Become a hospitality kitchen professional

Professional Cook

• Average salary: RD$18,000-20,000/month
• You will learn:
• Dominican and international culinary techniques
• Menu preparation for tourists
• Food safety and hygienic handling
• Inventory management and cost control
• Practice in: A restaurant serving real guests

Specialist Bartender

• Average salary: RD$15,000-17,000/month
• You will learn:
• Classic mixology and tropical cocktails
• Wine, beer and premium drinks service
• Alcohol-free cocktails and healthy drinks
• Customer service in a bar setting
• Practice in: A working bar with events and real guests

Waiter of Excellence

• Average salary: RD$15,000-17,000/month
• You will learn:
• Service techniques at an international level
• Knowledge of menus, ingredients and pairings
• Service protocol for different types of restaurant
• Handling POS systems and reservations
• Practice in: Full restaurant service

Weeks 1-4: Foundations

• Core knowledge:
• Culinary English (technical vocabulary, communicating with tourists)
• Applied maths (costs, portions, inventories)
• Food hygiene and safety
• Dominican culinary history
• First practical sessions:
• Basic handling of kitchen equipment
• Preparing simple drinks
• Basic service techniques
• Working as a kitchen team

Weeks 5-7: Technical Specialisation

• By sub-specialisation:
• Cooks:
• Advanced cutting and preparation techniques
• Hot and cold kitchen
• Basic baking and pastry
• Plating and presentation
• Bartenders:
• 50 classic cocktails + tropical drinks
• Basic flair techniques
• Knowledge of spirits and wines
• Creating original drinks
• Waiters:
• French, American and English service protocols
• Selling and recommendation techniques
• Handling complaints and difficult situations
• Coordinating with the kitchen and bar

Weeks 8-11: Professional Placements

• 3 days/week at partner companies:
• Beach restaurants in Las Terrenas
• Hotels with several outlets
• All-inclusive resorts
• Fine-dining restaurants
• 2 days/week at Sienna:
• Advanced English for tourism
• Leadership techniques
• Culinary entrepreneurship
• One-to-one follow-up

Week 12: Job Readiness

• Building a professional portfolio
• Mock interviews for specific roles
• Food handling certification
• Graduation and networking with employers