NYS Restaurant Association Today Announced the Winners of the ProStart Invitational

Event offers glimpse of future culinary talent – more than $1 million in scholarships given to competing students

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First Place Culinary Team - Orange-Ulster BOCES

ALBANY, NY (04/13/2012)(readMedia)-- ALBANY, NEW YORK, April 12, 2012 - Young people from across the state cooked up more than a million dollars in scholarships at the New York State Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's annual ProStart Invitational on Saturday, March 23 in Niagara Falls.

More than 100 high school students from 15 schools participated in the Rich Products ProStart Management Competition and the New York State Restaurant Association ProStart Culinary Competition. ProStart is a two-year high school curriculum that introduces students to career opportunities in the restaurant industry and teaches them basic culinary and management skills.

In the culinary event, teams of 4 students had 60 minutes and two portable butane burners to prepare and serve a three-course meal. They were judged on presentation, taste, food safety and sanitation, teamwork, knife skills, food costs and professionalism.

Top honors went to Orange-Ulster BOCES in Goshen. Team members Adrianna Concilio, Alec Martin, Chris Blain and RJ McCarthy prepared Pan Fired Chicken Dumplings, Vegetable Stuffed Chicken and a Ginger Pineapple Tarte Tatin. Their coaches are Culinary Instructor Tom Genovese and Andre Woroschinski.

Putnam/North Westchester BOCES in Yorktown Heights took second place honors; third place went to the Emerson School of Hospitality in Buffalo.

Management teams developed a concept for a new restaurant, including location, floor plan, interior design, staff organization, menu and a marketing plan. They were judged on their written proposal and a verbal presentation to judges, who acted as potential investors.

Lake Shore/Carrier Career and Technical Academy, located in Angola, won the event for their concept, "Pie World." Team members Ryan Bzibziak, Dennis Frame, Nickolas Evans and Dillon Ralph were coached by Teaching Assistant Jim Kuras. Their instructor is Chef Rusty Furdell. Second place went to Capital Region Career & Technical School in Schoharie and third place to Quester III in Hudson.

More than 30 restaurant owners, managers, chefs and college instructors from across the state judged the teams, who competed for trophies, medals, scholarships and the opportunity to represent New York at the National ProStart Invitational April 27-29 in Baltimore.

$1.6 million in scholarships were awarded by the Culinary Institute of America, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, the International Culinary Schools at the Art Institutes, Johnson and Wales University, Le Cordon Bleu, Monroe College, Paul Smith's College and SUNY-Cobleskill.

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Contact: Monica Miller, 800.452.5212

The New York State Restaurant Association, founded in 1935, is the leading business association for the restaurant and hospitality industry in New York State. Comprised of more than 56,000 restaurants, bars, clubs, New York restaurants represent more than 628,000 employees and sales of approximately $27 billion - making it the cornerstone of the economy, career opportunities and community involvement. Along with the New York State Restaurant Association and New York State Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, NYSRA and its chapters work to represent, educate and promote the rapidly growing hospitality industry. For more information, visit our Web site at http://www.nysra.org/.