California Statewide Culinary Competition Goes Virtual

What do you do with the “Super Bowl” of high school culinary competitions in California when pandemic strikes? With more than $2.3 million in scholarships on the line, California Restaurant Association Foundation (CRAF) has announced that they will be going 100% digital for this year’s 2020 CA ProStart Cup, originally scheduled to take place in Pomona on March 20 and 21. Hundreds of students from across California will be participating in this high-stakes culinary arts and restaurant entrepreneurship competition, where they will showcase their cooking skills and pitch their restaurant ideas to an esteemed panel of judges ... virtually,

With so much uncertainty surrounding coronavirus (COVID-19), events across the nation are going virtual and thriving under the circumstances. Deciding to pivot to a virtual competition was not an easy decision, but necessary to prioritize safety. We just had to find a safe solution for the show to go on! Rather than canceling, the unprecedented decision was made to move forward with a digital format to give these hard-working students the opportunity of a lifetime. They have worked too hard for their work to go unnoticed.