History of the Truist Culinary & Hospitality Innovation Center
Our Story
In 2017, Greenville, South Carolina's hospitality industry employed more than 22,000 people. A frequent award winner as one of the South's top destinations for food-lovers, downtown Greenville alone was home to more than a dozen hotels and 125 independent restaurants. And local hospitality industry leaders had a desperate need. Though the area was poised for exponential growth, business owners needed entry- and mid-level employees with the skills to support increasing demand.
Meanwhile, just two miles from Main Street businesses, the neighborhoods of West Greenville suffered more than double the rate of unemployment compared to the Greenville average. Dr. Keith Miller and Dr. Jermaine Whirl at Greenville Technical College recognized an opportunity to fulfill the college's mission to serve all Greenville County residents and bridge that gap with a single unique facility in the heart of West Greenville.
After collaborating with local business owners and partners in both government and education, Dr. Miller challenged Chef Alan Scheidhauer to create a sustainable facility that could support the burgeoning hospitality industry by providing workforce development training based in West Greenville. The center would also become a neighborhood gathering place, where community members could take non-credit cooking courses of all kinds and businesses could take part in spurring West Greenville's growth.
Three years later, the Truist Culinary & Hospitality Innovation Center (CHI) opened as the anchor tenant of Poe West, formerly the home of Poe Hardware and Supply Co., in the Village of West Greenville. Our innovative facilities are the result of more than $2.7 million in investments spearheaded by Ann Wright at the Greenville Tech Foundation and The Furman Co.
Today, we're working to bring Dr. Miller's initial vision to life and fulfill our mission:
to uplift the Greenville County community by encouraging excellence in culinary arts through exceptional teaching for both home cooks and hospitality industry professionals.
In our Quick Jobs programs, jobseekers train in basic and advanced cooking, baking, service and beverage skills to clear a pathway to successful employment in the hospitality industry. We also partner with local hotels, restaurants and other businesses to help our Quick Jobs students find work and develop stackable credentials that lead to economic mobility and a stronger community.
We offer unique, exciting meeting and event spaces designed to promote the Village of West Greenville as a vibrant place for business. We offer an exciting variety of recreational classes for home cooks, and we offer custom training programs for team-building through food.
Our state-of-the-art teaching kitchen, service training lab and culinary studio help cooks and bakers of all backgrounds gain vital skills and confidence in the kitchen. Whether you're out for a fun night with friends, need help securing a job, or want to further develop your skills in the kitchen, we offer warm, personal culinary instruction with a focus on the professional techniques you need to succeed.