Ben Barber Innovation Academy in Mansfield, Texas Wins First Place in Restaurant Management Competition at the 2022 National ProStart Invitational in Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON, DC - Out of 80 teams from across the country, Team Texas from Ben Barber Innovation Academy earned first place in the restaurant management competition at the 2022 National ProStart Invitational (NPSI). The two-day competition was hosted by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) in Washington, D.C., and the top five teams in culinary arts and restaurant management were awarded more than $200,000 in scholarships to support their future careers.
Additional photos and b-roll of the Texas team can be found here.
“We put all of our energy, all of our effort into this. Every single ounce of hard work went straight into this moment. But we got here in the end and I think that’s all that matters… It feels like a dream,” said Team Texas.
With sponsors including Ecolab, Nestlé Professional, The Coca-Cola Company and Golden Corral, the three-day national event kicked off on Friday, May 6, and saw over 1,000 attendees, including almost 400 ProStart participants and 68 judges.
The Ben Barber Innovation Academy from Mansfield, Texas took home first place in the management competition with the winning restaurant concept “The Herb’N Table” that featured a farm-to-table, contemporary-casual dining experience. Each student on the team received a $7,000 scholarship from the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. The Delaware team from Caesar Rodney High School of Camden earned the top spot in the culinary competition with a menu featuring flavors from France, Italy and Greece that included frisée salad with egg yolk ravioli, Mediterranean lamb loin, and chocolate dome with balsamic raspberries. Each student on the team also received a $7,000 scholarship from the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.
Ben Barber's culinary team also took 4th place at the National ProStart competition. Both culinary and management teams from Ben Barber placed first at their state competition, landing them the opportunity to compete at NPSI. Past NPSI winners have gone on to establish careers at some of the best restaurants in the world, including Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York and Alinea in Chicago.
About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
The NRAEF and its programs work to Attract, Empower and Advance today’s and tomorrow’s restaurant and foodservice workforce. NRAEF programs include: ProStart® – a high-school career and technical education program; Restaurant Ready – partnering with community based organizations to provide “opportunity youth” with skills training and job opportunities; Military – helping military servicemen and women transition their skills to restaurant and foodservice careers; Scholarships – financial assistance for students pursuing restaurant, foodservice and hospitality degrees; and the Restaurant & Hospitality Leadership Center (RHLC) – accredited apprenticeship programs designed to build the careers of service professionals. For more information on the NRAEF, visit https://www.ChooseRestaurants.org.