Le Cordon Bleu Partners With Career Education to Bring Superior French Culinary Training to the United States

Business Wire, Nov 16, 1998

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 16, 1998--Le Cordon Bleu has announced that it has signed an exclusive agreement with Career Education Corporation ("CEC"), bringing the highly acclaimed French culinary institution to the United States for the first time in its 100-year history.

The partnership between the two entities will blend the unique curriculum of Le Cordon Bleu with that of CEC, starting with CEC's five existing schools: the Southern California School of Culinary Arts in Pasadena, Calif.; the Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Ore.; the International Culinary Academy in Pittsburgh; the Scottsdale Culinary Institute in Scottsdale, Ariz.; and the Midwest Culinary Academy, scheduled to open in January 1999 at CEC's Brown Institute in Mendota Heights, Minn.

"We carefully considered our opportunities to expand Le Cordon Bleu in the United States," said Andre J. Cointreau, chairman and chief executive officer of the Cordon Bleu group. "In Career Education Corporation we have found a partner who shares our commitment to excellence as well as our goal to offer a growing market the best trained Chefs that will fit the needs of the industry. Le Cordon Bleu today looks at classic French cuisine as the best source for methods, techniques and processes that can be applied to any kind of cuisine."

Since its founding in Paris in 1895, Le Cordon Bleu has attracted students from all over the world and has gained an international reputation for its unique program. Under the directorship of Andre J. Cointreau, Le Cordon Bleu has expanded worldwide to become the leader in hands-on culinary training. "Le Cordon Bleu is recognized as the finest culinary arts school in the world, with campuses in Paris, London, Tokyo, Australia and Ottawa," said John M. Larson, president and chief executive officer of Career Education Corporation. "The marriage of the classical French Culinary techniques and style of Le Cordon Bleu with the modern 'Americanized and cutting edge' training emphasized by CEC Culinary programs will lead to an unparalleled education for our students in North America."

Most Americans are familiar with the name Le Cordon Bleu from the groundbreaking PBS series "The French Chef" with Julia Child, who received her toque in 1950. Le Cordon Bleu, however, has been training international students in the art of classical French cuisine, including those from Russia and Japan, since the early 1900's. Today, Le Cordon Bleu boasts a student body of over 50 nationalities. After acquiring the school in 1988, Andre Cointreau initiated a program of modernization and international expansion that began with the relocation of the school to a larger, better-equipped facility and the expansion of its permanent teaching staff to include Michelin-star and award-winning Chefs exclusively.

Most recently, Le Cordon Bleu was selected by the Shanghai Tourist Bureau to train their Chefs as the country prepared to open up to foreign tourists. Le Cordon Bleu was also selected by the Australian government to train their Chefs for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and most recently has created a Degree in Restaurant Management at the Regency Hotel School in Adelaide. The continuing expansion of the schools has led Le Cordon Bleu to the area of international licensing where licensed programs, business ventures and gourmet products bearing the Le Cordon Bleu name can be found worldwide. The partnership with CEC will continue to uphold the Le Cordon Bleu's reputation for the quality and excellence the name and distinctive logo have come to represent.

Le Cordon Bleu's sphere of influence expanded with the dining table itself and its surroundings through the acquisition of Pierre Deux-French Country, one of the United States' leading retailers specializing in regional French home decorations and accessories. The expansion of Pierre Deux goes hand-in-hand with that of Le Cordon Bleu most recently with the opening of an exclusive showroom in Tokyo.

"The U.S. restaurant industry has expanded tremendously over the past few years and is expected to continue to grow well into the millennium," said Andre Cointreau. "Schools such as Le Cordon Bleu and CEC are responding to this growing demand by those drawn to this field, and who appreciate the advantage and value of seeking out the best training possible." Le Cordon Bleu's integrated system of diverse teaching philosophies blends the technical, pedagogical and international approach of its French, British and Australasia schools.

The announcement took place today at the French Institute/Alliance Francaise in New York City, where President David Black was presented with two full-scholarships to any of the CEC schools and the complete 20-volume set of Le Cordon Bleu Home Collection Series, by John M. Larson and Andre J. Cointreau, a board member of the Alliance Francaise in Paris. On hand were French and American representatives of business and culture. Served with the champagne were hors-d'oeuvres prepared by Le Cordon Bleu Chefs and experts from Pierre Deux decorated the tables and presented guests with a gift representing the French "Art de Vivre" to mark the event.