International Culinary Center

What International Culinary Center does

International Culinary Center (ICC) is a private culinary education institution founded in 1984 as the French Culinary Institute (FCI) and subsequently rebranded to its current name. The institution delivers professional culinary training through three primary product lines: Career Programs for aspiring culinary professionals seeking industry credentials, Continuing Education programs for working chefs, and Online Programs for remote learners. Instruction is delivered at two physical campuses — in New York and Los Angeles — supplemented by an online platform that enables enrollment for students unable to train in person.

ICC has historically monetized through one-time tuition payments across its program portfolio, targeting individual consumers and SMB-level learners rather than enterprise or institutional buyers. Marketing is conducted through the institution's website via "Request Information" CTAs and program exploration links, with no disclosed enterprise sales motion, paid media scale, or pricing transparency.

ICC no longer operates as an independent entity; it has merged with the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), under whose brand the FCI/ICC legacy — including its alumni network (notably Bobby Flay) and instructional staff — continues to operate across ICE's New York and Los Angeles campuses and online programs. Headcount stands at 51-100, and there is no disclosed revenue, funding history, or AI/technology capability beyond the online learning platform itself.

Name

International Culinary Center

Website

https://internationalculinarycenter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

International Culinary Center, formerly the French Culinary Institute, is a culinary education institution offering career, continuing education, and online programs across campuses in New York and Los Angeles. It has merged with the Institute of Culinary Education, serving aspiring and working culinary professionals worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Culinary Education

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (61151)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional Culinary Arts (Chef Training) (EDAOAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Institutional & Commercial Kitchen Training (Schools/Healthcare/Corporate) (EDAOAKAL), Culinary Arts & Cooking (Baking, Pastry, Global Cuisines) (EDAAAGAG)

Keywords

• Culinary education
• Professional chef training
• Continuing education culinary
• Online culinary programs
• Culinary career credentials

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Career Programs Tuition: Full-length culinary career programs offered at physical campuses, providing comprehensive training for students seeking professional culinary careers
2. Continuing Education Programs: Professional development and continuing education courses for working culinary professionals
3. Online Programs: Remote culinary education courses delivered virtually for students unable to train in person

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

The International Culinary Center delivers professional culinary education across three program lines: Career Programs (full-length professional culinary training at physical campuses), Continuing Education Programs (professional development for working chefs), and Online Programs (remote culinary education for students unable to attend in person). Programs are delivered at physical campuses in New York and Los Angeles, with online delivery for remote students, and are complemented by Career Services for graduate placement.

Product overview

International Culinary Center (ICC) is a culinary education institution that has merged with the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE). The institution offers a unified portfolio of culinary programs spanning Career Programs for professional culinary training, Continuing Education for working professionals, and Online Programs for remote learners. Programs are delivered at physical campuses in New York and Los Angeles, as well as through online instruction. The institution also provides Career Services to support graduates in their professional advancement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Career Programs Full-length professional culinary training programs designed to prepare students for careers in the culinary industry, providing credentials, skills, and industry connections. Intended for aspiring culinary professionals seeking to launch industry careers.
• Continuing Education Programs Ongoing culinary education and professional development courses for working culinary professionals seeking to enhance their skills, maintain credentials, and advance within the industry.
• Online Programs Remote culinary education offerings delivered virtually, enabling students unable to train in person to receive instruction and pursue culinary credentials online.
• ICE New York Campus In-person culinary education campus located in New York, continuing the legacy of FCI/ICC culinary excellence.
• ICE Los Angeles Campus In-person culinary education campus located in Los Angeles, continuing the legacy of FCI/ICC culinary excellence.
• Career Services Career placement and professional development resources to help culinary graduates connect with industry opportunities.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Institute of Culinary Education (ICE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe French Culinary Institute (FCI), which rebranded as the International Culinary Center (ICC), signed an agreement to join forces with the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE). The FCI/ICC legacy of culinary school excellence now lives on at ICE's New York and Los Angeles campuses, and online for students unable to train in person. This merger combines two legendary culinary schools under the ICE banner.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• MasterClass: Subscription-based online education platform with prominent cooking and wine courses taught by celebrity chefs. MasterClass targets hobbyists and aspirational learners rather than career-track students but captures the entry-level culinary education spending that ICC might otherwise monetize.
• Rouxbe Online Culinary School: Online-first culinary education platform offering certificate programs in professional cooking, plant-based cooking, and culinary management. Rouxbe represents the digital-native delivery model that competes with ICC's online programs at substantially lower price points.

Broad incumbents

• Le Cordon Bleu: Historic international culinary education brand founded in Paris with a global network of campuses. While largely exited the US market, Le Cordon Bleu remains a global benchmark for culinary credentials and competes internationally for aspiring chefs seeking recognized training.

Direct peers

• Institute of Culinary Education: ICC's parent company following the merger, operating the combined New York and Los Angeles campuses plus online programs. ICE runs an essentially identical business model—culinary career programs, continuing education, and online delivery—and is the most directly comparable institution for benchmarking pricing, enrollment, and curriculum.
• New England Culinary Institute (NECI): Vermont-based culinary school historically focused on hands-on professional training with degree programs. NECI competes in the same New England corridor for aspiring chefs and represents a comparable institution facing similar industry dynamics.
• Johnson & Wales University: A multi-campus university with a prominent College of Food Innovation & Technology offering associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees in culinary arts and food service management. JWU competes directly with ICC for career-track culinary students seeking credentialed education.
• Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts: For-profit culinary school with campuses in Austin, Boulder, and online, offering diploma and degree programs in culinary arts and pastry arts. Escoffier targets the same aspiring culinary professional segment as ICC with a hybrid online/campus delivery model.
• Culinary Institute of America: The preeminent US culinary school offering professional chef training, baking and pastry arts, and food business programs across multiple campuses (Hyde Park, Napa, San Antonio, Singapore). CIA is the gold-standard direct peer against which ICC measures its program prestige and graduate outcomes.
• Kendall College School of Culinary Arts: Chicago-based culinary program offering baking-pastry and culinary arts degrees. Kendall's urban midwest positioning gives it a different geographic reach but directly comparable program structure for ICC benchmarking.

Regional players

• Boston University Metropolitan College (Culinary Arts): Boston University's culinary arts and food studies programs provide another credentialed alternative in the Northeast US market. BU's university affiliation offers a different value proposition (degree-granting vs. diploma) but competes for similar career-changer candidates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iccedu
• Facebookfacebook.com/InternationalCulinaryCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-international-culinary-cente

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Culinary Center