Centerboard launches ‘Wicked Tasty’ way for young people to gain job experience

LYNN – A group of Centerboard personnel looking for innovative programming ideas came up with a “wicked good” idea when they settled on a catering venture it calls “Wicked Tasty.””These kids came in and I don’t think they had any culinary experience,” said June Blair, director of asset building services for the non-profit aimed at building community through music, the arts and education. “We can see a big difference in them from the beginning of summer to now.”Blair said Centerboard workers had been kicking around the idea of a catering company for a while when a confluence of events made the timing right.Centerboard had a group of young people ages 18-22 who needed to be working, she said.”They were doing job readiness classes, learning about workplace ethics and doing mock interviews trying to get jobs that weren’t there,” Blair said.But then the organization received a jobs grant and that gave it the means to launch Wicked Tasty. Using the industrial kitchen located in the J.B. Blood Building, 20 Wheeler St., chef Gerry Zullo took on about eight young men and launched a small business.”They started out baking cookies and delivering them all over town,” Blair said.Later, the group wanted to show the United Way, which provided the jobs grant, how its money was being spent so it provided a “pop-up dinner.” Blair said a pop-up dinner is about creating a meal in a place that isn’t a typical dinner setting. Wicked Tasty took over a small alcove near its kitchen and put out dinner for the United Way staff.The group later put on what she called a “wind-down dinner,” again for United Way, which included a mashed potato bar.”They served mashed potatoes in martini glasses then had a bar with different toppings,” she said.Over the summer the budding chefs also made and served lunch daily at the New American Club, and did lemonade and cookie stands a few times.The catering crew is back in school now but Blair said they have five events booked for September and hope to keep building momentum. She said they are planning a few more pop-up dinners to be held in conjunction with concerts held in City Hall’s Veterans Memorial Auditorium.”We’ll do one Sept. 20,” she said. “For $15 people can get a burger, a beer and a parking spot for the (Foreigner) concert.”Along with learning to cook, Blair said the group is also learning how to handle the money they are now making through financial literacy classes.”They’re working a real job,” she said. “That is the biggest thing about this program. This is a job, they have to clock in on time, dress appropriately ? and for most this is the first time they’ve made their own money.”Blair said the program has not exceeded her expectations but she hopes it will.”I have big hopes,” she said. “The hope is the kids move on to other jobs and other kids will come in and take their place.”For more information on the program or to book the catering company, contact Wicked Tasty at [email protected] Stevens can be reached at [email protected].