Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Reaches Milestone with 1100 Graduates Since 2003



The association of Las Vegas with Le Cordon Bleu, a prestigious culinary arts institute with Parisian roots dating to 1895, may seem odd at first glance. But as the city has evolved into one of the country's top five dining destinations - as named by Bon Appetit in 2006 - its need for highly skilled culinary individuals has exploded. Enter Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts - Las Vegas, which opened its doors in July 2003 in the suburban master-planned community of Summerlin - approximately 12 miles from the Las Vegas Strip. The school, housed in a 60,000-square-foot industry-current facility that features 10 demonstration kitchens, has already graduated more than 1,100 students and boasts a current enrollment of more than 700. Not bad in a city once known as the "land of the all-you-can-eat buffet."

According to Kenneth Shore, president of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts - Las Vegas, the city has reinvented itself as a world-class shopping, entertainment and dining destination over the past decade with shopping, entertainment and dining growing in popularity as major reasons why 40-plus million tourists visit Las Vegas every year.

"Fine dining has become a major part of the Las Vegas experience, and culinary schools, like Le Cordon Bleu, play an important role in supporting the city's growing and increasingly high profile culinary industry," he said.

According to Shore, there is no typical Le Cordon Bleu student. "They range from recent high school graduates to mid-life career changers and those already working in the culinary industry seeking to improve their professional status," said Shore. "We offer a very intense 15-month course that combines classical and fundamental techniques with contemporary methods; students must master a multitude of specific culinary techniques prior to graduation." Graduates receive an Associate of Occupational Science Degree as well as a Le Cordon Bleu Diplme. Graduates also receive ongoing job placement assistance.

Proof positive of the school's success are the jobs that graduates have landed - both in and out of the city. In Las Vegas, the list includes such restaurants as Bradley Ogden at Caesar's Palace, The Four Seasons, Picasso at Bellagio and Daniel Boulud at Wynn. The list is equally impressive outside Las Vegas and includes such faraway places as 3-star Michelin-rated Restaurante Martin Bersategui in Spain.

To prepare students for the real world, the school operates a fine dining restaurant, Caf Bleu, run entirely by students who rotate as cooks, bar tenders, waiters and hosts during their last few weeks at the school. "The restaurant offers gourmet food at a nominal price," said Shore. "A gourmet meal - from energetic and eager-to-please personnel - at a fraction of the price one would pay for a dining experience of equal quality on the Las Vegas Strip."

For more information on Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts - Las Vegas, visit its website at



Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Reaches Milestone with 1100 Graduates Since 2003