CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Aspiring chefs and restaurateurs are testing their concepts this week in Charleston at the annual Hospitality Cup—West Virginia ProStart Invitational, pitting high school students in ProStart programs around the state against one another in culinary and management competition.
ProStart, supported by the West Virginia Department of Education, provides high school students with an introduction to the food service and hospitality industries. On the competition’s first day, culinary students prepare a three-course meal in 60 minutes, and on the second day, management students present a proposal for a restaurant concept to industry judges.
“We really started brainstorming at the end of last year with what we could do better and took a little break over the summer. We came back in the fall. We attended the ProStart-hosted boot camp in October, and then we took off running from there and didn’t slow down since,” Huntington High School ProStart instructor Aimee Lynch said.
More than 60 students representing 11 schools are vying for statewide recognition and the opportunity to represent West Virginia at the 2026 National ProStart Invitational in Baltimore next month. For the culinary competition, the judging goes far beyond just the food on the plate.
“If you’re going into my restaurant, the second you walk in the door, you’re being judged. Is it clean? Are people working together? Are you being acknowledged? Are you being personable? It’s a lot more than just the food. Now, the food is the highlight and the end result, but if all those little components don’t work, then you’re not a winner,” lead culinary judge Anne Hart said.
In addition to the quality of their entree, appetizer, and dessert, competitors are judged on everything from how well they work together in the kitchen to the way they clean up their workspace after presenting to the judges. If that wasn’t enough, they only have access to two butane burners and no electricity or running water.
The management competition brings aspiring business owners to the forefront with a chance to show off their creativity and savvy. Each school developed a unique restaurant concept to present for judging.
“I have a lot of goals and aspirations in life, and one of those things is to open up a business, and the business I was looking at was a cafe. I feel like that would be really interesting, and here, I get to show off my skills, show off my ideas, and really put my pedal to the metal,” Huntington High School management student Bryson Shepherd said.
The ProStart program is designed to expose students to the hospitality industry and provide them with the skills they need to become the next generation of chefs and restaurateurs. Students earn industry-recognized certifications upon completion that can help them pursue employment in their chosen field.
“The kids have been in this program for a year trying to develop their own restaurant concept to do three courses, and what it basically is is turning passion into, hopefully, a long-term opportunity in the hospitality industry,” Hart said.
Beyond the skills gained in ProStart, Lynch is proud to see the relationships her students form along the way. She said watching the kids grow in and out of the kitchen is a rewarding experience.
“They become friends along the way. I love watching the growth they have from this, and it’s just really inspiring to see how it helps them grow as a chef and what their potential future could be,” she said.
The West Virginia Department of Education sponsors ProStart programs at 49 schools across the state with more than 1,000 students enrolled.