CT Hospitality Educational Foundation

The Connecticut Hospitality Educational Foundation (CHEF) is the non-profit 501(c)(3), philanthropic arm of the Connecticut Restaurant Association. The mission is to promote the health and prosperity of Connecticut’s hospitality industry through education, scholarships and financial assistance. CHEF works to attract, develop and retain a career-oriented professional workforce.

The Foundation’s cornerstone program, ProStart, is a two-year, nationwide program that develops the best and brightest talent into tomorrow’s restaurant and foodservice leaders. ProStart serves more than 1,800 Connecticut high school students each year and culminates with the CT ProStart Invitational in March. The winning teams have the opportunity to compete in the National ProStart Invitational each year against high school programs that represent each and every state, as well as Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico.

WORKFORCE, EDUCATION & WELLNESS

CHEF, in coordination with the CRA, supports workforce development opportunities including ServSafe Manager, ServSafe Alcohol, ServSafe Workplace and ServSuccess. Additionally, the foundation works to create apprenticeships, offer professional development opportunities, promotes the restaurant industry as a viable career path and provides mental health awareness/wellness opportunities for our members.

JOE DACOSTA MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND

CHEF awards scholarships each year to students pursuing careers in the restaurant and foodservice industry. In 2019, the fund was renamed in honor of the late Joe DaCosta, who was a member of the CRA Board of Directors and had spent more than 35 years in the food service industry, most recently at Sysco Connecticut. The fund will help to honor Joe’s passion of giving back to future leaders of our industry.