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Georgia ProStart Program

By bringing together the industry and the classroom, the Georgia ProStart® culinary program gives students a platform to discover new interests and talents to open doors for fulfilling careers. From culinary techniques to management skills, ProStart’s industry-driven curriculum provides real-life experience opportunities and builds practical skills and a foundation that will last a lifetime.

With national and local support from industry members, educators, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) and state restaurant association partners, ProStart® reaches nearly 140,000 students in more than 1,800 high schools across 50 states, the Territory of Guam and at Department of Defense Education Activity schools in Europe and the Pacific. 

The Georgia ProStart State Invitational (GPSI) is a statewide culinary and hospitality management team competition where students compete for scholarships and the right to represent the state of Georgia at the National ProStart Invitational. GPSI demonstrates the skills students learned from the ProStart® program — a nationwide, two-year high school program that unites the classroom and industry to develop the best and brightest talent into tomorrow's restaurant and foodservice leaders. 

2026 Georgia ProStart® State Invitational: Wednesday, March 4

INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING?
  1. Submit Intent to Compete by Monday, January 12, 2026
  2. Read the GPSI 2026 Rules

KEY DEADLINES
  • Monday, February 9 — Culinary & Management Packets Due
  • Monday, February 16 — Feedback returned on submitted packets
  • Friday, February 20 — Last day to drop without incurring fines
  • Thursday, February 26 — Team headshots & logos due
  • Monday, March 2 — Revised packets due 
  • Wednesday, March 4 — GPSI Competition Day
WHAT TO SUBMIT IN PACKET:Culinary Teams
  • Official templates: recipes, recipe costing sheets, menu pricing worksheet
  • Color plate photos (8.5″×11″) of each dish
  • Typed menu with prices and selected knife cuts
  • Complete inventory list for all coolers and dry storage

Reminder: The total menu price for the three-course meal may not exceed $125 after applying 33% food cost.

Management Teams
  • Written proposal: concept; floorplan & selected space; SWOT; org chart
  • Menu (12 items) with pricing
  • Recipes, costing, and photographs for one menu item
  • Two (2) marketing tactics with supporting materials
If using social/digital marketing, include the asset(s) with the packet on February 9 ; you may make updates through Monday, March 2.
NEW/NOTABLE RULES
  • Eligibility: Students must be currently enrolled at state & nationals.
  • Menu display: Teams must use the provided acrylic frame for the presentation menu.
  • Presentation Staging Area: No equipment/props; plates on trays + framed menu only.
  • Uniform (Culinary): Shoes must be closed-toe and closed-heel, non-slip, hard-sole black.
  • Prohibited equipment: Add aerosol/compressed-air devices (siphon exception noted).
  • New –1 pt penalties (Culinary): Missing acrylic-frame menu; knife-cuts on menu don’t match measured cuts.
  • Uniform (Management): Team shirts must be the same color (same hue).
  • Penalty (Management): Any adult-consumable item (e.g., alcoholic beverage or age-restricted product) is prohibited.
SUBMISSION INFO
  • Submit packets as a single PDF to Raymond Mesa.
  • File names: School_Team_Culinary.pdf or School_Team_Management.pdf