Who needs culinary school when you have Chipotle and IHOP?

Discussion in 'Luxury and Lifestyle' started by dealmaker, Jan 10, 2020.

  1. dealmaker

    dealmaker

    Who needs culinary school when you have Chipotle and IHOP?
    A growing number of successful chefs at high-end restaurants are forgoing fancy foodie degrees from culinary schools… and instead cutting their teeth -- and their vegetables -- in the kitchens of chain restaurants like IHOP and Applebee’s.

    Traditional culinary school just doesn’t cut it anymore...
    And, according to areportfromThe New York Times, attendance at prestigious culinary institutes is declining: 800 aspiring chefs were enrolled at the New England Culinary Institute in 1999; that number had fallen to 300 in 2017.

    Meanwhile, a growing number of successful chefs credit their success with experiences at restaurants like Olive Garden, California Pizza Kitchen, Applebee’s, IHOP, and Wendy’s.

    So, what led to this shift?
    For one thing, there’s the earnings issue: Culinary schools cost money, while chain restaurants provide aspiring chefs with income.

    But, beyond that, chain restaurants also offer a number of benefits to early-career chefs:

    • Training is often more formal
    • Operations are often more efficient
    • Schedules are often more predictable
    • Corporate policies discourage abuse and harassment
    • Benefits are usually better
    So, if you’re really serious about that Michelin star... ditch that fake French accent and hop on over to IHOP.
     
    traderob and WS_MJH like this.
  2. Banjo

    Banjo

    dealmaker likes this.
  3. mlawson71

    mlawson71

    And how good are those chefs at their jobs?
     
  4. speedo

    speedo

    They don't get paid to create culinary excellence, they get paid to manage a bustling retail business involving formulaic product. For someone looking for a well paying secure job, it's all good but for a creative chef, it has to be stifling.
     
    dealmaker likes this.
  5. elderado

    elderado

    Every restaurant chain has a test kitchen concept. They try out new stuff and see what sells.

    Otherwise, the "culinary arts chefs" can easily wind up on Restaurant Impossible.

    Which is why my former next door neighbor, who is a bigwig in the restaurant industry, told me he never eats at the mom and pop places.
     
    FriskyCat likes this.
  6. SunTrader

    SunTrader

    The CIA is still packing them in, but the industry otherwise probably got over-saturated.

    As for tuition, all degrees have risen substantially if no one else has noticed.

    Olive Garden yea right lol.
     
  7. speedo

    speedo

    Yep, any culinary school is pricey.
     
  8. SunTrader

    SunTrader

    Well the CIA is the Harvard of Culinary Schools so yes it is top dollar. Then again the best of the best can expect to make big bucks
     
    dealmaker and speedo like this.
  9. Pekelo

    Pekelo

    So is plumbing school. And electrical school. Not to mention carpentry. You get my drift.

    OP is stupid. There is no comparison, just like you said in post #4.
     
  10. mlawson71

    mlawson71

    Frankly, the most important thing for a chef is to be competent - how they became competent is irrelevant.
     
    #10     Feb 3, 2020