Culinary track high school students at Jubilee Lake View University Prep can now get more hands-on learning with a brand new industrial-grade kitchen and food truck.
The charter school, which serves grades pre-K through 12th, unveiled the remodeled kitchen, outfitted with stainless steel appliances and industrial fridges and stoves during a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday.
Right outside on campus, high schoolers served asada tacos out of a food truck sold to the Jubilee Academies public charter school district by local chef and restaurateur Johnny Hernandez.
Before having an industrial kitchen, culinary students used the campus’ cafeteria kitchen as a classroom. The new kitchen now sits in a rectangular room once used as a homemaking classroom when the campus was previously owned by Christian Academy of San Antonio.
Jubilee Lakeview University Prep unveils its new food truck as part of its Culinart Arts CTE program. Credit: Miranda Rodriguez for the San Antonio Report
Jubilee Academies moved into the building in 2017, gradually expanding career and technical education programs offered at the Lake View University Prep campus, including culinary arts, graphic design and law enforcement. Now in its sixth year at the campus, the culinary program has secured popularity with students.
“Every year it’s growing. Everyone wants to cook,” said Erica Esquivel, assistant director of career and technical education.
Of the about 400 students enrolled, 68 are in the culinary program at the Lake View campus for the upcoming school year, and Jubilee officials say their charter district is the only one in the city with an industrial-grade kitchen.
Students enrolled in the culinary program also graduate high school with a ServSafe Manager certification, ensuring they have food safety knowledge as a potential food/restaurant manager.
Irma Sarmiento directs college and career readiness efforts for the charter district. Her hope for Lake View’s culinary students is to directly enter the workforce after graduating by landing a sous chef or manager position, or to further their culinary education.
Adding to the student demand for the course, Sarmiento said there’s industry demand for culinary education.
Jubilee Lakeview senior Jayden Perez grills onions and bell peppers for street tacos. Credit: Miranda Rodriguez for the San Antonio Report
“We have some great chefs in the city. We have amazing restaurants,” she said.
Earlier this year, San Antonio boasted seven semifinalists for the James Beard Award, considered to be an Oscar in the restaurant world. Last year also marked the first time a restaurant in the Alamo City, Mixtli, received a Michelin star.
On the other side of town, St. Philip’s College is known for a robust set of culinary arts programs including baking and pastry arts, hospitality and restaurant management.
Close to downtown, Pearl is home to several chef-lead restaurants and the Culinary Institute of America.
Esquivel, a former culinary teacher herself, hopes to someday offer a dual-credit program at Jubilee, allowing students to graduate with a culinary arts associate degree.
Food trucks and entrepreneurship
Jubilee Lake View seniors Giovanni Quiroga and Jayden Perez worked the food truck on Monday, slinging tacos at a breakneck pace.
Learning to work the food truck is designed to teach students entrepreneurship skills, previewing what it could look like to run their own businesses and making room for students to “dream big,” Sarmiento said.
Landing the food truck was a big dream of its own for Jubilee’s officials.
Esquivel was shopping around for a food truck, but the options were too expensive even with the help of a grant.
When she reached out to celebrated chef Hernandez for help, he offered to sell Jubilee Academies one of his own. Culinary students at Jubilee could soon see Hernandez in their classrooms for demonstrations, he told the crowd at Monday’s celebration.
Chef Johnny Hernandez speaks on Aug. 4, 2025 at Jubilee Lakeview University Prep before unveiling their new kitchen and food truck. Credit: Miranda Rodriguez for the San Antonio Report
Hernandez grew up on the West Side of San Antonio, the same area where Jubilee’s Lake View campus is located. Helping the school get a food truck was a way for Hernandez to connect with his roots.
“It’s important to be in the center of the community to make an impact,” he said.
After graduating high school, Quiroga says he plans to enroll at the Culinary Institute of America in San Antonio and Perez wants to study pastry making at another culinary school in Colorado.
Both students feel the new industrial kitchen and food truck will put them miles ahead on their culinary journey.
“We used to have just a small classroom. We’ve never had a big kitchen like this, I feel like I can be more expressive with my pastry making. I feel like I have more of the room to do it now,” Perez said.