Tidewater Community College received a seven-figure donation to support its new center in the NEON District in Norfolk.
The donation will go and support the building that will replace the Greyhound bus station. The new building will be the Patricia & Douglas Perry TCC Center for Visual & Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management.
According to TCC's president, Gregory DeCinque, the gift was from Houston “Hu” Odom, the president and founder of BOTH, Inc., a franchisee of Golden Corral Restaurants. The college has decided to name the school of Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management after Odom.
“By creating a pipeline of skilled and trained professional restaurant managers, we are ensuring quality service in our area restaurants for years to come,” said Odom, an award-winning restaurateur, who operates 20 Golden Corrals, plus two in development, with headquarters in Virginia Beach and locations throughout four states. “Partnering with TCC makes good business sense but is also great for our community."
The donation will also be used to provide scholarships and dual enrollment for students from Norfolk Public Schools interested in studying restaurant management.
The 47,000-square-foot TCC Perry Center is slated to open by 2021.
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