Prostart Student Invitational

New Date!

2026 MA ProStart Invitational

March 9-10, 2026
Gillette Stadium
Check-in: March 9th
2pm – 5pm
Competition: March 10th
8am – 2:45pm

Want to help inspire the next generation of hospitality?

Join us as a MAPSI judge!

Judges are required to arrive at the stadium by 7:00 a.m. for training and may depart once their assigned judging responsibilities are complete, typically between 12:30 and 1:00 p.m. Attendance at the awards ceremony is not required. Training and support will be provided to ensure a rewarding and well-organized experience.

By volunteering your time and expertise, you are making a direct investment in the future of hospitality—uplifting students, strengthening our workforce, and helping inspire the next generation of leaders, innovators, and professionals.

If you are interested in serving as a MAPSI judge, we would be honored to have you join us.

Please complete the application to confirm your participation by Monday, February 9th. Judging acceptance and assignment letters will be sent on Wednesday, February 25th.

Thank you for your continued commitment to education, mentorship, and the hospitality community.

Please feel free to share this email with fellow industry members who you feel might be interested.

Through ProStart and the Massachusetts Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (MRAEF), students receive many leadership and scholarship opportunities. Every year, the MRAEF sponsors a ProStart Invitational competition. Schools have the opportunity to compete in a culinary and/or management competition. Judges are industry professionals who volunteer their time and expertise to make the competition more meaningful for students.

Students are given a fictitious location, ProStartville, which the competition is based on. Management teams will develop a proposal to launch a new restaurant concept. In the proposal, teams will fully define the concept, develop a menu that fits the concept, and develop a marketing plan to support the launch. They will prepare a written proposal, verbal presentation and visual display. Culinary teams will start with exhibiting a mastery of knife skills and poultry fabrication. They will then have 60 minutes to cook a starter, entrée and dessert. Students will provide recipes, recipe cost and menu pricing.

Upon completion of the event, colleges and universities from around the country are on-hand to offer generous scholarships to the top teams in the competition. For example, The Culinary Institute of America offers up to $90,000 to students. Winning teams have the opportunity to compete nationally at the National ProStart Student Invitational, which is hosted by the NRAEF.

This year, the top two schools will be invited to go to Nationals on Friday, April 24th through Sunday, April 26th at the Marriott Baltimore Waterfront, where they will have an opportunity to win more scholarship money.

For more information about ProStart, please contact Jen Almeida or call the MRA office at (508) 303.9905.