Leyenda Opens as
Capstone Project of Intrapreneurship Academic Concentration
Hyde Park, NY – With the opening of the Leyenda quick-service Mexican concept on
September 14, the first class of The Culinary
Institute of America’s culinary Intrapreneurship Studies concentration began the new semester by putting its business innovation
ideas into practice. Leyenda serves the campus community as one of several
dining options in the college’s new dining venue, The Egg.
In contrast to “entrepreneurship,” which requires creating
one’s own business, intrapreneurship involves business innovation from within
an existing organization. This new Ѹ program is for juniors
and seniors pursuing their bachelor's degrees in management.
“Other than securing financing, this concentration helps
students develop all the skills necessary to be entrepreneurs,” says Dr. Annette Graham, associate dean of business
management at the Ѹ. “Students have an opportunity to participate in all
phases of restaurant development. Working in groups, they must create a concept
appealing to fellow students, faculty, and staff. This is additionally
challenging because of the discerning palates of their peers.”
During their pitch, students in each group must convince a
panel of industry experts that their concept is the most compelling in terms of
market, taste, uniqueness, and potential for profitability and replication. The
full class then rallies around the winning pitch. The students have one semester
to build the concept into a functioning restaurant which they actually operate during
their final semester of senior year in a class called Intraventure Operations.
Preparation includes developing healthful recipes, focusing on maintaining food
cost, and streamlining production and service. Each class also markets the
restaurant, develops financial reporting documents and human resource materials,
and programs the point-of-sale (POS) system. Each student must put in at least
five hours a week working in the restaurant in addition to their other classes.
“Being an entrepreneur is an integral part of becoming a
chef,” Ѹ graduate Enrique Olvera said while
sampling the offerings at Leyenda. Olvera is chef/owner of Pujols in Mexico
City, ranked #16 on the San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for
2015. “More and more chefs are partners. The business part of a restaurant is
inseparable from your dreams of cooking, and the two must align.”
Each semester, a new group of students will open and manage
a different concept in the Innovation Kitchen in The Egg. The next concept,
Terra Frites, will open in January.
Photo Captions and Hi-Res Images:
Photo 1 (top photo): Students work the line at Leyenda in the Innovation Kitchen at The Culinary
Institute of America’s student dining venue. Creating and running a restaurant concept
they develop themselves is the capstone project of the college’s
Intrapreneurship academic concentration. (Photo
credit: Ѹ/Phil Mansfield)
Photo 2: Celebrated
Mexican chef Enrique Olvera ’97, who has one of the top-rated restaurants in
the world, samples the offerings at Leyenda, a dining concept conceived and
operated by students at Ѹ as part of the
Intrapreneurship academic concentration. (Photo
credit: Ѹ/Phil Miller)
Media Contact:
Jeff Levine
Communications Manager
845-451-1372
j_levine@culinary.edu
Founded in 1946, Ѹ is the world’s premier
culinary college. Dedicated to driving leadership development for the
foodservice and hospitality industry, the independent, not-for-profit Ѹ
offers associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts;
bachelor’s degree majors in management, culinary science, and applied food
studies; and executive education through its Food Business School. Its
conferences and consulting services have made the Ѹ the think tank of the food
industry in the areas of health & wellness, sustainability, world cuisines
& cultures, and professional excellence & innovation. The college also
offers certificate programs and courses for professionals and enthusiasts. Its
worldwide network of 48,000 alumni includes leaders in every area of
foodservice and hospitality. The Ѹ has campuses in New York, California,
Texas, and Singapore.
# # #