TOPS serves up fine dining for CHS staff

The TOPS Bistro and Café provides students with special needs work experience and staff with a fine dining experience

Metztli Lopez, Pepper Bough Staff Writer

February 21, 2024

TOPS student Fernando Cortez serves lunch to customers at the TOPS Bistro and Cafe on Feb. 15.

Colton, CA—People love to complain about school food. On Feb. 16, one group of students did something about it.

Thanks to Lindsey Scarborough and her students in the TOPS program, Colton High was introduced to the TOPS Bistro and Café.

Located in room 503, paying staff members were hosted by two students. Student wait staff walked around each table, taking customer orders. Orders were received by student chefs who prepared the food and drinks for service.

Lindsey Scarborough (far left) provides instruction to students about preparing food and proper serving sizes. (Erin Dallatorre)

For $10 dollars, the first patrons of the TOPS Bistro were treated to a multi-course menu consisting of spaghetti, alfredo, salad with caesar or italian dressing, lemon cake and refreshments.

The Transitional Opportunity Program (TOPS) supports students with disabilities who completed their high school program. Enrollment in the program supports gaining essential life skills that abled-bodied, allistic and neurotypical students and staff might take for granted, like buying groceries, doing chores, applying to jobs, and more.

Scarborough explained that the Bistro specifically helps students in the TOPS program gain job experience in the restaurant industry such as being hostess, waiters, cooks and much more.

School and district staff in attendance all praised the students.

CHS Principal John Abbott said his favorite part of the event was how the students were able to utilize their job skills, personal skills, and social skills.

Scarborough’s favorite part of the Bistro was how excited the students were about the event and how people in the district came together to support the program.

Overall the TOPS Bistro was a wonderful experience that gave a group of students with special needs an opportunity to learn skills and gain experience in a welcoming, non-judgemental environment.

“The students were so attentive,” said guidance counselor Myrna Cardenas. “They did an amazing job and I will definitely be returning.”

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About the Contributor

Erin Dallatorre, Editor-in-Chief

Erin Dallatorre has finally hit her senior year at Colton High School. After three long years of writing for the Pepper Bough and winning Journalist of the Year, she’s earned the role of Editor-in-Chief (even though she hates it when Mr. Dollins puts her in the spotlight). Whenever she isn’t going back and forth with her journalism advisor, she’s sharing her time as Drum Major of the CHS Marching Band. She copes with the stress of balancing both responsibilities by spending time with her five pets: three dogs, a cat, and a fish. Sometimes though, even her pets drive her crazy.