Durham Tech to open new Culinary Arts program in American Tobacco
New program will use former Art Institute space in Tobacco campus
Durham Technical Community College has signed a lease for a commercial kitchen space at the American Tobacco Campus in downtown Durham to house the College’s new Culinary Arts degree program.
The program is scheduled to begin Fall 2019. The lease for the Tobacco campus space is projected to start in early June. The space was formerly occupied by the Art Institute of Raleigh-Durham.
“Durham is nationally recognized for its food and restaurants, and the demand for trained culinary professionals is strong. We are committed to meeting employer demands in a number of areas, and we understand the value of having a culinary program in Durham to prepare students for these excellent opportunities,” said Durham Tech President Bill Ingram.
Being able to house this program in the heart of downtown Durham, the hub of our outstanding food scene, has the potential to lead to numerous partnerships and will place our students at the center of Durham’s vibrant culinary scene.”
There are more than 1,000 food and beverage operations in Durham and Orange counties, according to Discover Durham, Visit Chapel Hill, and Visit Hillsborough.
Students who successfully complete the new Durham Tech program will earn an Associate in Applied Science in Culinary Arts.
The program will offer a short-term stackable credential certificate in restaurant management. The Restaurant Management certificate may allow students to become nationally certified by the National Restaurant Association in the following topic areas: ServSafe Food Safety, Controlling Foodservice Costs, Purchasing, Hospitality Human Resources Management and Supervision, and Hospitality and Restaurant Management.
Classes in the Culinary Arts program will cover culinary skills, menu design, baking, catering cuisine, cost control, food safety, and more.
“We will educate and empower the students for excellence with the needed knowledge and principles of the culinary world but also to develop them to become managers,” said Altarius Moody, Director of Culinary and Hospitality Management. “Students will learn all aspects of the kitchen from execution to production, determining strengths while learning to mitigate weaknesses before hitting the job market.”
Durham Tech currently offers culinary Continuing Education classes.
"We've been working for months with Durham Tech to develop not only a use for this unique space but a program that will facilitate the creation of a whole new generation of world-class chefs based right here in Durham," says Michael Goodmon, senior vice president of Capitol Broadcasting Company. "Durham Tech is one of the best and brightest community assets we have in the Bull City, and we're thrilled to be welcoming their students and instructors to campus."
The Culinary Arts program is pending approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Stephanie Turner: Durham Tech Marketing and Media Relations Coordinator 919-536-7246, ext. 5202; turners@durhamtech.edu