Colorado ProStart® Student Invitational 2025

The Colorado ProStart® Student Invitational is the state’s premier culinary competition focused on testing student’s restaurant management and culinary arts skills. This year, more than 150 student competitors put their abilities to the test in front of industry leaders, family, and friends – all with hopes of earning the title of State champion and going on to represent Colorado at Nationals. 

The Management Competition will be held from 1pm-4pm on March 4th, 2025. Students will go head-to-head to see whose restaurant concept is ready to open it’s doors.

The Culinary Competition will take place from 8am-3pm on March 5th, 2025. Students will have only 1 hour to create and appetizer, entree, and dessert without running water or electricity.

Spectators for both the Management and Culinary competitions are encouraged to attend! Admission to watch competition is free, we just ask for registration prior to the event days so we can best accommodate crowds.

Our Champions dinner will be held on March 5th at Reelworks Denver to honor the teams who have traveled across the state to compete for a chance to represent Colorado in Baltimore. We will also be celebrating the apprenticeship graduates and other Colorado Restaurant Foundation program participants throughout the night. The Champions dinner will start at 5pm with a brief cocktail hour (21+ only) followed immediately by a 3-course, celebrity chef collaborated dinner, starring Chef Paul Anders of Sweet Basil/ Mountain Standard, Chef Manny Barella of Top Chef season 21 and Footer’s catering! Dinner will conclude at 8pm, tickets are now on sale!

Please join us for the Colorado ProStart Student Invitational this year in Denver, Colorado!

Contact lnines@corestaurant.org for information on judging, sponsoring, or exhibiting during the Career & Education Fair at the event.

Register to attend here!