Food Entrepreneurship Programs

Next Start Date

Jul 8

Overview

How to Start a Food Business: Get Training, Mentorship, and a Plan for Your Food Startup

Do you want to become a food entrepreneur? Do you have an idea for starting a food truck, opening a restaurant or bakery, or creating a new packaged food business?

Escoffier’s online Diploma in Food Entrepreneurship and Associate of Occupational Studies Degree in Food Entrepreneurship programs are designed to be high-impact, exploring the skills food entrepreneurs may need to prepare for careers starting or running small food businesses. You can get an opportunity to explore digital and traditional marketing concepts, business planning methods, and core culinary principles and techniques.

Our online food entrepreneurship programs are designed for you to study without quitting your current job. In addition to live classroom instruction, recorded sessions and interactive lesson materials allow you to complete your coursework on a more flexible schedule.

Interested in starting a food business from home? Download our step-by-step Home-Based Catering Business Guide.

Graphic of two photos, the first with two young men standing inside a food truck and the other a smiling man standing in a street kitchen

Food Startups

Get Started on a Business Plan for Your Food Startup and Entrepreneurship Training for You

Escoffier’s Food Entrepreneurship curriculum includes training on business planning concepts such as vetting your food business idea, pitching investors, forecasting, and more. Get critical feedback on your idea from an Escoffier instructor with a professional perspective on food startups and business operations.

Food startup concepts and ideas you might explore include:

Open a food truck
business

Start
a restaurant

Open a bakery
or café

Become a food
influencer

Become a
personal chef

Start a food business
from home

Ready to Start Your Entrepreneurial Journey?

Objectives

Food Entrepreneurship Program Outcomes

The goals of the Food Entrepreneurship Diploma and the Food Entrepreneurship Associate Degree online programs are to prepare students in these areas:

Food Entrepreneur Career Preparation

Acquire foundational knowledge to pursue a career as a personal cook or chef, caterer, food truck owner, restaurant cook, and more.

Explore core business essentials such as cost control, supervision, and menu design, in addition to culinary techniques.

Food Business Marketing

Examine marketing concepts for food startups and small businesses through the lens of social media content creation, food writing for blogs, food styling and photography.

Food Business Operations

Apply business principles in the management of operations and private practice.

Additional Objectives - Associate Degree Program

The Associate Degree program shares the same goals as the Diploma program with the addition of the following:

Foodservice Accounting

Use foodservice accounting and mathematical concepts in business operations.

Food Culture and History

Discuss the role of food and its contribution and influence over history, culture, religion, economics, and politics.

Managerial Principles

Apply managerial principles to the workplace.

A chef with a big smile clasping her hands in front of a laptop and a man chopping vegetables while filming himself with a smartphone

excited food entrepreneurs working on laptop and filming a food demo

Courses

Food Entrepreneurship Courses

Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts’ online Food Entrepreneurship programs include industry-relevant courses designed for students to explore how to start and/or manage a small food business.

Instruction leverages culinary foundations, core business essentials, and marketing and promotion practices specific to restaurants, food trucks, home-based catering businesses, food blogging, private chefs, and similar fields.

As part of the curriculum, students participate in hands-on industry externships with a food business of their choosing. This allows students to build upon and enhance principles covered in live virtual lessons and instruction, gaining experience with various aspects of restaurant, food truck, or other food business operations.

Graphic with two photos, one photo is a pastry chef standing in a bakery smiling and the other is a pastry chef writing notes on a piece of paper inside a bakery

DIPLOMA AND DEGREE PROGRAM COURSES

Culinary Foundations I

This course begins with food safety and sanitation in the professional kitchen, including proper hygiene, food handling, food storage, cleaning, pest control, in a food service operation. Students become acquainted with tools, utensils, and equipment in professional food service and discuss kitchen layout. Fundamental knife skills, cutting techniques, and the concept of mise en place are covered. Production of stocks, soups are included along with an introduction to grain and legume cookery. And introduction to the role of heat in various cooking techniques rounds out a foundational knowledge in culinary arts.

Foodservice Management

This course covers the different types of commercial food service operations, and how to manage each using the principles of good service. Students may study the hierarchy of management in food service, and the skill needed to succeed as a manager: training employees, motivating them, disciplining them, and creating a safe and positive work environment. The course also explores how to act responsibly and make decisions that benefit the company.

Culinary Foundations II

This course offers a deeper level continuation of understanding of foundational culinary skills. Students will be introduced to various dry-heat, moist-heat and combination-heat cooking techniques, as well as understand the role of the five Mother Sauces in cuisine. A greater emphasis on knife cuts and accuracy is focused upon, and plating and presentation are introduced to give students the basic skills necessary to advance in a culinary arts education.

Food Styling and Photography

Students have the opportunity to learn professional food photography techniques using the camera that is always close by - their smartphone! Beginning with an introduction to photography, the course explores how food styling and food photography props, lighting, and overall composition can make your food come alive in social media.

Dough and Leaveners

This course covers ingredient function, leavening agents and mixing methods related to doughs with an emphasis on understanding bakeshop techniques to produce savory results. Production of quick-doughs and batters, flatbreads, yeast-raised-doughs, various formations and related accompaniments.

Social Media Content Development

Students have the opportunity to explore the world of content creation as part of the overall promotional strategy. The course focuses on creating content goals, understanding relevant social media platforms, and target audiences. Students then create a publishing schedule and discuss amendments to the schedule and social media content calendar based on performance analytics.

Purchasing and Cost Control

Three out of five foodservice operations fail within five years of opening, often due to money mismanagement; this course can give students the skills to not only keep their restaurant in business but also turn a profit. This course introduces students to purchasing, receiving, inventory management and menu pricing. Students can learn how to minimize costs and maintain a full range of customer services. The course progresses from the fundamentals of culinary math into an overview of storeroom operations, inventory, portion control, as purchased and edible portions, ingredient conversions, and recipe costing.

Western European Cuisines

Students have the opportunity to gain an understanding of Western European cuisines by exploring history, traditional and indigenous ingredients, flavor components and cooking techniques. Application of classical and contemporary cooking techniques, plate design, and application of proper sanitation techniques.

Menu Design and Management

This course explores creation and application of various types of food and beverage menus. The course covers all aspects of menu planning and design, ranging from visual design to price analysis to making use of available resources. The menu is both a financial tool and a communication tool, and students learn about its uses as both.

Food Blogging and Recipe Development

This course gives students an introduction to creating a food blog to serve a niche market and discusses methods to enhance the success of the blog through sharing recipes specific to the business. The course focuses on keywords, search engine optimization, revenue generation, and creating blog posts to combine the techniques covered in class.

American Regional Cuisine

Students have the opportunity to gain an understanding of American Regional cuisine by exploring history, traditional and indigenous ingredients, flavor components and cooking techniques. Application of classical and contemporary cooking techniques, plate design, and proper sanitation techniques.

Hospitality Marketing

This course identifies marketing orientation as a management philosophy that guides the design and delivery of guest services in the organization. It explores marketing themes unique to hospitality businesses along with established general marketing principles. Helps students become better at understanding, predicting, and influencing consumer behavior through theoretical knowledge and applied strategies.

Culinary Entrepreneurship

This course is a culmination course in entrepreneurship. It covers such topics as business planning, pricing, credit management, government regulation, and legal concerns. Business ethics and the crucial role and importance of management and leadership are also covered. Explore how to write a business plan for your food truck or restaurant.

Externship I

This course provides opportunities for real life experiences in an operational restaurant or related business and builds on the skills and techniques covered in previous courses. In the course, students have the opportunity to apply the skills they have learned in practical ways to real-world situations. Students can gain hands-on experience in a kitchen that mirrors their future work in the industry while developing necessary career skills. Immersion in a work environment also allows students to develop industry contacts and build working relationships. Externship courses are specific to the area of program concentration and must be completed for each concentration in which a student is enrolled. Externship must be completed for each new program enrollment.

DEGREE PROGRAM - ADDITIONAL COURSES

World History and Culture from the Culinary Perspective

Throughout history, food has done more than just provide nourishment. From prehistoric times to the present day, food and the pursuit of it has had a transformative role in human history. Food has impacted societal organization, industrial development, military conflict, and economic expansion. As epicure and gastronome, Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin stated, “Gastronomy governs the whole of human man.” In addition, food also serves a role in the cultural development of religion, economics, and politics. This course examines the role of food and its contribution and influence over history, culture, religion, economics, and politics. Food customs and attitudes are also explored, as well as the social awareness of selected food patterns and customs.

Technical Writing for the Hospitality Industry

Technical Writing for the Hospitality Industry prepares students to write in the hospitality and food service professions. In a professional setting, writing provides readers information they need in a format they can understand. Unlike most academic writing, in which students demonstrate their learning to a professor who already knows the subject, in technical communication the writer is the expert, and the readers are the learners. In the hospitality and foodservice profession, students and professionals write a variety of documents for supervisors, colleagues, and customers such as explaining a problem or product, preparing a proposal, or illustrating a project. This course teaches students to adapt their writing to different audiences and purposes. This course outlines strategies for making subjects clear to readers who need to understand them. To communicate effectively with an audience, writing must meet rigorous editing standards, in addition to writing in a clear, concise style and presenting information logically.

The Science of Nutrition

In the Science of Nutrition course, the basic principles of nutrition are investigated. Emphasis is placed on the nutrients, food sources, and their utilization in the body for growth and health throughout life. Contemporary and global nutritional issues are also discussed.

Business and Professional Communications

The Business & Professional Communications course emphasizes the principles and practical application of effective communication behaviors within professional, business, and organizational contexts. In addition to identifying the importance of effective communication skills to the hospitality industry, communication styles and effective listening methods may be addressed. Students may create and produce oral presentations including cooking demonstrations and special occasion speeches. Listening skills, verbal and nonverbal communication, conflict resolution, cultural differences in communication, and debate techniques are also examined.

Foodservice Math and Accounting

Foodservice Math & Accounting introduces students to managerial accounting concepts and explains their applications to specific operations within the hospitality industry. Emphasis is placed on how to administer accounting procedures to minimize costs and maintain a full range of customer services. After a summary of the fundamentals of culinary math, an overview of basic business accounting transactions is covered including asset/liability accounts such as accounts receivable and payable, ledgers, balance sheets, payroll and financial statements.

Externship II

This course provides opportunities for real life experiences in an operational restaurant or related business and builds on the skills and techniques covered in previous courses. In the course, students apply the skills they have learned in practical ways to real-world situations. Students gain hands-on experience in a kitchen that mirrors their future work in the industry while developing necessary career skills. Immersion in a work environment also allows students to develop industry contacts and build working relationships. Externship courses are specific to the area of program concentration and must be completed for each concentration in which a student is enrolled. Externship must be completed for each new program enrollment.

Accredited and Respected Worldwide

The reputation of the institution where you earn your degree or diploma is an important measure of value. Escoffier is recognized industry-wide as a leader in culinary education. The Boulder, Colorado campus develops and delivers Escoffier’s online programs. It is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training (ACCET) and is approved and regulated by the Colorado Department of Higher Education, Division of Private Occupational Schools.

#1 in the World

Ranked the best culinary school in the world 2026 by Cozymeal

LARGEST IN THE USA

Escoffier is the largest culinary school brand in the United States*

Best Colleges for Culinary Arts

Ranked one of the Best Colleges for Culinary Arts in America 2026 by Niche.com

BEST ONLINE SCHOOLS

Newsweek 5-star Award 2026: America's Top Online Learning Schools

^*Based on comparable student population data for Austin and Boulder as currently reported in Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).

History, terminology, calculating COGS, profit margins, profit/loss, product waste—there’s so much more to learn than just cooking. I'm already winning contests, and I built my own restaurant. I fast-tracked myself…and I really feel like Escoffier was a huge part of that.”*

Lance McWhorter

Escoffier Graduate & Executive Chef/Owner at Culture ETX, Food Network “Chopped” Contestant, Cochon 555 Competition Winner, Military Veteran

*This information may not reflect every student’s experience. Results and outcomes may be based on several factors such as geographical region or previous experience.

What's Your Ideal Culinary Career? Get Our Guide!

We’ve compiled a checklist of all of the essential questions into one handy guide: career options, culinary interest surveys, educational opportunities, and more.

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Cost & Time

Invest in Yourself as a Food Entrepreneur

Knowledge is the most-important asset of any business, but what kind of investment is required to gain the knowledge you need? Fortunately, Escoffier’s programs are designed with affordability in mind.*

The good news: most Escoffier students qualify for financial aid.^† The Boulder campus—including its online programs—is approved for federal financial aid and U.S. veterans benefits.

*Consider your situation and resources to determine what is affordable and on budget, for you.

^†59% of Boulder students who entered postsecondary education for the first time received some financial assistance in 2022-23 for those who applied and qualified, College Navigator, National Center for Education Statistics.

Food truck owner talking inside of her food truck, demonstrating entrepreneurship

Food Entrepreneurship Diploma

Program Cost: $23,980^†
Program Length: 60 Weeks

No Application Fee!

Apply Now Request Info

Food Entrepreneurship Associate Degree

Program Cost: $36,225^†
Program Length: 84 Weeks

No Application Fee!

Apply Now Request Info

Federal
Student Aid

De-mystify the Free Application
for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA®) process.

student aid guide

^†The total program cost listed above encompasses tuition, tool kit, uniform, and an optional non-refundable technology fee if you do not already have a computer. As textbooks are delivered electronically, the cost of books used in the program and available online to the students are included in the tuition cost. For more cost details, refer to our catalog.

How Much Per Month?

For all students, the average amount of aid awarded in the form of federal student loans in 2022-23 was $7,663, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Be sure to check with an Escoffier financial aid representative to understand what costs, loans, and loan repayments might be for your specific situation.

In other words, you typically don’t have to pay for your tuition all at once: most Escoffier students qualify for financial aid, which can include a combination of Pell grants and student loans.

Most of Escoffier’s Boulder campus students (including online programs) who entered post-secondary education for the first time received some financial assistance in 2022-23 (for those who applied and qualified).*

*59% of Boulder students who entered postsecondary education for the first time received some financial assistance in 2022-23 for those who applied and qualified, College Navigator, National Center for Education Statistics.

Culinary student applying egg wash to bread in her home kitchen and another student taking notes in front of his laptop

Your Online Food Entrepreneurship Training Includes

Livestream Instruction and Recordings
One-on-One Instructor Access
Actionable Plans and Templates
Entrepreneurship Training
Mentorship Program (via Escoffier Alumni Association)

A collage of Escoffier online programs interface on a desktop computer and two screens on a smartphone, showing what it is like to learn online

Now Escoffier students can study at the renowned École Ducasse culinary institute in France and graduates can transfer credits towards a bachelor’s degree.

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Admissions

Food Entrepreneurship Program Admissions Requirements

Escoffier’s admissions requirements include a high school diploma or general equivalency diploma (GED). You do not need any specific work experience, nor do you have to take the ACT or SAT to be admitted to any program at Escoffier.

Get Your Enrollment Checklist

Get a step-by-step guide to enrolling at Escoffier.

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Get Your Questions Answered

Talk to an Escoffier Admissions Representative.

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FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions About Our Online Food Entrepreneurship Programs

How long is the Food Entrepreneurship program?

The Food Entrepreneurship diploma program is 59 credits and is made up of five (5) culinary courses, four (4) marketing-focused courses, four (4) industry focused core courses and one (1) six-week long externship worth 6 credits. The program is intended to be completed over five 12 week-long terms or in 60 weeks total.

Can I take the Food Entrepreneurship degree or diploma program online?

Yes. Both the Food Entrepreneurship diploma and degree programs are offered online in a distance-learning format, including hands-on industry externships.

What if I’m an international student living outside of the U.S.?

If you live outside of the U.S. and are interested in our online Food Entrepreneurship program, we’re here to help! Visit our International Students page to learn about admissions, visa support, and everything you need to get started.

Can this program teach me how to start a restaurant or food truck?

The Food Entrepreneurship program is designed to instruct students how to be successful in management and in small food businesses like a restaurant or food truck. The program covers some of the essential business skills such as business planning, hospitality marketing, menu design, technical writing, and more.
Students also take part in a hands-on industry externship at a restaurant, food truck, bakery, or other qualified food business to enhance their learnings with real-world application.
For more information on starting a restaurant, check out our article on How to Start a Restaurant with Little to No Money.

Does the program cover how to write a restaurant business plan?

The Entrepreneurship course covers such topics as business planning, pricing, legal concerns, and more. You can have the opportunity to learn the process of creating a food business plan.

What careers are available as a food entrepreneur?

Whether you want to start your own business or simply supplement your skills with a business education, a degree or diploma in Food Entrepreneurship may open the door to many careers. Some examples include starting a restaurant, food truck, home-based catering business, becoming a food blogger or private chef, and more.

How much does a personal or private chef make?

One of the career opportunities you may consider as a food entrepreneur is being a personal or private chef. The salary of a personal chef or private chef can vary widely depending on experience, location, clientele, and size of the business. Please visit the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics for wage and employment information based on your particular region and circumstances.

How much does it cost to open a restaurant or food truck?

The cost of opening a restaurant or food truck depends on a number of factors including size of the establishment, market location, style, the type of food served, and more. One survey showed that the median cost to open a new restaurant was $375,000, or $113 per square foot.

The Food Entrepreneurship program is designed to provide students the opportunity to learn the skills to run a profitable business. It covers topics such as cost control, purchasing, receiving, inventory management, and menu pricing.

For more information on the costs of starting a restaurant, check out our article on How to Start a Restaurant with Little to No Money.

Are financing programs available?

Yes. Many of our students (who apply and qualify) choose to finance their culinary education through financial aid programs and other resources. Payment plan options are also available. View your financing options.

Are scholarships available?

Yes. Scholarships are available to students attending Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts (who apply and qualify). View scholarship opportunities.

Is your school accredited? Why is that important?

Yes. Accreditation means that an outside agency has reviewed all aspects of the school, and that the school meets or exceeds their standards. When choosing the school that is right for you, it is important to consider programs that are accredited.

Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Boulder, Colorado is nationally accredited by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training (ACCET), approved and regulated by the Colorado Department of Higher Education, Division of Private Occupational Schools, and has been approved by Colorado to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA).

Culinary School Was Critical to Their Entrepreneurial Success

The most successful entrepreneurs understand the importance of education and mentorship. Check out these Escoffier graduates who were able to grow their businesses with the skills they learned from their culinary school courses and from their network of Chef Instructors.

The instructors are like rock stars. They truly care about you as a student and as a person. I opened a food truck while enrolled, and the long hours had me falling behind in my classes. My instructor called me personally, and we worked on balancing the schoolwork with my work schedule, AND she helped me with great advice for my business. If you’re thinking about culinary school–DO IT!"*

Quinten Adcock

ESCOFFIER GRADUATE & OWNER, QDOG CAFE FOOD TRUCK

Seeing how I defied the odds, owning my own small business, working as a shift-lead, as a cake decorator, and being successful, I see what people were talking about two and a half years ago when I initially started researching [culinary schools]."*

Cassie Wallace

ESCOFFIER GRADUATE & OWNER, JOAN & PEARLS BAKERY

Escoffier has helped me to achieve my goals. By the time I graduated, I was so confident to start my own restaurant."*

Arnold Safari

ESCOFFIER GRADUATE & OWNER, CHEF SAFARI'S AFRICAN FUSION

I wanted to enroll in culinary school to refine my skills, with aspirations to expand the food truck business. I needed more training in restaurant management, efficiency in the kitchen, cutting skills, and all other proficiencies that come with working in a professional kitchen. [Escoffier] also helped me feel more comfortable working with such respectable chefs at a very early stage with business."*

Nahika Hillery

ESCOFFIER GRADUATE & OWNER, KREYÓL KORNER CARIBBEAN CUISINE FOOD TRUCK

*This information may not reflect every student’s experience. Results and outcomes may be based on several factors such as geographical region or previous experience.

Don’t leave your food business idea up to chance: get a plan for your business idea and entrepreneurship training for your future!

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How to Start a Food Business: Get Training, Mentorship, and a Plan for Your Food Startup

Get Started on a Business Plan for Your Food Startup and Entrepreneurship Training for You

Ready to Start Your Entrepreneurial Journey?

Food Entrepreneurship Program Outcomes

Additional Objectives - Associate Degree Program

Food Entrepreneurship Courses

DIPLOMA AND DEGREE PROGRAM COURSES

DEGREE PROGRAM - ADDITIONAL COURSES

Accredited and Respected Worldwide

Invest in Yourself as a Food Entrepreneur

How Much Per Month?

Your Online Food Entrepreneurship Training Includes

Food Entrepreneurship Program Admissions Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions About Our Online Food Entrepreneurship Programs

How long is the Food Entrepreneurship program?

Can I take the Food Entrepreneurship degree or diploma program online?

What if I’m an international student living outside of the U.S.?

Can this program teach me how to start a restaurant or food truck?

Does the program cover how to write a restaurant business plan?

What careers are available as a food entrepreneur?

How much does a personal or private chef make?

How much does it cost to open a restaurant or food truck?

Are financing programs available?

Are scholarships available?

Is your school accredited? Why is that important?

Culinary School Was Critical to Their Entrepreneurial Success

Request More Information