Overview

The culinary arts aren’t just about cooking; they’re about creating an experience. When a chef creates a delectable meal, it is an experience that plays upon our senses like a musician plays an instrument—a symphony for our eyes, nose, and especially our taste buds. Culinary experts know how to make dining into an art.

As a student of the culinary arts, you’ll learn the secrets of combining the finest ingredients into dishes that are like symphonies for the senses. You’ll learn how to blend just the right portions of spices and herbs, the art of sauce making, and how to cook food to the perfect temperature and consistency without undercooking or overcooking. You’ll learn what ingredients pair well together, and how to be inventive in the kitchen, eventually creating your own culinary masterpieces. When you’re finished, you’ll be more than a cook: you’ll be an artist.

Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers assist waiters, waitresses, and bartenders by cleaning tables, removing dirty dishes, and keeping serving areas stocked with supplies. Sometimes called backwaiters or runners, they bring meals out of the kitchen and assist waiters and waitresses by distributing dishes to individual diners. They also replenish the supply of clean linens, dishes, silverware, and glasses in the dining room, and keep the bar stocked with glasses, liquor, ice, and drink garnishes.  At the conclusion of meals, they remove dirty dishes and soiled linens from tables. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers are sometimes referred to collectively as the bus staff.  Cafeteria attendants stock serving tables with food, trays, dishes, and silverware. They may carry trays to dining tables for patrons. Bartender helpers keep bar equipment clean and glasses washed. Dishwashers clean dishes, cutlery, and kitchen utensils and equipment.  These jobs are also prevalent in limited service eateries, which don’t employ servers and specialize in simpler preparations that often are made in advance. Read More...

Waiters and waitresses, also called servers, take customers’ orders, serve food and beverages, prepare itemized checks, and sometimes accept payment. Their specific duties vary considerably, depending on the establishment. In casual-dining restaurants serving routine, straightforward fare, such as salads, soups, and sandwiches, servers are expected to provide fast, efficient, and courteous service. In fine dining restaurants, where more complicated meals are prepared and often served over several courses, waiters and waitresses provide more formal service, emphasizing personal, attentive treatment at a more leisurely pace. Waiters and waitresses may meet with managers and chefs before each shift to discuss the menu and any new items or specials, review ingredients for potential food allergies, or talk about any food safety concerns. They also discuss coordination between the kitchen and the dining room and any customer service issues from the previous day or shift. Read More...

Combined food preparation and serving workers perform duties which combine both food preparation and food service.  Job responsibilities include accepting payment from customers, and making change as necessary. They request and record customer orders and computes bills using cash registers; they clean and organize eating and service areas, too.  Additionally, combined food preparation and serving workers serve customers in eating places that specialize in fast service and inexpensive carry-out food; tasks may include preparing and serving cold drinks, desserts, milkshakes, or frozen custard from machines, and selecting food items from serving or storage areas and placing them on dishes or serving trays, or in takeout bags.  The job frequently requires workers to prepare simple foods and beverages such as sandwiches, salads, and coffee.  Serving workers also notify kitchen staff of shortages or special orders.  It is not unusual to cook or re-heat food items such as French fries. Frequently, food preparation and serving workers wash dishes, glassware, and silverware after meals. Sample job titles include: deli clerk (delicatessen clerk), dietary aide, school cafeteria cook, bar hop, deli worker (delicatessen worker), food service worker, prep cook (preparation cook), deli manager (delicatessen manager), drive thru window order taker, and front line worker. Read More...

Bartenders mix and serve to patrons alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks following standard recipes.   Bartenders are required to mix ingredients, serve wine and draft or bottled beer.  They collect money for drinks served, and arrange bottles and glasses in an attractive display. They also slice and pit fruit for garnishing drinks. Bartenders must order or requisition liquors and supplies, clean glasses, utensils, and bar equipment; in many operations they also must prepare appetizers.  Bartenders stock the bar with liquor and mixers as well as other ingredients.  They track inventory of wines, beers, liquor and other supplies.  Bartenders must have good memories for recipes of mixed beverages, as well as an ability to recall, out of many patrons lining the bars, who ordered what drinks and what other special instructions the customer may have requested.  A smile and good personality may increase a bartender’s income substantially as tips may amount to as much as 50 percent of a bartender’s income. Read More...

Food preparation workers perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea.  They clean and prepare portions, cut or peel various foods in preparing for cooking and serving.  They prepare food according to customers’ orders or instructions and arrange food on serving dishes, trays, carts, or conveyor belts. They also prepare and serve a variety of beverages, such as coffee, tea, and soft drinks, and carry and move supplies, equipment, and utensils to and from storage and work areas, as well as preparing food for storage in containers and storage areas to prevent spoilage.  Food preparation workers also distribute food to the waiter staff for delivery to customers, and maintain and clean all of the work areas, equipment, and utensils.  They may also be required to butcher and clean fowl, fish, poultry, and shellfish to prepare for cooking or serving. Read More...

Short-order cooks prepare and cook to the customer’s specific demands a variety of foods that require only a short preparation time. They may take orders from customers and serve patrons at counters or tables. They work in small full-service restaurants, grills, coffee shops, and other eateries where dishes are prepared as soon as they are ordered.  Their job requires that they prepare food as quickly as possible. These are typically hot breakfast items, grilled sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, and other items that take only a few minutes to fix.  The short-order cooks must be organized, keeping track of dozens of food orders during rush periods ensuring the customers receive their orders (and not someone else’s orders) and that they are hot. In those periods when the restaurant isn’t busy, they prepare foods for cooking, cutting up vegetables, weighing portions, and restocking kitchen supplies and stores, for example.  In small operations such as lunch counters, cooks may take orders, make out checks, and operate the cash register, wash dishes and clean the counters. Read More...

Food and beverage managers or directors are responsible for the daily operations of restaurants and other establishments that prepare and serve meals and beverages to customers.  Whether in a medium-sized restaurant or as part of a hotel or other larger business, the job can be very stressful. More on the business side than the food-preparation side, the job demands organizational and management ability. Sample job titles include:  restaurant manager, food service manager, food service director, banquet manager, food service supervisor, restaurant general manager, director of food and beverage, and kitchen manager.

Average Salary:

$46,320

Average Hours (per week): Read More...

Banquet chefs are responsible for the execution and organization of catered functions, including running the kitchens, ordering all supplies, schedules, meetings, etc.  They are responsible for knowing and following all contractual agreements between their employers and the guests or clients when developing and preparing menus.  They are responsible for all members of the banquet staff, and must demonstrate excellent management skills as well as monitoring meal quality and customer satisfaction.  Knowledge of food-safety practices and food inspectors’ requirements are also among a banquet chef’s responsibilities.

Average Salary:

$52,135

Average Hours (per week): Read More...

Private chefs work for a single private employer, or a number of private employers, predicated on available opportunities and personal preference.  Duties may be performed in a large residence, or on a private yacht or airplane.  The work is likely to be performed independently more than being supervised closely. Private cooks may work closely with other household employees as part of a small domestic operation.  Job requirements may include planning menus according to employers’ needs and diet restrictions.  They may also shop for or order food and kitchen supplies and equipment.  In some instances this job may include living in the employer’s residence.  Sample job titles include personal chef and certified personal chef. Read More...

First-line supervisors oversee any number of restaurant workers involved in food preparation and serving. The supervisors ensure that work is completed using well-defined procedures but also must exercise good judgment.  Sample job titles include: food service supervisor, kitchen manager, dietary manager, dietary supervisor, food service director, food service manager, restaurant manager, supervisor of food and nutrition services, and cafeteria manager.

Average Salary:

$28,970

Average Hours (per week): Read More...

Fast-food cooks prepare and cook food in a fast-food restaurant. These types of restaurants, of course, usually feature a more limited menu. Duties of the cooks are limited to preparation of a few basic menu items and normally involve operating large-volume single-purpose cooking equipment. Duties of fast-food cooks include both actual cooking time as well as food preparation. Additional duties include cleaning the work area, preparing ingredients, pre-cooking items, and ordering and stocking supplies. Sample job titles include: cook, grill cook, pizza cook, crew person, crew trainer, line cook, pizza maker.

Average Salary:

$16,880

Average Hours (per week): Read More...

Cooks prepare, season, and cook soups, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods, usually in restaurants, but sometimes for caterers or company restaurants. They may order supplies, keep records and accounts, price items on menu, or plan menus. They work in a variety of restaurants, as well as other places where food is served, such as grocery stores, schools and hospitals.  Sample job titles include: cook, line cook, prep cook (preparation cook), grill cook, breakfast cook, back line cook, fry cook, pastry baker, Saucier.

Average Salary:

$24,770

Average Hours (per week): Read More...

Kitchen managers are responsible for ensuring that all food is properly prepared and the standards required by the restaurant, the chef, and the authorities are adhered to.  They supervise all kitchen staff to make certain that they adhere to recipes, instructions, and procedures.  Kitchen managers are responsible for the quality of the food served to customers meets the standards of the restaurant. They coordinate activities for kitchen staff and with various departments, such as dining room, and banquet operations. They oversee the inventory and ordering of food, equipment, and supplies and arrange for the routine maintenance and upkeep of the kitchen equipment and facilities. Kitchen managers are generally responsible for administrative and human-resource functions of the kitchen, including recruiting new employees and monitoring employee performance and training.  Sample job titles include: food service supervisor, food service director, food service manager, restaurant manager, supervisor of food and nutrition services, and cafeteria manager.
Average Salary: Read More...

Average Salary: $37,000 Top Salary: $77,000 Entry Level Salary: $29,297 Average Hours: Varies Union: Service Employees International Union Training Period: Varies Strong Markets: Metropolitan areas Job Growth Forecast: Good

Culinary Jobs

* Includes “Pastry Chef” and “Executive Pastry Chef”

Average Salary: $42,000 Top Salary: $50,000 Entry Level Salary: $13,200 Average Hours: 50-90 Union: Service Employees International Union Training Period: Varies Strong Markets: Metropolitan areas Job Growth Forecast: Good

Culinary Jobs

* Includes “Pastry Chef” and “Executive Pastry Chef”