If you dream of becoming a chef or want a career in the restaurant business, a degree in culinary arts may be just what your future ordered.
Our Inland Northwest Culinary Academy prepares you with both the cooking and business skills needed to be successful in the culinary arts industry. In addition to developing professional cooking and baking skills, you’ll learn budgeting, purchasing, marketing, personnel management and menu planning. Your training includes on-the-job experience at our student-run gourmet restaurant.
Fully accredited by the American Culinary Federation (ACF) Education Foundation, our program meets the same high standards as top programs across the country. Upon graduation, students are encouraged to seek out ACF certification as a Certified Culinarian (CC)
Detailed Information
Each quarter, students will have the opportunity to learn new skills both in the classroom and working in Orlando's Restaurant on campus. For more information on what you'll study and do each quarter, see our Program Summary.
In addition to tuition, some classes have additional lab fees for chef uniforms, dining room uniforms, knife kits and textbooks. More information can be found on our Books and Tools page.
Our Culinary Arts program boasts a 100 percent placement rate for students who want local or nation-wide employment in hotels, restaurants, private clubs and other food service facilities. In the Spokane area, graduates can expect salary ranges of $18 to $25 per hour to start, ranging up to $85,000 - $100,000 a year for chef positions.
Additionally, students network and make job contacts with important industry leaders through participation in food shows, exclusive dinner presentations, professional conferences, and local charity events.
If you are an employer who would like to hire one of our students, please visit our Career Services page.
Industry Support
Our program enjoys enthusiastic support from local restaurateurs who participate on our advisory committee for curriculum excellence. Local business owners, managers, and chefs contact program faculty and staff on a regular basis to advertise job openings to students and graduates and meet with faculty to discuss curriculum issues and industry needs.
Practice Makes Perfect!
A full-service gourmet training restaurant, Orlando's, complements the Culinary Arts program by providing students with complete, hands-on, real life experiences. Orlando’s features industry standard equipment and facilities.
Scholarships
Since 1998, the Culinary Arts program at Spokane Community College has been awarding the Hector Boiardi scholarship. The scholarship is available only to Culinary Arts students enrolled in classes full-time. The application deadline is in late winter quarter for a fall award.
The scholarship was set up as an endowment from the family of the late Hector Boiardi, founder of the popular Chef Boy-Ar-Dee food line. The award is based on financial need as well as academic performance. A family spokesman noted that Hector Boiardi had a lifelong interest in helping students, adding "it was natural for his family to perpetuate this by establishing a source of financial aid for students."
Scholarships are awarded beginning fall quarter and are renewable for winter and spring quarter. Scholarship information, including application and deadline dates, will be available to students once they are enrolled in the program.
Boiardi Scholarship Recipients 2024-2025:
- Ravyn Forkner $900 award per quarter
- Sal Salazar $900 award per quarter
International Wine and Food Society Scholarship Recipients 2024-2025:
- Rachel Poff $1,000 award
- Sal Salazar $2,000 award
- Inna Zagumennaya $1,000 award