(Orlando, FL) – The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association Educational Foundation (FRLAEF) is proud to present the 2016 ProStart Culinary Team Competition. In its 16th year, the high-stakes competition features students from Florida’s ProStart program, a career technical education program where high school students learn from an industry-derived curriculum that teaches culinary techniques and restaurant management skills. More than 20,000 students from across Florida are enrolled in the program. The event is scheduled to take place Friday, February 5 and Saturday, February 6, 2016 at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando.
“This event is an all-star line up of incredibly talented students, who certainly represent the bright future of Florida’s hospitality industry,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. “It’s wonderful to watch these students showcase the culinary skills they’ve worked so tirelessly to attain, and we are proud to help enhance their craft by awarding opportunities that will help take them to the next level of their education and ultimately, careers.”
During the event, 49 Florida ProStart teams will gather to compete in either the culinary arts or restaurant management divisions. Culinary teams will prepare a three-course meal in 60 minutes, without access to running water or electricity using only two butane burners, and management teams present a business proposal for an original restaurant concept to a panel of industry judges.
Students will compete for more than $800,000 in scholarships. First-place teams from the management and culinary competitions will advance to the prestigious National ProStart Invitational, April 29-May 1, 2016, in Grapevine, Texas.
WHAT:
The FRLA Educational Foundation’s ProStart Culinary Team Competition
400 Florida High School Students from 49 Schools Scheduled to Compete
WHEN:
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2016
9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Johnson & Wales University Culinary Competition
9:00 AM – 5:10 PM Cracker Barrel Management Competition
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM Keiser University Edible Centerpiece Competition
9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Education & Business Expo
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2016
7:00 AM – 3:07 PM Johnson & Wales University Culinary Competition
8:00 AM – 1:50 PM Cracker Barrel Management Competition
8:00 AM – 3:00 PM Education & Business Expo
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM The Coca-Cola Company Waiters Relay Competition
1:00 PM Chef’s Warehouse Raffle
6:30 PM – 9:00 PM Salute to Excellence Awards at Rosen Plaza Hotel, Grand Ballroom
WHERE:
Rosen Plaza Hotel
9700 International Drive
Orlando, FL 32819
The media is invited to attend both days of competition and the awards ceremony. There will be an opportunity to film the events and interview the participants and judges. Please contact FRLA Communications Director Elizabeth Ray at 850.224.2250 x255 or via email at ERay@frla.org to arrange. The complete list of winners will be posted on the FRLA website and distributed to media outlets following the awards ceremony.
Please visit FRLA.org for more information about the FRLAEF program, a list of participating high schools and the 2-day event program. Additionally, be sure to follow this event live on social media by searching for #FLProStart.
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About the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association
FRLA is Florida’s premier non-profit hospitality industry trade association. Our mission is to ‘Protect, Educate and Promote’ Florida’s $82 billion hospitality industry which represents 23% of Florida’s economy and more than 1.1 million employees – making it the state’s number one industry. We offer regulatory compliance and food safety training needs (RCS and SafeStaff®); industry developed career-building high school programs (FRLAEF); sponsor the only event in Florida exclusively serving the restaurant and foodservice industry (FR&L Show, September 27-29, 2016 in Orlando); and we safeguard the needs of the hospitality industry by providing legislative advocacy. We represent and serve more than 10,000 independent and household name members, suppliers, and theme parks. For more information, go to www.FRLA.org and find us on Twitter @FRLAnews, Facebook and YouTube.