SAN DIEGO —The dream job of Jeremy Mandrell, a culinary student in his last year at the Art Institute of California here, is to own a bakery-cafe that also sells artisanal breads to other restaurants.
Mandrell is not alone in his ownership aspirations. —The dream job of Jeremy Mandrell, a culinary student in his last year at the Art Institute of California here, is to own a bakery-cafe that also sells artisanal breads to other restaurants.
A recent nationwide survey of the students of the International Culinary Schools of the Art Institutes found that 81 percent want to open a restaurant during their careers. Forty percent hope to command a fine-dining restaurant, while 38 percent would be interested in running a midscale establishment. —The dream job of Jeremy Mandrell, a culinary student in his last year at the Art Institute of California here, is to own a bakery-cafe that also sells artisanal breads to other restaurants.
The survey, e-mailed to more than 900 culinary students at the Art Institutes’ 30 campuses around the country, drew responses from 14 percent, or 128, of the aspiring careerists, yielding a look into the minds of future chefs. That glimpse also shows they are eager to become eclectic foodservice professionals and to travel in order to gain more experience with international cuisines. —The dream job of Jeremy Mandrell, a culinary student in his last year at the Art Institute of California here, is to own a bakery-cafe that also sells artisanal breads to other restaurants.
“Based on our survey and research, we really believe the American palate is changing,” said chef Michael Nenes, the institute’s assistant vice president of culinary arts. “The foodservice industry has to react to that, and we have an obligation to train our students to be well-versed [in world cuisines] and well-schooled.” —The dream job of Jeremy Mandrell, a culinary student in his last year at the Art Institute of California here, is to own a bakery-cafe that also sells artisanal breads to other restaurants.
The survey was the first national study the Art Institutes had conducted among its culinary students, Nenes said. More than half of the respondents were women. —The dream job of Jeremy Mandrell, a culinary student in his last year at the Art Institute of California here, is to own a bakery-cafe that also sells artisanal breads to other restaurants.
About 7,400 students currently are enrolled in culinary schools at 32 of the Art Institutes’ 40 facilities. Owned by Pittsburgh-based Education Management LLC, the Art Institutes is known to operate the fast-growing culinary school system, which began in 1992 and was recently revamped to offer a global curriculum. Following its recent name change to the International Culinary Schools, the system is expected to add four more culinary facilities by September. —The dream job of Jeremy Mandrell, a culinary student in his last year at the Art Institute of California here, is to own a bakery-cafe that also sells artisanal breads to other restaurants.
The survey confirmed the push to expand the curriculum to teach students about world cuisines, Nenes said. —The dream job of Jeremy Mandrell, a culinary student in his last year at the Art Institute of California here, is to own a bakery-cafe that also sells artisanal breads to other restaurants.
Among the findings: —The dream job of Jeremy Mandrell, a culinary student in his last year at the Art Institute of California here, is to own a bakery-cafe that also sells artisanal breads to other restaurants.
45 percent believe Spanish cuisine will have the most influence on future American menus, and 44 percent said South American foods would exert that influence. —The dream job of Jeremy Mandrell, a culinary student in his last year at the Art Institute of California here, is to own a bakery-cafe that also sells artisanal breads to other restaurants. Italian was the most popular international cuisine among students, followed by French and Spanish. —The dream job of Jeremy Mandrell, a culinary student in his last year at the Art Institute of California here, is to own a bakery-cafe that also sells artisanal breads to other restaurants. 84 percent of students would consider specializing in fusion cuisine. The most popular were Japanese and French followed by Thai and Mexican. —The dream job of Jeremy Mandrell, a culinary student in his last year at the Art Institute of California here, is to own a bakery-cafe that also sells artisanal breads to other restaurants. Almost a third of the students are interested in experimenting with exotic flavors in entrées, while 27 percent would try them in desserts and 24 percent in appetizers. —The dream job of Jeremy Mandrell, a culinary student in his last year at the Art Institute of California here, is to own a bakery-cafe that also sells artisanal breads to other restaurants. Use of local and organic ingredients stands to remain a strong trend in the industry, reflected in the preference of more than 75 percent of the students to work with local providers. —The dream job of Jeremy Mandrell, a culinary student in his last year at the Art Institute of California here, is to own a bakery-cafe that also sells artisanal breads to other restaurants.
Students also are concerned about being “green.” Nearly 97 percent said that environmental responsibility will be at least a “somewhat important” part of their culinary careers. Six out of 10 said environmentalism will play a “very important” part of their careers. —The dream job of Jeremy Mandrell, a culinary student in his last year at the Art Institute of California here, is to own a bakery-cafe that also sells artisanal breads to other restaurants.
Such a strong response to that survey question now has the Art Institutes’ culinary program looking at ways it can become greener to address the concerns of students, Nenes said. —The dream job of Jeremy Mandrell, a culinary student in his last year at the Art Institute of California here, is to own a bakery-cafe that also sells artisanal breads to other restaurants.
“I was surprised at the fact that 97 percent of them said they had an environmental responsibility,” he said. “I had thought that was a regional thing, but it is across the board.” —The dream job of Jeremy Mandrell, a culinary student in his last year at the Art Institute of California here, is to own a bakery-cafe that also sells artisanal breads to other restaurants.
Nenes was pleasantly surprised to learn the students have a higher regard for their chef instructors than for celebrity chefs. Of those surveyed, 58 percent said they most admired their chef educators, while 19 percent admired celebrity chefs and chefs for whom they had worked. —The dream job of Jeremy Mandrell, a culinary student in his last year at the Art Institute of California here, is to own a bakery-cafe that also sells artisanal breads to other restaurants.
Mandrell, who is earning an associate’s degree, was not surprised to hear students most admire their teachers. —The dream job of Jeremy Mandrell, a culinary student in his last year at the Art Institute of California here, is to own a bakery-cafe that also sells artisanal breads to other restaurants.
“Being in the school, you develop a bond with them,” he said. “I’ve had events where I worked with a high-profile chef, but you do not get that attention and explanation as you do from your chef instructors. They have a teaching attitude. It takes a special chef to do that.” —The dream job of Jeremy Mandrell, a culinary student in his last year at the Art Institute of California here, is to own a bakery-cafe that also sells artisanal breads to other restaurants.
Unlike 52 percent of survey respondents who felt traveling was the best way to learn more about a region’s cuisine, Mandrell plans to head straight into the industry and work for at least five years before trying to open his own restaurant. —The dream job of Jeremy Mandrell, a culinary student in his last year at the Art Institute of California here, is to own a bakery-cafe that also sells artisanal breads to other restaurants.
Traveling may not be as important for students as gaining as much practical experience as possible while building their careers, said Paul Carter, executive chef at the Phoenician resort hotel in Scottsdale, Ariz. —The dream job of Jeremy Mandrell, a culinary student in his last year at the Art Institute of California here, is to own a bakery-cafe that also sells artisanal breads to other restaurants.
“Generally they have a good education and background after they graduate, but there is a huge difference between culinary school and being out in the real world,” said Carter, who serves on the Art Institutes’ culinary advisory board. “Students are coming out with the fundamentals and basics we need, but some things can’t be taught in school.” —The dream job of Jeremy Mandrell, a culinary student in his last year at the Art Institute of California here, is to own a bakery-cafe that also sells artisanal breads to other restaurants.
