Ok so this is a question for my friend. She is wanting to go to culinary school (Liaison in toronto to be specific) . I think its great she wants to go because she has always loved to cook and been really good at it. My only concern is one of my other friends went to culinary school on PA and she said it was waste of money, and she has had no luck finding a job and now is forced to go back to school for something else. She said she was better off working her way up in a restaurant and the tuition is not worth it. My question is what has your experience been ? IS it worth the money? how hard is it to find a job? What advice would you give someone going into a culinary school ? etc. Is it even really nessesary? My friend looking to go into this has never had any experience professionally cooking but she is a very good cook. She hopes after graduation she would be able to open up her own bakery or restaurant. Is it that easy? What else does she need to do?
Plus the degree she wants at this school covers studies in nutrition AND restaurant management, two other areas she is interested in.
I Need advice on culinary school?
28
Feb
shark_attack
February 28, 2010 at 9:34 pm
here is ur advice
dont go
Jeff V
February 28, 2010 at 10:18 pm
It’s very hard. The pay might be great depends on where she will be and the demand of the business, but expect to work long, long, long hours. Your friend should get a job in a restaurant as a kitchen helper, dishwasher, or prep cook first just to see what she has to go up against.
I’ve been in food business for about 10 years and everyone I talk to wants to open some kind of their own business. It’s not that easy, you have to think about payroll, insurance, equipments, employees, suppliers just to name a few. Don’t open your own restaurant right after graduation unless you really know what you’re doing.
Take business management classes might help.
Good luck to your friend.
vicseo
February 28, 2010 at 11:15 pm
You can sign-up for a $20,000 six-month course at the Kitchen Academy in Hollywood, which is an affiliate adjunct of the Culinary Institute [Pasadena] or spend $56,000 for a series of one-year courses at the Culinary Institute in Pasdena or spend $975 total for a two-year culinary course at Los Angeles TradeTech. Becoming a “certified” chef depends heavily on your own natural culinary talents as well as what you expect to pay for the “certification.” You’ll discover that many of the best chefs do not have any formal training or certification whatsoever which furthered their careers.
Good luck!
jenbosslady
February 28, 2010 at 11:20 pm
There are many valuable lessons to be learned at school but you also need real life application to make it all click. The schools can be affordable with a few grants, leaving your friend with little debt. On the other hand, there is a huge difference between being a good “home” cook and a professional. Whipping up a great family meal is one thing, managing a restaurant or bakery is something else entirely. She would need to understand her demographic, present a marketing plan to lenders, find property that isn’t affected by the real estate crisis, find used equipment, advertise, hire staff (if her budget isn’t already spent), and still have enough money in the bank to run her operation without profit for at least a year…it’s definitely not easy. If it were, there would be far more independently owned restaurants and bakeries, wouldn’t there? Consider how many culinary students graduate the hundred’s of institutions a year…and most of them already have experience exceeding your friend’s. Good luck to her.