The National ProStart Student Invitational winners from OCSA were celebrated by the Habit Burger Grill

The Habit Burger Grill was thrilled to host a “Welcome Home” party for four students from California’s Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA), who proudly took home first place at the National ProStart Student Invitational in Baltimore, representing a WIN for Team California.

With support from the California Restaurant Foundation (CRF) and state sponsor The Habit Burger Grill, OCSA’s students Tira, Emily, Cynthia and Max topped the Management Competition with their winning restaurant concept, Teddy’s, an all-day breakfast restaurant near a fictional college campus.

The four students, who won scholarship prize money they will share totaling $200,000, were “welcomed home” from Baltimore by Habit Burger Grill in Santa Ana, on May 20th to celebrate. The restaurant provided complimentary food with an assortment of their signature Charburgers, fresh salads, crispy onion rings, fries, and tempura green beans, as well as creamy hand-spun milkshakes. The rising culinary stars also received tote bags which included culinary-themed gifts from the brand’s Director of Culinary Innovation, Chef Jason Triail, complimentary burger gift cards, along with Habit swag.

“Man, seeing our team become the winning National Team is just mind-blowing,” said Jason Triail, Director of Culinary Innovation at Habit Burger. “The creativity, talent, and dedication these young chefs bring to the table is seriously inspiring. Can’t wait to swing by Teddy’s for a bite someday!”

The celebratory dinner, attended by the students, their parents, their teachers Paola Costa and Daniel Mattos, as well as members of Habit’s corporate team and members of California Restaurant Foundation, included speeches, stories, hugs, laughs, high-fives, and lots and lots of burgers.

“We’re all about supporting culinary passion. And these kids are just so impressive,” remarked Ken Chan, the brand’s Head of Digital and Storytelling. “They worked together in a way that’s truly special. Their concept was brilliant and uncomplicated – and they even wore Teddy Bear ears at Nationals. They not only had a solid idea, but they thought to execute a simple stunt to get people talking. And as a marketeer myself, I love that!”

This win marks a significant achievement, as it’s the first time in 13 years that Team California has won first in the Management Competition. The four students spent countless hours perfecting their presentation over the last two months and answered live questions from the judges during this high-stakes national competition. They had to create a comprehensive business plan that included budget, restaurant design and marketing plans. Their proposal was then pitched to industry professionals, Shark Tank-style.

The Habit Burger Grill has proudly sponsored this exhilarating cooking competition for the past three years. These students are not just participants; they represent the future pillars of our state’s vibrant restaurant and foodservice industries. Habit’s own Chef Jason Triail also served as a judge in the culinary category.