Marketing organization Avocados from Mexico has opened a new culinary center at its corporate headquarters in Irving, Texas, to educate chefs and operators on ways to use avocados.

The center will be home to the organization’s new Avocado University, which will begin in January with accredited courses for chefs and dieticians that includes live cooking demonstrations and modules.

Through the university, Avocados from Mexico will teach chefs and operators how to use avocados in unique ways, from barbecue sauce to chimichurri, says head of foodservice marketing Mark Garcia.

“The more ways we can show chefs how to use fresh avocados throughout their menu, the more we can showcase the versatility and profitability of the ingredient,” Garcia says.

The center will also focus on building relationships and partnerships with operators and retailers, while working with acclaimed chefs like Texas-based restaurateur Kent Rathbun, who prepared multiple courses at the center’s opening.

Educational aspects within the university will also include discussions of the practices of the Mexican growers and the land and soil from where the avocados come.

“Every operator we’ve met, from Luke’s Lobster to TGI Friday’s, they want to know the story behind the ingredients,” Garcia says.