Would you like a piece of pizza?

A few weeks ago, when North Italia (a new Walnut Creek restaurant) opened next door to the Cheesecake Factory, all four administrators, Ivy, Vince, Warren, and I, slipped away for a pre-grand opening lunch. David Overton and his wife, Sheila, greeted us warmly. David is the CEO of the Cheesecake Factory Inc., which has purchased North Italia.

I’ve been familiar with the high standards and caring attitudes David tries to imbue in his wait staff, and that day, it was like watching the finest orchestra tune up for a performance. Our waiters were caring, attentive, and aspired to time everything perfectly, and the food was yummy.

At the same time, though not intentionally linked, an Italian restaurant was preparing to open in our preschool. It started when Room 1 teacher, Doha Elbadawy, asked her students what project they would enjoy, and they were unanimous in their choice. They wanted to create a restaurant in the class, with one item on the menu – pizza.

The children loved playing and learning about the ins and outs of a restaurant for two months, but their biggest joy was practicing the complex art of serving. Doha taught them to wait on each other. The children learned to ask, “Do you want a napkin?” then how to ceremoniously deliver it. The next step was asking, “Would you like a piece of pizza?” It was like a choreographed dance.

Last week, the Room 1 restaurant opened to parent-patrons, who arrived in shifts, starting at noon and culminating in the largest group around 4 p.m. Everyone marveled at the level of service and delicious food. Like North Italia, our restaurant was overflowing with good cheer.

During the lead up to our grand opening, some children started insisting on serving their families meals at home. One child proudly served a whole dinner. Helping children learn to be of service to others is one of the values of our school. However, in order to be helpful, children need to be given two things: skills and the independence to use them.

When I brought my fifth-grade granddaughter to participate in setting up the “links of love” table several weeks ago, she and her friends organized everything. A few months ago, fifth graders held a bake sale and enjoyed waiting on and making change for the customers.

We want to encourage children to believe they can be helpful starting at a young age. A toddler can put napkins on the table before a meal. A preschooler can wash a table after a meal.

We often talk about preparing children for the next thing – getting them ready for kindergarten, for the next grade, for middle school, high school, even college. Opportunities for serving others in a hundred small ways happen every day, and the belief that children have the capacity to contribute to the world can last in their hearts forever.