In California, the Restaurant Association (CRA) has been a major influence in the lives of chefs, business owners, and managers alike. From organizing fund-raising events to providing information about the industry, the CRA has many opportunities for members. There is one area that the CRA and the associated CRAF have taken a special interest in: teens and young adults. The CRAF (the California Restaurant Association Foundation) has made a partnership to help develop a schooling program called ProStart. ProStart has made a name for itself with its highly competitive ProStart Cup, but who are they and what is their main mission? ProStart is a high school program integrated into the student’s traditional school schedule. Since there have been some severe government cut-backs in the areas of the arts and culinary, this program offers a bridge between those students who wish to pursue a career in the hospitality/restaurant industry and the tools and opportunists they need. They understand and hold tight to the ideal that a well-invested chef who understands restaurant management makes a restaurant, and helps it to thrive. The planning of concepts, menus, costing, and inventory management are all real skills needed in the hospitality world, and ProStart delivers those skills.
Orange County School of the Arts, won the 2018 Management Competition as well as the Innovation Cup and is moving on to represent their school at the National ProStart Invitational. ProStart program focuses heavily on college and career development. Students are guided not only through the application and resume process, but also how to present themselves in an interview, and are taught other workplace-related skills. These coupled with on-site training, chef talks, and culinary tours offered to students give them a firm step in the right direction of the culinary and hospitality fields.
Top three teams in each category:
Innovation Cup
Orange County School of the Arts (Santa Ana)
San Dimas High School #2 (San Dimas)
San Dimas High School #1 (San Dimas)
Culinary Cup
Madison High School (San Diego)
San Juan High School (Citrus Heights)
Valley High School #1 (Santa Ana)
Management Cup
Orange County School of the Arts (Santa Ana)
San Dimas High School (San Dimas)
Valley High School #2 (Santa Ana)
