The culinary team from the Caesar Rodney High School from Camden, Del., and the restaurant management team from Orange County School of the Arts from Santa Ana, Calif., captured the championship titles in the 2024 National ProStart Invitational. Teams from 48 states battled in a weekend-long showdown featuring more than 400 students and a roster of top restaurant and foodservice industry judges. The National ProStart Invitational is the nation’s largest high school culinary and restaurant management contest. A fusion of “Chopped” and “Shark Tank,” the competition provides a platform for students to compete for a share of scholarships totaling $200,000.

Hosted by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront in April, the National ProStart Invitational was a high-stakes competition of the country’s best student culinary and restaurant management teams, each of whom earned the right to compete after winning their state-level competitions. 

Culinary teams prepared, plated, and presented a three-course dining menu without access to electricity or running water, and using two butane burners. They were assessed by judges on several factors, including food safety and sanitation, costing, preparation, and plating/presentation. Simultaneously, 48 restaurant management teams presented and defended original restaurant concepts across hour-long interactive Q&A periods with a panel of restaurant and foodservice industry judges. 

The Caesar Rodney High School culinary team created three menu-ready recipes, including detailed cooking instructions, menu cost analysis, and then executed the dishes during the competition. Each dish was professionally plated and tasted as part of the competition. Their menu included Hand-Rolled Pork Dumplings, Pepper Crusted Steak Diane, and a Lemon Meringue Tart. 

Orange County School of the Arts management team’s winning restaurant concept brought sports and breakfast together as a satisfying answer to chaotic schedules and unpredictable cravings. The restaurant, called Teddy’s, is a quick casual restaurant designed to be a community destination for people who want to enjoy breakfast while catching their favorite sports matchup. The students created a full business plan including budget, restaurant design, and marketing plans, and then pitched their proposals to industry professionals. 

“It’s inspiring to watch these students put so much of their hearts and souls into this competition and to know that the grit that got them here will be what propels their careers,” said Michelle Korsmo, president & CEO of the National Restaurant Association and CEO of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. “These competitors represent what’s possible when the courage and creativity of young leaders is supported by educational programs like ProStart.” 

“This year’s national ProStart students are a window into the culinary excellence and creative restaurant concepts that will be part of our industry in the years to come,” said Rob Gifford, president of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. “Thanks to thousands of ProStart educators in classrooms across the country, these students will leave high school equipped with skills to build a future career in our industry – or wherever their futures take them.”

The following are the top five teams in the culinary competition:

• Caesar Rodney High School, Camden, Del. 
• Herndon Career Center, Raytown, Mo. 
• Anderson Career and Technology Center, Williamston, S.C. 
• Ben Barber Innovation Academy, Mansfield, Texas 
• Normandy High School, Parma, Ohio 

The following are the top five teams in the restaurant management competition:

• Orange County School of the Arts, Santa Ana, Calif. 
• Wilbur Cross High School, New Haven, Conn. 
• Elk River High School, Elk River, Minn. 
• Wando High School, Mt Pleasant, S.C. 
• Strawberry Crest High School, Dover, Fla. 

In addition to the competition winners, Chef Timothy Beckenbaugh from Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology in Pleasant Gap, Pa., was recognized as the 2024 James H. Maynard Teacher of the Year.

View the NPSI Recap Video here.