SCRLF Hosts 2026 South Carolina ProStart Invitational in Greenville

The heat was on at the Embassy Suites Greenville Golf Resort & Conference Center on March 2 as the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Foundation (SCRLF) hosted the 2026 South Carolina ProStart Invitational. Presented by the United States Coast Guard, the competition united more than 100 students from 15 high schools, offering a premier stage for aspiring professionals to demonstrate mastery in both culinary arts and restaurant management through rigorous competition.

Students from Anderson County Career and Technology Center (ACTC) placed first in the Culinary Arts Competition presented by Cheney Brothers, while Golden Strip Career Center placed first in the Restaurant Management Competition presented by the University of South Carolina’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

ACTC school serves students from Belton-Honea Path, Palmetto, Powdersville, and Wren High Schools in the Anderson I & II School Districts. Golden Strip Career Center is a vocational school serving students in the Greenville County School District.

ProStart Program® is a nationwide, two-year high school program that unites the classroom and industry to develop the best and brightest talent into tomorrow’s restaurant and foodservice leaders. Established in 1999, South Carolina ProStart is an initiative administered by the SCRLF and the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation. This comprehensive two-year curriculum bridges the gap between the classroom and the foodservice industry. Students gain mastery in culinary arts, restaurant operations, and employability, while earning college credit and access to exclusive scholarship and employment opportunities.

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.

To ensure the highest standards, more than 100 seasoned professionals and academic leaders volunteered to judge the event. Teams were scored on a rigorous rubric including: their professional appearance, teamwork, decision making ability, product taste, and overall menu appeal.

Culinary Competition Standings:

1.   Anderson Career and Technology Center

2.   Enoree Career Center (Greenville)

3.   Center for Career Innovation (Clover)

4.   J. Harley Bonds Career Center (Greer)

5.   Golden Strip Career Center (Greenville)

Restaurant Management Competition Standings:

1.   Golden Strip Career Center (Greenville)

2.   Academy for Technology and Academics (Conway)

3.   Donaldson Career Center (Greenville)

4.   Center for Career Innovation (Clover)

5.   Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School

The two winning teams earned more than $20,000 in scholarships and the opportunity to compete against teams from other states at the National ProStart Invitational® in Baltimore, Maryland in April.