SD High School of Business culinary management team takes gold

Erik Leon and Emily Rodriguez, Culinary Arts and Management students at San Diego High School of Business and Leadership, will represent California at the National ProStart Invitational in Minneapolis in early May after winning the BJ’s Restaurants Management Cup competition in Sacramento.

Erik and Emily competed against 13 other management teams to win with their restaurant concept called ‘Deconstructed.’ In the management competition, teams develop and pitch a business proposal for a new restaurant concept, including a supporting menu, a marketing plan and a detailed design. Their San Diego High teacher is Brian Murphy.

The winning teams will be sponsored by the Cheesecake Factory Oscar and Evelyn Overton Charitable Foundation and have Cheesecake Factory team members coaching them in preparation for the nationals.

Scripps Ranch High School was awarded second in the Leon Lowenstein Foundation Farm-to-School Program under the guidance of teacher Kimberly Coelho.

The two-day ProStart competition includes a culinary portion, the Boyd’s Coffee Culinary Cup, in addition to the management component. Students prepare three courses in one hour using only two butane burners. A total of 27 culinary teams competed this year.

For more information on the California Restaurant Association ProStart Competition, visit http://www.calrest.org/foundation/events/prostart-cup/.