Culinary Entrepreneurship

State Chancellor's Office approved this program in 2002 but does not have the regional deans approval. Per WDC chair asked to submit for discussion.

Students who plan to prepare for a career in the culinary field as a manager or owner of a business will find that success is contingent on both expertise in culinary arts and a basic business foundation.

This program combines the basics of culinary arts with the fundamental business skills that prepare students to enter a career that has unlimited potential for the future.

Program Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this program,students will be able to find careers in a wide spectrum of enterprises such as:

1.   Fine dining restaurants

2.   Food service in the regional casinos

3.   Bed and breakfast enterprises

4.   Catering businesses

5. Personal chef 

According to California Community Colleges Launchboard data, the proportion of students who attained a living wage in this field in 2016-2017 was 48% within the San Diego-Imperial region. Among students who responded to the CTE Outcomes Survey, 69% of past students reported they were employed in the same or similar field as their program of study. In the region, 71% of students who completed their course of study in this field were employed four quarters after exiting post-secondary education.

A total of 220 students earned a locally-issued certificate, Chancellor’s Office approved certificate, associate degree, and/or applied baccalaureate degree in the San Diego-Imperial region. Twenty-four students in the region were skills-builder students with earnings higher one year after exiting post-secondary education compared to their earnings one year before exiting. 

The goals and objectives of the Culinary Entrepreneurship COA program are directly aligned with Grossmont College’s mission to provide career technical education and workforce development and transform lives through education.

The program was developed in collaboration with a knowledgeable local Industry Advisory Council who draws from their strengths in the areas of food service and management industry. Including faculty at Grossmont College who review the programs and recommend changes in instructional content for the benefit of the institution and students. The Culinary Entrepreneurship Certificate of Achievement provides students with a solid foundation and an excellent set of skills which are in demand in the marketplace today and most assuredly in the future. 

Any student who chooses to complete only the courses required for the above major qualifies for a Certificate of Achievement in Culinary Entrepreneurship. An official request must be filed with the Admissions and Records Office prior to the deadline as stated in the Academic Calendar.