Trident Tech opens new downtown culinary facility

Trident Technical College celebrates the opening today of a new culinary facility at the school’s downtown Palmer Campus.

The Culinary Institute of Charleston will offer specialized and advanced courses at the downtown site, a complement to the fundamentals courses taught at the main campus in North Charleston. The school developed the courses based on work force needs of area restaurant and hotel professionals.

Classes at the new facility started in August, school officials said, but today’s celebration marks the completion of all construction and the opening of the facility to the public.

The Palmer Campus on Columbus Street was the main site of the school’s culinary program until 2005, when the program moved into an expanded facility at the North Charleston campus.

The S.C. General Assembly approved $7 million for the renovation of 24,500 square feet of space at the Palmer Campus after Johnson & Wales University announced plans to move its culinary programs from Charleston to Charlotte, N.C. Trident Tech contributed $2.5 million to the renovation.

Five new advanced certificate programs will be offered at Palmer Campus: culinary arts; advanced culinary arts; advanced baking and pastry; hotel operations; and event management. Trident Tech already offers associate degree and certificate programs in baking and pastry, culinary arts, and hospitality and tourism management.

Starting in January, the school also will offer continuing education courses on Asian and Italian cuisine, the catering business, the art of entertaining, wine and cocktails, international breads and the art of creating wedding cakes at the Palmer Campus.

The renovated facility will accommodate 500 students, bringing the capacity of the school’s culinary programs to 1,500. The Culinary Institute’s new facility joins several other Trident Tech programs at the 71,439-square-foot Palmer Campus.