Get Down to Business with Culinary School

by Olivia DeWolfe

Spotlight on Culinary Education

Say you're a fantastic home cook who wants to turn your passion into a private chef business. Or maybe you've been cooking in restaurants for years, but now you want to own your own place where you do the hiring, menu planning, and marketing. If you love food and are excited by the idea of an entrepreneurial adventure, culinary school can help you get the skills and knowledge you need to run your own successful culinary arts business.

How Online Culinary School Classes Get Your Business Running

There are culinary degree programs for every student's needs and goals in terms of length, cost, and focus. Most are designed to give you a solid foundation in cooking and/or baking, but many also provide courses that train you how to manage employees, control costs, plan menus, and handle the finances and marketing. Here are some titles of traditional and online culinary classes that provide these essential skills:

  • Introduction to Management
  • Menu Development
  • Controlling Costs and Purchasing Food
  • Interpersonal Development
  • Restaurant Law
  • Accounting and Budget Management

If you've already had a number of professional chef jobs, consider an accelerated program that takes less time (often forgoing the generally required externship because of your years of professional cooking experience) but still gives you what you want in terms of learning how to run a business.

New Businesses Need Culinary School Networks

Going to culinary school is an excellent way to make contacts in the industry. Your relationships with your culinary instructors and classmates can prove beneficial when it comes to getting your questions answered and finding clients once you've graduated and are working on your new business. Most schools hold career fairs and many provide career services long after you've graduated (even online culinary degree programs).

If you've got the energy and enthusiasm to run your own business, don't wait another day. Enroll in a culinary degree program and you could finally get your own business of the ground.

Olivia DeWolfe is a freelance chef and writer specializing in all things culinary. She's been cooking professionally for 18 years, and currently runs a personal chef business called The Olive Tree.

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