Alain and his wife Marie own the Culinary Institute Lenotre®. Alain is a certified pastry chef, candy maker and ice cream maker; he was also trained as a cook at the Grand Véfour, a famous 3-Star Michelin Restaurant in Paris. He has over 40 years of experience and earned an executive MBA from the University of Paris I. Alain also comes from a famous Parisian family.

Thirty years ago, he created the chef school Ecole Lenôtre in Paris, France, one of the world’s best retraining schools, where he taught for a number of years. He developed the international Lenotre pastry shop franchise and technical assistance departments, expanding the Lenôtre chains in Japan, Germany and Brazil while also helping his parents’ business become the number one caterer in France. After receiving a request for a franchise in Texas, Alain and Marie were invited to visit Houston, Texas in 1981. Ultimately they started their own business there, first with a retail and wholesale bakery. In 1998, they opened an international cooking and baking school for career seekers, career changers, food enthusiasts and also for continuing education. As their fame was spreading they were asked to franchise their “Know How” in the Middle East. There are now 10 “Alain LeNôtre” restaurants and bakeries in Cairo, Egypt. Alain Lenotre’s motto is: “Tradition, quality & respect.” He chose the word tradition because he is the 3rd generation of chefs in the Lenotre family.

Marie Lenotre was appointed Director of the Culinary Institute Lenotre® in 1998, which has been ranked number One Culinary Arts Institute in America in 2019. Marie has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Houston, a Bachelor’s Degree in Drama from the University of Athens, Greece, a Master’s Degree in Public Health Education from the University of Texas, and a Master’s Degree in English and Creative Writing from the University of Houston.