Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2024
Media Contacts:
Students from Plymouth-Canton and Grosse Pointe South High School Celebrate Victory in Statewide Hospitality Competition
Over 400 students participated in the Michigan ProStart Invitational, which is hosted by the Michigan Hospitality Foundation and is the highest-level competition for Michigan high school students training in culinary and hospitality careers. Winning teams now advance to the National ProStart® Invitational in Baltimore, MD, April 26-28.
Over 400 students participated in the Michigan ProStart Invitational, which is hosted by the Michigan Hospitality Foundation and is the highest-level competition for Michigan high school students training in culinary and hospitality careers. Winning teams now advance to the National ProStart® Invitational in Baltimore, MD, April 26-28.
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Hospitality Foundation is proud to announce that students on the Culinary team from Grosse Pointe South High School and the Management team from Plymouth Canton Educational Park have been named the first place winners of the Michigan ProStart Competition March 10-11 at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in Kalamazoo. Both teams will now move on to represent Michigan in their respective categories at the National ProStart® Invitational in Baltimore, Maryland, April 26-28.
More than 400 high school students, representing 28 Michigan schools across the state, competed in the Michigan ProStart Competition, an annual culinary and restaurant management competition hosted by the Michigan Hospitality Foundation. Students competed in a wide range of categories designed to test their knowledge of the industry, including Culinary, Management, Knife Skills, Nutrition, ServSafe® Knowledge Bowl, Tabletop Design, Cake Design, and Pasta. Teams were observed, rated and judged by leading industry professionals and higher education instructors. Students who placed in each category of the competition competed for access to $840,000 in scholarships to continue their post-secondary education in hospitality-related fields.
“The winning teams stood out for their remarkable combination of skill, hard work, and creativity, and we look forward to cheering on the Plymouth Canton Educational Park and Gross Pointe South teams as they represent Michigan in the National ProStart Invitational this spring,” said Amanda Smith, executive director of the Michigan Hospitality Foundation. “We are extremely proud of every student who entered this competition and proved they have the talent, dedication, and passion to become the next generation of industry stars.”
In April, the Grosse Pointe South High School and Plymouth-Canton Educational Park students travel to Baltimore, where they will compete in the National ProStart Invitational hosted by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF).
“I am always inspired by the dedication and innovation that ProStart teams display during competition. ProStart’s true strength lies in the skills students take away from it, which will benefit them throughout life – no matter where they work. I’m truly excited to welcome these Michigan champions to Baltimore in April,” said Rob Gifford, president of the NRAEF.
In the Michigan ProStart Competition, Culinary teams were required to create a unique three-course meal consisting of a starter, entrée and dessert that demonstrates their culinary knowledge and creative abilities. For their appetizer, the Grosse Pointe South High School Team prepared a scallop trio, including a small scallop salad, a scallop and green bean fritter with grapefruit gastrique, and a seared scallop with saffron citrus beurre blanc. For the entrée, Grosse Pointe South students served mosaic pork tenderloin with colcannon duchess potatoes, red cabbage and fell puree, fennel and mustard green ragout, pork dijon demi glace and roasted fluted mushroom. As a dessert, the team created a pear and cucumber namelaka, with poached pear, walnut sable cookie, cucumber and pear spiral, cucumber coulis, and honey walnut sauce.
For the Management competition, teams demonstrated their knowledge of the restaurant and foodservice industry by developing and presenting a new restaurant concept to a panel of judges. Teams chose from one of four scenarios: freestanding restaurant; airport restaurant; food truck or strip mall restaurant and then presented their concepts via a 10’x10’ tradeshow booth as well as verbal presentations, posters and a Q&A session with a panel of judges.
The Plymouth-Canton Educational Park students’ winning concept was a casual, full-service restaurant model called “Eve,” which would be owned, controlled, operated, and managed by women. Serving American-style cuisine, the restaurant concept would focus on eco-conscious practices and seasonal menus, embrace technology for seamless customer experiences, and give back to the community through charity events, partnerships with local women’s shelters, and local art displays.
The final standings for the 2024 Michigan ProStart Competition are listed as:
Culinary
Management
Nutrition
Knife Cuts
Knowledge Bowl
Table Top Design
Cake Decorating
Pasta
Annually, more than 6,400 Michigan students at 86 high schools and career centers participate in the ProStart curriculum, which is a two-year high school program that connects the classroom to the restaurant and foodservice industry. ProStart is the career and technical education culinary program of choice of the Michigan Department of Education and exceeds all state standards.
More than 400 high school students, representing 28 Michigan schools across the state, competed in the Michigan ProStart Competition, an annual culinary and restaurant management competition hosted by the Michigan Hospitality Foundation. Students competed in a wide range of categories designed to test their knowledge of the industry, including Culinary, Management, Knife Skills, Nutrition, ServSafe® Knowledge Bowl, Tabletop Design, Cake Design, and Pasta. Teams were observed, rated and judged by leading industry professionals and higher education instructors. Students who placed in each category of the competition competed for access to $840,000 in scholarships to continue their post-secondary education in hospitality-related fields.
“The winning teams stood out for their remarkable combination of skill, hard work, and creativity, and we look forward to cheering on the Plymouth Canton Educational Park and Gross Pointe South teams as they represent Michigan in the National ProStart Invitational this spring,” said Amanda Smith, executive director of the Michigan Hospitality Foundation. “We are extremely proud of every student who entered this competition and proved they have the talent, dedication, and passion to become the next generation of industry stars.”
In April, the Grosse Pointe South High School and Plymouth-Canton Educational Park students travel to Baltimore, where they will compete in the National ProStart Invitational hosted by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF).
“I am always inspired by the dedication and innovation that ProStart teams display during competition. ProStart’s true strength lies in the skills students take away from it, which will benefit them throughout life – no matter where they work. I’m truly excited to welcome these Michigan champions to Baltimore in April,” said Rob Gifford, president of the NRAEF.
In the Michigan ProStart Competition, Culinary teams were required to create a unique three-course meal consisting of a starter, entrée and dessert that demonstrates their culinary knowledge and creative abilities. For their appetizer, the Grosse Pointe South High School Team prepared a scallop trio, including a small scallop salad, a scallop and green bean fritter with grapefruit gastrique, and a seared scallop with saffron citrus beurre blanc. For the entrée, Grosse Pointe South students served mosaic pork tenderloin with colcannon duchess potatoes, red cabbage and fell puree, fennel and mustard green ragout, pork dijon demi glace and roasted fluted mushroom. As a dessert, the team created a pear and cucumber namelaka, with poached pear, walnut sable cookie, cucumber and pear spiral, cucumber coulis, and honey walnut sauce.
For the Management competition, teams demonstrated their knowledge of the restaurant and foodservice industry by developing and presenting a new restaurant concept to a panel of judges. Teams chose from one of four scenarios: freestanding restaurant; airport restaurant; food truck or strip mall restaurant and then presented their concepts via a 10’x10’ tradeshow booth as well as verbal presentations, posters and a Q&A session with a panel of judges.
The Plymouth-Canton Educational Park students’ winning concept was a casual, full-service restaurant model called “Eve,” which would be owned, controlled, operated, and managed by women. Serving American-style cuisine, the restaurant concept would focus on eco-conscious practices and seasonal menus, embrace technology for seamless customer experiences, and give back to the community through charity events, partnerships with local women’s shelters, and local art displays.
The final standings for the 2024 Michigan ProStart Competition are listed as:
Culinary
- First Place: Grosse Pointe South
- Second Place: Plymouth Canton Educational Park
- Third Place: Bay Arena ISD
- Fourth Place: Hasting High School
- Fifth Place: Tuscola Technology Center
Management
- First Place: Plymouth Canton Educational Park
- Second Place: West Shore ESD
- Third Place: Tuscola Technology Center
Nutrition
- First Place: Muskegon Area Career Tech Center – Team A
- Second Place: Muskegon Area Career Tech Center – Team B
- Third Place: Bay Arenac ISD Career Center
Knife Cuts
- First Place: Bryce Gundermen, Allegan Area ESA
- Second Place: Cole Gaber, Bay Arenac ISD
- Third Place: Kenzi Wilber, Muskegon Area Career Tech Center
Knowledge Bowl
- First Place: Iosco RESA
- Second Place: Van Buren ISD
- Third Place: Oakland Technical - Southeast
- Fourth Place: Kalamazoo RESA
- Fifth Place: Clare-Gladwin RESD – Team A
Table Top Design
- First Place: Muskegon Area Career Center – Team A
- Second Place: Kalamazoo RESA
- Third Place: Bay Arenac ISD – Team B
- Fourth Place: Muskegon Area Career Center – Team B
- Fifth Place: West Shore ESD – Team B
Cake Decorating
- First Place: Oakland Technical Southeast
- Second Place: Gratiot Isabella TEC
- Third Place: RCTC Ypsilanti – Team B
- Fourth Place: Bay Arena ISD – Team B
- Fifth Place: Livonia Technical Center
Pasta
- First Place: Bay Arenac ISD – Team A
- Second Place: RCTC-Ypsilanti
- Third Place: Gaylord High School - Team B
- Fourth Place: Allegan Area ESA – Team B
- Fifth Place: DCTC Riverview High School
Annually, more than 6,400 Michigan students at 86 high schools and career centers participate in the ProStart curriculum, which is a two-year high school program that connects the classroom to the restaurant and foodservice industry. ProStart is the career and technical education culinary program of choice of the Michigan Department of Education and exceeds all state standards.
About the Michigan Hospitality Foundation
The Michigan Hospitality Foundation, formerly known as the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association Educational Foundation, seeks to enhance the hospitality industry's service to the public through education, community engagement, and promotion of career opportunities. The MHF also prepares high school students for the challenges of a career in restaurants and foodservice through ProStart, a nationwide, two-year high school program that unites the classroom and the industry. For more information, visit https://www.mihf.org.
About the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association
Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA) is the recognized leader of Michigan's hospitality industry, providing essential services to the foodservice and lodging community. Founded in 1921 as the Michigan Restaurant Association and now known as the MRLA, the Association represents over 5,500 Michigan foodservice and lodging establishments. The industry plays an integral role in Michigan's economy, employing more than 450,000 people and creating nearly $44.6 billion in annual sales. For more information, visit www.mrla.org and www.detroitrla.org.
The Michigan Hospitality Foundation, formerly known as the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association Educational Foundation, seeks to enhance the hospitality industry's service to the public through education, community engagement, and promotion of career opportunities. The MHF also prepares high school students for the challenges of a career in restaurants and foodservice through ProStart, a nationwide, two-year high school program that unites the classroom and the industry. For more information, visit https://www.mihf.org.
About the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association
Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA) is the recognized leader of Michigan's hospitality industry, providing essential services to the foodservice and lodging community. Founded in 1921 as the Michigan Restaurant Association and now known as the MRLA, the Association represents over 5,500 Michigan foodservice and lodging establishments. The industry plays an integral role in Michigan's economy, employing more than 450,000 people and creating nearly $44.6 billion in annual sales. For more information, visit www.mrla.org and www.detroitrla.org.
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