Schools and Departments

Schools/Departments

Welcome to Culinary Arts. Use the following buttons to navigate to view all Culinary Arts Courses, the Culinary Arts Certificates/Degrees offered, the faculty page and to visit the Culinary Arts program page that reflects our catalog information.

The Mesa College Culinary Arts/Culinary Management program is one of the few in the nation that operates a classroom driven restaurant open to the public. The main cafe operates four days a week, in a restaurant-replicated environment, as part of the laboratory, preparation, and service curriculum requirements. Students learn in real-time and obtain immediate feedback from both instructors and those served. Students, faculty, staff and our community neighbors reap the benefit of extraordinary meals served at unbelievable prices

The program cafe and bakery are located in the new Mesa Commons (MC) building, in MC 209, The Culinary Terrace.  The building is on the main Mesa College Campus. Daily parking permits are required. Click here for a map, directions and parking information.

Lunch Service: 72Fifty – Spring and Fall
Monday-Thursday 11:00 am - 1:15 pm
The 72Fifty menu changes daily, as students work to understand the nuisances of this complex industry.  Please enjoy their daily creative flair and skill, as they work to become the professionals needed in today’s growing industry.
Menu Changes Daily based on seasonal product.
Entrée Prices Vary - $8.50 -  $9.50

Dinners Service: 72Fifty – Fall Only
Wednesday-Thursday 4:00 pm - 6:15 pm
Six-Course Menu-  Amuse-Bouche, Appetizer, Soup, Salad, Entrée, and Dessert
$25.00 - a la carte prices vary.
Take-out Available (please bring bag for your orders)

Bakeshop MC² – Spring and Fall
Monday-Thursday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm (student schedule permitting)
A new addition to our program, the bakeshop is our retail location where student creations are available to the public, from cakes to cookie, fresh gelato and chips as well as many other student created confections.

Program Catering:
The Culinary program students, make, design and offer catering service as part of the classroom and laboratory experience.  Please contact mfitzger@sdccd.edu or twhitfie@sdccd.edu.

Mesa Culinary "To-Table Series"
Monthly - Please Check Mesa Calender
11:00 am - 2:00 pm - MC201 
Free - Students with ID --- $20 non- students at door
A once-a-month lecture series with local chefs highlighting local ingredients. This event is open to the community, faculty, students, family and friends. Sponsored by Jack Ford Taj Farms.

Going Green:
The culinary program is doing "green". We compost  daily and have adopted "cradle to cradle" disposables to help minimize the to-go 'footprint'. In addition, we will continue to bring new "green" products to our students and program as they become available. We are able to use hyper local ingredients from our large rooftop organic garden located adjacent to our culinary program area. 

Careers

Culinary careers are everywhere-in restaurants, hotels, cruise lines, private clubs, resorts, private yachts, culinary schools, hospitals, and educational institutions. You can build your career in one of these hospitality segments, or easily transfer among the segments. According to the National Restaurant Association, the foodservice industry employs more than 11 million workers, making this industry one of the leading generators of job growth in the United States and the nation's largest non-government employer. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the restaurant industry's growth will be more than 30 percent in the coming years.

Culinary and foodservice professionals and owners indicate that the biggest challenge facing the industry is finding educated, competent, and well trained personnel to handle this growth. The income level of chefs, cooks, and food-preparation workers differ among regions of the country and types of food-service establishments. The highest wages typically are found in upscale restaurants and hotels in large urban cities where several executive chefs are employed or in catering.

A major in Culinary Arts/Culinary Management will put you on track to become a culinary specialist with career options as a caterer, line cook, restaurateur, executive chef, food stylist, pastry chef, kitchen manager, private chef, entrepreneur, restaurant manager, food writer or editor, product research and development specialist, or sous chef. There are rapid promotional opportunities in this field for people with increasing skill sets and enhanced educational backgrounds.