ALBANY, NY (04/10/2013)(readMedia)-- On Saturday, March 23, 2013 the Niagara Convention Center hosted the 9th Annual ProStart Competition sponsored and managed by the NYS Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. Culinary students from across New York State traveled to compete for scholarships of over $2 million to some of the top culinary schools in the country, including the Culinary Institute of America, Paul Smith's College, Monroe College, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Johnson and Wales University, the New England Culinary Institute, the International Culinary Schools at the Art Institutes, Le Cordon Bleu, Sullivan University and the Louisiana Culinary Institute.

Students showcase their skills in two categories: culinary and restaurant management. For the culinary portion competitors are given 60 minutes to prepare and plate an appetizer, entrée and dessert with only two butane burners. The restaurant management category asks students to develop a restaurant name, concept, design and marketing plan and present it to a panel of judges. They are also asked how to solve challenges that restaurateurs face every day.

The 2013 New York State ProStart winners of each category are as follows:

Culinary Category:

First Place: Capital Region Career & Technical School – Schoharie

Team Members: Tyler Foland, Diana Han Fernandez, Rachel Green, Ryan Luffman, Ashley Tubbs.

ProStart Teacher: Nancy Iannacone

Restaurant Management Category:

First Place: Erie 2 – Lake Shore/ Carrier Career & Technical Academy

Team Members: Logan Bruckman, Nicholas Warren Evans, Brandon Hurd, Mark Dillon Ralph.

ProStart Teacher: Jim Kuras

Mentor: Sandy Kaleta

The winning team of each category will represent New York State at the National ProStart Competition in Baltimore, Maryland on April 19 – 21, 2013.

Sponsors of the 2013 New York State ProStart Competition include Rich Products, Wegmans, Ecolab, the Western New York Chapter of the NYS Restaurant Association and the National Restaurant Association. The ProStart competition was created by the National Restaurant Association to showcase the skills students develop in the ProStart program.

For photos of the 2013 NYS ProStart Invitational visit the following photo galleries on the NYS Restaurant Association Facebook page:

ProStart Students in Action

Plate Presentations

Awards Ceremony

About the NYS Restaurant Association Educational Foundation

NYSRAEF is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit foundation dedicated to fulfilling the educational mission of the NYS Restaurant Association by providing education opportunities for young people who are considering careers in the foodservice industry; providing industry education and training to encourage career advancement and offering risk management education to New York foodservice operations.

NYSRAEF's primary programs include: New York ProStart®, ServSafe® Food Safety & Alcohol, ManageFirst® restaurant management training, The Green Hospitality Initiative, and The Qualters Culinary Arts Skills Assessment

Contact NYSRAEF at 518.452.5522

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Posted Wednesday April 10, 2013 at 12:55 pm by New York State Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
Last Updated Friday March 14, 2014 at 12:38 pm