Upstate Schools Place First in South Carolina ProStart Invitational

Presented by the United States Coast Guard, the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Foundation hosted its 19th Annual South Carolina ProStart Invitational on March 6 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Resort Myrtle Beach Oceanfront. More than 150 students from 20 high schools demonstrated their business acumen and culinary arts skill set at the statewide competition. 

Students from Anderson Career and Technology Center (ACTC) won first place in the Culinary Arts Competition, while Golden Strip Career Center (GSCC) won first place in the Restaurant Management Competition. Both competitions were hosted by Cool Care Heating, Air, Plumbing and Refrigeration.

ACTC school serves students from Belton-Honea Path, Palmetto, Powdersville, and Wren High Schools in the Anderson I & II School Districts. Golden Strip serves students from Hillcrest, Mauldin and J.L. Mann High Schools in Greenville County Schools.

ProStart is a national two-year program offered at participating schools across the country for high school juniors and seniors interested in the culinary arts. Established in 1999, South Carolina's ProStart is run by the SCRLF and the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation, and provides high school and college academic credit, scholarships, and paid work opportunities for students. The program is much more than a typical high school curriculum as it unites the foodservice industry and the classroom to teach high school students culinary skills and restaurant management principles, as well as employability skills.

The Culinary Competition requires students to demonstrate knife skills incorporated into cooking a three-course meal in 60 minutes with only two butane burners, two eight-foot tables and without the use of electricity or running water. The Management Competition requires students to develop a brand-new restaurant concept to pitch to a panel of industry and post-secondary judges, complete with critical thinking and verbal presentation rounds.

More than 100 industry and post-secondary judges and volunteers were on hand to select the winning teams. Students were evaluated on their uniform and professional appearance, teamwork, decision making ability, product taste, and overall menu appeal.

The two winning teams earned more than $10,000 in scholarships and the opportunity to compete against teams from other states at the National ProStart Invitational in Washington D.C. in May.

Restaurant Management Competition Standings:

1. Golden Strip Career Center (Greenville)
2. Center for Advanced Technical Studies (Chapin)
3. Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School
4. Donaldson Career Center (Greenville)
5. South Aiken High School

Restaurant Management Competition Standings:

1. Anderson Career and Technology Center
2. Golden Strip Career Center
3. Daniel Morgan Technology Center (Spartanburg)
4. Ninety-Six High School
5. Lancaster County School District Career Center

Anderson Career and Technology Center taught by Chris Moree

Golden Strip Career Center taught by Elijah Edwards