucks coffee with a book in your hand, a group of friends, your family or that special someone today.