The Chugiak High School ProStart Management Team took first place at the Alaska ProStart Championships on Wed., Jan. 28 with its design of a restaurant titled, “Crepe City.”

The CHS ProStart program has a long history of wins in state competition under the direction of Kathleen Vik, who retired last May at the end of the 2016-17 school year.

ProStart is a nationwide high school training effort sponsored by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation aimed at giving teens a head start on the skills necessary to be successful in the restaurant industry. High school students at more than 1700 schools participate in the program nationwide.

As part of the management competition, CHS students designed a company logo, restaurant menu, two marketing plans and an organizational plan mimicking what would be necessary in the industry to start a new restaurant.

The CHS students opted to have their “Crepe City” located near a university marketing to college students, faculty and staff.

Members of the CHS management team are Hannah DeKay, Stephanie Grass and Alexa Swears.

In the culinary division, the appetizer team placed second at the state competition. Members of that team are Madison Beal, Amanda Bear, Michael Hickey and Kristian Medders.

The management team is now set to travel to South Carolina in April for the National ProStart Championship. This year’s travel represents the sixth year in a row that a CHS team would represent Alaska in the competition.

The teams were coached by Kathleen Vik, retired CHS culinary arts and family and consumer science instructor, and Paulette Ditzler, the current instructor.

The ECHO News wishes to extend a “Kudos” to the CHS ProStart program.