Welcome to the 2026 NYSR ProStart Invitational!
This year is the 23rd Invitational the New York State Restaurant Association has held, hosting teams from New York State and Vermont.
Created by the National Restaurant Association, the ProStart Program is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills to explore careers in the hospitality industry. This event is the culmination of months of hard work and dedication by the students, leadership and guidance of the teachers, and support from the families and spectators.
Three Challenging Competitions
The NYSRA ProStart Invitational is composed of three distinct competitions – team management, team culinary, and individual gourmet Burger Battle – that showcase the most important skills needed on both sides of the restaurant and foodservice industry. For each respective competition, students must impress judges from leading industry organizations, colleges and universities with the skills they’ve developed through their ProStart classes to place in the top rankings.
About The Invitational
Management
Management teams develop a proposal for the next promising restaurant concept and present it to a panel of industry judges Next, their problemsolving skills are tested as they quickly solve challenges faced by managers daily.
Culinary
The culinary competition highlights each team’s creative abilities through the preparation of a three-course meal in 60 minutes, using only two butane burners, and without access to electricity There is no room for error as they are evaluated on taste, skill, teamwork, safety, and sanitation.
Gourmet Burger Battle
The Gourmet Burger Battle is an individual competition. Each competitor must create a unique and elevated burger, while being judged on presentation, safety & sanitation, degree of difficulty, appearance, and taste!
As students, it is no easy feat developing meals/menus and creating restaurant concepts. We admire and applaud your skills, teamwork, and ability to work under pressure We hope you take pride in how far you have come and most importantly – don’t forget to have fun!
Without the leadership and resources provided by the teachers, this event would not be possible. The knowledge and guidance you have imparted on your students will stay with them forever Please know that you are making a difference in their lives.
Thank you to our judges and volunteers who traveled from far and wide to share their passion for the industry with us all Your feedback and mentorship add professionalism and excitement to this competition, and we are grateful for your commitment.
The NYS Restaurant Association is proud to be part of a program that showcases the achievements of these future industry professionals
Culinary Teams
GeneseeValleyBOCES
JordanMagorka|GabePadro|KadenTorres|Gavin Wilkins Coach:RobertDerin
GSTBOCES: CoopersEducationCenter
JohnClark|AlexisHeck|AaliyahHunt|EmmaSauter Coach:MaryCampbell Mentor:EmilyHarndon
OrleansCareer&TechnicalEducationCenter
CarinaHartigan|BradynWhittier|HunterZambito Coach:JamesAtzrott
QuestarIII:DonaldR.KlineTechnicalSchoolTEAM1
JonahBeck|SebastianDermott|AbbyHartmann|AutumnMaurer Coach:AmandaRepko
QuestarIII:DonaldR.KlineTechnicalSchoolTEAM2
NicholasLaBounty|Emilie Macchi|MadisonPaul|JosephStern Coach:AmandaRepko
QuestarIII:RobertH.GibsonTechnicalSchool
JadynChamberlain|MichelleFontaine|Ryan Garrison|DesmondPickens-Harrison Coach:Andrew Ottati|Coach:Matt Hudson|Mentor:Mary Nescot
RandolphTechnicalCareerCenter
Katrina Bergeron|BraelynDelmas|HunterMessier|AlexandriaSillowash|LeoWescot Coach:ShelbyTaylor
RiverBendCareer&TechnicalCenter
MadisonBalch|ElijahPinon|Vanessa(Kai)Prosser|LoreleiSt.Martin Coach:TraceHeidenreich|Mentor:TracyPuffer
SLLBOCES:NorthwestTechnicalCenter
GarretBanning|ColtonBarlow|MadelynVarney Coach:JonathanLaClair
SouthwestTech
OliviaCrandall|ReedHoag|IsabellaMarpe|GabrielPerkins|DanielWellspeak Coach:Nick DeLauri|Mentor:HaileyDeLauri
TheAcademyCharterSchool
ChaseLeahBermudez-Sullivan|DannaEstrada|JustinHercules|JeanellMagana| GuadalupeYanes
Coach:ChadPagano|Mentor:ShenWang
Management Teams
GSTBOCES: CoopersEducationCenter
SarahjeanHockenberry|AnthonySmith Coach:Mary Campbell|Mentor:EmilyHarndon
RiverBendCareer&TechnicalCenter
MadisonBalch|ElijahPinon|Vanessa(Kai)Prosser|LoreleiSt.Martin Coach:TraceHeidenreich|Mentor:TracyPuffer
RocklandBOCES
SophiaKirwin|MichaelOgden|DavidSuchite|AlisshaTavarez-Duran Coach:DylanPerez|Mentor:AnneMarieLynch
Burger Battle Competitors
JoelSoler |FoxMeadowHighSchool| Coach: RobertLena
NathanViola |FoxMeadowHighSchool| Coach:RobertLena
DrevinAloi |GSTBOCES: CoopersEducation Center| Coach:MaryCampbell,Mentor:Emily Harndon
LindseyFedirow |GSTBOCES: Coopers EducationCenter| Coach:MaryCampbell, Mentor:EmilyHarndon
EthanDavis |GSTBOCES: CoopersEducation Center| Coach:MaryCampbell,Mentor:Emily Harndon
KylieLiddle |ONCBOCES:NorthernCatskills OccupationalCenter| Coaches:JodyAlbano,Jesse Bright,KrisFerell
BellaAinsworth |QuestarIII:RobertH.Gibson TechnicalSchool| Coaches:Andrew Ottati,Matt Hudson,Mentor:MaryNescot
NiccoliButcher |SLLBOCES:SeawayTechnical Center| Coach:Andrew Ostrowski
MakaylaCollins |SLLBOCES:SeawayTechnical Center| Coach:AndrewOstrowski
AydriaHamilton |SLLBOCES:Seaway TechnicalCenter| Coach:Andrew Ostrowski
SophiaLeRoux |SLLBOCES:Seaway TechnicalCenter| Coach:Andrew Ostrowski
SofieMcDermott |SLLBOCES:Seaway TechnicalCenter| Coach:Andrew Ostrowski
AddisonRobert-Bogart |SLLBOCES: SeawayTechnicalCenter| Coach:Andrew Ostrowski
BellaSlate |SLLBOCES:SeawayTechnical Center| Coach:AndrewOstrowski
Aidan"Ace"Steenberg |SLLBOCES: SeawayTechnicalCenter| Coach:Andrew Ostrowski
MadisonYoung |SLLBOCES:Seaway TechnicalCenter| Coach:Andrew Ostrowski
AngelSolorzano |TheAcademyCharter School| Coach:Chad Pagano,Mentor:Shen Wang
Culinary and Burger Battle Judges
Fabrizio Bazzani
Greg Beachey
Matthew Britt
Don Bush
Dave Campbell
Charles Cicchetti
Samantha Cieniewicz
Dan Connor
Frank Costantino
Daniel Lessem
Raymond Dawson
Joan Dembinski
Toni Donofrio
Robert Dumas
Jason Eksterowicz
Dan Garvey
Walter Grote
Chris Happel
Danielle Hughes
Kenji Hurlburt
Marcus Iannone
John Jeffries
John Kapusta
Richard Kennedy
Mary Ann Kiernan
Alex Leclair
Michael Lopez
Wyatt Maguire
Anthony Marazuillo
Joseph Maulo
Mike Niccoli
Daniel No
Brian O'Hea
Paul Ozimek
Dominick Purnomo
Yono Purnomo
Robert Ramsey
Justin Reed
Jim Rhoads
Michael Rollinson
Michael Russo
Roshara Sanders
Leah Schuler
Kevin Scott
Ian Sinda
Rudy Tufaro
Jason Wallace
Courtney Withey
Caleigh Yacone
Chianti Il Ristorante
Zwillings
JWU
The Union Tavern Seabreeze
SUNY Cobleskill
Ecolab
Silk Utica
Donovan's
The Culinary Institute of NY @ Monroe College
Rational
The Culinary Institute of America
Yono's
Westchester County Community College
Paul Smiths College
Aramark
The White Inn
The Culinary Institute of America
Wegmans
United States Coast Guard
The Culinary Institute of America
Silk Utica
United States Coast Guard
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Westchester County Community College
David B. Falk College of Sports & Human Dynamics
Forno Bistro
Ecolab
JWU
Kingsborough CC
Antuns/Jericho Terrace
Schenectady County Community College
Wegmans
The Culinary Institute of America
Unidine
Yono's & dp An American Brasserie
Yono's
Kingsborough CC
United States Coast Guard
Chef's Solutions
The Culinary Institute of America
Ecolab
The Culinary Institute of America
Zwillings
Go Global Food LLC
Boca Bistro
Jericho Terrace
Hospitality Concepts, LLC
Schenectady County Community College
Glen Park Tavern
Management Judges
Nancy Bambera
Tezra Bryant
Kelly Bush
Holly Diamond
Rob Free
Kevin Goggins
Stephen Holmes
Heidi Larkin
Jay Larkin
Sofia Luca
Ted McCall
Taniedra McFadden
Kim Otis
Phil Palmisano
Melissa Patel
Nick Pitillo
Kate Purnomo
Bob Syracuse
Tyler Young
DZ Restaurants
The Restaurant MC
Marshall Street Bar & Grill
Work Onward
Buffalo Bisons/Be Our Guest
Outback Steakhouse
Sticks and Stones
Mazzone Hospitality
Schenectady County Community College
Jericho Terrace
JWU
Sylvia's Restaurant
Schenectady County Community College
Golden Chute Catering
Union Square Hospitality Group
Osteria 166
SUNY Albany
The Pizza Plant
Silk Utica
Event Emcee: Kevin Scott
