The New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute (NOCHI) has established itself as a case study in resilience and the art of the pivot in the two years since its long delayed and much anticipated opening.
Early in the pandemic that shuttered the institution for in-person classes, the culinary school became a central production and coordination site for New Orleans’ meal program that employed area restaurants to feed vulnerable populations. The year-long endeavor that culminated in June fed 3.65 million meals to over 10,000 people. With that experience nailed down, the NOCHI staff was ready when World Central Kitchen, the disaster response organization led by superstar chef Jose Andres, came calling before Hurricane Ida even blew through. Powered by massive generators, the school’s kitchens immediately began turning out tens of thousands of meals a day for regional distribution, for first responders, and for anyone who showed up at the door in need. Over the course of a month more than 420,000 meals were produced and distributed.
NOCHI’s popular rooftop “Dinner & A Movie” series, established to keep traffic in the building at the height of the pandemic, continues with events scheduled through the end of the year.
In October, NOCHI welcomed its sixth cohort in its flagship in-person culinary program while continuing to offer private cooking classes in both hands-on and virtual formats. This year also led to NOCHI becoming a VA-approved institution, enabling military students and family members the opportunity to have up to 100 percent of tuition covered by GI Bill benefits. In what may be its most innovative effort to remain relevant in these most trying of times, on November 1, NOCHI will launch PUMP (Pathways for Upward Mobility Program), an 8-week grant-funded training for BIPOC hospitality professionals. The PUMP curriculum was designed to fast-track employees into leadership roles.
