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The Business of Food

Learn. Discover. Engage. Evolve.

From agriculture to average restaurant check, the business of food impacts every person on the planet every day.

Whether it’s the latest in growing techniques or the latest in menu trends, Cornell faculty focus on every single step in the process to cultivate, transport, distribute, and prepare the food that we eat. This comprehensive viewpoint allows for an industry-leading perspective on how all of the pieces of this complex puzzle fit together to inform the future of food production and consumption.

Hand holding a glass and pouring beer in a row of beer taps.

Beer Essentials

ONLINE

With this online certificate, Gain an end-to-end understanding of beer production, tasting, and selection needed to establish an effective beer program in a commercial setting. You can also take this certificate to simply increase knowledge, understanding, and ability to appreciate beer.

  • 4 two-week courses, requiring approx. 40 hours to complete
Beer Essentials
Restaurant scene server assisting table

Food & Beverage Management

ONLINE

This online certificate course will teach you the key concepts, strategies, and practical skills necessary for managing, owning, and operating a successful restaurant, bar, or other food and beverage business.

  • 6 two-week courses, requiring approx. 36 hours to complete
Food & Beverage Management
Woman in grocery store aisle

Food Executive Program

OPEN PROGRAM

Offering an unmatched opportunity for food industry leaders to hone new skills, obtain new perspectives, and develop themselves through a curriculum covering emerging food industry trends, personal leadership skills, and best-in-class food retailing skills of the current economic environment

  • 5-Days on the Cornell University campus, Ithaca, NY U.S.A.
Food Executive Program
Salad greens in a dollar sign on dinner plate

The Food Service Profit Chain: A Pathway to Revenue Optimization

OPEN PROGRAM, HOSPITALITY-FOCUSED

This course focuses on an analytical approach to the management of food service operations, including service process management, guest process management, menu development, financial analysis, and technology.

  • 3-Days on the Cornell University campus, Ithaca, NY U.S.A.
  • Alex Susskind, Cornell School of Hotel Administration
The Food Service Profit Chain: A Pathway to Revenue Optimization
Butler tray with graph

Restaurant Revenue Management

ONLINE

In this online certificate course, you will learn the key concepts of restaurant revenue management, examine methods of measuring revenue-management success, compare those measures to traditional indicators of success, and learn the five-step approach to establishing a revenue-management system.

  • 5 two-week courses, requiring approx. 30 hours to complete
Restaurant Revenue Management
champagne flutes on bar top

Strategic Marketing for Hotels & Restaurants

OPEN PROGRAM, HOSPITALITY-FOCUSED

This course offers participants innovative and practical approaches for addressing strategic marketing challenges to improve revenue, profit, and customer loyalty in hotels and restaurants.

  • 3-Days on the Cornell University campus, Ithaca, NY U.S.A.
  • Robert Kwortnik, Cornell School of Hotel Administration
Strategic Marketing for Hotels & Restaurants

Custom Programs in the Business of Food

Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration and Charles H. Dyson School are home to faculty with deep expertise in what it takes to source, distribute, process, retail, and serve food. From supply chain and grocery management to restaurant positioning and performance, Cornell faculty expertise covers the entire process of how we grow and consume food. Whether online or in-person, Cornell Executive Education taps into this knowledge to create custom learning opportunities for organizations looking to invest in teams and become industry leaders in the food industries. Contact us for details of how we can support your organization.