About The Blue Room Restaurant
The Blue Room Restaurant is an experiential learning lab for students enrolled in the Bachelor's Degree (B.A.) in Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts Program at the Kemmons Wilson Culinary Institute (KWCI) at the University of Memphis. The students in both the front-of-the-house (service) and back-of-the-house (kitchen) roles are enrolled in university-credit courses required to graduate with the degree. The students take immense pride in fully managing the restaurant with guidance from faculty members teaching the courses. The students work with highly experienced chefs and service management instructors at the Culinary Institute.
Since the restaurant is only open during class, the dates and times for reservations change each semester according to the class schedule. The price for a meal is fixed per person and includes a soup or a salad, main course, dessert, and non-alcoholic drinks. We do not serve alcohol at this establishment at the current time.
Please join us to enhance student learning! We welcome all comments (good and bad!) to help our students gain real-life experiences before they enter the industry professionally.
Thank you for your patronage!
Chef Erich H Ogle holds degrees from The University of Adelaide / Le Cordon Bleu Australia, and The Culinary Arts Institute at Mississippi University of Women.
He has taught Culinary Arts classes at Culinary schools across the deep south and currently is an Instructor / Coordinator at the Kemmons Wilson Culinary Institute at University of Memphis.
He is involved with the National Restaurant Associations ProStart programs at the state and national levels and is co-author of the National Restaurant Association Foundation textbooks used to teach culinary arts across the nation.
He is also involved in Judging National Skills USA and member of the ACF.
Erich H Ogle, Chef
Eric Etter is a Chef Instructor of Hospitality and Resort Management at the Kemmons Wilson Culinary Institute. A native Memphian, Eric attended the University of Memphis receiving a Bachelor's degree in Business Economics and is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Hospitality and Resort Management and currently sits as the Treasure of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) Greater Memphis Area Chapter.
Growing up surrounded by food service, Eric gained over thirteen years of experience in catering, recreational food service, restaurants, and contract dinning.
His industry experience includes managing a plethora of dinning operations within companies such as Malco Theaters, Nike, and the University of Memphis.
Erich H Ogle, Chef
Dr. Aldasoqi is an accomplished Senior Hospitality Manager with 20+ years of international background and 3-years University teaching experience in hospitality management, business, restaurant operations, VIP guest services, employee leadership, and culinary services. Proven ability to effectively guide student learning with extensive academic preparation backed by equally rich industry experience to deliver practical learning supported by sound theory. Collaborative classroom and online facilitator with a penchant for delivering more than expected to students, ensuring they leave with depth and breadth of industry knowledge and fully prepared to succeed in their fields.
Education
Ph.D., The University of Memphis: Liberal Studies (In progress)
Ph.D., Mu'tah University Amman, Jordan: Political Sciences
M.S., The University of Memphis: Hospitality and Resort Management
MBA, University of the Middle East Amman, Jordan
M.A., University of the Middle East Amman, Jordan: Political Science,
B.S., Al-Zaytona University Amman, Jordan: Hotel and Tourism Management
Ibrahim Aldasoqi, Ph.D., MBA, MS
Certified Executive Chef, Bill Mullins, earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Mississippi State University and an Associate Degree in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America.
Since moving into the culinary realm after early law enforcement and emergency medical careers, Chef Mullins has traveled and staged in restaurants across the United States, as well as having served as an Executive Chef on a small cruise ship, to being a private chef for celebrities, actors, and musicians, to working at a remote Alaskan fishing lodge.
After returning, he served as a Corporate Chef for a Mississippi-based restaurant company for five years before moving to Memphis as an Instructor for L’École Culinaire for nine years.
Recently he has worked with the University of Memphis as an Instructor/Coordinator to launch the Kemmons Wilson Culinary Institute while pursuing a Master of Business Administration.
Chef William “Bill” Mullins, CEC
Chef Tony Seta, one of only 73 Master Chefs in the U.S. Certified by the American Culinary Federation, is a culinary professional with more than 30 years of experience. He is well-known for developing memorable dishes for restaurants and food manufacturers across the nation – and an expert in translating bold restaurant flavors to consumer recipes for in-home use. A culinary pioneer, he is especially known for reinventing old favorites like tasty barbecue sauces and other signature dishes.
Chef Tony’s big ideas have been behind many of the restaurant nationwide that you love to visit, such as Bone Fish Grill and Carrabba’s Italian Grill. Tony was also a former Instructor at the Prestigious Culinary Institute of America
In his current role with Butterball, Chef Tony works with restaurant chains and food manufacturers to develop creative and signature turkey items using his expert knowledge of ethnic cuisines and current culinary trends.
Tony lives in Germantown, TN