The culinary arts management program uses conventional teaching methods and partnerships with off-campus organizations to give students experience in the industry before they enter the workforce.

The program is not just about cooking, but overall industry knowledge as well, said Culinary Arts Management Professor Michael Frigm.

“We focus not only on food and cooking, but also food service specific management principles to train students for careers as food service managers and entrepreneurs,” Frigm said.

The program’s coursework includes financial analysis, marketing, legal control and allows students to apply their skill with hands-on training, according to the Cosumnes River College website.

“We’re focused quite a bit on entrepreneurship,” said Dean of Health & Human Services, Agriculture and Food Kris Hubbard. “That means getting people not only prime for the workforce, but also helping those with interest in starting their own culinary business.”

Hubbard said the students and faculty in the Culinary Arts Management program are important to the campus community and beyond for a variety of reasons.

“I think that the culinary world affects people more than they realize,” Hubbard said. “They work at the restaurants that you eat and drink from, so people need to understand that we are the Farm to Fork capital here in Sacramento.”

The Central Kitchen is an organization working with the Culinary Arts Management program to help culinary students get “real-life work experience preparing fresh commercial meals for Sacramento City Unified School District students,” according to their website.

“I love this department and enjoy working with students and helping them achieve their career goals,” Frigm said.

The Culinary Arts Management Program is one part of the larger Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources department on campus. Hubbard said students will benefit from the experience if they decide to join.

“We have a lot of opportunities for our students who want into the Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources department,” Hubbard said. “Many of our courses are currently being offered at zero textbook cost, so if this is something that even remotely interests you, come speak with us, you can learn more about how your community operates with our classes.”

Frigm said there will be improvements to the Culinary Arts Management program, as the Kitchen Lab will be renovated, estimated to be complete by November of 2024, costing millions of dollars.

“Our new lab will feature a teaching kitchen, a restaurant simulation lab and will be a state of the art facility for food service training in the Sacramento region,” Frigm said.