Lycée CFA François Rabelais

What Lycée CFA François Rabelais does

Lycée CFA François Rabelais is a public French vocational education institution headquartered in Dardilly, at the gates of Lyon, and operating since 1975 under the French Ministry of Education (Académie de Lyon) and Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The institution delivers a comprehensive portfolio of programs — D.N.B. 3ème Prpa-Pro, CAP, Bac Professionnel, Bac Technologique STHR, BTS Management en Hôtellerie-Restauration (options A/B/C), Licence Professionnelle (in partnership with Université Lyon 2), and continuing education — across hospitality, restaurant, and food trades (boucherie, boulangerie, pâtisserie, cuisine, sommellerie). It trains approximately 1,700 learners annually, including around 800 apprentices through GRETA CFA HRA, supported by 220 staff.

The institution operates six training restaurants (Restaurant gastronomique Le Rabelais, Brasserie Tête d'Or, and four pedagogical restaurants: Bellecour, Croix-Rousse, Saint-Jean, Terreaux) alongside EU-approved food processing laboratories (European approval N° FR 69 072 084 CE), enabling hands-on apprentice training in commercially licensed conditions. Its technology infrastructure is limited to standard educational platforms (Pronote for learning management, TurboSelf for cafeteria administration, e-Sidoc for documentation, Calaméo for digital publications) plus Twitch for live masterclasses. No proprietary AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.

Revenue is generated primarily through French state education budgets, Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes subsidies, OPCO/France Compétences funding for apprenticeship contracts, the enterprise taxe d'apprentissage, and modest meal sales from the six on-campus restaurants (€13–€32 per cover). The institution serves four primary customer segments: secondary school students, higher education students (BTS/Licence), apprentices in CFA work-study programmes, and adults in continuing education. Its brand and competitive position are anchored in a 50-year specialization, dense employer partnerships (VIVERIO/Grand Frais, Accor, CFA des Chefs consortium), and an Erasmus+ charter (2021–2027) enabling international mobility across 20+ countries.

Name

Lycée CFA François Rabelais

Legal name

Lycée et CFA François Rabelais de Dardilly

Website

https://lyceecfarabelais-lyondardilly.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Lycée CFA François Rabelais is a French public vocational education institution (founded 1975, Dardilly-Lyon) training ~1,700 learners annually across hospitality, restaurant, and food trades — from CAP to Licence Professionnelle — through six training restaurants and EU-approved laboratories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Hospitality Education

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Apprenticeship Training (611513), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

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), Food Safety, Sanitation & HACCP Training (EDAOAKAG), On-Ground Orientation, Travel, Transfers & Logistics Support (EDAIAHAL)

Keywords

• Hospitality vocational education
• Apprenticeship training programs
• Culinary arts education
• Food trades training
• Professional culinary certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Dardilly

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public State Funding: As a public educational institution under the French Ministry of Education (Académie de Lyon), the school is funded through government educational budgets and regional council contributions. Apprenticeship training (CFA/GRETA) is financed through OPCO (Opérateurs de Compétences) contributions from employers, the French state, and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
2. Restaurant Sales Revenue: The six on-campus training restaurants generate revenue from meal sales to the public. Pricing ranges from €13 (2-course lunch at Brasserie Tête d'Or) to €32+ (dinner at Restaurant Rabelais), with additional revenue from catering and banquet services.
3. Apprenticeship Contract Funding: Apprenticeship training is co-funded through employer OPCO contributions, the French state via France Compétences, and the regional council. Enterprises pay a learning tax (taxe d'apprentissage) which also supports the establishment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Lycée CFA François Rabelais is a French public vocational education institution that delivers secondary, apprenticeship, and continuing education programs in hospitality, restaurant, and food trades. The institution trains approximately 900 learners per year through the GRETA CFA HRA, operates six live training restaurants open to the public, and runs EU-approved food processing laboratories for hands-on butchery and bakery instruction. It also facilitates international student mobility through the Erasmus+ charter and a network of partner schools across 20+ countries.

Product overview

Lycée CFA François Rabelais is a French public vocational education institution (high school and apprenticeship training center) located in Lyon-Dardilly, specializing in hospitality, restaurant, and food professions. Founded in 1975, the institution offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs spanning initial education (D.N.B. Prépa-Pro, CAP, Bac Technologique STHR, Baccalauréat Professionnel, BTS MHR), apprenticeship training through GRETA CFA HRA (approximately 800 apprentices annually), and continuing education for adults. The institution operates five pedagogical restaurants (Le Rabelais gastronomic restaurant, Brasserie Tête d'Or, and Bellecour, Croix Rousse, Saint Jean, Terreaux restaurants) where students gain hands-on practical experience. The GRETA CFA HRA provides advanced qualifications including BP, BTM, specialization certificates, BTS, and a professional license in partnership with Université Lyon 2. The institution emphasizes international mobility through Erasmus+ programs and maintains European approval (CE marking) for its meat processing laboratory.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CFA des Chefs: Off-site apprenticeship training center created in January 2020, partnered with Accor, AccorInvest, Adecco, Korian and Sodexo groups for CAP Cuisine training.

Products and services

• GRETA CFA HRA Apprenticeship Programs Apprenticeship training programs (contrat d'apprentissage) covering food trades and hospitality, including CAP, BP, BTM, BTS, and Mention Complémentaire qualifications, alternating between classroom training and employer companies. Approximately 800 apprentices enrolled annually in the CFA/GRETA.
• Bac Technologique Sciences et Technologies de l'Hôtellerie et de la Restauration (STHR) Technological baccalaureate specializing in Sciences and Technologies of Hospitality and Restoration, a 3-year program with 8 weeks of mandatory internship. Admission via specific candidacy file submitted to the establishment.
• BTS Management en Hôtellerie-Restauration (MHR) Higher technician diploma in hospitality management with three specializations (Options A, B, C) covering restaurant, culinary production, and accommodation unit management. Classes taught at Dardilly and partner university (Lyon 2 Bron campus).
• CAP Vocational Training Programs Two-year vocational training certificates in food trades and hospitality: Boulanger, Charcutier traiteur, Pâtissier, Cuisine, Commercialisation et Services en Hôtel-Café-Restaurant, Boucher, Chocolaterie confiserie, Poissonnier-Ecailler, Crémier-Fromager.
• Baccalauréat Professionnel Professional baccalaureate programs in Boucher-charcutier-traiteur, Boulanger-pâtissier, Commercialisation et services en restauration, and Cuisine, spanning 3 years with 20 weeks of mandatory internship.
• Professional Certifications (BP, BTM, CS) Advanced professional qualifications including Brevet Professionnel (Boucher, Boulanger, Charcutier traiteur, Sommelier, Arts de la Cuisine, Arts du Service), BTM Pâtissier, and Specialization Certificates in bakery, pastry, catering, sommelier, and reception.
• Licence Professionnelle (Valorisation et gestion touristique des produits des terroirs et de la gastronomie) Professional bachelor's degree in partnership with Université Lyon 2, focusing on tourism valorization and management of terroir products and gastronomy, delivered in apprenticeship format. Classes alternate between Lyon 2 Bron campus and Dardilly campus every two weeks.
• Mise à Niveau (MAN) Class One-year preparatory class for students holding a general or technological baccalaureate (other than STHR) to integrate BTS Management en Hôtellerie-Restauration, including 8 weeks of internship.
• Continuing Education (Formation Continue) Professional development and adult training programs including CAP diplomas (8 months), specialization certificates, and short customized workshops in areas such as sommelier, pastry, bread making, and food processing. Classes run in daytime, evenings, or weekends.
• D.N.B. 3ème Prépa-Pro Pre-professional third-year program offering vocational exploration for students after 4th grade (classe de 3ème), preparing them for professional paths or apprenticeships.
• Restaurant Le Rabelais (Gastronomic Application Restaurant) Gastronomic application restaurant operated by students, open Monday to Friday midday and Friday evenings during school term. Lunch from €23 and dinner from €32 per person (excluding beverages). Used as live training environment for students in high-level culinary and service techniques.
• Brasserie Tête d'Or (Pedagogical Restaurant) Pedagogical restaurant offering training in restaurant service with formula lunch options at accessible pricing: 2-course lunch formula at €13, 3-course lunch formula at €16. Open to the public during school terms.
• Pedagogical Restaurants (Bellecour, Croix-Rousse, Saint-Jean, Terreaux) Four pedagogical restaurants providing practical training for students in food service and hospitality operations, open for lunch service at €15 per person across the Lyon metropolitan area. Reservations via GuestOnline platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• ~900 learners trained annually; ~1700 total learners on campus; 30+ students engage in international mobility each year via Erasmus+
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core, major and moderate.

• Association Better TogetherminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2021A mentoring association connecting hospitality-restaurant students and apprentices with industry professionals. Each student is matched on request with a correspondent from a foreign culinary school for cross-border knowledge sharing, skills exchange, and pedagogical best practice sharing. Contact: 06 07 71 29 51.
• International School Partners (Italy, Spain, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Canada, Mexico, Singapore, Hungary, Austria)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2021BTS MHR students benefit from reconducted partnerships with establishments across Europe and beyond. Key partners include: Centro Formativo Provinciale Giuseppe Zanardelli (Italy), schools in Madrid, Barcelona, Granada (Spain), Dublin and Waterford (Ireland), Stockholm – Ava Gymnasium (Sweden), Copenhagen, Monaco, HOGA Villingen (Germany), Gundel School Budapest (Hungary), ICUM Puebla (Mexico), establishments in Montreal (Canada), ROC Rotterdam and The Hague (Netherlands). ProTandem enables Austria exchanges. Erasmus+ International covers Canada and Mexico.
• CFA des Chefs (Accor, AccorInvest, Adecco, Korian, Sodexo consortium)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020CFA des Chefs is a multi-company apprenticeship centre launched in January 2020 in Paris, Lyon, and Marseille. Five major groups (Accor, AccorInvest, Adecco, Korian, Sodexo) co-founded the initiative. GRETA CFA HRA hosts the Lyon class delivering CAP Cuisine in one year, with guaranteed company placements across six restaurant universes (health, hospitality, corporate, traditional, catering, education) and CDI employment prospects at exit.
• FCD – Fédération du Commerce et de la DistributionmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2019A formal partnership convention has been signed with the FCD (Federation of Commerce and Distribution) covering food trades training. The FCD represents large-scale retail and distribution companies that supply meat and other products for apprentice training and provide apprenticeship placement opportunities.
• VIVERIO (Grand Frais stores)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 March 2019VIVERIO, partner of Grand Frais stores, supplies up to 45 tonnes of meat annually (beef, veal, lamb, pork) for apprentice butchery training. Partner stores in Lozanne, Mions, Meyzieu, Chasse-sur-Rhône, Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, and Villefranche-sur-Saône host over 150 apprentices per year. Processing takes place in EU-approved laboratories (FR 69 072 084 CE) meeting European hygiene and traceability standards.
• ProTandemcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2019ProTandem is a Franco-German agency facilitating vocational exchange mobility between France and Germany. It supports over 3,000 annual mobility exchanges in 50+ sectors including hospitality. The school partners with ProTandem for apprentice exchanges with German partner schools (HOGA Villingen, Karlsruhe) and Austrian partners.
• Toques Blanches Lyonnaises, ANTA, Ambassadeurs du Pain, Sensibilité Gourmande, Amis d'Eugénie Brazier, Fondation Paul Bocuse, Association des Sommeliers Lyonnais et Rhône-AlpesmoderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2019These professional associations collaborate regularly with the school on curriculum development, competition judging, guest chef demonstrations, and industry events. They provide industry expertise, networking, and credibility within the Lyon gastronomy community.
• A.F.L.Y.H.T. (Association Française des Lycées d'Hôtellerie et de Tourisme)moderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2019Founded in 1993, the AFLYHT is a national network of public and private hospitality-tourism schools and companies. The network promotes excellence in hospitality education, facilitates European and international exchanges, maintains industry relationships for curriculum relevance, and advocates for training validation with the Ministry of Education.
• Université Lyon 2 (Licence professionnelle partnership)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2018Since September 2018, a partnership enables CFA apprentices and students to pursue a Licence Professionnelle 'Valorisation et gestion touristique des produits des terroirs et de la gastronomie' via apprenticeship. Classes run alternating between the Lyon 2 Bron campus and the Dardilly campus every two weeks. The programme delivers 400 hours of training (September 2020 – March 2021). Contact: Delphine Billat ([email protected]).
• Erasmus+ (via consortia CERAPRO and Avenir+, DRAREIC, GIP FIPAG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014The campus holds the Erasmus+ ECHE charter (2021–2027) enabling student and staff mobility across Europe and beyond. The school participates in the CERAPRO (vocational) and Avenir+ (higher education) academic consortia, coordinated by DRAREIC and GIP FIPAG, which manage Erasmus+ funding allocations and administrative processes. Mobility opportunities span all programme countries and include Canada, Mexico, and Singapore via Erasmus+ International. On average 30 students depart annually on Erasmus placements.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Institut Paul Bocuse: Lyon-based private higher-education institution dedicated to hospitality, gastronomy, and food service management. Most direct peer in the same geography targeting overlapping Bac+ and international student segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lyccfafrabelaislyondardilly
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/lyceefrancoisrabelaisdardilly

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Lycée CFA François Rabelais