restaurant & culinary management

School of Restaurant & Culinary Management

This innovative program is designed for the individual who's interested in restaurant management, or who wants to oversee, grow, open or own a culinary business.

Diploma Program

Get Ready to Build – and Live – Your Vision

You are an innovator. When you close your eyes, do you see yourself managing and building a food business — maybe even your own? ICE’s diploma program in Restaurant & Culinary Management offers pragmatic training in restaurant management, operations and entrepreneurship, presenting the skills that you need to achieve and sustain success in the culinary industry.
Explore earning an associate degree.

Quick Facts

Program Duration: 7 months

Class Times: morning, afternoon, evening

Tuition, Fees & Charges: $13,955

Open House: June 23rd, 2023

Register Here

Learn from Industry Experts

Some of our instructors have opened restaurants, catering businesses and food shops around the world while others have managed major restaurants. They'll teach you how to develop profitable concepts, write a business plan and market your venture to a target audience. In classes of 25 students or less, you'll get a sense of how to troubleshoot restaurant and bar management issues concerning operations and staffing, analyze changing trends and make fiscal modifications to keep a business profitable. Through case studies, role-playing and group projects, you will train to make smart decisions for your business. You’ll also have a chance to gain valuable professional insights from guest lectures featuring successful culinary entrepreneurs.

An ICE Restaurant & Culinary Management instructor guides students through a lesson in class

Diverse Student Body, Diverse Goals

Our students’ diverse goals and past experiences make our program unique. A typical class includes career changers with previous experience in such fields as marketing, finance, nursing or IT; recent high school or college graduates; and even working chefs or restaurant owners who want to master the business side of the restaurant industry. Management students can explore careers inside or outside the kitchen.

A student leads a discussion in a Restaurant & Culinary Management class at the Institute of Culinary Education

Combine Food Business with Hands-on Culinary Training

Enrolling in our Culinary Arts or Pastry & Baking Arts programs in addition to Restaurant & Culinary Management gives you the opportunity to double major and gain two diplomas. We structure our schedules to allow you to pursue both programs simultaneously, and offer tuition incentives to help make realizing your professional goals that much easier.

Learn more about ICE's Double Diploma option.
A student takes notes during a Restaurant & Culinary Management class at the Institute of Culinary Education

Start in a Culinary Mecca – Then Go Anywhere

New York City and Los Angeles are among the world’s important culinary cities, hosting fine restaurants and prominent chefs. We take full advantage of our campus locations, leading students on behind-the-scenes field trips and offering candid lectures with successful culinary entrepreneurs. You’ll also have access to our extensive alumni network, which stretches across the nation — and the world. What’s more, many entrepreneurial graduates return to ICE to consult with our expert instructors over the course of their careers.

Contact an admissions representative.
A student smiling in a business management class at ICE

Outstanding Career Services

Leading up to graduation, our Career Services department will help you identify potential employers, but the relationship doesn’t stop there. Even long after graduation, we support alumni with ongoing job placement assistance and send graduates job listing emails — averaging 175 new job opportunities each week — from employers who already respect the value of an ICE education.

See Los Angeles campus job placements.

Schedule & Tuition

Business%20Class-024-72dpi_375x375.jpgThe 316-hour, 158-lesson Restaurant & Culinary Management curriculum is comprised of four modules that are divided into 9 courses. Classes meet three times a week for 26 to 45 weeks, depending on the schedule. The program starts at least 10 times per year with staggered start dates, offering mornings and afternoons.

  • Hours: Tues. - Thurs., 12 - 4 p.m.
  • Cost: $13,955
  • Starts: June 8th, 2023
  • Hours: Tues. - Thurs., 7:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
  • Cost: $13,955
  • Starts: July 25th, 2023
  • Hours: Tues. - Thurs., 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
  • Cost: $13,955
  • Starts: TBD

Combine business and culinary expertise to accelerate success.

Learn more about ICE's Double Diploma option.

Tuition, Fees and Charges Include:

  • All books
  • Field trips
  • Business plans
  • Guest lectures
  • Application fee
  • All applicable taxes

Take the Next Step

Why Choose ICE

You know it's in you — the ambition to pursue a rewarding career in food. Attending culinary school is one of the best ways to begin the journey. ICE is ready to help you find your culinary voice.

12 Reasons Why You Should Choose ICE. 

Resources:

Ready to take your interest in ICE further? Speak to an admissions representative about your personal goals, start your application or download our career brochure so you can access our program information anytime.

Admissions Services

Applying to ICE

ICE Career Brochure

Lecture%20Opera%20POS-044-72dpi_375x375.jpgICE's 316-hour Restaurant and Culinary Management program is taught at the school's Los Angeles campus, featuring over 38,000 square feet of teaching space. Utilizing the city as a classroom, the program includes field trips to local food businesses as well as guest lectures from successful food entrepreneurs. The program is comprised of nine courses, which are divided into 79 four-hour lessons (106 three-hour lessons in evening classes). This instruction provides students with the pragmatic training in restaurant management, operations and entrepreneurship necessary to achieve and sustain long-term success in the culinary industry.

The Restaurant and Culinary Management program is constructed as follows:

Course 1

CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT AND MENU DESIGN

45 hours

This course is designed to acquaint students with the realities of a culinary business concept – from creativity to profitability. By surveying the industry, students explore all types of operations, analyze concepts, as well as research feasibility and location selection. Students gain the knowledge required to develop and refine their ideas. This course gives a comprehensive view of key aspects of the menu, including planning, pricing, layout and design. Students prepare sample menus as a project, which will become part of their final business plans.

Course 2

MARKETING

30 hours

Culinary businesses are marketing businesses from the moment an idea is developed through opening and operation. This course provides a comprehensive examination of how a marketing plan is developed, including market research, positioning, product mix and life cycle. It includes development of potential strategies for social media, advertising, merchandising, public relations and promotion.

Course 3

FOOD SAFETY

16 hours

Proper food handling and safety procedures are important elements of a successful culinary business. In this course students earn the nationally recognized ServSafe certification while learning the essential principles of food safety.

Course 4

PURCHASING AND COST CONTROL

45 hours

Strategies for purchasing and control of the business are vital for the success of any culinary operation. This course examines the commercial knowledge required to control food, labor and beverage, Detailed lessons of food and labor costs, recipes and revenue control are taught. Purchasing product guidelines, inventory and theft, employee performance standards, productivity and scheduling, use of point-of-sale systems and computers are also reviewed.

Course 5

SUPERVISION, STAFF MANAGEMENT AND LAW

45 hours

People are the most important resource in any culinary business. In this course students focus on the major functions of management, including leadership, motivation, communication, hiring practices, recruitment, training, discipline and staff organization. In addition this course focuses on the legal rights and responsibilities of owners and operators. Topics include labor relations, employment law, real estate and contracts. Also various business structures are surveyed.

Course 6

SERVICE MANAGEMENT

30 hours

Managing the front of the house requires particular knowledge and skill. Students are introduced to the tools and techniques of service and service management in restaurants and other food service operations. The importance of hospitality is emphasized. This course also covers how to build customer satisfaction.

Course 7

FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING

45 hours

A working understanding of the numbers is critically important to culinary success. The curriculum for this course focuses on the use of financial statements as a tool for control and decision making. Topics include balance sheets, statements of net income, break-even analysis, cash flow and financing. Budgets, industry standards and variation analyses are emphasized. Actual case studies are used to provide real experience.

Course 8

BEVERAGE AND WINE

30 hours

Beverage sales is a challenging business. This course explores all areas of beverage service, including wine, spirits, beer, mixology, nonalcoholic drinks and bar design. Wine tasting and appreciation is included. Students will study proper alcohol service and receive safe beverage service certification.

Course 9

FACILITIES AND DESIGN

30 hours

This course examines how to bring a concept from idea and design through construction and final inspection. Whether planning to renovate or build a restaurant from scratch, students gain insight into capital costs and budgeting, as well as how to work with architects, designers and contractors. Topics include equipment and systems basics, space analysis, product and people flows, kitchen and interior design

Restaurant & Culinary Management Instructors

Each instructor in ICE's School of Restaurant & Culinary Management is an active consultant in the restaurant industry, offering students access to their rich experiences and the very latest real-world insights on the business.

Mishel LeDoux is the Director of Hospitality and Restaurant Management.

Mishel LeDoux

Director of Restaurant & Hospitality Management
View Profile
View All Faculty

Smoking-050-72dpi_375x375.jpgFinancing Your Culinary Education

At this point, you’ve already decided that you’re interested in a professional future in food and hospitality. But should you attend culinary school, and can you can really afford it?

The ICE Office of Student Financial Services puts an award-winning culinary education within your reach. Our Financial Aid advisors are available six days a week to help make your dream of attending culinary school at ICE a reality. 

Learn more about ICE's Student Financial Services. 

Shallow%20Poaching-010-72dpi_375x375.jpgScholarships

ICE provides various scholarship opportunities to assist students on their journey towards a career in food and hospitality. Whether offered by ICE itself, our food industry partners or a vetted list of outside organizations, these scholarships provide students with additional resources to realize their dreams of attending our career training programs. Please be aware of the varying deadlines and application requirements for each individual scholarship. For additional information about any of the available scholarships, feel free to contact our Office of Student Financial Services directly at (888) 826-CHEF or LAfinaid@ice.edu.

View all ICE Scholarship Opportunities.

Pasta-024-72dpi_375x375.jpgFinancial Aid Options

ICE offers financial assistance from private sources. The following is a list of aid available to those students who qualify:

• Private Student Loans
• Payment Plan

To learn more about financial aid options, feel free to contact our Office of Student Financial Services directly at (888) 826-CHEF or LAfinaid@ice.edu.

View all financial aid options. 

Applying for Financial Aid

Please contact us with any Financial Aid or financing questions, problems or suggestions. We will work closely with you in preparing the necessary forms and documents on student grants, loans or scholarships and employment programs.

Learn how to apply for financial aid at ICE. 

Proven Results

Alumni-Brady-bunch-6-1x1_1200x1200.jpgFrom award-winning restaurateurs to food media leaders, test kitchen chefs to food entrepreneurs, our alumni continue to rank among the most noteworthy names in food and hospitality. Click through the names below for just a taste of the many successful ICE alumni.

Leading West Coast Alumni

Learn more about our Restaurant & Culinary Management alumni.

Esther Choi is a graduate of Institute of Culinary Education

Esther Choi

mŏkbar chef and owner Esther Choi grew up cooking traditional Korean food with her Korean-native grandmother. So while Esther was born in New Jersey and spent her early childhood in the oceanside town of Egg Harbor, she was always keenly aware of her Korean heritage. That awareness morphed into immersion when her family moved to Korea for three years, because her parents wanted to ensure that their children would cherish Korean culture. Esther enthusiastically embraced her parents’ goal – her mission today is to broaden New Yorkers’ understanding and appreciation of Korean culture through her food. Esther's formal training as a chef began at New York City’s Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), continuing in the kitchens of ilili and La Esquina, as well as that of the Food Network.

Read more
Rick Mast is the owner of Mast Brothers Chocolate and an ICE Alum

Rick Mast

Rick Mast worked in the kitchens at Gramercy Tavern and Soho House after graduating from ICE, but he found himself thinking about chocolate, so he went to work at Jacques Torres' Brooklyn shop. Rick and his brother Michael decided to walk away from their respective careers to start a company dedicated to craft chocolate. After doing a few experiments at home, they felt ready to dive into small-batch chocolate making.

In 2009, they opened Mast Brothers Chocolates, a bean-to-bar business in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood. Mast Brothers makes handcrafted chocolate bars with organic beans from Brazil, Venezuela, Madagascar and the Dominican Republic. The flagship location is open to visitors daily and the chocolates are available for purchase online.

Read more
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ICE's Food Business School

ICE Restaurant & Culinary Management students on a field tripMeet the Culinary Entrepreneurs at ICE featuring guest speaker, restaurateur Alexander SmallsRestaurant & Culinary Management classroomRestaurant & Culinary Management lecture led by Steve ZagorCulinary school students congregate to study and socialize in the student lounge at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City Restaurant & Culinary Management students at ICE study wine essentialsICE Restaurant & Culinary Management student Christian Souvenir explains why he wanted to enroll in business school after graduating the culinary arts programA Restaurant & Culinary Management student listens to a lecture at the Institute of Culinary EducationGuests share wine at a table, served by John Ragan, who teaches the master wine course at ICE
ICE Restaurant & Culinary Management students on a field trip
Meet the Culinary Entrepreneurs at ICE featuring guest speaker, restaurateur Alexander Smalls
Restaurant & Culinary Management classroom
Restaurant & Culinary Management lecture led by Steve Zagor
Restaurant & Culinary Management students at ICE study wine essentials
A Restaurant & Culinary Management student listens to a lecture at the Institute of Culinary Education

Student Experience

The Most Critical Connections of Your Career Are Often Right Next to You.

Tour the classrooms at ICE and you'll see diversity of age, experience, background and goals. Your classmates will come from all over the United States and around the world. Some are at the start of their careers, studying at ICE to become executive chefs and managers in the nation's top restaurants. Still others have long sought out ICE to train them for the next chapter in their lives, be they carpenters, lawyers, bankers, journalists or actors. Others have already worked in the food industry and want to sharpen their skills in pursuit of better opportunities.

Although your classmates come from different backgrounds, with different aspirations, they share a common goal: the hunger to turn their lifelong passion for food into a rewarding career. This forms the friendships and basis for your professional network, lasting for so many years and experiences ahead.

Learn more about student life at ICE. 

Grace Reynolds reflects on her decision to enroll in business management classes at the Institute of Culinary Education

"I’m six classes into the ICE Culinary Management curriculum and I can say with complete confidence that enrolling in this program is the best professional decision I’ve made to date."

Grace Reynolds
Restaurant & Culinary Management '16
Restaurant & Culinary Management students on a field trip to a fish market

Field Trips and Guest Lectures

The Restaurant & Culinary Management program takes full advantage of ICE's location in Los Angeles. Our reputation and connections pave the way for access to the finest restaurants, top chefs, the most influential designers, the most demanding wholesalers and the most charismatic marketing and PR agencies. ICE offers a unique real-life view into what makes food businesses successful by providing students with guest lectures and field trips to notable locations off-site.

Learn more about field trips at ICE

Meet The Culinary Entrepreneurs

Our "Meet The Culinary Entrepreneurs" lecture series features some of America's top food business experts. The sessions — held throughout the year at ICE — introduce students and the public to the world’s leading restaurateurs, specialty food retailers, caterers and other culinary business proprietors who have established highly regarded national and international brands.

Learn more about Meet the Culinary Entrepreneurs.

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