LRA Education Foundation announces Five Star Futures Live Auction items

The LRA Education Foundation will hosts its annual Five Star Futures Gala, Saturday, August 2 at 6:30 p.m. at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. The event will recognize the 2014 class of 30 scholarship recipients who will receive a total of $61,000 and this year’s LRA award winners: Associate Member of the Year—Mickey Freiberg; Advocate of the Year---Rep. Erich Ponti; Hall of Fame Inductees—the Marino Family of Gino’s Restaurant; and Restaurateurs of the Year—Ruffin Rodrigue and Peter Sclafani.

The gala features a live auction, led by guest auctioneer Mark Romig, CEO of the New Orleans Tourism & Marketing Corp.

Get in the Tunnel Zone

New Orleans Saints vs. Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2014, This package includes: 8 tickets to the game; 8 special credentials to access the Superdome field, positioned next to the Saintsations on the field, on the field recognition: scoreboard & PA announcement, 8 t-shirts and limousine transportation for 8 to & from the Superdome,

anywhere in the GNO area.  Courtesy of Coca-Cola & American Luxury Limousine, VALUE: $2,500

What Happens in Vegas

This package includes: 2 Southwest Roundtrip plane tickets, 2 nights stay at Caesar’s Palace and 2 tickets to Elton John, Shania Twain or Celine Dion. Courtesy of Southwest Airlines & Caesar’s Entertainment, VALUE: $1,500

Instant Luxury Wine Cellar

25 bottles of exclusive wines from the private collections of New Orleans’ finest cellars. Minimum value per bottle is $75. Courtesy of the LRA Greater New Orleans Chapter, VALUE: $2,400

George Rodrigue Print—“The Three Amigos” (2010)

Courtesy of the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts, VALUE: $3,000

Private Dinner for 10 with Chef Peter Sclafani

This package includes: Exclusive 7-course dinner prepared at the venue of your choice by Chef Peter Sclafani, dinner must take place on a mutually agreed upon date (no Fridays, Saturdays or Holidays), no restriction on location. Courtesy of Ruffino’s Restaurant of Baton Rouge & Lafayette. VALUE: $5,000. 

The gala will also feature a Silent Auction and a Wine and Spirits cork pull. The Silent Auction features: 2 tickets to the Saints vs. Vikings, Sept. 21 in the ATMOS Energy's 50-yard-line suite; dinner for 4 at the soon-to-reopen Brennan's on Royal Street; 2 tickets to the Saints vs. the Bengals, Nov. 16 in the Lodge Club Area; and much more. 

Customize your #LRAEXPO14 experience

We are just 10 days away from hosting the 61^st Annual Louisiana Foodservice & Hospitality EXPO—August 2-4—in New Orleans! The EXPO has it all—hundreds of exhibiting companies that supply the foodservice industry with the latest in technological advances, equipment, services, food products and beverage options. With numerous chances to increase your profitability, gain value knowledge and meet with your peers, old and new, if you aren’t registered to attend the EXPO, what are you waiting for?

Have a specific need? Get a jump start on your EXPO experience and check out the list of exhibiting companies, many returning favorites and nearly 50 new exhibitors you've never seen before. Around every corner, down every aisle, awaits an exhibitor ready to meet your need, whether it be through an efficient new system, a hot new product, an upgraded piece of equipment or a dazzling new menu item or alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage to boost your profits.

It’s not the destination, it’s the journey! The best way to maximize your EXPO experience is to create your Personalized Show Guide. 

Here’s how it works:

• Click the Floor Plan link here.
• In the top right hand corner, click login and create a new profile by entering your email and creating a password.
• On the left hand side of the page, scroll to view companies alphabetically or search for a specific company.
• Located a company you want to check out on the floor plan? Find it on the Floor plan.
• Click on the booth area to view the company profile, a link to their website and click on the star to make that company a “favorite.” 
• Once you’ve “favorited” all the companies you plan to visit at the EXPO, click the Print button in the upper right hand corner of the screen.
• A window will pop up in the middle of the screen and you can hit Personalize Planner, which will create a PDF of your “favorite” companies by booth number and the floor plan with those booths highlighted.
• Print your Personalize Planner.

Haven’t registered for the EXPO? What are you waiting for? We are ready to host you for a little work and a lot of fun! Register today here. 

Thank you to this year’s Platinum Sponsors!

Heartland Payment Systems, Louisiana Cookin’, Capital One, Republic National Distributing Company, UnitedHealthcare, Glazer’s of Louisiana, Louisiana Restaurant Association Self Insurer’s Fund and the LRA Education Foundation.

Gold Sponsor—Midlands, Generations Hall & Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses; and Silver Sponsors—Fisher & Phillips, LLP and Johnson, Johnson, Barrios & Yacoubian.

LRA Education Foundation awards $61K in scholarships

The Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation (LRAEF) Board of Directors, through its Scholarship Fund, will award $61,000 in scholarships to 30 students to further their post-secondary culinary educations. The students will be presented with their awards at the 2014 LRAEF Five Star Futures Gala August 2, 2014 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.

The LRAEF Scholarship Fund was created in 2009 to support the continuing education of ProStart^® students, industry educators and other students with an interest in culinary and hospitality studies. This financial support allows the recipients to pursue post-secondary education in the culinary or hospitality fields, with the goal of having them select Louisiana’s restaurant/hospitality industry as a career choice. Since its inception, the Scholarship Fund has awarded more than $200,000 to deserving students.

The LRAEF/NRAEF ProStart Scholarship is a co-branded scholarship given to students who have, or will receive the ProStart Certificate of Achievement. This year’s recipients are: 

• Liana Aucoin, graduate of Slidell High School, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Sabrina Bodenheimer, graduate of Lakeshore High School, attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University (second year recipient)
• Wade Bowers, graduate of Sulphur High School, attending  Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Victoria Cart, graduate of Sulphur High School, attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University (third year recipient)
• Bryan Tyler Day, graduate of West Monroe High School, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Lauren Fendlason, graduate of Hammond High Magnet School, attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University (second year recipient)
• Jessica Foret, graduate of Grace King High School, attending Delgado Community College
• Tate Jones, graduate of Dutchtown High School, attending Johnson & Wales University
• Peyton Leffingwell, graduate of Destrehan High School/St. Charles Satellite Center, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute (second year recipient)
• Nicholas LoCicero, graduate of Mandeville High School, attending Culinary Institute of America (second year recipient)
• Jordan McClelland, graduate of Dutchtown High School, attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University (second year recipient)
• Melissa McGuire, graduate of Mandeville High School, attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University (third year recipient)
• Thien Nguyen, graduate of Dutchtown High School, attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University (third year recipient)
• Sadie Poche, graduate of Lutcher High School/St. James Career Center, attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University
• Hillary Scott, graduate of Allen High School (Texas), attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University (third year recipient)

The General Hospitality Scholarship is a scholarship given to students who are currently enrolled or have been accepted in a hospitality or culinary degree seeking program. This year’s recipients are:

• Traci Andely, graduate of Baton Rouge Magnet High School, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Sunni Authement, graduate of South Terrebonne High School, attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University
• Nicole Biddy, graduate of Gueydan High School, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute (second year recipient)
• Lindsey Carroll, graduate of Lutheran High School of Greater New Orleans, attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University
• Thaddeus Christy, graduate of Baton Rouge Magnet High School, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Garrett Couvillon, graduate of Marksville High School, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Rachel DeFelice, graduate of Grace King High School, attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University
• Tashira Green, graduate of Zachary High School, attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University
• Brooklyn Hawkins, graduate of H.L. Bourgeois High School, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute
• April Lee, graduate of East St. John High School, attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University (second year recipient)
• Keiyana Price, graduate of New Iberia Senior High, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute (second year recipient)
• Shelby Smith, graduate of False River Academy, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Christian Sturgeon, graduate Zachary High School, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Nicole Washington, graduate of Ursuline Academy, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Marcus Williams, graduate of Scotlandville Magnet High School, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute

For the second consecutive year, top applicant Nicole Biddy is also this year’s Jim Funk Scholarship Award Winner. The LRAEF’s most prestigious award, the scholarship is named for former LRA President & CEO Jim Funk, who retired in 2010 after 30 years of service. Funk is a LRAEF co-founder and culinary education champion.

“The best part of my responsibilities as Chair of the LRA Education Foundation is to have the opportunity to reward students for their hard work,” said LRAEF Chair Helen LeBourgeois. “I have no doubt that these individuals will use these scholarships to strengthen the foodservice and hospitality industries in the coming years.”

ProStart Educator of the Year Carolyn Senac is
recognized at the NRA Educational Foundation
Educator of Excellence Awards Dinner in May. 

The night will also feature the LRAEF honoring its ProStart Educator of the Year, Carolyn Senac of Mandeville High School. Senac was also recently recognized, along with her counterparts from across the country, at the National Restaurant Association’s annual NRA Show in Chicago this past May, for this exemplary dedication to the ProStart program.

The LRAEF would like to thank its annual partners, whose financial assistance makes the LRAEF Scholarship Fund a reality: 5 Diamond: Acme Oyster House, Auto-Chlor Services, Louisiana Hospitality Foundation, Louisiana Restaurant Association and Louisiana Seafood; 4 Diamond: Performance Foodservice-Caro; 3 Diamond: Atmos Energy, Camellia Brand, Drago’s Seafood Restaurant, Louisiana Culinary Institute, New Orleans Wine & Food Experience and Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers; 2 Diamond: Chef Paul Prudhomme’s “Sea of Hope,” Louisiana Gas Association and Whole Foods Market and 1 Diamond: Entergy. Also, the LRAEF extends special recognition to all LRA chapters that support ProStart and the LRAEF through its various philanthropic activities throughout the year.

LRA Greater New Orleans Chapter hosts 5th annual "Eat and Bowl" tournament

The Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) Greater New Orleans Chapter’s fifth annual bowling tournament, “Eat and Bowl,” will be held Sunday, June 22, 2014 at Fulton Alley, 600 Fulton Street in New Orleans, 4:30-8:30 p.m.

Enjoy a “Sunday Funday,” bowling with friends, in addition to great food and drinks. The public is invited to watch the action, or participate themselves.

Teams of four can be purchased for $400, which includes an additional four entry tickets.  Individual tickets for spectators can be purchased for $30 per person and includes food and a cash bar. To register your teams and to purchase tickets, visit www.eventbrite.com and search “Eat and Bowl” in New Orleans.

The tournament is a “speed bowling” format; the team with the most pins knocked down in one hour will determine the winner. The top team will win a trophy and bragging rights for the next year.

The price of admission includes food from New Orleans restaurants such as Acme Oyster House, Mr. B’s Bistro, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Mr. Mudbug’s and the event’s host location, Fulton Alley.

The proceeds from “Eat and Bowl” benefit the LRA Greater New Orleans Chapter’s annual LRA Education Foundation (LRAEF) goal. The LRAEF, in turn, will use monies raised to further promote the restaurant industry as a career choice through its ProStart^® program, enhance the restaurant community through expanded educational and career opportunities and provide scholarships to individuals pursuing culinary arts and restaurant management degrees.

For more information, contact LRA Chapter Member Services Coordinator Jodi Williams, jwilliams@lra.org, (504) 636-6551.

Come for work, stay for play at the 61st Louisiana Foodservice & Hospitality EXPO

The perfect business trip awaits! The 61^st Louisiana Foodservice & Hospitality EXPO is August 2-4, 2014, will be here in the blink of an eye. Themed, “Opportunities Abound,” your EXPO weekend will be filled with numerous chances to increase your profitability, gain valuable knowledge and meet with your peers, old and new. Aisles and aisles of companies that supply the foodservice industry will be there waiting to dazzle you with the latest in technological advances, equipment, services, food products and beverage options.

It really doesn’t get much easier to gather industry intel than during the three days of the EXPO. If you had to research it on your own, it’d surely take months, even years, and who has time for that? That’s the reason the Louisiana Restaurant Association offers this benefit to the industry.

After you've gotten the most from your EXPO experience during the daytime, take a quick respite at the host hotel—the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, with the special EXPO rate of $99 per night—and get ready for New Orleans’ nightlife. Surely after a day at the EXPO, you’ll be starving for our world-famous cuisine in one of our countless restaurant dining rooms. The choices are limitless and we’ll be happy to make some recommendations or you can visit the LRA’s travel page courtesy of the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau here.

If you can stand the humidity, Saturday night don your white linen attire and head out to Julia Street for Whitney White Linen Night, where 20,000+ attend the outdoor festival celebrating the arts. 

If you're like us and prefer to keep your make up and attire intact, join us indoors with air conditioning, cuisine and cocktails for the Five Star Futures Gala, August 2 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. We’ll honor this year’s remarkable Louisiana industry leaders and award $60,000 in scholarships to Louisiana’s deserving young culinarians. The event features a live and silent auction and a cork pull, and it all benefits the LRA Education Foundation.

To see the full EXPO line up, visit our website here. Register to attend the EXPO today here. 

Thank you to this year’s Platinum Sponsors!

Heartland Payment Systems, Louisiana Cookin’, Capital One, Republic National Distributing Company, UnitedHealthcare, Glazer’s of Louisiana, Louisiana Restaurant Association Self Insurer’s Fund and the LRA Education Foundation.

Gold Sponsor—Midlands, Generations Hall & Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses; and Silver Sponsors—Fisher & Phillips, LLP and Johnson, Johnson, Barrios & Yacoubian.

LRA Baton Rouge Chapter hosts its 11th Annual Silent Auction

If you’re looking for a great event filled with the Baton Rouge area’s hottest restaurants, the Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) Greater Baton Rouge Chapter’s 11^th Annual Silent Auction is where it’s at! Join the fun Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel for unique silent auction items and celebrity bartenders. 

A new component of this year’s event is the crowning of a LRA Greater Baton Rouge Top Tailgating Chef. Participating restaurants, Ruffino’s, Walk On’s, Mestizo’s, Bistro Byronz, Little Village, Le Creole, Stab’s, Tallulah, Don’s Seafood Hut and L’Auberge Baton Rouge, will serve their tailgate specialties and vie for the crown. Event attendees will vote on their favorite restaurant which will determine the winner.

“With the excitement in the Capitol Region surrounding LSU Football, it was a natural progression to award this unique new title to one of our participating restaurants,” said LRA Greater Baton Rouge Chapter President Ryan Nizzo.

In addition, celebrity bartenders, Todd Graves, Founder of Raising Cane’s; Matt Saurage, President of Community Coffee; and Brandon Landry and Jack Warner, owners of Last In Concepts, will be serving up their specialty one-of-a-kind libations.

Attendees will have the chance to bid on outstanding items such as: A crawfish or shrimp boil for 20 of you closest friends at your home donated by Don’s Seafood Hut in Gonzales; a progressive wine dinner for 8 or 10 of your nearest and dearest with stops at Ruffino’s, Juban’s and Beausoilel, including transportation; a private dinner for 10 at Eighteen Steakhouse at L’Auberge Baton Rouge; LSU Baseball suite tickets; artwork; wine baskets; tailgating gear and the list goes on.

“The Silent Auction benefits the LRA Education Foundation, which is doing fantastic work through its statewide ProStart program, which trains students for careers in the restaurant industry,” said Nizzo. “This is one of two fundraisers our chapter hosts annually to support our charitable foundation.”

The event also features a Cork Pull for wine, spirits and gift certificates to various area restaurants. One pull is $20 and you’re guaranteed an item valued at $25 or more.

The VIP Preview Party starts at 5:30 p.m. at Tallulah in the Renaissance Hotel and tickets are $70. General admission tickets are $50 and the event begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel. For more information, or to purchase your tickets, call Courtney Waguespack at (225) 328-2163 or email cwaguespack@lra.org.

LRA Education Foundation Announces 2013 Leadership

Board of Directors to guide Foundation’s mission in the new year

The Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation (LRAEF) is pleased to announce its 2013 Board of Directors, which will oversee the goals and mission of the LRAEF.

The LRAEF, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is the philanthropic arm of the Louisiana Restaurant Association and exists to enhance our community through expanded educational and career opportunities, the formation of strategic partnerships and the elevation of the restaurant industry’s professional standards and practices.

The Board of Directors is also responsible for distributing the LRAEF’s scholarship funds that it gifts annually to students pursuing a culinary education. Since 2011, the LRAEF Scholarship Fund has awarded $80,000.

The new members 2013 LRAEF Board of Directors are:

• Dwight Barnes is the Director of Public Relations at Crescent Crown Distributing in New Orleans. The company has been a member of the LRA more than 10 years and Barnes is a very active member of the Greater New Orleans Chapter.
• Lucien Gunter is CEO of Acme Oyster House, with locations in Louisiana and Florida. The restaurant has been a member since 1987 and its employees, including Gunter, have volunteered countless hours to many LRA chapters, while serving in leadership roles.
• Octavio Mantilla is a co-owner of the establishments within the Besh Restaurant Group, based in New Orleans, the oldest being Restaurant August, which has been an LRA member since it opened in 2001. Mantilla is also a GNO Board member and the chapter’s 2^nd Vice President.
• Peter Sclafani is Chef and owner of Ruffino’s Italian Restaurant in Baton Rouge. His restaurant has been an LRA member for three years and in that time, he has been a tireless mentor to ProStart^® students in the Baton Rouge area. Sclafani is also a Greater Baton Rouge Chapter Board member and is currently serving as its Vice President.

They are joining current members:

• Fabian Castillo, Chair- La Casa del Sol, Houma
• Helen LeBourgeois, Vice Chair- TLC Linen Services, New Orleans
• Lenny Raymond, Secretary/Treasurer- Reinhart Foodservice, Harahan
• John Eastman, Past Chair- Auto-Chlor Services, Jefferson
• David Hearn, LRA Chair- Catfish Cabin, Monroe
• Donna Stephenson- ATMOS Energy, Monroe
• Dr. Yvette Green, University of New Orleans (Industry Representative)

“The LRAEF is excited to begin another great year with our dedicated board members,” said LRAEF Executive Director Alice Glenn. “Our directors volunteer countless hours throughout their tenure to the advancement of the Foundation and we are so very grateful.”

The Louisiana ProStart program is grateful to its partners: Diamond- Auto-Chlor Services and the Louisiana Hospitality Foundation; Platinum- Performance Foodservice Caro; and Gold- Louisiana Culinary Institute, Ocean Conservancy and Atmos Energy.