A Once in a Lifetime Opportunity to Support Student Learning!

The SUNY Schenectady School of Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism is deeply rooted in a history of hospitality. Housed in the former historic Hotel Van Curler, the School offers five Associate degree programs, two concentrations, and five certificate programs. Our renowned programs enable graduates to go directly into the workforce, or to transfer in pursuit of bachelor’s degrees.

Our emphasis on hands-on experience sets us apart from other hospitality schools. Work experience and internship requirements reinforce theoretical knowledge acquired in the classroom. In addition, we are extremely proud to be the only post-secondary program in culinary arts accredited by the American Culinary Federation with Exemplary status in New York State.

The Casola Dining Room, Van Curler and Lally Mohawk banquet spaces, Pane e Dolci bakeshop, and the Boucherie all provide practical learning on campus, and unique opportunities for the community to connect with our mission. A lush greenhouse and brick pizza oven further enhance the student culinary learning experience.

The Bean-to-Bar Movement

Much like the craft beer and coffee movements, trends in craft chocolate production have become more prevalent as consumers become increasingly aware of the impact that food production has on our society and our environment. The “bean-to-bar” movement is a loyalty to quality and purity, values born out of a devotion to ethical sourcing and origin.

With a progression toward choosing artisan foods made with natural ingredients, which are ethical and sustainable alternatives to mass-produced, processed foods, now is the time to invest in expanding course offerings at SUNY Schenectady to include a brand new learning lab that addresses the need to educate future culinarians in this important movement.

The Chocolate, Confections & Pastry Kitchen Lab Space at Mill Artisan District will expand the School of Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism to a new level of sophistication and educational opportunity.

The College has engaged a consultant to help design architectural plans to create a culinary classroom and lab space for chocolate, pastry, and baking instruction. 

Not only will we offer students the opportunity to discover the art of making high quality chocolate, a new avenue for our Culinary Arts program; we will also be contributing further to the spirit of downtown Schenectady’s revitalization as students and faculty work and learn inside the new space at this exciting downtown development.

The Mill Artisan District is a $35 million mixed-use development located on lower State Street in downtown Schenectady. The Mill project features the Frog Alley Brewery, a taproom, apartments, Bountiful Bread, Annabel’s Wood Fired Pizza, a fast growing software company, and soon, new craft chocolate coursework through SUNY Schenectady.

The College’s expansion at the Mill Artisan District is another example of how the institution engages the community and continues to offer a diverse array of new courses and programs for students. Future plans include SUNY Schenectady’s Craft Brewing program and a distillery. 

In the new Chocolate, Confections & Pastry Kitchen Lab, students will develop their skills at discovering chocolate through various flavor profiles incorporating sea salt and nuts in dark, white, and milk chocolate. They will utilize equipment including a roaster, a refiner to break down cocoa beans, and a winnower that separates the cocoa nib from the shell.

We are pleased to extend the College’s reach in downtown Schenectady and offer students a new and exciting choice in the Culinary Arts field. The College serves our community in a myriad of ways and offering craft chocolate courses further showcases the excellent work of our students, faculty and staff.

The following set up will enable SUNY Schenectady to begin conducting classes in the new lab:

• SUPPORT AREA with stacking stools, shelving, a rolling tool cabinet, handwashing station, roll-in refrigerators and mobile racks, mop sink cabinet, 2-section reach-in freezers, crescent ice cuber and 500 lb ice storage bin.

• STUDENT WORK AREAS with track lighting, island work counters, chocolate refiners, under-counter refrigerators, an 8-quart mixer, and induction heaters; will also include a teaching island work counter, demo mirror, and ceiling-mounted display monitor.

• POT WASHING AREA, including a three-compartment pot sink with drain boards, wall-mounted shelving unit, handwashing area, under-table dish machine, microwave oven and shelf.

• DRY STORAGE SUPPORT AREA with shelving unit, dunnage rack and 32-tray dehydrator.

• CHOCOLATE PRODUCTION AREA with cocoa bean roaster, mini winnower, chocolate refiner, sifter, chocolate nib grinder, tempering machine and enrober; one of only a handful in the Capital Region.

• COOKING AREA with a triple deck oven, 2-deck convection oven, 6-burner range and oven, 40 lb. gas fryer, sink and drain board, and a handwashing station.

• PREP AREA with a two-compartment sink and drain boards, two mobile 21-gallon ingredient bins, tempering machine, drum roaster, 30-quart mixer, wall-mounted utensil rack, and Pacojet 2 Plus food processor system.

• ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT, including a chocolate sprayer, sugar pump, impulse sealer and portable air compressor.

• RETAIL AREA to include a millwork kiosk, ambient refrigerator display cabinet, and point of sale system.