Culinary Arts Institute partners with Margaritaville Restaurants for leadership Internships
The Culinary Arts Institute (CAI) at Mississippi University for Women is partnering with IMCMV Management LLC to provide culinary students with a pathway into the Margaritaville Restaurants Leadership Program.
The new agreement was celebrated with a signing ceremony Friday, Nov. 6, at Miramar Beach Landshark Bar & Grill. Dean of the College of Business and Professional Studies Kelly Woodford and Margaritaville Restaurants Area Director Justin Cavender participated in the ceremony.
“One of the five priorities of the University’s strategic plan, ‘Advancing Our Worth: The Blueprint for Success,’ is strengthening the student experience, with internships playing a key role,” said Interim University President Scott Tollison. “This innovative program is a great example of putting that priority into action by connecting classroom learning with meaningful professional experiences and opportunities for career advancement.”
Selected students will complete a leadership Internship at Margaritaville restaurants in Destin, Panama City Beach or Miramar, Florida, earning academic credit while helping create an early-career talent pipeline.
“We are thrilled to partner with Margaritaville to offer our students this internship opportunity that provides both culinary and management training,” said Woodford. “By stepping into a high-volume, professional kitchen environment, our students will bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world mastery—gaining the real-world skills, speed and industry insights necessary to launch successful culinary careers.”
Throughout the internship, students will participate in a weekly leadership series led by IMCMV executives and complete supervisory and culinary learning modules through Margaritaville University. Students will also complete a capstone project tied to credit outcomes and engage in philanthropic activities when feasible. At the end of the season, interns will celebrate their graduation, receive a performance review and discuss potential rehire or full-time employment opportunities.
“We are excited to continue our partnership with the Mississippi University for Women and provide students with meaningful, hands-on leadership experiences,” said Erin Gonzalez, talent acquisition manager for IMCMV Holdings. “We believe this program will offer students a strong foundation in restaurant operations while equipping them with the knowledge, practical skills and leadership abilities needed to succeed as future culinary leaders.”
The partnership runs from fall 2026 through summer 2027. It combines hands-on experience in a high-volume kitchen with structured leadership training while providing IMCMV with a direct pipeline to emerging culinary talent.
University faculty will support each student throughout the internship through midterm and final evaluations and reflective assignments, such as journals, recipe development logs or project summaries. Each intern will be paired with a faculty mentor.
The internship is open to culinary students in good academic standing who are eligible to receive academic credit and interested in back-of-house culinary supervision. Interns must be available for the full summer season, from mid-May through August, including nights, weekends and holidays. Students interested in the internship should contact Dr. Tracee Watkins, director of the Culinary Arts Institute, at tewatkins@muw.edu.
The Culinary Arts Institute at Mississippi University for Women is one of the few programs of its kind in the southeastern United States. The four-year program combines the top-ranked liberal arts education, for which The W is known, with the latest culinary techniques taught by its chef-instructors. Students may choose from three concentrations: Culinary Management, Pastry Arts and Event Management. In 2023, CAI moved into its 40,000-square-foot, high-tech culinary arts training facility, designed to prepare students for a competitive workforce.