New Culinary School Opens At County College Of Morris

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — Future chefs are overjoyed following the announcement that the County College of Morris (CCM) has opened a culinary school at the Randolph campus.

This week, the CCM hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the college’s Center for Entrepreneurship & Culinary Science (CECS).

Joining were college officials, students, legislators, and more, as well as esteemed New Jersey chef and restaurateur David Burke. Burke is known for running restaurants, including 1776 on the Green, Red Horse, Drifthouse, and others in the tri-state area.

“People can work here affordably and go to school here and get good jobs,” said Burke, who was the event’s keynote speaker. “Twenty-five years from now, the best restaurants in the state will be in Morris County because of this culinary school at CCM.”

The facility was first announced in 2021 and broke ground in 2023. It resulted from a nearly $12 million investment, including $7.3 million from the State of New Jersey and $4.6 million approved by the Morris County Board of County Commissioners.

The center will serve as the home of the Culinary and Hospitality Arts Institute of New Jersey (CHAI-NJ), preparing students for careers as executive chefs, hospitality leaders, and culinary entrepreneurs, according to officials.

It features “a state-of-the-art baking kitchen designed to reflect professional culinary environments and gain hands-on experience using industry-grade equipment.”

In addition to culinary arts, the facility’s Center for Entrepreneurship will “support innovators and business creators at every stage through certificates, associate degree programs and non-credit workforce training, while providing mentorship, practical business tools and industry expertise to help guide ventures from concept to growth.”

“Students at CCM don’t just receive an extraordinary education -- they gain real insight from world-class leaders working in their fields,” said Dr. Anthony Iacono, president of CCM. “That kind of experience prepares them for opportunity and helps ensure our workforce remains strong and competitive.”