<PAGE>
/------------------------------/
/ OMB APPROVAL /
/------------------------------/
/ OMB Number: 3235-0104 /
/ Expires: December 31, 2001 /
/ Estimated average burden /
/ hours per response...... 0.5 /
/------------------------------/
+--------+
| FORM 3 | UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
+--------+ WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES
Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or
Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
(Print or Type Responses)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person*
Career Education Corporation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Last) (First) (Middle)
2800 West Higgins Road Suite 790
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Street)
Hoffman Estates IL 60195
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(City) (State) (Zip)
2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year) 12/6/99
--------------
3. I.R.S. Identification Number of Reporting Person if an entity
(voluntary) 39-3932190
--------------
4. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol California Culinary Academy, Inc.
-----------------------------------
(COOK)
-----------------------------------
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
[ ] Director [ ] Officer [X] 10% Owner [ ] Other
(give title below) (specify below)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year)
----------------------------
7. Individual or Joint Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
X
_____ Form filed by One Reporting Person
_____ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
Table I--Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Title 2. Amount of 3. Ownership Form: 4. Nature of
of Securities Bene- Direct (D) or Indirect Bene-
Security ficially Owned Indirect (I) ficial Ownership
(Instr. 4) (Instr. 4) (Instr. 5) (Instr. 5)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Common Stock -0-
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially
owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction
5(b)(v).
Potential persons who are to respond to the collection
of information contained in this form are not required
to respond unless the form displays a currently (Over)
valid OMB control number. SEC 1473 (3-99)
<PAGE>
FORM 3 (continued)
Table II--Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Title of Derivative 2. Date Exer- 3. Title and Amount of Securities 4. Conversion 5. Ownership 6. Nature of In-
Security (Instr. 4) cisable and Underlying Derivative Security or Form of direct Bene-
Expiration (Instr. 4) Exercise Derivative ficial
Date Price Security: Ownership
(Month/Day/ of Direct (D) (Instr. 5)
Year) Derivative or In-
---------------------------------------------------- Security direct (I)
Date Expira- Amount or (Instr. 5)
Exer- tion Title Number of
cisable Date Shares
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Stock Option (right to buy)(1) Immed. (2) Common Stock 1,527,410 $5.25 D
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
Explanation of Responses:
(1)These options were acquired pursuant to the Option Agreements dated 12/6/99
among Career Education Corporation and Theodore G. Crocker, William G. DeMar and
Thomas C. Green.
(2)In the event the Merger Agreement dated December 6, 1999 by and between
Career Education Corporation, California Culinary Academy, Inc. and CCA
Acquisition, LLC is terminated in accordance with its terms, the obligations set
forth in the Option Agreements shall also terminate.
Career Education Corporation
/s/ John M. Larson 12/15/99
------------------------------- -----------------
**Signature of Reporting Person Date
by John M. Larson, Chief
Executive Officer
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal
Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed.
If space is insufficient, See Instruction 6 for procedure.
Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained
in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently
valid OMB Number.
Page 2
