Frequently Asked... - The Culinary Center of Kansas City

What is your cancellation policy?
We will gladly refund your class fee or transfer you to another class as long as your request is made more than 3 calendar days prior to the class date (7 days for groups of 6 or more). If you discover that you are unable to attend class within the 5 days prior, we encourage you to find a substitute to take your place. We appreciate knowing who that substitute is so our name tags are correct. Please understand that no exceptions can be made to our cancellation policy. Our instructors are paid based on the numbers in the class at 3 calendar days prior so that they can shop and plan for class appropriately. There is a minimum number of students required in order for a class to occur. We reserve the right to cancel a class for any reason, at any time, in which case you will receive a full refund.
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What is the minimum age for your ‘adult’ cooking classes?
There is a minimum age of 14 for our adult classes. Adult classes are those that do not specifically note the age range for which the class is designed. In order to make this a pleasant learning experience for all students, and due to liability issues, no young children or babies are allowed to accompany you in class or wait for you in a separate room at The Culinary Center of Kansas City.
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What if I want to sit with my friends during a class or event?
At the time of your reservation, please let us know if you are with another party so that we can seat you together. This can be done by adding the details in the ‘Information or Comments’ box on your online registration. If you don’t let us know in advance, we can’t guarantee that you’ll be able to be seated together as we designate seats prior to student arrival.
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What should I wear to cooking classes?
For hands-on classes, comfortable clothing and kitchen-safe shoes are required. For any of our Pro Series classes, you must wear a white chef coat (available through our Kitchen Shop). Other than that, it’s up to you… Chicken suit? Pajamas? Business Casual? Whatever makes you happy.
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Can I bring a friend/mother/child/husband/grandparent to just sit in the back and watch?
We would be happy to register additional people in a class, assuming there are spaces available. However, it will not be possible to sit in the back and just watch a class or event. In order to make this a pleasant learning experience for all students, and due to liability issues, no young children or babies are allowed to accompany you in class or wait for you in a separate room at The Culinary Center.
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Will I be cooking in the class?
We have 3 types of cooking classes on our schedule – Hands-On, Limited Hands-On and Demonstration.
Hands-On classes involve hands-on participation by students. Instructors teach techniques and recipes, then students grab an apron and head to cooking stations to try it themselves. Students should wear kitchen-safe clothing and shoes. Limited Hands-On involve hands-on participation by students, but to a more limited degree. Usually the student will be involved in one or two cooking processes during the class. Please check specific class descriptions for more information. In Demonstration classes, students will learn from observing the instructor.
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What will I get to taste during a cooking class?
‘Tasting’ at the end of a class description means you will get to taste all or most of the items that are demonstrated or discussed in class. Keep in mind that our students rarely go away hungry! ‘Lunch’ means you will be served a lunch, seated at tables. ‘Dinner’ means you will be served a full dinner, seated at tables. ‘Buffet’ means you will be served a full meal, buffet-style.
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How can I cancel/change a class if I am within your cancellation policy?
1) Sign into your online account, 2) In the Events tab in your account, find the class you are canceling in your list of Upcoming Events and click the Trash Can, 3) If you paid for the class with a credit card, the registration fee will be returned to that same credit card. If you paid for the class with Account Credit or a Gift Certificate, you should see a Pop-Up message letting you know that the Account Credit will be returned to your account and money from a gift certificate will be returned to that same gift certificate. Funds returned to your account will be automatically used on your next class purchase online. If you’d prefer to talk to a real person and get assistance with the cancellation, feel free to call us at 913/341.4455. We’d be happy to help.
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My child has special needs, issues with focus or concentration or other behavioral issues – can I still sign them up for a kids’ class?
Our cooking instructors are skilled in teaching culinary education at an age appropriate level. Several of our instructors even have early childhood and teaching background and certification. However, we are not equipped to work with, nor are these classes designed for, children who may have special needs, issues with focus, or difficulty with sitting still to listen and concentrate on the instructor or issues with relating to other students in a classroom setting. When we encounter a student who requires significant special attention, the experience for the other students suffers. While our class and cooking camps are well staffed, we just don’t have the staff to be able to allocate someone to work directly with your child for the entire class. Should we identify a situation where we believe a student falls within one or more of these categories, we will be contacting you to pick up your students. Unfortunately we will not be able to issue a refund for all or any part of the class or camp fees. Please feel free to call us to discuss any questions or concerns that you feel should be discussed in advance of your child’s class. Please be aware of our 5-day cancellation policy.
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What does the “MBQI” logo mean in the description of a class?
Classes marked with the MBQI logo are part of The Culinary Center’s MIDWEST BARBEQUE INSTITUTE, which provides comprehensive education in the art of barbeque and smoking.
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Do you offer any discount if I sign up for multiple classes?
At this time, we do not offer any discounts for multiple class registrations… but you sure will become our best friend!
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Can I bring my own food or alcoholic beverages to classes and events?
Our policy does NOT allow for outside food or beverage to be brought in for any event or class (except unopened bottles of wine, in which case you will be charged a $35 corking fee per bottle). However, we have full bar capabilities and we do offer alcoholic beverages for purchase (beyond what is already included in your chosen class or event). We are happy to work with you and your needs for special dietary restrictions, special bar requests, etc. with advance notice.
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Which of your entrances should I use when I come to a class/event?
We have two teaching kitchens: The Tuscan Kitchen and the Santa Fe Kitchen. Unless specifically noted on the class description on our website, you may enter through our Santa Fe entrance (7920 Santa Fe Drive) and we will direct you to the kitchen where your class or event will be held. We do have a Foster St. entrance (7919 Foster Street), however it is not our main entrance and if another event or class is going on in that kitchen, you would need to go around the building to our main entrance, as stated above.
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What if inclement weather is forecasted and I have a cooking class to attend?
We will make a determination no later than 2 hours prior to a class. In the event of a cancellation of a class due to inclement weather, we will make every attempt to notify you by phone or email using the information you provided to us upon registration. PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOU DON’T GIVE US A NUMBER WHERE WE CAN REACH YOU QUICKLY, YOU WILL NOT GET THE INFORMATION VIA PHONE. We have the capability to email everyone in the class with a single email so it is likely that this is the method we will use first to notify you. PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL BE USING THE EMAIL THAT YOU GAVE US TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT BEFORE REGISTRATION. We encourage you to check your email. If we do choose to notify everyone via phone and we are not able to speak with you in person, we will leave a message. We will assume that you listen to your phone messages on a regular basis. We encourage you to call us if you are in doubt. Unless you hear from us either via the phone number or email provided to us at registration, the class will be held.
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Is it safe to use my credit card online?
Online payment via credit card is secure, fast and easy and will guarantee that your registration is processed immediately.
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What methods of payment do you accept?
Our online reservation system accepts Visa, Master Card, Discover and American Express.