About The Dining Project
Our Story
The Dining Project began as a pop-up concept born out of a deep passion for food, community, and connection. What started as a creative outlet in Southern California kitchens has evolved into a mission-driven culinary platform. We believe in empowering people, whether at home or in professional kitchens, to cook with confidence, purpose, and intention. From our early pop-ups to today’s growing digital footprint, our goal remains the same: to make the world a better place, one meal at a time.
Our Services
The Dining Project offers accessible, no-nonsense culinary education designed to build real kitchen skills. Our flagship 14-Day Kitchen Confidence Course helps home cooks master essential techniques with practical, scalable lessons, while our Culinary Consultant service offers tailored in-person instruction for anyone from beginners to seasoned chefs. Whether you're looking to cook smarter at home or sharpen your edge professionally, we’re here to support your journey.
Our Founder
James Caveness brings over a decade of professional culinary experience to The Dining Project. From high-end resorts like The Ritz-Carlton and Waldorf Astoria to his role as a culinary school instructor, James Caveness has honed a unique approach that blends technical skill with heartfelt mentorship. His journey, from cooking with his grandmother to leading youth outreach programs, has shaped a vision that’s rooted in service, quality, and personal growth both inside and outside the kitchen.
Meet James Caveness
Like many, James Caveness’s earliest memories were shaped in the kitchen, cooking alongside his grandmother, surrounded by the warmth of fresh bread and home-cooked meals. Food was always central to his life, but so was service. As he grew older, James became deeply involved in his church’s community programs, volunteering at shelters and soup kitchens, and eventually serving as a CORE team leader for his youth group over the course of four years.
These experiences profoundly shaped his perspective. He had grown up in a loving home filled with food and support, but came face-to-face with people who had none of those things. As a teenager, he spent countless hours listening to the stories of the youth he mentored and the adults he met through outreach, stories of insecurity, hunger, and isolation. The contrast between his upbringing and the struggles of those around him left a lasting impression.
Though his culinary ambitions eventually pulled him away from direct community service, that early calling never left him. After nearly a decade devoted to honing his craft in kitchens, those formative experiences have resurfaced with urgency and clarity.
That reconnection is what led James to found The Dining Project, an effort to merge his love of food with a deeper mission: to nourish not just the body, but also the spirit and community around the table.
What is your cooking story?
We’d Love to Hear What Brought You
Everyone has a story connected to food, whether it’s learning from a grandparent, discovering a passion later in life, or simply wanting to feel more confident in the kitchen. At The Dining Project, we believe food is a powerful connector, and we’re here to celebrate your journey. Tell us what inspired you to stop by, what you hope to learn, or what cooking means to you. We’d love to hear your story and be part of your next chapter.
The Dining Project
