HUNDREDS OF TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WILL COOK, CREATE, AND COMPETE FOR A BID TO THE NATIONAL INVITATIONAL IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
WHAT: Talented high school students currently studying the business and art of food will compete at the 2022 Texas ProStart Invitational, set for March 25-27, in Frisco, Texas. Beloved by participants and spectators alike, the annual competition showcases teams of aspiring young chefs, restaurateurs, and more who are involved in ProStart, a national industry-based culinary arts and hospitality program and curriculum managed in Texas by the Texas Restaurant Association’s (TRA) workforce development arm, the Texas Restaurant Foundation (TRF), for high schools throughout the state.
High school teams of 5 students compete in one of two categories: culinary or management. At the 2022 Texas ProStart Invitational, up to 30 culinary teams and 15 management teams will participate. The top teams from each category will go on to compete at the National ProStart Invitational in Washington, D.C., set for an in-person return in May after the pandemic forced a two-year hiatus.
WHEN: Friday, March 25 through Sunday, March 27, 2022
WHERE: Collin College Preston Ridge Campus (9700 Wade Boulevard, Frisco, TX 75035)
Culinary teams will prepare a three-course meal in 60 minutes with two butane burners and limited supplies. Judges will evaluate the students’ knife skills, teamwork, safety and sanitation, the taste of the food, and menu development, specifically regarding recipes and cost.
Students on management teams will develop and present (Shark Tank-style) an original restaurant concept, including a menu, staffing, and marketing plans, then rely on critical thinking skills to address everyday challenges.
A fast-paced display of creativity, advanced industry knowledge, and collaboration, the Texas ProStart competition is a must-attend weekend for all fans of food. The competition is open to the public, and the $15 admission benefits the Texas Restaurant Foundation.
The Texas ProStart Program is the largest in the country and has a long history of sending top competitors to the national competition. In 2019, Texas’ first-place culinary team from Dr. Gene Burton College & Career Academy in Rockwall and the first-place management team from Ben Barber Innovation Academy in Mansfield each took the championship title in their respective categories at the national competition. More than 15,000 students at more than 185 schools participate in ProStart programs throughout Texas every year. The invitational alone draws more than 250 high school students.
Schools participating in the 2022 Texas ProStart Invitational include:
Ben Barber Innovation Academy
Wichita Falls Career Education Center
Poteet High School
Tascosa High School
South San Antonio High School
Allen High School
Robert Turner College and Career High School
Mesquite High School
North Shore Senior High
Royse City High School
Richardson High School
The MILE
Sam Rayburn High School
North Mesquite High School
Waller High School
Glenn High School
Pasadena Memorial
West Mesquite High School
Dr. Gene Burton College & Career Academy
AmTech Career Academy
Cedar Hill High
Rice Consolidated High School
Alief Center for Advanced Careers
Rio Vista High School
Burkburnett High School Culinary Academy
Milby High School
Dr. Kirk Lewis Career and Technical High School
Miller Career and Technology Center
“The Texas ProStart Invitational is a perfect illustration of the impact the ProStart program has on preparing the next generation of leaders for our industry,” said Emily Williams Knight, Ed.D., President & CEO of the TRA and TRF. “As we work to support the revitalization of our industry and address the current workforce crisis, we are happy to be back in person with these amazing students and their dedicated instructors. These students inspire us all.”
ABOUT THE TEXAS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION
Formed in 1937, the Texas Restaurant Association (TRA) serves as the advocate and indispensable resource for the foodservice industry in Texas. As a leading business association, the TRA represents the state’s $70 billion restaurant industry, which comprises approximately 50,000 locations and a workforce of 1.3 million employees. Along with the Texas Restaurant Foundation (TRF), the workforce development arm of the TRA, the association proudly continues to protect, advance, and educate a growing industry as the TRA enters its 85th anniversary year. For more information, please visit www.txrestaurant.org.
ABOUT THE TEXAS RESTAURANT FOUNDATION
Established in 1994 by the Texas Restaurant Association, the Texas Restaurant Foundation (TRF) is a 501(c)3 not for profit organization* focused on providing the necessary resources to help restaurateurs confront educational and labor challenges with the latest innovations in education, technology, and training as the workforce development arm of the TRA. The organization’s flagship program is Texas ProStart, an industry-based, two-year high school culinary arts and restaurant management curriculum. Texas ProStart is currently in more than 185 Texas high schools, reaching more than 15,000 students annually. In 2020, the TRF established the TX Restaurant Relief Fund in response to the COVID-19 crisis to provide immediate financial support to independent restaurants, raising more than $3.5 million and distributing more than 800 grants.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
