“They covered the whole process” Chicago students learn to become chefs and possibly have a restaurant

CHICAGO (CBS) – The enticing aroma spreads along the walls of the kitchen in Garfield Park, where the creators of delicious dishes are students.

Most on the west and south sides are learning how to break into the restaurant industry. This was reported by Jim Williams of CBS 2
The force behind this free training program is a famous Chicago chef.

At age 21, Daniel Bremer has experience working in restaurant kitchens. First and foremost, he says, is washing dishes. But in this kitchen his ambitions are growing.

“I hope I will have the skills to one day be a chef and own my own place.”

Daniel is a student in a program called Impact Culinary Training. The young people, most of them from the west and south sides of the city, are preparing for life as chefs: an eight-week session at 135 North Kedzie, followed by a four-week internship at a restaurant in the Chicago area.

“All of our students are so enthusiastic about this program. None of them are ever late,” said program director Chanel Rainey. “Some students come here two hours before class because they are very excited about the program.”

They start with learning about food safety and how to handle knives.

“The first few days can be difficult for anyone to learn a new skill, though, and having the right knife technique and holding a knife is difficult,” said instructor Matt Miller. “Because you have to bend your arms the way you’re not used to.”

Then we start cooking and learning recipes and new methods. Student Sidney West used to cook eggs, but not the way she was taught here.

“I never knew how to make a French egg. It’s like an omelet. You basically beat the egg, whip it until you get a fluffy base,” West said.

The co-founder of the company is the famous chef and restaurant owner Rick Bailess Culinary training. This kitchen is called his pride. The goal is to prepare young people for work in restaurants. Program director Chanel Rainey said there were “Need Help” signs in restaurants after the pandemic.

“The restaurant industry is in dire need of trained staff,” Rainey said. “They absorb every little thing, from classroom instruction and job preparation training, resume skills to simulated interviews. They covered the whole process. ”

“To be proud of my work, to learn some skills, to potentially get a lucrative job at some of our restaurants in Chicago – it’s incredible for me,” Miller added.

And learn to adapt to demanding, sometimes stressful, environments.

“I learned to work under pressure,” West said. “If anything happens, you have to go through it.”

So soon in a wonderful restaurant you can enjoy their delicious work.

“I will be more confident going to the kitchen and doing what I was taught,” Bremer said.

Impact culinary training is available for young people aged 16 to 24. Students also learn the skills of resume writing and interviewing. Tuition for students is free. Donors pay for tuition. For more information Click here or go online Culinary training.