New Culinary Studies Institute

New Culinary Institute

New Home to Award-winning Culinary Studies Institute Coming 2025

We have broken ground on a 78,000 square foot addition that will house OCC’s award-winning Culinary Studies Institute. The estimated $74 million, three-story addition housed on our Royal Oak campus will feature three classrooms, two demonstration kitchens and five teaching kitchens providing students with the most up-to-date culinary learning facility in Southeast Michigan. 

The new facility will also feature a 2,600 square-foot restaurant on the third floor with a sloping ceiling, large glass windows and 360-degree views of downtown Royal Oak, known for its hospitality, cuisine and vibrant culture. The restaurant will offer the community a new dining option where culinary students will prepare and serve fine-dining recipes as part of their training.

OCC has broken ground on a 78,000 square-foot addition that will house the College’s award-winning Culinary Studies Institute on the college’s Royal Oak campus. Learn more in this video.

Additional Building Features

  • The third floor restaurant will seat up to 200 for dinner or can be reconfigured to accommodate up to 300 for events. It will also include a custom glass wine storage room and a full-service bar to provide students with additional training in beverage service.
  • Flexible first floor design for pop-up culinary retail and café service. 
  • A separate charcuterie kitchen on the first floor with a dry-aged cooler for aging meats.   
  • The demonstration kitchens will feature instructional video technology that will live stream the teaching chef’s cooking demonstrations to monitors around the facility to enhance student learning.
  • Integration of instructional technology for flexibility in teaching and learning, remote access to diverse kitchens around the world and space for academic conferences and national culinary competitions. 
  • Sustainable design for adaptability and future use to stay current with culinary trends.

Building Facts-at-a-Glance

  • Location |Royal Oak Campus, 739 S. Washington Ave. Royal Oak, MI 48067
  • Building Square Feet | 78,400
  • Estimated Project Cost | $74 million
  • Opening | September 2025
  • Number of Floors | 3
  • Classrooms | 3
  • Kitchens |
    • 2 - Demonstration Kitchens
    • 5 - Teaching kitchens
    • 1- Restaurant kitchen
    • 1 - Charcuterie kitchen
  • Restaurant |
    • 2,600  square feet with additional 600 square feet of flex space
    • Seats up to 200 for dinner; 300 for special events
    • Full service bar and wine bar
    • Custom glass wine storage room
  • General Contractor | Barton Mallow
  • Architect  |  Harley Ellis Devereaux

East View

East View of New Culinary Building
 

Northeast View

Northeast View of New Culinary Building
 

Southeast View

Southeast View of New Culinary Building
 

Southwest View

Southwest View of New Culinary Building

Northeast View

West View of New Culinary Building
 

Lobby View

Lobby View of New Culinary Building
 

Restaurant View

Interior View of New Culinary Building
 

Restaurant View

Exterior View of New Culinary Building
 
 

The 2023 Culinary Institute Beam Signing photos are in!

Thank you for joining us to celebrate the construction progress of OCC’s new Culinary Studies Institute facility. We can’t wait for it to be ready! View Photos

View the 2023 Culinary Institute Beam Signing event photos on Flickr