Culinary Program

Find culinary inspiration and helpful career information on topics such as cooking with chocolate, French and Greek cuisine, the life of a Chef, and what to expect in culinary school.

Does your sweet tooth lead you straight to your oven? Read how to avoid the pitfalls of cheese cake, bake creative cookies, use fresh fruits in baking, and more.

Catering and Restaurant Management

If you've ever prepared a Thanksgiving dinner, you know that cooking for a group takes planning and skill. Learn more about the art of catering and restaurant management, including specialized catering such as chocolates or high tea and how to prepare for a restaurant career.

Culinary Schools in the United States

With culinary schools in all 50 states and additional culinary education available online, you don't need to relocate unless you want to. Each state has its own special mixture of culture, cuisine, and locally grown agriculture that inspires the chefs and students who work and live there. If you're passionate about Maine lobster dishes, California cuisine, or any dish or state in between, you'll find a culinary school that is where you are or where you'd like to be.

Home | Culinary | Catering and Restaurant Management | On the Menu: Jobs in Restaurant Management

On the Menu: Jobs in Restaurant Management

If you had a degree in restaurant management, you'd be able to indulge your love of food, head for business, and knack for working with people--all at once. Restaurant management jobs include food and beverage managers, food service managers, and executive chef positions. Most restaurants hire food service managers who are responsible for the daily operations of the restaurant.

What Does a Food Service Manager Do?

Food service managers are responsible for:

Hiring and firing restaurant personnel
Working with the executive chef to determine menu item
Ordering food, scheduling deliveries and inventorying supplies
Checking meat, poultry, produce, baked goods and other foods delivered for quality

Food service managers help determine menu items. They talk with customers to ensure customer satisfaction and to learn which menu items are most popular and what items customers would like to see. They figure out costs of preparing food, including ingredients, labor and overhead.

Does a Degree in Restaurant Management Help?

Most restaurants and restaurant chains prefer to hire management personnel who have a bachelor's or associate degree in the field. Because business mixes with the pleasure of food in a restaurant management job, classes for a degree would likely include:

Nutrition
Sanitation
Food planning and prep
Accounting and business law
Management techniques
Computer Science

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, job openings from employment growth and the need to replace managers who leave the profession will create good job opportunities. While practical experience is important when finding a food service management position, applicants with a degree in restaurant, hospitality or institutional food service management will have an edge when competing for jobs at upscale restaurants and for advancement in a restaurant chain or into corporate management.

If you love food, working with people and business, restaurant management might be the job choice for you.

Sources

Food Service Managers, Bureau of Labor Statistics

National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation

The Art Institutes