Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Chicago

Students who attend The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago are taking their first step toward a successful career as the chef of a fine restaurant, the pastry chef at a four star hotel, the owner of a catering company, working on a luxury cruise ship, and more. CHIC is partnered with Le Cordon Bleu, which was founded in Paris in 1895 and today is the world's most famous cooking school. CHIC awards Associate of Applied Science Degrees in addition to Le Cordon Bleu Diplomas in Culinary Arts, as well as Patisserie and Baking. Modern American technology fuses with classical French cooking techniques to create graduates that satisfy the needs of employers.

Because CHIC is so passionate about food and its students, it has grown rapidly since its founding. Started in 1983 by Linda Calafiore, a cook with a passion for teaching, the Institute has received much enthusiasm from the food service community. The first students to graduate obtained jobs immediately at major hotels and restaurants, and today thousands of professional cooks, bakers, and chefs have graduated and now work at some of the most prestigious restaurants in Chicago and around the country. CHIC became affiliated with Le Cordon Bleu in 2000, and Le Cordon Bleu continually monitors and trains the faculty to make sure the curriculum is of the highest standards and the Le Cordon Bleu spirit is being carried on.

The city of Chicago offers many advantages to students at the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. Chicago is the birthplace of the skyscraper, site of The Great Fire of 1871, home of the Art Institute of Chicago, originator of deep dish pizza, and tourist destination to over 30 million visitors annually. The city's cultural diversity includes an unrivaled tradition of jazz and blues, astonishing architecture, an appetite for hearty food, muckraking newspapers, universities full of Nobel laureates, and some of the most die-hard sports fans in the country. And the culinary scene offers students the chance to be surrounded by world-class restaurants and star chefs such as Charlie Trotter and Rick Bayless.

Foodservice is now the largest private sector employer in the nation, with 878,000 restaurants and 12 million workers, according to the National Restaurant Association. CHIC is dedicated to helping every one of their graduates find the perfect job within this sea of opportunity. Students receive part-time job leads, one-on-one resume writing assistance, interviewing workshops, industry networking, and access to more than 450 job postings nationwide. Graduates work in all sectors of the food industry. Some own their own restaurants, inns and catering companies; some work as personal chefs; while others work for publications, test kitchens, food processors, canner, bottlers, importers, wholesalers, wineries, and more.