Rayne team places third at National ProStart Invitational

Rayne High School's ProStart Management Team takes
third place at the National ProStart Invitational.

The Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation (LRAEF) is proud to announce that the Rayne High School ProStart^® Management team placed third in the country at the National ProStart Invitational in Baltimore, Maryland on April 30, 2012.

Rayne won the management competition, and the right to represent Louisiana on a national level, at the LRAEF ProStart Student Competition February 29, 2012 in Kenner.

Rayne High School’s team consisted of educator Kandice Dequeant and students Kelsey Burleigh, Sebastian Hebert, Katherine Meche and Andre Rochon.

Competing on a national stage, among 41 teams from across the U.S., Puerto Rico and Guam, Rayne High School’s task was to create a restaurant concept. Their entry was a small plates/ tapas restaurant called Petit Mangeŕ, Jazzy Cajun Tapas, with the tagline, “Small Bites, Big Flavor.” Petit Mangeŕ means “small food” in Cajun French.

LRAEF Executive Director
Alice Glenn travels with the
Rayne and Hammond ProStart
teams as they represent Louisiana
at the National ProStart Invitational.

“The LRAEF is very proud of Rayne’s management team,” said LRAEF Executive Director Alice Glenn. “These young men and women represented Louisiana wonderfully with their talent and creativity. The LRAEF strives to prepare these high school students for a life outside the classroom and I can confidently say that they are a bright part of the future of our industry.”

The mission of the ProStart program and competition is to increase student awareness of careers in the restaurant/foodservice industry and to provide the restaurant industry with a forum to present and recruit ProStart students. Participating students complete a nationally-endorsed, dynamic and comprehensive curriculum which encourages them to learn all aspects of operating and managing a restaurant or foodservice establishment, in school and in structured hands-on worksites.

The LRAEF would like to sincerely thank its ProStart Student Competition Sponsors: Diamond—Auto Chlor Services and the Louisiana Hospitality Foundation; Platinum—Performance Food Group-Caro; Gold—Louisiana Culinary Institute; Silver—Ovations; Friends of ProStart—Mestizo Restaurant and Notini’s Restaurant and Contributing Sponsors—Capitol City Produce, Centerplate, Drago’s Seafood Restaurant, Pontchartrain Center and Sysco New Orleans.

The mission of the LRAEF, a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization, is to promote the industry as a career choice to our current and future workforce, offer scholarships and professional development. If you would like to make a donation, please contact Alice Glenn, aglenn@lra.org or (504) 454-2277, ext. 565.