After a month-long naming contest, Durham College is pleased to announce the name of its new full-service restaurant: Bistro ’67, located at the Whitby campus’ new state-of-the-art Centre for Food (CFF). In addition to serving the public, the restaurant will provide a supportive and creative teaching environment and hands-on learning experience that will train the chefs and hospitality professionals of the future.

The name was chosen from more than 1,152 online submissions through the Feed Us Your Ideas contest which was launched on June 21. After one week, a seven-person panel reviewed the entries and determined their top five choices. The public then voted on the top five and after 1,242 votes were cast, Bistro ’67 was determined as the winning entry.

“The name Bistro ’67 encapsulates the proud and rich history of Durham College by paying tribute to the year we opened our doors, with a fresh, modern perspective,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “I look forward to my first dining experience at the very first green-certified teaching restaurant in Canada. True to the inspiration of Jamie Kennedy’s local food movement, I am confident that Bistro ‘67 will be an excellent addition to the field-to-fork culinary landscape for years to come. Bon Appétit!”

The winning name was submitted by Gail McKenzie, manager of strategic initiatives with the School of Interdisciplinary Studies & Employment Services at Durham College. For creating the name, Gail will receive dinner for six at the chef’s table, a Durham College prize pack including an iPad mini, and will be recognized at the CFF’s grand opening event on Thursday, October 17 at the Whitby campus.

“I brainstormed and submitted a few ideas trying to incorporate a name that would reflect the history of the college,” said McKenzie. “Since the college opened in 1967, I thought Bistro ’67 would work well!”

Scheduled to open this September, Bistro ’67 is a 70-seat, full-service, teaching and learning restaurant which will be green certified and feature dishes prepared and served by students in our culinary and hospitality programs, including produce and delicious flavours of the region.

The CFF is designed to accommodate approximately 900 additional students studying in culinary, hospitality, tourism, agriculture and horticulture programs. This incredible new learning centre will also feature state-of-the-art labs including a food and beverage pairing lab and hotel living lab, classrooms and meeting spaces, a retail store and a lecture theatre.

Highly-skilled graduates in a variety of programs including Culinary Skills, Culinary Management, Event Management (graduate certificate), Horticulture – Food and Farming, Hospitality Skills, Golf Facility Operations Management, Horticulture Technician, Hospitality Management – Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism,  Special Events Planning and Cook Apprenticeship will fulfil the demand for next-generation workers in sectors critical to our local economy.