A student-run steakhouse is opening at The Swiss Hotel School in Johannesburg, giving students a chance to run a full-service restaurant under real-world conditions. 33 on Bond, the school’s training venue, will host Raising the Steaks from September 16 to October 11, 2026, where students will handle everything—menu design, cooking, service, and operations. This is the school’s third-year student restaurant project, where trainees apply three years of culinary and hospitality training to a live dining experience.
Steakhouse Menu Highlights
The focus this year is on steakhouse cuisine, with a menu featuring 350g Chalmar Ribeye, 14-day wet-aged rump, fillet, and sirloin alongside sides like BBQ pork ribs and grilled kingklip. The menu also includes a panko and Parmesan-crusted chicken stack (panko is a Japanese breadcrumb used for crispy coatings) as a non-beef alternative, ensuring variety for guests with different preferences. Starters include sliced beef (known in Spanish as beef trinchado) and Korean-glazed chicken wings, while loaded nachos offer a casual option for those seeking a lighter start. A limited-edition dessert—Pecan on Bond, a pecan pie-inspired ice cream from Paul’s Homemade Ice Cream—rounds out the offering, with the brand developing the flavor specifically for this collaboration.
Hours, Reservations, and Student Scheduling
The restaurant will operate with a simplified schedule: open Thursday through Saturday, closed Mondays, Tuesdays, and Sunday evenings. Reservations are required, and bookings open now via the venue’s website. The limited operating hours reflect both student availability and the need to maintain service quality in a high-stakes training environment, where fatigue management is critical for safety and performance.
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Hands-On Training Beyond the Classroom
For students, this is more than a training exercise. They’ll manage inventory, handle guest interactions, and troubleshoot challenges without direct oversight—skills that translate directly to industry roles. The high-pressure environment mirrors professional kitchens, where precision and adaptability decide success or failure. Unlike traditional classroom simulations, guests will influence outcomes: slow service or a missed order could mean lost revenue, not just a graded assignment. The experience also requires students to balance multiple responsibilities simultaneously, from kitchen coordination to front-of-house service, replicating the demands of senior management positions.
The school’s director, Stephen, has ties to both hospitality operations and recruitment, having founded staffing firms before joining The Swiss Hotel School full-time in 2020. His background aligns with the project’s goals: bridging the gap between education and employability. Stephen began his career with THF Hotels in the UK before moving to Southern Sun Hotel Group in Johannesburg, where he gained operational experience across multiple properties. His entrepreneurial ventures include founding Hickmore Recruitment/CareerMap, a senior executive placement firm, and later Pple Hospitality (formerly HSC), South Africa’s largest hospitality staffing agency. The school offers two specialized programs—Institute of Hospitality Management and Institute of Culinary Arts—both structured to prepare students for immediate industry integration.
While the menu leans into premium cuts and bold flavors, the real draw is the opportunity to support emerging talent. Diners won’t just enjoy a steak; they’ll witness the next generation of chefs and managers in action. The project also serves as a recruitment platform for the school, allowing students to showcase their skills to potential employers while demonstrating the practical application of their training.
