NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Do you like pizza? Are you looking to join the culinary industry and don’t know how to? NOCHI, the New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute is inviting prospective students to attend an open house on July 21. The open house will be from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 725 Howard Avenue.
The institute is inviting anyone interested to the “Make-Your-Own-Pizza Party Event.” Prospective students will have a chance to tour the facility and learn from NOCHI instructors while getting a hands-on activity of making a pizza from scratch.
The event will give locals an opportunity to learn about NOCHI’s 6- month certificate program in culinary arts or baking. The goal of the non-profit organization is to educate a community of learners on the ever-evolving hospitality industry.
Leah Sarris, the Executive Director of NOCHI said over 500 people have walked through the doors since it launched in 2019. She said many students who joined the program were able to find jobs in the food industry easily.
“Our students really range from just out of high school we even had people who are even 74 years old come through our program who did it more as a hobby.” She added that the program is for students who don’t want to spend a lot of time in school and start making money in the culinary industry. “It’s an opportunity to get people in and out of the door within 6 months but really have strong skill sets to succeed.”
Sarris said she sees the students succeeding because of instructors like Rebecca Klaskala who has a passion for helping others.
“What sets NOCHI apart from other culinary schools is we have taken what is two years of knowledge and work and condensed it into 100 perfect days of just what they need to know,” said Klaskala.
Students like Sarah Wrench, who came all the way from Hawaii just for the program said New Orleans is so special. She said she knew that she wanted to learn from a place where there is such a deep appreciation for food and culture. She said that this is the perfect place to learn about food, culture, and hospitality.
Anyone interested in signing up for the “Make-Your-Own-Pizza Party Event” can click here. The event is free and designed for prospective applicants to NOCHI’s certificate program. Registration is not required, but all registered attendees will receive a NOCHI swag bag.
