Welcome to JWU - Charlotte

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Welcome to JWU Charlotte

A tall Johnson & Wales building featuring a prominent clock tower at its peak, showcasing architectural elegance against the skyline.

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Welcome to Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, North Carolina. Our campus is just minutes from Uptown Charlotte, the heart of the city where you'll find a variety of restaurants, performance venues, professional sports arenas, museums, parks and more! Beyond its great location in a vibrant city, JWU Charlotte has a lot to offer with five colleges and more than 30 undergraduate programs to choose from. This tour focuses on the innovative spaces where our students learn, create and thrive with the hands-on, experiential education we're known for. Let's get started!

Academic Center Courtyard

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The Academic Center Courtyard is a hub for social activity. It's a great place to hang out with friends, toss a football around, or simply relax in the Adirondack chairs between classes. And it's right next to the Academic Center, where most classes are held and where you'll find the Academic Success Center. Click the bonus 360 to check out the Gateway Center, just a short walk from the courtyard. It's another great spot for students to hang out, and it's also where you'll find our Admissions office.

Trade Street

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Trade Street is home to many restaurants, exciting activities, and interesting landmarks - including our campus! You can follow this street all the way through Uptown Charlotte by walking or hopping on the free CityLynx streetcar. Pedestrians also have the perfect opportunity to see our students at work through the windows of our baking and pastry labs, located on the first floor of the Academic Center. Across the street from the Academic Center is the Library, which you can view by clicking the bonus 360.

James H. Hance, Jr. Auditorium

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Hance Auditorium plays host to visiting professionals from a variety of industries who come to share their expertise with our students. This dynamic space even features a fully functional kitchen for culinary professionals to demo new techniques while overhead cameras capture their work and project it onto a screen for the audience. Campus events like movie nights, slam poetry readings and award ceremonies also happen in Hance.

Emeril Lagasse Kitchen

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Nothing beats the exciting, fast-paced activity you'll find in our culinary labs. This kitchen is dedicated to one of our most famous alums, celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse – but in every lab, you'll find students honing classic and advanced culinary skills, learning about international cuisines, working with state-of-the-art equipment, and holding themselves to a high standard of professionalism — all of which prepares them to succeed in whatever professional environment they step into. Experienced chef instructors work side-by-side with students to reinforce the importance of teamwork and dedication in the kitchen.

Baking & Pastry Labs

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If you smell the scent of freshly baked bread or the sweet, floral aroma of chocolate, you are likely nearby one of our baking and pastry labs. Some labs are dedicated to artisan bread-making, others to pastry or chocolate – but all of them are outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment and everything students need to master the art and science behind baking all kinds of delicious products. Then, they get to unleash their creativity to design beautiful wedding cakes, stunning confectionary showpieces and other world class desserts.

Hospitality Dining Room

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The Hospitality Dining room is an educational lab, but it's also a fully functional dining room that serves JWU students, faculty, and staff. The floor-to-ceiling windows offer the perfect backdrop of the city skyline to enjoy while you eat. As part of their coursework, students use this lab to plan and execute dining events that include place settings, décor, menus and service. They can even invite family members to attend, as seen here with this group enjoying a Mardi Gras-themed lunch.

Beverage Labs

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The beverage industry is dynamic and varied, so JWU has several labs dedicated to exploring different areas. Here is the Culinary Arts Beverage Lab, which features workstations for students to learn about modern bar service, study and develop recipes, and practice making cocktails. Click the bonus 360s to check out the Hospitality Beverage Lab and the Mixology & Craft Brewing Lab, both of which offer students the opportunity to conduct tastings, dive deeper into the history and taste profiles of certain beverages, and even learn about how to pair beverages with food.

Science Labs

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The Science Lab offers all the space and equipment you'll need to conduct a variety of biology and chemistry experiments and research. Students have access to chemical fume hoods to safely conduct experiments and a biological safety cabinet to study a variety of microbes. From chemistry to health and wellness, this lab supports students in the exploration and application of the sciences to their fields of interest.

Student Innovation Lab

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More than a classroom, the Student Innovation Lab serves as a hub for entrepreneurship. In this lab, students learn how to create business plans, pitch to investors, assess competitors, analyze target markets and more. It's a great place to prep for JWU Sharkfest, a student competition where teams pitch business ideas to compete for a prize. Guest speakers and alumni are also frequently invited to the lab to share their experience as investors, start-up founders, or business owners. Students come here to learn, collaborate and develop new ideas — your very own entrepreneurial pursuits can start here!

Dining Center

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A wide variety of food options await you at the all-you-care-to-eat Dining Center, conveniently located on the first floor of the Cedar Hall North Residence Hall. The menu changes daily, but always features grill items, homestyle food options, pizza, soups, a salad bar and deli bar, desserts and themed options like Taco Tuesday. There's something for everyone — fill your plate and enjoy!

Cedar Street Residence Halls

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Cedar Hall North and Cedar Hall South are suite-style residence halls located just across the street from the Academic Center. Each suite houses four students and includes a private bathroom. Laundry and study rooms are available on each floor, and each building has a community kitchen. Our Residential Life staff members host events throughout the year that will help you meet new people and make the most of your college experience!

Cedar Street Residence Halls Courtyard

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Nestled between Cedar Hall North and South, the Residence Hall Courtyard is another great outdoor space to hang out with friends, catch up on reading or relax in the sunshine. Student clubs often host events here, such as cookouts, fairs or fundraisers. It's also where we welcome new students to JWU with Welcome Week traditions like Ignite the Night.

Wildcat Center

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The 33,000-square-foot Wildcat Center is home to JWU athletics offices, a fully equipped fitness center, a group fitness room and student clubs and organizations. You can join or cheer on our Wildcats in a variety of sports, get involved in a club or create your own. Your college experience is what you make of it and getting involved starts here! Click the bonus 360s to check out the Gym and the Fitness Center.

Academic & Career Excellence Center

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The Academic & Career Excellence Center (ACE for short) is your one-stop shop for all the resources, guidance and support you might need to achieve academic and career success. Whether you're looking for help with tutoring, study skills, writing, academic advising, internships, networking or planning for grad school, the friendly staff members at ACE are here for you!

Student Support Services

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Beyond the classroom and academics, students also need support when it comes to their mental and physical health. Both Counseling and Health Services are available to make sure our Wildcats are taking care of their minds and bodies. Here, you can see Counseling Services in action, but you can also click the bonus 360 to see the Health Services Center.

Visit Charlotte

A stunning sunset over the city of Charlotte, NC, casting vibrant colors across the skyline and reflecting on the buildings.

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Thanks for checking out our virtual tour. But remember, the best way to experience JWU and the city of Charlotte is to visit in person! We look forward to seeing you on campus soon.

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