As a city with some of the most famous restaurants in the world, New York is an ideal place to launch a culinary career.

By Richard Barrington
RWM Columnist
May 03, 2007

New York is celebrated for its restaurants, from corner pizza joints to the fashionable feeding grounds of the rich and famous. It's obvious that this presents New Yorkers with a rich and varied choice of dining experiences--but it also means an equally expansive field of culinary careers.

In a city where dining out is a major part of the lifestyle, culinary training can be a way to tap into a vital source of job opportunities.

Culinary Jobs: A Feast of Opportunities
With the average American spending over a thousand dollars a year on food away from home, the restaurant industry is fueled by strong demand. With 12.8 million employees nationally, the restaurant industry is the largest employer after the U.S. government.

Advancement opportunities include everything from restaurant management careers to ownership of franchises or individual establishments. Most restaurant managers have household incomes that exceed $50,000 per year.

Culinary training can be an especially productive start for women and minorities. Nearly 60% of eating and drinking establishments are owned by women and minorities, compared to less than half of all U.S. firms.

Favorable Trends
So how does a culinary career hold up in today's economy? In terms of job security, culinary training might be as safe a background as you can find, given current economic trends.

Not only are culinary jobs immune to outsourcing, but they may also benefit from the national trend toward healthier eating habits. New menus require changes in preparation techniques and different training for chefs, creating opportunities for newer entrants into the field.

New York: A Culinary Leader
In New York, restaurant and food service jobs represent 7.5% of the state's employment. With over 35,000 eating and drinking establishments in New York, there are many employers to consider.

New York City, besides being renowned for the quality and variety of its restaurants, has also been at the forefront of the trend toward healthier eating, most notably with its recent ban of trans fats. This new challenge will increased the demand for chefs and restaurant managers with up-to-date culinary training.

When you stop to think about how big a part restaurants play in New York's lifestyle, it seems like the most natural place in the world to get your career cooking!

Sources:
New York Times, "Farewell, French Fries! Hello, Sliced Apples!"
National Restaurant Association

About the Author
Richard Barrington is an author and freelance writer. He has written a manuscript on business communication titled "That's Not What You Said!" and a novel entitled "Spinning (out of control)".