Wilbur Cross Team Wins National Restaurant Management Competition

From ProStart/Connecticut Restaurant Association: The Connecticut Restaurant Association (CRA) is pleased to announce Wilbur Cross High School took first place at the National ProStart Invitational® Restaurant Management Competition in Providence, RI. The team, consisting of Janaisha Taylor, Kayla Rose, Brenda Lituma, Denaysia Gumbs and Eva Perez each won $5,000 scholarships from the National Restaurant Association (NRA) and Coca-Cola®, plus an additional $1,000 scholarship from the Burger King McLamore Foundation. In addition, the winners have more than $100,000 in college and university-specific scholarships available to them, should they choose to attend any of the sponsoring schools.

The five students from New Haven, Conn. won the Restaurant Management competition, which consisted of 46 teams from around the country. The young ladies created their own restaurant idea called “N2ICE LAB” and presented it to a panel of world-class judges from the restaurant industry. The N2ICE LAB concept is a woman owned business that uses food science to create unique, non-dairy frozen desserts using liquid nitrogen, while also creating awareness and opportunity for women in the STEM fields.

“This is an incredible victory for these young ladies and for their program director, Chef Nathaniel Bradshaw,” said Scott Dolch, Executive Director of the Connecticut Restaurant Association and the Connecticut Hospitality Educational Foundation. “I’m so proud of the extraordinary effort displayed by the students, faculty and mentors in winning this award, which is the first-ever ProStart National Championship for the state of Connecticut.”

The National ProStart Invitational is the country’s premier competition for high school students who are studying culinary arts and restaurant management. Each year, the top 400 ProStart students from around the country put their knowledge and skills to the test in front of industry leaders, National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) Trustees, state restaurant association executives, and top culinary and arts universities.

“These girls are so dedicated to this team and their concept,” said Chef Bradshaw. “They believed they could win and worked every day to make it happen. I am thankful for the support team we created at Wilbur Cross, our mentors at Union League Cafe, our sponsors and the Connecticut Restaurant Association. This experience is something I will never forget, and I know this event will change the lives of our students for the better.”

Chef Bradshaw, who is making his fifth trip to the National ProStart Invitational as an educator, went on to say, “A competition like this helps the students learn to overcome adversity. They have had amazing triumphs and defeats through this entire process. The lessons learned translate to all areas of their lives. The ProStart Program and the National ProStart Student Invitational opens their eyes to a whole new world beyond New Haven and I am proud of their hard work and dedication to this competition. They inspire me to help them become the best they can be.”

In addition to the support of the incredible staff at Wilbur Cross High School, the team was mentored by Chef Jean-Pierre Vuillermet, Robin Vuillermet and Cheri McKenzie of Union League Café in New Haven. Also, their journey to the national finals would not have been possible without the sponsorship support from the Subway® restaurant chain, Gateway Community College, Falvey Linen, the Engine Room/Oyster Club, Sardilli’s, Plan B, DORO, Union League Cafe, Cary Gagnon Network Dunkin Donuts, Max Restaurant Group, Wood-n-Tap, the Mill Restaurant Group, Millwright's, Joey Garlic's, Grant’s Restaurant, Bella Bella Gourmet Foods and Connecticut Distributors.

Image courtesy of ProStart/Connecticut Restaurant Association: Team CT ProStart National Champions (From Left to Right:) Brenda Lituma, Denaysia Gumbs, Janaisha Taylor (Team Captain), Eva Perez and Kayla Rose