Students from Allie’s Place Center for Culinary Education & Employment recently attended the New York Restaurant Show alongside the Culinary Team, gaining firsthand exposure to the many facets of the restaurant and hospitality industries. The event provided an opportunity for students to meet industry professionals, explore innovative technology, and consider career paths beyond the traditional restaurant setting.
“We wanted our students to experience how vast the culinary industry is, and that there are many professionals from a lot of industries [who] work with us to make operations run,” said Gabriel Rodriguez, Director of Culinary Education. “Whether they are distributors of food, glassware or kitchen tech, we all work as separate gears to make sure our machine continues to run smoothly. Even if they don’t end up being a chef, perhaps a vendor or business owner they spoke [to] might inspire them to look for jobs off the beaten path.
For Angelica Vega, a student who recently became an intern at the Culinary Center after completing the program, the event was an eye-opening experience.
“I learned a lot. I want to start my own business. So, it was very cool to see a lot of behind the scenes, a lot of things that I didn’t know would go into business,” Angelica said. “It was also very cool to see how the technology has upgraded.”
Throughout the event, students had the chance to connect with vendors, equipment suppliers, and food industry professionals. One standout moment for Rodriguez was seeing one student, Neira, engage with a company specializing in branding and packaging for food businesses.
“She was able to network and get a quote for her baking business to take it to that next level,” Chef Gabriel said.
Angelica was particularly inspired by a woman-owned company that helps promote other businesses, and one of her favorite parts of the show was exploring a fully equipped food truck.
“That’s something that I want to do in the future. Walking in the food truck and just looking at the equipment—hands-on—and seeing how big it is from the inside, how many people can fit in it, it made me picture where I want my food truck—and how I want things to be.”
Chef Gabriel believes experiences like the New York Restaurant Show play a crucial role in shaping students’ career aspirations.
“Without a doubt attending an event like this gives them insight as to how many factors come into play when pursuing a private business. Seeing live demonstrations and attending speaking panels opens up their mind and hearts and gives them that spark they may have needed to just go for it and incentivizes them to begin looking for roles in the industry,” said Chef Gabriel.
“Information is knowledge,” Angelica said. “I feel like [the Culinary Center] is doing a great job of giving me the information, especially today, I feel like I left with my head high. I feel more confident in what I want to do, and I just love this industry. It’s so fun.”
