Start Your Career in College

We are very proud and honored to enter into a partnership with LongHorn Steakhouse, a Darden Restaurant, with over 530 locations nationwide, and growing, for a three-semester progressive internship for Restaurant, Food and Beverage Management Majors. This internship opportunity offers a direct pipeline into the nation’s largest and top-performing casual restaurant brand. It will further enhance the offerings of our Restaurant Management program, while serving our industry partner, LongHorn Steakhouse, with future leaders in this sector. This powerful, sustainable model has been designed to support and equip restaurant business leaders with knowledge, skills required to create agile, successful and sustainable businesses.  Moreover, Darden is committed to the belief that work/life balance results in management satisfaction and retention.

This exclusive partnership between the Restaurant Management program at UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management and LongHorn Steakhouse will consist of a three-tiered progressive internship located in Orlando while students attend their final semesters in college.  Once a student is accepted into the program, she/he/they will work with Longhorn for three (3) semesters.

• The first semester will include back-of-the-house (kitchen operations) training.
• The second semester will move to the front-of-the-house (dining room operations) training.
• The third and final semester will consist of a modified ‘manager in training’ program proprietary to LongHorn Steakhouse.

Upon successful completion, interns will select a location outside of Orlando, and will be given the keys to run their own LongHorn Steakhouse!  That’s right, each successful graduate will be appointed as a Restaurant Manager of a LongHorn Steakhouse full-service, casual dining restaurant (average annual sales $3,600,000) in a location to-be-determined; and paid a competitive salary (minimum beginning salaries – $55,000).  The formula for a winning career. In addition, they will receive additional support and a four-week follow-up management training at Darden Corporate after they settle in at their new locations.

For more information about the Start Your Career in College progressive internship contact:

Jessica Wickey
Associate Instructor, Internships Program Director
Jessica.Wickey@ucf.edu

BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS + HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE + BALANCED LIFESTYLE = SUCCESSFUL CAREER

Apply for the Lodging & Restaurant Management Degree today. Visit Undergraduate Admissions!

Three of our Restaurant and Foodservice Management students worked through the pilot LongHorn internship program, a special partnership between UCF Rosen College Restaurant & Foodservice Management majors and LongHorn. The program includes a 3-semester intensive Front-of-house and Back-of-house training, which upon completion leads towards management of a restaurant location! Let’s hear from Dylan Krewer ’21 on how his intensive internship was going in the middle of his internship.