Latest news with #ProStart
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation Launches JumpStart Initiative, Bringing Louisiana High School Students to Chicago for Immersive Experience at the National Restaurant Association Show
ProStart students from W.D. & Mary Baker Smith Career Center selected for a weekend of restaurant-focused learning and interaction through the first-ever JumpStart grant. CHICAGO, May 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its commitment to empower the restaurant and foodservice leaders of the future, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation will bring a group of high school students from the W.D. & Mary Baker Smith Career Center in Lafayette, Louisiana, to Chicago for an immersive, industry-focused learning experience during this weekend's National Restaurant Association Show – part of its first-ever JumpStart initiative. JumpStart – will give students a front-row look at the trends and people shaping the restaurant and foodservice industry, showcasing the limitless opportunities that are available in the sector that currently employs more than 15.7 million Americans. Imagined and brought to life by former National Restaurant Association Chair Scott Redler, co-founder of Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, JumpStart was created to augment the ProStart classroom experience through real-world interaction with the restaurant industry and its leaders. The Foundation created the program in the fall of 2024, and students from W.D. & Mary Baker Smith Career Center were selected for the Foundation's inaugural JumpStart grant. As part of the application process, students were asked to explain how the JumpStart experience would benefit their restaurant career aspirations, while educators explained how the trip would improve their ProStart classroom experience. Learn why the experience is important to these young ProStart students here. "JumpStart is a unique way to cultivate and invest in the next generation of restaurant industry talent – a mission that is a cornerstone of the Foundation's work," said Rob Gifford, president of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. "I'm excited to witness the ways this immersive experience sparks imagination and wonder in these students around the excitement in our industry – along with the knowledge that they can be part of it." Highlights of the JumpStart experience include: Industry Immersion: Students will visit The National Restaurant Association Show, where they will have the chance to see the latest trends, innovations, and technologies in the restaurant industry. Expert Interactions: The students will meet with industry experts, including Chef Carla Hall, gaining insights and advice that will help them begin their career journey in the culinary field. Comprehensive Coverage: The grant covers all essential expenses, including travel, accommodation, and participation fees, ensuring a stress-free and enriching experience for the students and their educator. ProStart – the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's nationwide career and technical education program – has equipped more than 1 million high school students with career-ready culinary and restaurant management skills. The program is designed to equip students with restaurant-specific certifications and competencies, over 400 hours of practical work experience, and access to restaurant and hospitality apprenticeship and scholarship opportunities. Students complete the ProStart program ready to join a professional kitchen or advance to higher education. Today, the program reaches 222,000 students at 2,200 schools. Learn more about how ProStart is investing in tomorrow's restaurant and foodservice leaders here. About ProStart®ProStart®, a nationwide, two-year high school career and technical education program uniting the classroom and restaurant industry, reaches nearly 222,000 students at almost 2,200 high schools throughout all states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. ProStart gives students a platform to discover and develop new interests and talents, while teaching employability skills like teamwork, professional behavior, time management and communication. About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF):As the supporting philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the NRAEF's charitable mission includes enhancing the industry's training and education, career development, and community engagement efforts. The NRAEF and its programs work to Attract, Empower, and Advance today's and tomorrow's restaurant and foodservice workforce. NRAEF programs include: ProStart® – a high-school career and technical education program; Restaurant Ready/HOPES – Partnering with community based organizations to provide people with skills training and job opportunities; Military – helping military servicemen and women transition their skills to restaurant and foodservice careers; Scholarships – financial assistance for students pursuing restaurant, foodservice and hospitality degrees; and the Restaurant & Hospitality Leadership Center (RHLC) – accredited apprenticeship programs designed to build the careers of service professionals. For more information on the NRAEF, visit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
North High School ProStart students host barbecue
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — Some Sioux City high school students got to try a variety of meats and learn about the process of making them. Students enrolled in the ProStart culinary program at North High School grilled meats for teachers and classmates at around lunchtime. The students also learned how to prepare and cook the meats. Midwest 8-Ball Championships kick off in Sioux City A chef from the local Marriott taught kids the importance of scoring the meat, and also of learning how to cook at a young age. 'People aren't getting into cooking nearly as early,' and ' chef Eric Divis said. 'A big thing for when I come to these classes is to show them how to do things, but also I want them to start understanding the essential skills of cooking, because not being able to cook going into the real world, going into the relationships, going into the family, learning those skills then is a lot harder then having the ability to learn them now.' This is the second time this event was held thanks to a grant from the Iowa Beef Industry Council. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Los Angeles Times
24-04-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Culinary arts students get a slice of life in the pizza business at BJ's headquarters
Will Godoy's career path to director of talent development at BJ's Restaurants, Inc. was nonlinear. It is a point he emphasizes while speaking to a group of Marina High School students Tuesday at BJ's Headquarters in Huntington Beach. 'The path you want to take may not end up being the path you actually do take, things will always change,' Godoy told the teens. 'Certain advantages might come up, certain obstacles might have to be overcome, but at the end of the day your career usually ends up being what you enjoy.' The students from the local high school are part of the California Restaurant Foundation's statewide ProStart program, a two-year industry-backed culinary arts and restaurant program offered at about 140 California schools like Marina, Fullerton Union and Newport Harbor high schools, and the Orange County School of the Arts. They are also among the 500 California students who participated in the annual 'Experience Hospitality Week' from April 21 to 24. The career-building experience gives students the chance to explore other jobs that exist in restaurants beyond the roles of line cook and server. 'Experience Hospitality Week is a statewide event where we are sending students to see the business side of food service and hospitality,' said Natalie Tong, programs director for the California Restaurant Foundation. 'We are taking them to headquarters, to venues, to food distributors where they are going to get to see beyond front of house and back of house. This plays a critical role for high school students when they are starting to think about their career paths after high school.' The Marina High students spent the day at BJ's headquarters, meeting with U.S. Bank, one of the programs sponsors and their small business specialists to learn about business loans and other aspects of entrepreneurial finance. 'Our grant sponsorship to the California Restaurant Foundation is very important for us,' said Wendy Chau, community affairs manager for U.S. Bank. 'We are supporting community programs that help small businesses thrive, people succeed in the workforce, provide pathways to higher education and gain greater financial literacy.' After learning about business financing, students headed to the kitchen where they learned how to bake a pizza. Then they broke off into small groups and toured various departments such as operations, risk management to understand safety protocols, marketing to learn about brand awareness and information technology. Additionally, they visited the beverage department to learn about the detailed process involved when launching a new non-alcoholic beverage at BJ's 200+ restaurants. 'We know they know the four walls, they have gone into a restaurant and understand what it's like to be a customer and order food and drinks,' said Godoy. 'What we want to teach them today is how all of that comes together within our company and understand how the different departments work together so guests can come in and enjoy those moments.' Some of the students on the field trip participated in this year's ProStart Cup, a two-day competition to compete for $500,000 in scholarships. The competition is divided into two sections; a Culinary Cup and a Management Cup, so career paths in the culinary arts and restaurant management are familiar to the Marina High students. Yet, other aspects of the business they encountered during their visit to BJ's Headquarters were new to them. 'Learning about the creative department and what the design team does to make new food or how they improve to get customers to come back, is the biggest thing I did not know,' said Marina High junior David Hodson. Hodson is considering a career in the culinary arts and likes to bake sourdough bread at home during his free time. Now, he said, he'll think about the design team whenever he visits a BJ's. 'Every time I see something new, I am going to know they made that, that team designed that,' said Hodson. By introducing them to roles in the hospitality industry they haven't considered before, the California Restaurant Foundation is encouraging students to be curious about the different possibilities for their own futures and career paths. 'Students take the culinary class because they know they like to eat and they want have skills to feed themselves, but they are not necessarily industry focused,' said Morgan Molioo, the culinary instructor at Marina High School. 'Then they come here and they realize their passion for cooking can intersect with their interest in information technology, for example.' Molioo has been the advisor of the ProStart program at Marina for three years and said the California Restaurant Foundation has supported her in creating a robust culinary program at the Huntington Beach campus, just three miles away from BJ's Restaurants Inc. offices. 'The class I teach is a career and technical education class, and the whole purpose of it is to promote and expose students to career pathways,' said Molioo. Hearing real stories from successful people in the industry is one benefit Molioo identifies for her students. 'When they hear that Will dabbled in this and worked for this company or that, they come out with a sense of comfort, to be honest,' said Molioo. 'My students last year felt less pressure after this experience. They can see that these people in these jobs that really do well for themselves didn't always know exactly what they wanted to do. They ended up here because they were hard workers and they looked for opportunities. They see that and learn it is not just about having a 4.0 GPA.' Godoy put a tremendous amount of time and effort into planning the day, ensuring the students would have a thorough experience. Lesson planning isn't unfamiliar to Godoy, who actually wanted to be a history teacher before he found his way to the restaurant industry. 'I majored in American history and minored in European history, and at the same time I was bartending. When I had the opportunity to either become a teacher or move up to management, I wanted to go to management,' said Godoy. 'My classroom changed.' When the students meet in a conference room at the end of their tour — where they are served BJ's pizza, salad, sliders and salmon — Godoy shares more about his story, while answering questions and delivering career advice. The students pose for a group photo with him before returning on the school bus, and while he knows some of what he said will go over their heads today, he feels confident that one or two might take his advice to heart. 'These events are really important for high school students, mainly so they think outside the box,' he said.
Associated Press
16-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
From Trend to Transformation: Off-Premises Dining Now Essential for Restaurant Consumers, Operators
2025 Off-Premises Restaurant Trends report shows how takeout, drive-thru and delivery are driving growth, innovation, and consumer loyalty WASHINGTON, April 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly 75% of all restaurant traffic now happens off-premises—meaning that almost 3 out of 4 restaurant orders are taken to go. New data from the National Restaurant Association's 2025 Off-Premises Restaurant Trends report highlights how off-premises dining has become both a consumer preference and business essential, with the convenience and availability of takeout, delivery, and drive-thru now deeply embedded in everyday life. 'Off-premises dining has become a key revenue driver and an essential way to engage consumers,' said Dr. Chad Moutray, Chief Economist at the National Restaurant Association. 'It now accounts for a larger share of sales for 58% of limited-service and 41% of full-service operators compared with 2019—providing a critical path to restaurant resilience and growth despite ongoing economic pressures.' Who's Driving Demand – and Where Gen Z and millennials are leading the way: Two-thirds say takeout is essential to their lifestyle, and nearly 6 in 10 use takeout or drive-thru at least weekly. More than 60% say they're ordering off-premises more often than a year ago. What Customers Want & How Operators Can Deliver Consumers want speed, ease of use and rewarding experiences. 94% of all consumers say speed is critical, with over 9 in 10 citing customer service as a top priority. Three-quarters of delivery customers value tech-enabled ordering and payments. Value matters, too—over 80% of consumers utilize deals like 'Buy One, Get One' offers, combo meals, or real-time specials. Loyalty programs also matter: 65% of drive-thru users and over 60% of takeout and delivery users say membership affects where they order. Meanwhile, according to consumers, here are some opportunities for restaurants: With off-premises already accounting for most of the traffic, it's not just a trend—it's a critical pathway for operators to drive growth, meet evolving expectations and stay competitive. Click here to download the 2025 Off-Premises Restaurant Trends report. About the National Restaurant Association Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises more than 1 million restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of more than 15.7 million employees. Together with 52 State Associations, we are a network of professional organizations dedicated to serving every restaurant through advocacy, education, and food safety. We sponsor the industry's largest trade show ( National Restaurant Association Show ); leading food safety training and certification program ( ServSafe ); unique career-building high school program ( the NRAEF's ProStart ). For more information, visit and find WeRRestaurants on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Media Contact Kristen Bennett [email protected] 804-822-5337 View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE National Restaurant Association
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gaylord High School culinary students take second place at state competition
GAYLORD — Gaylord High School brought home the second-place prize at the Michigan ProStart Competition on March 10-11 in Battle Creek. The competition saw more than 600 students from 39 schools across Michigan competing in various categories, including culinary, management, pasta, knife cuts, ServSafe Knowledge Bowl, tabletop design and cake decorating, according to a press release from ProStart and the Michigan Hospitality Foundation. The Gaylord team, consisting of students Atlas Clemens, Aneliese Kage, Ezra Spychalski, Kylie Scholl and Hunter Piasecki, excelled in the culinary category, where teams were tasked with creating unique three-course meals, demonstrating their culinary knowledge, skills and creativity. They had 20 minutes to set up their stations and 60 minutes to cook using two butane burners. Judging criteria included recipe presentation, knife skills, taste, safety and sanitation, team presentation, work skills and organization. Subscribe: Get unlimited access to our local coverage 'The competition reflects the realities of a fast-paced career in the hospitality industry,' Amanda Smith, executive director of the Michigan Hospitality Foundation, said in the release. 'From developing a three-course meal to setting an elegant tabletop design, the competition is giving these students practical experience and inspiration as they explore the many careers in hospitality.' ProStart is a two-year high school program that connects the classroom to the restaurant and foodservice industry. More than 7,000 Michigan students from 80 high schools and career centers participate in the program annually. Every spring, ProStart students from across the state compete in the Michigan ProStart Competition, hosted by the Michigan Hospitality Foundation. — This story was created by reporter Karly Graham, kgraham@ with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Gaylord culinary students place second in 2025 state competition
