3rd generation of trained chefs · Debt-free
Culinary Apprenticeship: Learn & Lead
No college debt. Real-world skills. We teach you to cook, manage a team and grow a business, all while earning a paycheck. Featured on WGN News, Chicago’s Best and Fox 32.
Why Frato’s
We don’t just train cooks. We build future leaders.
The cost of culinary school
Culinary school charges you. We pay you.
1 Institute of Culinary Education, New York, Culinary Arts diploma total institutional charges, 2026. 2 The Culinary Institute of America, Culinary Arts associate degree: $19,755 tuition per semester for 2026–27 × 4 on-campus semesters, before housing, meals and fees. Published rates; check each school for current figures.
What you’ll learn
Culinary arts plus business skills.
In the kitchen
- 🔪Knife skills & culinary techniques
- 🔥Stone oven cooking
- 🍝Scratch-made food prep
- 🍽️Catering & event service
In the business
- 💵Food costing & inventory
- 👥Team leadership
- 📱Social media marketing
- 🏪How to start a restaurant
Your career path
The harder you work, the faster you grow.
- 1
Culinary Host / Trainee
Learn the fundamentals: prep, cooking basics, customer service and kitchen operations.
- 2
Assistant Personal Chef
Take on more responsibility. Support catering events and develop your signature dishes.
- 3
Approved Personal Chef
Culinary Leader. Lead catering events, manage teams and represent Frato’s at client sites.
- 4
Chef / Manager / Owner
Run operations, open your own location and build your own legacy.
Featured & recognized
Covered by the media. Partnered with local colleges.
📺 As seen on
- Chicago’s Best (WGN)
- WGN Morning News
- Fox 32 Chicago
- AP News
- Daily Herald
- Windy City Live
🏫 College partners
- Elgin Community College
- Harper College
- College of DuPage
- Triton College
- District 214 ProStart
Questions
Apprenticeship questions, answered.
Do I need culinary school?
No. We teach you everything, from knife skills to business operations. You learn what culinary school charges $50,000 or more to teach, and you get paid instead of going into debt.
How long is the program?
It’s ongoing, with skill-based progression. As you master each skill area you advance from Culinary Host/Trainee to Assistant Personal Chef to Approved Personal Chef. The timeline depends on your dedication and how quickly you develop.
Do I get paid during training?
Yes. You earn a paycheck from day one, and your pay increases as you master new skills. It’s a real job with real career growth, not an unpaid internship.
What careers can I pursue after?
Graduates have become personal chefs on our catering team, restaurant managers and general managers, and some have opened their own restaurants. We teach business skills alongside culinary skills to prepare you for ownership if that’s your goal.
Do you work with schools?
Yes. Frato’s partners with Elgin Community College, Harper College, College of DuPage and Triton College, as well as District 214’s ProStart program. We’re on our third generation of in-house trained chefs.
Apply today
Ready to start your culinary career?
Apply online, call (847) 895-2122 or stop in at 628 S. Roselle Road, Schaumburg, IL 60193. Want to see where the path leads? Meet our catering team.