FOODSERVICE DESIGN CERTIFICATE COVER STORY
few people realize that foodservice design consulting is a career path,” Held says. “We’re focused on creating an educated career path for students interested in this line of work.” For years, consulting firms have had
to cobble together teams recruited from architectural, design and hospitality industries with a lot of in-house training. “Most consulting firms are small, so to train an incoming project coordinator person is extremely time-consuming and expensive for firms because they have to take time away from billable work,” Held says. “We’re hoping this Certificate program puts all the pieces together – both for the students and for working professionals.” Te Certificate program, which
officially launched on 1 July for the 2024 school year, encompasses six courses (three in the fall, three in the spring) spanning both the interior design and hospitality management departments, including food safety and sanitation; materials and finishes for interior design; digital rendering for interiors; commercial foodservice preparation; menu planning and purchasing;
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ON CREATING AN EDUCATED CAREER PATH FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THIS LINE OF WORK”
WE’RE FOCUSED
and foodservice design. Additional learnings taught through the certificate that are critical in the field of foodservice consulting include Foodservice accounting & budgeting; Foodservice equipment laws; Regulations & specifications in foodservice design; Kitchen/interior/ architectural design; Foodservice equipment mechanical; Electrical and plumbing systems; Foodservice consulting technology & tools; Equipment distribution; Bidding & procurement; and Project management & quality control. In addition, the program teaches “an understanding of ergonomics and workflow, sustainability practices in kitchen design and project management skills – that’s a big one,” Held says.
To inform some of those best practices, Held and the EF have been working to recruit FCSI members as guest instructors covering topics such as programming, space analysis, equipment selection, MEP requirements, trends in design, robotics and AI, and more.
ORIGIN STORIES Te idea of creating an educational path or schooling for foodservice consulting has been brewing in FCSI circles for decades, but the crucial moment toward an actual Certificate program began “with an RFP just after the FCSI TAD Conference in Montreal last year,” says Held. Te EF worked with an educational
expert to guide the team through the process of submitting an RFP to universities to gauge interest. About 20 universities responded, and the EF committee narrowed the pool down to six. “Of those, Western Kentucky was
the only university that responded and in the interview actually mentioned the importance of including Revit in the course curriculum,” Held says. Tat sealed the deal,
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