Centennial College

Restaurant and catering professionals are responsible for overseeing the daily operations of a catering company, restaurant or a foodservice organization. Their job duties involve preparing and tasting food, ensuring kitchen coordination, supervising supplies and resources, menu management, dining room management and ensuring safety, hygiene and sanitation while cooking and serving food. The professionals are also committed to customer service.

They are also expected to possess strong business acumen as their job duties might also include controlling labour costs, estimating the costs of ingredients for catering assignments, purchasing for commercial kitchen and processing food delivery orders. However, exact roles and responsibilities depend on the type of employment, job title and individual experience.

Career Outlook

Hospitality management - restaurant and catering industry is huge. The Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC) anticipates that the food and beverage services sector will employ over 1.95 million people by 2015. The council also reported that 68 percent of the employees in this sector are young Canadians.

Given these enormous numbers, the job opportunities for graduates in hospitality are anticipated to increase in the coming years. However, entry to the industry can be really tough for those individuals who haven't undergone formal education or don't possess hands-on-experience in restaurant management and catering.

Employers are keen on hiring people who possess in-depth knowledge about food and beverage industry and its operations and hold formal foodservice and menu management training. A diploma in hospitality management - restaurant and catering can be the right choice for those who wish to build a career in this field.

Job Opportunities

Restaurant and catering professionals can find employment with hotels, restaurants, airlines, clubs and bars, resorts, cruises, hospitals, event management companies and other foodservice companies. They can work as restaurant coordinators, kitchen managers, catering coordinators or managers, purchase officers and menu planners. They can be employed in the areas of

Becoming a Restaurant and Catering Professional

Catering and restaurant management is a hands-on-occupation that requires practical experience. But the individuals in this field are also required to possess a strong foundation in food theory, cuisines of diverse cultures, beverage knowledge and culinary business.

Centennial College's two year post-secondary hospitality management program prepares you for entry level jobs in restaurant operations management. The program combines theory and placement in a restaurant or a hotel to help you gain a thorough understanding and skills essential to various segments of the industry, such as menu planning and design, beverage knowledge, kitchen management and bartending. It also covers business aspects of the industry by covering subjects including purchasing, accounting, cost control and human resources supervision.

Enrolling in a Hospitality Management - Restaurant and Catering Program

Students interesting in apply for this program will need:

After the completion of the program, students can choose to either pursue a career in restaurant and catering or apply academic credits earned towards further study.