The culinary and restaurant management stars of tomorrow took center stage at the 2025 National ProStart® Invitational, hosted by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. The high school students showed off their talent and skills, with the San Dimas High School team from San Dimas, Calif., winning first place in the culinary competition and Chalmette High School team from Chalmette, La., taking first place in the restaurant management competition. More than 400 of the nation’s best and brightest culinary and restaurant management students on 96 teams from 47 states and the District of Columbia competed for top billing and their share of $200,000 in scholarships.
The 2025 National ProStart Invitational theme, “Burn Bright,” highlighted the passion, creativity and dedication of the competitors who have spent the school year preparing for competition. Teams earned their spot in the national showdown after winning their respective state level competitions.
The culinary competition was a high-stakes challenge of preparing and plating a three-course menu in one hour without access to running water or electricity and using just two butane burners. Teams in the restaurant management competition presented and defended their team-developed restaurant business concepts and plans to a panel of restaurant and foodservice industry judges.
The San Dimas High School team won the culinary competition by creating and executing three menu-ready recipes that included detailed cooking instructions and menu cost analysis. Each dish was professionally plated, tasted and analyzed by a panel of industry judges. Their menu included an appetizer of pan seared Chilean sea bass resting in a coconut, lemongrass, ginger, and chive oil broth; an entre of lamb strip loin with truffle pommé puree and blueberry port wine sauce, featuring a brûléed poached shallot and salad; and coconut mouse encased in a chocolate shell for dessert.
The Chalmette High School team captured the national title in the restaurant management segment, presenting and defending their La Strada concept that honors the Sicilian lineage that has shaped the greater New Orleans’ culinary scene for over a century. Their menu is filled with dishes centered on simplicity, freshness and quality including Sicilian pizzas, muffulettas, and po’boys for lunch and table-side pasta, prepared in a Parmigiano Reggiano cheese wheel at dinner. The restaurant also has a strong social good component, supporting their community with food drives, college book drives, and sponsored community refrigerators and pantries across their area. The restaurant is also committed to reducing waste and supporting a greener future through sustainable operations practices. During their hour-long presentation to a panel of industry professionals, the students pitched their full business plan, including budget, restaurant design and marking strategies.
The following are the top five teams in the culinary and restaurant management competitions:
Culinary Winners
- San Dimas High School, San Dimas, Calif.
- Plymouth-Canton Educational Park, Canton, Mich.
- Anderson Career and Technology Center, Williamston, S.C.
- Clinton High School, Clinton, Miss.
- Youthentity, Carbondale, Colo.
Management Winners
- Chalmette High School, Chalmette, La.
- Ben Barber Innovation Academy, Mansfield, Texas
- Orange County School of the Arts, Santa Ana, Calif.
- Wekiva High School, Apopka, Fla.
- Wando High School, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.