Culinary Arts
Nothing brings people together like food. Learn to make and serve the best from expert chefs in our state-of-the-art culinary labs.
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Programs and Classes
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Programs
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Culinary Arts
If you like the heat, hop into one of our kitchens! Our Culinary Arts program offers you the chance to learn professional-level cooking, baking and food preparation from the very best. The culinary labs are the classrooms, with the latest in culinary technology simulating what work is really like in professional kitchens. With both daytime and evening sessions, chefs take students through culinary journeys of any kind, from how to sear the perfect steak, to how to bake the sweetest pastry and even how to make mayonnaise and mustard from scratch. There's also the opportunity to step out of the classroom and into a real-world setting at District 21, the on-campus restaurant that serves up four-course meals to paying customers every week.
Employment Opportunities
Hotels, restaurants, country clubs, catering, retail food service establishments
Culinary Arts student
Hall's Pizza Kitchen Culinary Director
"I think it's really neat that it is so affordable. And it's just like anything: if you give it your best, show up on time, and do it well and are respectful, you're going to get a lot more out of it than if you do it halfway."
Read Full Story about Lori Hall
Professional Chef, Culinary Arts Program graduate
Francis Tuttle gave me a snapshot of what the industry is really like.
Read Full Story about Gabriel Lewis
About Jobs in the Culinary Arts
The Bureau of Labor Statistics and National Restaurant Association projected 1.7 million new jobs will be created in the restaurant industry by 2025. Restaurants recently topped the list of Oklahoma industries that had seen the most job growth in the last five years.
9 years
Since 2012, Oklahoma has seen job growth in the Leisure Services sector. It is projected to be 10 straight years of growth in 2020.
Learn from Experienced Instructors
Jason Marsh
Culinary Arts Instructor
Chef Jason Marsh is an evening Culinary Arts instructor at the Rockwell Campus. He joined the Francis Tuttle family from Oklahoma Institute of Technology in Okmulgee where he was a Chef Instructor. Previously, he worked for Inverness Village/Aramark as an Executive Chef in Tulsa. Chef Jason earned his Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts from the Oklahoma Institute of Technology in Okmulgee and completed the Moore-Norman Technology Center Auto Collision Repair program.
Ginger Lugo
Culinary Arts Instructor
Chef Ginger Lugo is a Culinary Arts instructor at the Rockwell Campus. She joined Francis Tuttle from the Culinary Arts Institute at Platt College, where she was a Pastry Arts Instructor. Chef Ginger also owned her own restaurant, the Sweet Pea, in Guthrie, Okla. She obtained her Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts and Business Management from OSU-Okmulgee, and she also received her Bachelor’s Degree in Biblical Studies and a Master’s in Christian Counseling from American Christian College and Seminary.
William (Bill) Leib
Culinary Arts Instructor
Chef Bill Leib is an evening Culinary Arts instructor at the Rockwell Campus.
Anna Banda
Culinary Arts Instructor
Chef Anna Banda is a Culinary Arts instructor at the Rockwell Campus. She joined the Francis Tuttle family from the Department of Central Services where she worked as an Executive Chef in the Oklahoma Governor’s Mansion. She was also an Executive Chef for James Winters Concert Catering. Chef Anna obtained her Associate in Applied Science Degree from OSU-Okmulgee, and she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Central Oklahoma.
Skip Ailstock
Culinary Arts Instructor
Chef Guy “Skip” Ailstock III is a Culinary Arts instructor at the Rockwell Campus. Prior to joining the Francis Tuttle family, Chef Skip worked at Westminster Canterbury on the Bay in Virginia Beach, Va. as an assistant executive chef. He was also a Chef Instructor at Virginia Beach Public Schools. Chef Skip received his education from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rode Island, where he received a Master of Education in Educational Computing and Technology Leadership, a Bachelors of Science in Food Management, and an Associates of Occupational Science Culinary Arts.