LEWISTON – The dining room has a sophisticated feeling with its gold walls, shiny orange floors, framed artwork, black chairs and white tablecloths.

The black lights overhead are almost theatrical. “Our light system has 14 controls. I can push one button for a gourmet meal with a buffet. The lights will dim and the buffet will light up,” chef Dan Caron said.

In the teaching kitchen, there’s state-of-the art equipment found in the best restaurants, roomy work stations for students. The kitchen has a stadium-seating classroom, resembling a television cooking show.

“Actually we’re hosting a local cable cooking show” in the fall, Caron said.

Welcome to The Green Ladle, Lewiston Regional Technical Center’s new $1.3 million culinary arts building. There is no high school culinary arts building like it in Maine, “not in terms of size and scope,” center Director Don Cannan. “We are the model.”

The Green Ladle outgrew its location in the National Guard building near Exit 80. The new facility was built on the Lewiston High School grounds. The old building had 1,100 square feet compared to the 11,000 square feet now.

Despite larger quarters, the program has a student waiting list this year. Sixty juniors and seniors is all it can hold, Caron said.

An invitation-only open house is being held Thursday night for area restaurant owners, educators and others. An open house to show off the facility and students to the public is set for May 31.

Caron, the culinary arts program director, said he and his students are excited to be in the new building.

All around the kitchen Wednesday, high school students wearing chef hats worked. Some were getting ready for a banquet for 35, others were prepping food for Thursday night’s open house, still others for a Friday night banquet to honor Lewiston’s top 10 seniors.

“We’re extremely busy,” Caron said.

The goal, he said, is to have the building used by the six high schools and the community night and day throughout the year.

The facility will be available to area restaurants that need space to train workers. “Let’s say Davinci’s wants to do a demonstration on a new dish. Any time after school hours they can use the facility,” Caron said.

This summer he’ll teach a new adult education course where students will learn knife skills, sanitation, soups and sauces. “A lot of people want to work at local restaurants. This will get them ready,” Caron said.

In the fall, high school drama programs from Lewiston, Edward Little, Leavitt, Oak Hill, Lisbon and Poland can use the Green Ladle for dinner theaters. Caron pointed to a wall of the dining room where a stage will be built. He showed off “the green room” which will have salon chairs, mirrors and bathrooms for students to change into costume.

The facility will also be available for student art and music shows, for benefit dinners for school organizations.

Besides the large kitchen and dining room, the building has two soundproof conference rooms for meetings or to rent to groups.

In the month it has been open, “the kids are so excited,” Caron said. “It’s a lot more work, a bigger building to maintain. The students are feeling what it’s like to open a business.”

Poland Regional High School senior Curt Hancock said the best part is that it expands what students can do. “We can do a lot more elaborate things with the built-in buffet,” he said while preparing to serve a luncheon. Their work is “more impressive, and more fun,” he said.

Christian Langlois, a junior at Oak Hill, said he likes the new equipment, especially a steamer oven. Steaming is faster and makes tastier, better-looking vegetables, he explained. “Broccoli keeps the color.”

Caron said he enjoys watching students do things like book an event. They’ll put on a business suit, meet with clients and draw up a contract. When the deal’s done, “their face lights up. They feel so good about themselves.”

The program limits the business it does. It’s only open for lunch to the public 36 days a year, from January to May.

“We’re real sensitive to our advisory board, our restaurants,” Caron said. “We’re not looking to take business away from the restaurants. We’re looking to feed the restaurants with workers.”