Culinary Underground Competitors

The Art Institutes

As the thought leader for the food world, the CIA develops and delivers vital initiatives through strong partnerships with education and industry leaders such as Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Marriott, Compass Group, and Hestan. CIA’s bachelor's, master’s, and associate degrees help professionals advance their careers and prepare for the emerging needs of the dynamic food and hospitality industry. CIA-led conferences, invitational retreats, collaboratives, annual reports, and digital media help foodservice professionals guide the next wave of change crucial to the industry. Many leading companies and organizations—Google, PepsiCo, and Unilever to name just a few—turn to CIA Consulting for business solutions and custom continuing education programs for food professionals. And the college’s exclusive, supportive network of 50,000+ alumni lead every segment of the food world and often looks to hire fellow grads.

Sur La Table was founded in Seattle in 1972 by Shirley Collins, a woman with a passion for food and a fondness for community. Living in Seattle, she fell in love with Pike Place Market with its inspiring blend of products, artisans, and farmers. To her, it was a special gathering place for food lovers and culinary visionaries alike. When Shirley opened her first store in Pike Place Market, she was determined to assemble the best selection of cookware, gadgets, linens and books—even importing exclusive specialty items from France, her favorite culinary destination. Using the market as her inspiration, she thoughtfully filled her store with cooking tools that would bring people together in the kitchen and around the table. This sense of connection and love of French cuisine inspired the name Sur La Table, which simply means “on the table.” Since then we’ve grown to 56 stores across America, with the largest avocational cooking program in the U.S. But some things haven’t changed: We’re still the place for an unsurpassed selection of exclusive and premium-quality goods for the kitchen and table. We’re still passionate about cooking and entertaining, eager to share all we know. Whether the job entails interacting with our customers on a daily basis or providing the vital behind-the-scenes support, we’re all here for the same reason – to create happiness through cooking and sharing good food.