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Kansas and Louisiana Place First at the Ninth Annual National ProStart Invitational

$1.4M in scholarships awarded to top five culinary and management student teams

CHICAGO, May 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kansas and Louisiana won first place in the 2010 National ProStart Invitational, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) announced today. The winning students on the top five teams in both the culinary and management competition categories took home $1.4 million in scholarships, medals and prizes. Scholarships were provided by the NRAEF and The Coca-Cola Company, the premier sponsor of the event, along with leading colleges and universities.

The teams from Kansas and Louisiana competed against more than 300 fellow students at the three-day National ProStart Invitational competition, held April 30-May 2 in Overland Park, Kan. The student teams demonstrated their culinary skills and knowledge of restaurant management in this fast-paced competition before more than 800 fellow students, educators, mentors, state restaurant association executives, and board members of the National Restaurant Association and NRAEF.

"In a field of talented ProStart competitors, these teams from Kansas and Louisiana rose to the top based on the creativity, skill and passion they displayed throughout this high-energy competition," said Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO, National Restaurant Association and NRAEF. "We commend all the student competitors for their outstanding performance at this year's National ProStart Invitational, and feel confident our industry's future is secure in the hands of this next generation of leaders."

The National ProStart Invitational showcased the talents of top ProStart students as they competed in the culinary and management competitions. To qualify for the national competition, teams won first place in the state competitions held this year by state restaurant associations.

The team from Olathe District Schools in Kansas took home first place in the culinary competition. Oak Harbor High School of Washington earned second place honors, and Newport Harbor High School of California came in third place. Fourth place honors were awarded to Battle Mountain High School in Colorado, and Bend High School of Oregon took home fifth place. In the culinary competition, teams prepared a starter, entree 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 equally exciting management competition, Rayne High School in Louisiana took top honors above second place Carver Center for the Arts & Technology of Maryland. The team from Bergen County Academies in New Jersey won third place. Fourth and fifth places were awarded to Lorain County JVS of Ohio, and East Career & Technical Academy in Nevada, respectively. This year, the management competition featured a new format designed to better engage students and showcase their management skills. Participating teams developed a proposal for an original restaurant concept, delivered a presentation, and applied critical thinking skills to challenges restaurant managers face in day-to-day operations.

The Coca-Cola Company is the premier sponsor of the National ProStart Invitational. Additional sponsors include American Express, Cambro, Chef Works, Cracker Barrel, Dexter-Russell, Inc., Golden Corral, The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes, McCormick for Chefs, Nation's Restaurant News, Sodexo, Inc., Sysco, and Tyson.

Nationwide, 83,000 students in 47 states, territories and districts are served by ProStart, a two-year curriculum supported by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and state restaurant associations across the United States. The career-building program blends classroom learning with mentored work experience to teach high school students the management and culinary skills needed for a career in the restaurant and foodservice industry. When students meet academic standards, complete a checklist of competencies, and work at least 400 hours in the industry, they are awarded the ProStart National Certificate of Achievement that signifies they are well qualified to enter the industry workforce. For more information on the ProStart program and National ProStart Invitational, visit http://prostart.restaurant.org.

About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation

As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) enhances the restaurant industry's service to the public through education, community engagement, and promotion of career opportunities. The restaurant and foodservice industry comprises 945,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of 13 million employees, making it one of the nation's largest employers. The NRAEF is focused on working with the Association to lead America's restaurant industry into a new era of prosperity, prominence and participation by providing the valuable tools and resources needed to educate our current and incoming employees. For more information on the NRAEF, visit www.nraef.org.

SOURCE National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation