Increase your kitchen confidence!
Whole Foods Market’s Bowery Culinary Center offers recreational classes for urban home cooks of all skill levels with some of NYC’s best chefs, artisans, and growers, including Whole Foods Market’s own in-store experts.
The Bowery Culinary Center is located on the second floor of the Bowery/Houston store on Manhattan's Lower East Side, and we are the only Whole Foods Market cooking school in the Northeast region.
The Bowery Culinary Center is also available for private classes, corporate team builds, film/photo shoots, and events for local nonprofits and other community groups. Please contact Culinary Center Director Min Liao for details and rates.
Visit our Store Events page for complete class listings, or visit our online registration site.
To register for JUST FOOD benefit events, please click HERE.
Subscribe to our free e-newsletter to stay informed about upcoming classes/events.
REGISTER for WFM Bowery's "KIDS COOK NYC!" Summertime Day Camps with The Creative Kitchen
Growing Gourmets (2-5 yrs.)
SESSION 1 (July 15 to July 19) Single Day Camps // All 5 Days
HOW TO REGISTER
Registration is required for all classes and events, including those that are free.
1. Call (212) 420-1320 (ext.245), 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
2. Register online HERE
3. Stop by Whole Foods Market (Bowery location only), and ask for a Culinary Center Team Member at the Customer Service booth.
We are located at 95 East Houston Street, on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
See below for frequently asked questions about our programming.
Questions? Comments? Need to cancel your registration? Send us an e-mail.
CANCELLATION POLICY
A full refund can be issued if requested AT LEAST 72 HOURS prior to class. Under no circumstances will a class transfer or full refund be issued without 72 hours' notice via phone or email. However, we will accept a name transfer if you would like to fill your slot in the class with a friend, family member, or colleague.
BOWERY CULINARY CENTER FAQs
HOW DO I REGISTER FOR A CLASS WITH A WHOLE FOODS MARKET GIFT CARD?
To register for a cooking class with a Whole Foods Market gift card (which you can also use to purchase merchandise at all WFM locations), please e-mail us at nehou.culinary.center@wholefoods.com or call 212.420.1320 (ext. 245), and let us know what class(es) you are interested in. We can help you register over the phone or online.
WHAT SKILL LEVEL ARE YOUR CLASSES? IS THERE AN AGE REQUIREMENT?
All classes are designed for beginner home cooks, unless otherwise noted on the calendar. Advanced teen cooks (16 years and up) are welcome to attend with written parental consent. Please contact the Culinary Center staff (nehou.culinary.center@wholefoods.com) if you have a teen who would like to register for our adult classes.
WHAT IS YOUR CHECK-IN POLICY?
Doors open promptly at the start-time of class. Please be prepared to provide photo I.D. Students are seated on a first-come, first-served basis. There are no refunds/transfers for late-comers or no-shows.
DO YOU ALLOW WALK-INS?
Most classes sell out quickly, so it is best to sign up and register in advance. However, if space becomes available on the night of the class, walk-ins may be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis at the discretion of the instructor.
WHAT DOES A "DEMONSTRATION" CLASS ENTAIL?
Demonstration/Tasting classes last approximately two hours, unless noted otherwise. A total of 18 to 24 students are seated, with lots of opportunity for questions and discussion. Students do not participate in hands-on cooking during a demonstration class. Generous tasting portions will be distributed during class.
WHAT DOES A "HANDS-ON" CLASS ENTAIL?
Hands-on classes last approximately three hours, and are limited to 8 to 12 students, unless noted otherwise. Class is a combination of demonstration and hands-on cooking, and students are divided into teams. Upon completion of recipes, students teams eat together toward the end of class.
DO I NEED TO WEAR/BRING ANYTHING SPECIAL TO CLASS?
For hands-on classes, please wear/bring flat, closed-toe shoes. Loose, comfortable clothing is recommended. We provide aprons, knives, recipe packets, and all other equipment.
FOR A "DROP-OFF" KIDS' CLASS, CAN I BE IN THE ROOM IF I AM A PARENT/RELATIVE?
Space is tight in the Culinary Center, so we request that all parents sit at our "observation tables," located right outside the Culinary Center. There are big windows that will allow you to watch your child participate in class.
FOR A CLASS THAT REQUIRES A PARENT/GUARDIAN, DO I PAY FOR MY CHILD AND MYSELF?
For our younger age group (2 to 5 years old), we ask that ONE parent/caretaker accompany the registered child. The adult does not have to pay for an additional registration. Due to space limitations, we cannot accommodate more than one adult chaperone.
WHAT IF I HAVE FOOD ALLERGIES OR DIETARY RESTRICTIONS?
Please notify the Culinary Center immediately if you have any food allergies or restrictions. While we will make every attempt to include you in the class, we may suggest an alternate class with a more appropriate menu to accommodate your needs.
WHAT IS YOUR REFUND POLICY?
A full refund can be issued if requested AT LEAST 72 HOURS prior to class. However, we will accept a name transfer if you would like to fill your slot in the class with a friend, family member, or colleague.
DO YOU EVER CANCEL CLASSES?
Although we make every effort to avoid cancellations or changes to our calendar, the Culinary Center reserves the right to cancel any class due to low registration, instructor illness/emergency, and inclement weather. Occasionally, we may also need to substitute instructors and/or alter recipes due to product availability and seasonality.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I AM ON THE WAIT LIST?
Upon signing up for a class wait list, you will receive an e-mail confirmation. If a spot opens up in the class, you will be contacted directly via phone or e-mail. If you do not hear from us prior to class, there are no spots available. Feel free to follow up with us directly to check on your wait-list status: nehou.culinary.center@wholefoods.com
DO YOU OFFER PRIVATE CLASSES, KIDS' PARTIES, TEAM BUILDING, ETC.?
Yes, but private events are much more expensive than our public classes, and must be booked 3 months in advance. Please contact Culinary Center Director Min Liao for details, or call 212.420.1320 x245.
I AM A PRIVATE CULINARY INSTRUCTOR, AND I WANT TO RUN A CLASS OF MY OWN. DO YOU RENT THE SPACE?
Due to liability issues, we typically do not rent the Culinary Center to third parties for cooking classes. We do, however, offer day rentals of the Culinary Center for film/photo shoots or private tasting events. Please contact Culinary Center Director Min Liao for details and rates.
