Teams rose to the top over teams from 47 states and D.C. to win the 2026 National ProStart Invitational

BALTIMORE, April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The competition was fierce, and in the end, the Herndon Career Center culinary team from Raytown, MO, and the Blue Valley West High School restaurant management team from Overland Park, KS took first place at the 2026 National Prostart^® Invitational, hosted by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation in Baltimore. More than 400 high school students from across 47 states and the District of Columbia, representing tomorrow's restaurant and business leaders, competed for top honors and $200,000 in scholarships. Teams earned their spot in the national showdown after winning their respective state level competitions.

The culinary competition is a high-stakes challenge of preparing and plating a three-course menu in one hour without access to running water or electricity and using just two butane burners. Teams in the restaurant management competition presented and defended their team-developed restaurant business concepts and plans to a panel of restaurant and foodservice industry judges. Watch the full event recap video here.

The Herndon Career Center team won the culinary competition by creating and executing three menu-ready recipes that included detailed cooking instructions and menu cost analysis. Each dish was professionally plated, tasted, and analyzed by a panel of industry judges. Their menu included a first course of pine nut and herb-encrusted butter poached Dover sole, a second course of duroc pork tenderloin wrapped in caul fat and shiitake mushroom duxelle, and blueberry buttermilk panna cotta with a crunchy white chocolate shell for dessert.  

The Blue Valley West High School team captured the national title in the restaurant management segment, presenting and defending their Ember & Ivy: Barbecue Reinvented concept. Their restaurant takes the foundations of classic barbecue and elevates them through regional influence, creative menu development, and inclusive offerings. It draws on the history of Kansas City style barbecue that was born from neighborhood smokehouses and backyard pits clustered around the downtown stockyards. During their hour-long presentation to a panel of industry professionals, the students pitched their full business plan, including budget, restaurant design, and marketing strategies.

"The National ProStart Invitational highlights the perseverance, resilience and talent that make every one of these students champions," said Michelle Korsmo, CEO of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. "ProStart is a career catalyst, teaching the leadership, communication, and teamwork skills that provide these students with the foundation of professional success. We know many of them will choose to stay in the industry, following one of 70 career pathways, but even for those who don't, the experience and knowledge they've gained will serve them well for the rest of their lives."

Following are the top five teams in the culinary and restaurant management competitions:

Culinary Winners

1. Herndon Career Center, Raytown, MO
2. Anderson Career & Technology Center, Williamston, SC
3. Polaris Career Center, Middleburg Heights, OH
4. San Dimas High School, San Dimas, CA
5. Olathe Culinary Academy, Olathe, KS

Management Winners

1. Blue Valley West High School, Overland Park, KS
2. Chalmette High School, Chalmette, LA
3. Westlake High School, Saratoga Springs, UT
4. Orange County School of the Arts, Santa Ana, CA
5. Strawberry Crest High School, Dover, FL

2026 James H. Maynard Teacher of the Year

In addition to culinary and restaurant management competition winners, Chef Frank Pinnix of Blackman High School in Murfreesboro, TN, was named the 2026 James H. Maynard Teacher of the Year. With support from Golden Corral, the award is part of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation ProStart Educator of Excellence program, which recognizes the country's top educators who demonstrate classroom excellence and an unparalleled commitment to helping their students make the most of the program's opportunities.

ProStart—the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's nationwide career and technical education program—has equipped more than 1 million high school students with career-ready culinary and restaurant management skills. More than an elective, the program is designed to equip students with restaurant-specific certifications and competencies, over 400 hours of practical work experience, and access to restaurant and hospitality apprenticeship and scholarship opportunities. Students complete the ProStart program ready to join a professional kitchen or advance to higher education. Today, the program reaches more than 234,000 students at 2,275 schools.

The 2026 National ProStart Invitational was made possible by many donors and sponsors, including The Coca-Cola Company, DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS National Accounts, Ecolab, Golden Corral, Nestlé Professional Solutions, Almond Board of California, American Express, Areas USA, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, Charleys Kids Foundation, Darden Foundation, Denny's, DoorDash, Forge to Table, Hilton, Inspire Brands Foundation, Kellanova, Lyons Magnus, J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, MARS Foodservices, McCormick & Company, Nation's Restaurant News, Rachael Ray Foundation, RATIONAL, Rich's, Sterno, U.S. Coast Guard, YUM! Brands Foundation, and Zwilling.

About ProStart^®
ProStart^®, a nationwide, two-year high school career and technical education program uniting the classroom and restaurant industry, reaches nearly 234,000 students at nearly 2,300 high schools throughout all states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. ProStart gives students a platform to discover and develop new interests and talents, while teaching employability skills like teamwork, professional behavior, time management and communication.

About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF)
As the supporting philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the NRAEF's charitable mission includes enhancing the industry's training and education, career development, and community engagement efforts. The NRAEF and its programs work to Attract, Empower, and Advance today and tomorrow's restaurant and foodservice workforce. NRAEF programs include: ProStart® – a high-school career and technical education program; Restaurant Ready/HOPES – Partnering with community based organizations to provide people 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 ChooseRestaurants.org. Click here for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's 2025 Annual Impact Report.

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SOURCE National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation