I see some flaws in this idea but yes it can and has been done. Basically he is wanting to build a cutting board. First, cedar is way to soft! Just a bad idea in my opinion if it is going to be used and not just looked at. Pine too, he really needs to use hardwoods. Maple is the old standby but most any hardwood would work.

Second I would not use Epoxy because of the the cost. A good wood glue like Titebond III is more than adequate and waterproof. Plus it is lot simpler to work with on such a big glue up.

Which brings me to the next big issue. Maintaining it! If it is working counter top and not just for looks the finish is going to be a big issue. If you Varnish it or use a Poly it is going to be scratched up and look bad soon. Water is going to take a toll on it over time. So that means a lot of refinishing.

You could do an oil finish like Mineral Oil. I made a couple of cutting boards for my wife and sister (a Chef) and that's all they use on them. But they don't look glossy and pretty like he probably has in mind. But they hold up well. But they have to oiled ever 2-4 moths.

If it is bartop or an eating area like we use the one in the photo below, varnish/poly has held up pretty well. But it doesn't see much kitchen duty. We just mainly serve and eat off of it and the we are careful with it.

If the guy is a woodworker he will know this, but building a counter top of any size is a big job! It takes lots of clamps and the glue up is not going to be flat. It takes a lot of work to flatten out. I made a pine benchtop 2.5" thick for my shop. I spent a long time with the hand planes and then sanding to make it a good flat work surface. It turned out well and I use it all the time, but it was not a simple project. If your freind is not a woodworker, he may not realize what he getting into.