While the culinary arts in Armenia have been in a state of hibernation the field is
experiencing a brewing reawakening of its culinary heritage as the cuisine is receiving
attention internationally. The attention has also grown locally with the ever-increasing
expansion of restaurants and cafes.
Gyumri holds an essential role in this revitalisation phase of Armenian cuisine.
The Gyumri Market and Culinary School project aims to catalyze economic, cultural and
sustainable development by designing and developing a sustainable food center in Gyumri
that incorporates education, empowerment, a cooperative model, and market space and
tourism. For this project, TUMO Center for Creative Technologies is partnering with Institut
Lyfe in Lyon to establish a unique culinary ecosystem involving revitalizing the historic food
market of the city, establishing a unique culinary school in the heart of it, and surrounding it
with restaurants and shops that are symbiotic with the market and the school.

The project aims to empower youth, farmers and entrepreneurs to reinvigorate economic
development, community participation and tourism in the Shirak region.
1. Improved access to quality education through the establishment of an educational model
that fuses vocational training for the culinary school’s students with public workshops to
empower professionals, farmers, and entrepreneurs to upskill themselves towards
employability and entrepreneurship. Furthermore, this specific objective also aims to
construct the culinary school and market space, which are imperative for access to quality
education and training opportunities.
2.Improved economic growth and employment in the tourism sector which stems from an
enhanced employability of trained workforce in the tourism sector and the creation of a
vibrant cultural space attracting tourism and economic growth. The intervention aims to drive
economic growth and new employment opportunities, generated both within the project but
also through external investments in the market space such as restaurants and shops.
Furthermore, the market space will reinvigorate the pulse of the city where visitors
congregate to taste and experience Gyumri and Armenian heritage.

1. Human capital growth that acts as the backbone as it develops an educational model that
fuses vocational training with public workshops that empower young professionals, farmers,
and entrepreneurs to upskill themselves towards employability and entrepreneurship.
2. Community and tourism development that ensures that the market space is attractive for
consumers and tourists alike. The vision is to make the market space the pulse of the city
where visitors congregate to taste and experience Gyumri and Armenian heritage.
3. Management body that stresses the importance of a competent team that leads the shortand long-term establishment of the market and its operations.
4. Market assembly that focuses on constructing the physical market and its operational
spaces.