CIA Announces a Bold New Dream - El Sueno - to Promote Latino Diversity in the Foodservice Industry

22/05/07 The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and San Antonio entrepreneur and philanthropist Kit Goldsbury announced an extraordinary partnership that brings a new dream -- El Sueno -- to American foodservice. Together they envision a future where Latin American cuisines are elevated to their rightful place among the great cuisines of the world. To make this dream a reality, the partners are creating a new education and research center -- the CIA's Center for the Foods of the Americas (CFA) -- to promote Latino diversity in the U.S. foodservice industry. The announcement was made at the National Restaurant Association Show.

The dream started when the CIA first served as consultant to Mr. Goldsbury in support of a pilot program for culinary education in San Antonio. Now, Mr. Goldsbury is making a generous and ground-breaking gift to fund a more comprehensive, national initiative. He is pledging up to $28 million to the CIA, with $20 million of that earmarked for scholarship programs. He is also spending $7 million to construct a new facility in San Antonio to house the CFA as a new branch campus of the CIA. The gift is the largest in the history of culinary education.

In San Antonio, TX, and Hyde Park, NY, the CFA will prepare Latino students, and other aspiring culinarians, to enter the culinary profession, providing the opportunity for their career success. The CFA will also become an international center for those seeking to experience, learn about, and research Latin American cuisines. Mr. Goldsbury's gift will primarily fund scholarships for approximately 150 students to pursue their culinary educations each year, as well as the educational facilities on both CIA campuses.

In making the gift, Mr. Goldsbury noted that Latin American food has been a lifelong passion, and provided the basis for his success with Pace Foods, where he was CEO and Chairman before selling the company to Campbell Soup in 1995.

"Our vision is for the CFA to help raise awareness of Latin American cuisines as being among the world's leading culinary traditions, with Latino chefs at the forefront of this movement," he said. "This is a chance to give back to an industry that was the source of my success, by creating educational opportunities that will open doors for others in the food industry."

"This exciting new center advances the CIA's strong commitment to respect diversity in people, culture and food," said CIA President Dr. Tim Ryan. "With the Center for Foods of the Americas, the CIA will both increase its impact on the diversity of culinary leaders, and further shape the direction of the cuisines enjoyed at the American restaurant table. Latin American cuisines are a rich source of new food experiences and innovations for our industry."

The CIA's new San Antonio campus offers a 30-week certificate program in culinary arts and provides a focus for the study of Latin American cultures and cuisines. At maturity, 120 students will enroll in this program per year. As the CFA's new facilities are completed, the vision for the center also includes expanded programming that over time will allow as many as 1,500 professional culinarians a year to participate in continuing education programs, industry research services, and professional conferences that are planned for this campus in the future. With the CFA in San Antonio, the gateway to Mexico, the CIA is adding its third campus nationally.

In parallel, a new facility at the CIA's Hyde Park campus will offer specializations in Latin American cuisines for students earning their bachelor's degrees. Graduates from the CFA campus in San Antonio may also continue their studies at Hyde Park, to earn either their associate or bachelor's degrees with generous financial aid support.

The pilot program for the Center for Foods of the Americas originally opened in San Antonio's historic Pearl Brewery in 2006. Under the tutelage of CIA faculty, 26 students have earned culinary arts certificates to date through the pilot. Now, as an official campus of The Culinary Institute of America, enrollment and programs will be expanded pending the opening of a
new, 30,000 sq. ft. facility in 2009.