Back to School Planning
By: The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association Educational Foundation
As summer winds down and a new school year begins, the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association Educational Foundation (MRLAEF) looks forward to expanding Michigan’s ProStart Program in high schools across the state. The MRLAEF has prepared all summer long to welcome a new class of culinary students and educate the instructors who will support and mentor these young individuals as they explore the many opportunities the foodservice industry has to offer.
ProStart Educator Roundtable, August 7-8-9
At the beginning of August, the MRLAEF hosted the ProStart Educator Roundtable in Lansing to give ProStart Instructors the tools and resources they need to inspire and cultivate the next generation of culinary experts. This year’s training focused on a few fundamental principles:
At the beginning of August, the MRLAEF hosted the ProStart Educator Roundtable in Lansing to give ProStart Instructors the tools and resources they need to inspire and cultivate the next generation of culinary experts. This year’s training focused on a few fundamental principles:
- Leadership and Management: These roles are essential post-pandemic as we work to rebuild a strong workforce. During the training, instructors heard directly from a variety of different restaurant operators to learn more about their day-today operations in the current climate, the skills needed to be successful in management, and the benefits that come with being a strong leader.
- Reducing Food Waste: The rising cost of food is one of the biggest concerns for operators as inflation continues to hinder businesses. Food inflation is well above the overall inflation rate, which hit 9.1% earlier this month. Knowing how to limit food waste and conserve resources plays a key factor in maintaining daily operations. Instructors learned the art of utilizing “scrap” or leftover/unused food to make new dishes or substitute for missing ingredients. Soups, stocks, and sauces were created for upcycling food before it spoils. Limiting food waste can be a challenge without the proper training. It is vital for ProStart students to develop these skills as they advance in their culinary careers.
- Food Sales: There are many different sales tools operators can use to their advantage when it comes to selling food and generating revenue. It is important for management to have a clear marketing plan with set goals to stay on track. Menu design, pricing, detailed descriptions of menu items, and user-friendly websites are just a few sales tools that can make a world of difference in overall revenue if implemented properly. Each aspect of a business should uphold the same set of standards and core values, from the training staff receives to the messaging on the website.
The MRLAEF is committed to giving Michigan ProStart students and their instructors every opportunity to advance their skillset and succeed in this field. The more prepared teachers are, the more successful students will be. The MRLAEF will continue to support the ProStart Program throughout the school year by providing monthly webinars with the most updated information to keep the program on track with industry trends. These webinars will include cooking demos, leadership workshops, and advice from other industry professionals.
