Katie Wojcieszak (right), executive director of the Mendocino College Foundation, and Leslie Gregg Banta, daughter of the late Ukiah, Calif. restaurateur Les Gregg. Banta and her family have made a financial gift to fund a culinary scholarship at Mendocino College in perpetuity. Photo courtesy of the Mendocino College Foundation.

UKIAH, Calif. – The Mendocino College Foundation has received a generous gift from Mrs. Catherine Gregg and daughter Leslie Gregg Banta in memory of their late husband and father, longtime Ukiah restaurant owner Les Gregg.

The new scholarship, which is in perpetuity, will be awarded to students enrolled in the Culinary Arts Management Program at Mendocino College.

Gregg owned and operated the beloved House of Garner Restaurant in Ukiah for more than 26 years.

According to daughter Leslie, “Dad’s love of cooking started out early on and continued to grow while he served his country during World War II.”

Gregg ran the mess hall during his tour of duty in Ardennes and later would own and operate The White Cottage restaurant in Willits during the early 1950s and 1960s.

In 1958, he bought the House of Garner in Ukiah and with wife Catherine by his side, they owned and operated one of the most successful and popular restaurants in all of Mendocino County.

Gregg loved to cook for people and believed in everyone having a good meal. He was an accomplished chef who trained every employee that stepped into his immaculate kitchen.

Gregg encouraged his employees to learn every aspect of the restaurant business and move on to more increasingly responsible positions within the restaurant.

The Culinary Arts Management program at Mendocino College, led by newly hired faculty member Nicholas Petti, consists of a majority of the students enrolled in the program working toward their culinary arts certificate.

Students electing to complete the certificate will possess the skills necessary to succeed in jobs in the food service industry. The two-semester program covers everything from local foods to advanced pastry making.

“The Mendocino College Foundation thanks Catherine and Leslie for their generosity and desire to honor Les Gregg. This gift has the potential to create an entire generation of Les Gregg restaurateurs,” stated Executive Director Katie Wojcieszak.

“In perpetuity scholarships are established with a gift of $25,000 and provide an annual $1,000 scholarship based on the Foundation’s investment policy,” according to foundation Vice President Gary Smith.

The Mendocino College Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization and charitable donations are tax deductible.

For more information about the Mendocino College Foundation Scholarship Program, please contact the Foundation Office at 707-467-1018 or visit http://foundation.mendocino.edu.