By: Cat Pastoor
College of DuPage’s Culinary and Hospitality program is helping existing and new businesses expand their industry reach thanks to a new 4-credit-hour certificate program launching this fall.
COD’s Gastronomy and Marketing in Hospitality certificate is offered as a single course, allowing students to earn their credential in just one semester.
Hospitality and Tourism Professor Mary Beth Leone began conceptualizing the certificate’s curriculum when students told her they wanted to learn more about the marketing side of the industry.
“I started to see students during the pandemic doing their own thing,” she said. “They would start their own business, work with a product at a farmers market or open up a bakery, and they still didn’t have that knowledge, particularly with food and beverage.”
While writing the curriculum, Leone realized that gastronomy marketing held an even wider relevance. Culinary and Hospitality students of every major could benefit from learning about online marketing and food tourism.
“We’re going to be talking about social media marketing. We’re going to be talking about the history of gastronomy,” she said. “We’ll talk about coffee, food trucks, events and farmers markets. We know this will be a fantastic place for students to come learn a little bit more about some of the trendier things that are happening.”
The skills and principles taught in the Gastronomy and Marketing in Hospitality program are not only helpful for individuals trying to launch a business or product, but also for already established small businesses, particularly restaurants and bakeries, who may not have any connection to a corporate office with marketing resources.
For more information about the Gastronomy and Marketing in Hospitality certificate, contact Program Support Specialist Tracey Dulceak at dulceakt@cod.edu or (630) 942-2514.