California sweeps culinary and management competitions at the 10th Annual National ProStart Invitational

Newport Harbor High School set a record by winning both the culinary and management competitions at the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s (NRAEF) 10th Annual National ProStart Invitational. The high school student teams from California were crowned champions on May 1, 2011 in Overland Park, Kan. The NRAEF and partner colleges and universities awarded more than $1.4 million in scholarships to the first- through fifth-place teams to pursue their education in foodservice and hospitality programs.

From left: Carlton Curtis, VP, Industry Affairs, Coca-Cola Foodservice and Chair of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the 1st place culinary competition championship team from Newport Harbor High
School in California, and Dawn Sweeney, president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association and NRAEF.

The talented students from Newport Harbor High School beat out 315 other ProStart high school students from 40 states and territories to rise to the top. In the ten years since the National ProStart Invitational debuted, California is the first state to place first in both the culinary and management competitions.

From left: Carlton Curtis, VP, Industry Affairs, Coca-Cola Foodservice and Chair of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the 1st place management competition championship team from Newport Harbor High
School in California, and Dawn Sweeney, president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association and NRAEF.

Olathe District Schools of Kansas earned second place honors, and South Forsyth High School of Georgia came in third place. Fourth place honors were awarded to Wando High School in South Carolina and Puyallup High School of Washington took home fifth place. In the culinary competition, teams prepared a starter, entrée and dessert within 60 minutes using only two butane burners, and were judged on categories including taste, knife skills, safety, sanitation and teamwork.

In the management competition, second place went to Cloudcroft High School of New Mexico. The team from Watauga High School in North Carolina won third place. Fourth and fifth places were awarded to Plymouth-Canton Educational Park of Michigan and Eastside High School in FL, respectively. Teams developed an original restaurant concept, and applied critical thinking skills to challenges restaurant managers face in day-to-day operations.

In 2011, more than $1 million in scholarships will be awarded to winning students on Sunday, May 1st. 

Visit www.prostart.restaurant.org.