Kirkwood Community College’s hospitality and culinary programs train students for careers in Cedar Rapids’ booming restaurant and hotel scene.
Over the past two decades, the Cedar Rapids region’s hospitality and tourism landscape has transformed dramatically, with a surge in restaurant, entertainment and lodging offerings. Kirkwood Community College’s innovative hospitality and culinary programs are at the heart of this growth. The programs help shape the region’s workforce by giving students hands-on experience and training, setting them up for successful careers.
“As a consumer that came into the market in 2006, there were limited restaurant offerings available in the corridor area,” says David Horsfield, professor of hospitality arts at Kirkwood Community College. “In the time since, the amount of choice for consumers who are looking to go out and have a hospitality experience – whether it’s food and beverage or whether it’s hotels – is so much greater.”
Classroom to Kitchen
Kirkwood Community College offers two specialized programs – Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts. The cornerstone of both programs is The Hotel at Kirkwood Center, a full-service hotel and restaurant that opened in 2010 and serves as a living classroom for students. Horsfield says students learn business accounting and marketing strategies as well as operational management skills and how to build relationships with vendors.
“The hotel is designed to give students a real hands-on learning experience where the service they provide and the training they receive is happening with real guests,” Horsfield says…