Johnson & Wales University Contributes to a Culinary Renaissance
BY LEE RHODES
What brings a steady stream of newcomers -- some say as many as 33 a day -- to Charlotte?
Well, there's the city's strong banking presence. And its enviable climate. Not to mention an oxymoronic sense of cosmopolitan charm.
Those and other factors have contributed to an influx of residents from cities, and nations large and small. And they have settled in a metro area that's gaining a reputation for another highly prized amenity: a burgeoning culinary industry.
Charlotte's culinary advancement paralleled the arrival of Johnson &
Wales University (J&W), which opened its uptown Charlotte campus in
2004 at the urging of key industry leaders.
Billed as "more than a cooking school," J&W originated as a business institution in the early 20th century (see page 29) and today has more than 16,000 students enrolled in business, culinary, hospitality, education and technology programs at four campuses in the United States. Although it has a host of degree options, the university remains known for its innovative culinary opportunities. Among them: an intensive, accelerated program known as Advanced Standing that was held this summer.
"It's for students who already have extensive experience but are looking for a formal degree," explains Peter Lehmuller, dean of the College of Culinary Arts. "It's pretty grueling. It allows them to get through their freshman year over the course of a summer."
J&W Meets CRRA
's
Realtor® Expo, held March 12 at the Charlotte Convention Center, about 50
students who were enrolled in the university's Hospitality Event Management
class volunteered their
services throughout the day. While keynote speaker Terry Watson delivered his
address during a luncheon, some of the J&W students helped to admit audience
members to Watson's presentation. Afterward, all of the students were required
to write papers about
their experiences.
"The students were so professional," says Michele Di Donato, CRRA's vice president of Member Services. "They really just jumped in and did a great job. I told (their professor) that I definitely want them to do it again next year." One of the students who participated in this year's Expo was Jaime Silva. He worked at the welcome table, greeting Realtors® upon their arrival, providing them with maps of the show and directing them around the convention center. Throughout the day, he also interacted with the convention center staff and members of CRRA.
Silva admits that, while he recently earned a degree in culinary and food-service management, he's always harbored a fascination with the real estate industry.
"I personally chose the Realtor®(Expo) because I know the Charlotte real estate market is booming and I thought there would be a lot of people and a lot going on," he says.
'A Great Place
to Be'
When it comes to opportunities in the food-service sector and interest in the
culinary industry, there is, indeed, a lot going on in Charlotte.
"I'm a transfer to Charlotte myself," says Lehmuller, "and the immediate sense that I got upon arriving was that this is a great place for Johnson & Wales to be because there is a tremendous amount of interest in food and wine.
"As people move from Chicago, New York and Dallas, they bring those expectations with them, and Charlotte is really well-poised to meet those expectations. We have chefs who are committed to great food, great service and great wine."
Lehmuller predicts that Charlotte will only become more desirable, particularly for young chefs. In fact, the Queen City might buck the trend, because while the nature of a career in culinary arts is to move around, many J&W alumni are settling in Charlotte.
"Our presence is just starting to take hold here," he explains. "This is the completion of our third academic year, and many graduates are staying in Charlotte because this is where the action is in North Carolina. Raleigh has some great restaurants, but because of the growth here in Charlotte, the opportunities are just spectacular."
Three members of J&W's alumni from three different campuses, who are making the Charlotte area their home, bear out Lehmuller's assertion.
A Valuable Hub
Ricky Burns is a May 2007 graduate of the Charlotte campus of J&W. He chose this city's campus for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is its locale.
"I love uptown Charlotte," he says. "It's the center of gravity. There's always a new building or a new concept or new people. I like to be part of that community."
Other draws? Burns was intrigued by the hands-on approach fostered at J&W; students are in the kitchen for six hours at a stretch. In addition, Burns gained valuable time management and people management skills from the school. With major projects due every few days, students learn to create and work with many different people in a short time. He is also pleased with the networking skills he learned at the university.
"One
of the biggest things I've gained from J&W is a networking knowledge and a
network base that you can't beat," he says, adding, "The great thing about J&W
is that they teach you management. You don't go there to be a chef; you go there
if you want to be a manager."
Today, Burns owns a successful business and recently began an ambitious foundation. As a professional clown for 11 years, he runs Clownin Around Entertainment, which handles all manners of entertainment and party needs, from concessions and face painting to magic acts and moonwalks. Since he is often asked to cater special events, including corporate functions, his culinary arts degree dovetails nicely with his business. Last year, he launched a nonprofit foundation for disabled children, and he's in the process of sending a child with dreams of becoming an astronaut to the National Space Camp in Alabama.
"I want kids to have an opportunity to see their dreams come true and see that anything is possible," he says.
His dreams have certainly come to fruition, and he gives a good deal of credit to Charlotte.
"When I got to Charlotte, my business grew immensely becauseof the enterprises
around here," he says. "I plan to stay. Charlotte is
such a big hub for so many things, and I like to be part of that hub."
What's Not to Love?
Another J&W alum, Adam Dietrich, also plans to make Charlotte his permanent
home. As a graduate of the Charleston J&W campus with a degree in food-service
management, he first arrived in the Queen City for a management position at
Upstream Restaurant. After a couple of years, he moved to Mimosa Grill and
currently works as its restaurant manager. He remarks that he found the
Charlotte market too inviting to pass up. He recently bought a house in
Matthews, choosing the small hamlet for its "quiet, quaint feel" and the organic
farmer's market it offers on Saturdays.
"It was close to Charlotte without being Charlotte," says Dietrich, who raves about his real estate agent, Libby Burleson with Keller Williams in Ballantyne. A former server at Upstream, Burleson left the restaurant business to pursue her real estate license. But Dietrich says it was her knowledge of the former that made her so successful in finding the perfect house for him, the first one he has purchased.
"She was amazing," Dietrich says about Burleson. "She's been in my shoes. I picked someone with a restaurant background because she knows the kind of schedule I have, and in particular the kind of schedule I have being a restaurant manager. And she was someone that I knew already. That was very important to me."
Joe Chiovera is a graduate of the J&W campus in Providence, R.I., who earned degrees in culinary arts and food-service management. After a successful stint with Sheetz heading up its On the Run brand in the Charlotte market, Exxon recruited him to work as its U.S. concept-development manager. He and his family make their home "within the pillars" of Ballantyne and have twice turned down opportunities to move, even at the risk of leaving the company.
"I'm staying put," he says. It's a great place to raise my children and I love the sense of community in the development where we live. When you look at the activities for the kids " the arts, the camps in the summertime " that's a big attraction for us as well. We also found a great church that we really feel a part of, which we never had before."
Chiovera also raves about the ever-growing roster of new restaurants and hotels and the favorable climate, adding, "You truly experience four seasons. I'm from New Jersey and my wife is from deeper South Carolina and in those places you usually get gypped. The whole package is just real attractive to us."
That package is a factor that influences not only individuals but institutions like J&W. As Peter Lehmuller puts it: "I keep thinking to myself: (Johnson & Wales) couldn't have made a better strategic decision than to consolidate here in Charlotte."
Reprinted from REALTOR® Reflections with permission of the CHARLOTTE REGIONAL REALTOR® ASSOCIATION. Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
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