Sara Johannes of St. Paul College received the 2024 Technology Award from RATIONAL USA and the Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education. The national award recognizes individuals who successfully introduced technology into their culinary program.

Her program created kitchen labs filled with the latest technology. They added over $200,000 of RATIONAL equipment in the last six years. The program has earned more than $270,000 in grants and funding for kitchen technology as they redesign their restaurant lab space to blend with the dining area.

One of the program’s goals was to create a food truck experience in the comfort of the school. Their commitment to the future of the industry honors the legacy of Chef Sean Jones, their late resident-expert in all things Rational technology. 

Not only did Johannes’s program add the latest technology, they also provide onsite training and facilitate discussions for other facilities adopting new technology. As culinary technology advances to address staffing issues in the kitchen, this program gives students a competitive edge and a unique understanding of how technology can be used in the kitchen, setting them up for success in the foodservice business. 

Click here to go back to the 2024 CAFÉ award recipients list.