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The LRA Education Foundation presented the Louisiana Seafood ProStart Invitational on March 6-7 at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center. ProStart is a two-year culinary arts and restaurant management curriculum in nearly 60 Louisiana high schools, with 2,000 juniors and seniors participating. Sixty-three percent of Louisiana’s ProStart program attended the Invitational.

The Invitational consisted of the BRG Hospitality Culinary Competition on Day 1, where 24 ProStart teams showcased their culinary talents Iron Chef-style, creating a three-course gourmet meal in just one hour using two butane burners.

The top five winning BRG Hospitality Culinary Teams were:

• First Place – Lakeshore High School
• Second Place – Chalmette High School
• Third Place – Ascension Parish ProStart
• Fourth Place – Pearl River High School
• Fifth Place – W.D. & Mary Baker Smith Career Center

The Raising Cane’s Management Competition on Day 2 featured 11 ProStart teams presenting their restaurant concepts to a series of industry professionals as if pitching to a group of investors. The teams were judged on their menus, concepts, critical thinking skills, operations, and marketing.

The top five Raising Cane’s Management Teams were:

• First Place – Chalmette High School
• Second Place – Hammond High Magnet School
• Third Place – West Feliciana High School
• Fourth Place – W.D. & Mary Baker Smith Career Center
• Fifth Place – Academy of Our Lady

The top five teams in each category were awarded nearly $900,000 in scholarships to top culinary arts and management programs in Louisiana and across the nation.

Also, the top team in each competition will represent Louisiana at the National ProStart Invitational on April 26-28 in Baltimore, Maryland. Airfare, lodging, and apparel will be covered at no cost to the teams thanks to the National Travel Team Sponsor – TABASCO Brand.

In addition, judges awarded a series of awards to teams based on their exceptional skills and techniques. The following are the categories and the top judges’ selected teams:

Raising Cane’s Management Competition Judges’ Picks:

• Restaurant Concept – West Feliciana High School
• Critical Thinking – Sulphur High School
• Marketing – Hammond High School
• Presentation – W.D. & Mary Baker Smith Career Center
• Operations – Hammond High Magnet School

BRG Hospitality Culinary Competition Judges’ Picks:

• Safety & Sanitation – Abbeville High School
• Teamwork – Mandeville High School
• Starter – West St. John High School
• Entrée – John Ehret High School
• Dessert – Ascension Parish ProStart

This event was made possible thanks to our generous sponsors: Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board; BRG Hospitality (August, Luke, Domenica, Pizza Domenica, Shaya, Tavi, Willa Jean, Larder and Eunice Restaurants); Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers; Sysco; Natco Food Service; Republic National Distributing Company, Sodexo Live!; New Orleans Morial Convention Center; and Freeman.

A special thank you to the National Travel Team Sponsor: TABASCO Brand.