chefs / wanna be chefs

[slow99]

How long does it typically take to finish culinary school? More specifically, Le Cordon Bleu here in Dallas. What kind of job do they typically land out of culinary school? I'm not talking about the top 5%, I'm asking about the median student graduating Le Cordon Blue ... right out of school or a year out.

[Roscoe]

Wow, the markets haven't been that bad, have they?

[slow99]

Wow, the markets haven't been that bad, have they?

Calling bullshit.

[Binky]

Its a student loans factory w a mediocre product.

Takes 2 years and you've got a ton of debt. Most people go on to work in large commercial kitchens like caterers or places that contract out.

[8mpg]

2 years... They dont make that much. We have a family friend who got a job straight out of culinary school working at Gaylord. His only job was to make soups. He made $35k a year I believe. Pay wasnt great and his job sucked. He was thankful though, he had a hard time to get that job.

[Silverback]

the program at El Centro is a better program than most out there, and cheaper.

Talke to bcoop about it, he knows most of the school programs, etc.

[Broncojohnny]

Would this particular school allow a person to cook on a train? Because if so, then the sky is the limit. Billions.

[bcoop]

Its a student loans factory w a mediocre product.

Takes 2 years and you've got a ton of debt. Most people go on to work in large commercial kitchens like caterers or places that contract out.

Some of this. I hate to compare it to say, Devry... Because they do have a decently respectable program... But it's not LCB France. They offer three programs. A "certificate", an Associates, and an Associates in management or some shit. Certificate is around $20,000. Associates is around $40,000. 2 year programs on the associates.

El Centro actually has a really, really respected program for a fraction of the cost.

There is also Art Institute locally, and a few others not worth mentioning.

2 years... They dont make that much. We have a family friend who got a job straight out of culinary school working at Gaylord. His only job was to make soups. He made $35k a year I believe. Pay wasnt great and his job sucked. He was thankful though, he had a hard time to get that job.

Edited: Only if he got an Assoc, and I'm thinking that's on the upper end of the pay scale. Lots of places want 3-5 years to even be a sous chef. And unfortunately, around here, hotels make up most of the market. True chefs don't want to be known as "that hotel guy". You can make good money as a Chef. But for the salary to be respectable, you've got to be the top 5%. Or a hellacious résumé and land a good gig as an Exec Chef after years in the field.

the program at El Centro is a better program than most out there, and cheaper.

I could get my Associates at TSTC for next to nothing. But it's in Waco. The head Chef is good people though, and his facility is very near and dear to my heart.


I sure wish high schools had culinary programs back then, like they do now. I just donated some time to a local team, that flew to Baltimore last week for the Nationals. We had two local teams competing.

Edited response to Tim about pay...

[8mpg]

Maybe it was a bit less... I wanted to say it was $15-17/hr. This was a couple years ago. Either way, it sucks.

[Denny]

Wow, the markets haven't been that bad, have they?

At first I was thinking this...

Calling bullshit.

But realized it was this.

[GE]

I'd venture to say the average pay for a chef out of LCB is going to be around $30-35k for the first few years out of school. Unless you end up running a good place, I don't think many people go too far past $45-50k no matter how long they've been in the game.

[Strychnine]

Is this like when Goose asked Maverick about the truck driving school?

[yellowstang]

Kansas City has the best schools!

[talisman]

TCC SE has a culinary program. 5k for an Associates sounds better than 20-40k to make 35 grand a year. Dang.

[SC457A]

CIA.... only cooking school I would go to. Pro cooks is a brutal job. Almost as bad as working on cars.