October 2024
President’s Message
While October is often synonymous with shorter days and cooler temperatures, our team at the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) is filling each day to ensure we make Q4 our strongest stretch yet. We’re fueled by the knowledge that our industry changes lives and builds futures, along with a large dose of passion for making sure that as many people as possible can experience this opportunity for themselves.
This edition of Foundation Update is a taste of all that the NRAEF is doing to convene, connect, educate, and empower people across our industry this fall. I hope you’ll take the time to read about Molly Esquivel, a 2024 NRAEF scholar with big plans, learn about ProStart’s Fall Leadership Forum, and get up to speed on how we’re honoring our industry’s military veterans this November. You can also read about some of our recent programmatic wins, including two new apprenticeship tracks, a big HOPES milestone, and how we’re making restaurant training more accessible for all.
Of course, this work only happens with the support of our many stakeholders and supporters. If you’re reading this, know that we see you as a star ingredient in the NRAEF’s recipe for success. Please join us in spreading the word about our work during our upcoming year-end fundraising campaign, which you can also read about below.
Thank you again for your continued partnership as we build an industry with opportunity for all.
Rob Gifford
President, National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
Recipe For Success: Fundraising Kicks Off
NRAEF’s 2024 fundraising campaign has officially launched! “Recipe for Success” will highlight the ingredients that make our industry the very best: it’s workers and the NRAEF programs that support them. We’ll be featuring the great work of the Foundation and MFHA, and it’s only possible because of the generous support of our donors and supporters. Donate today and together we will serve up the industry workforce of the future.

Inaugural Gathering of ProStart® Educator Fellows
What’s New
Twenty-seven educators from around the country convened in Denver, Colorado, October 6–8, for the inaugural ProStart Educator Fellows meeting. Comprised of state Educators of Excellence, this cohort celebrated their accomplishments and created new tracks of content to benefit the wider ProStart educator community.
What’s Next
NRAEF ProStart team continues to engage the Educator Fellows throughout the year, sharing their knowledge and best practices with over 2,500 ProStart Educators through a series of webinars.
Scholar Profile: Molly Esquivel
September 15 – October 15 marked the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. This year we turn the spotlight on Molly Esquivel, a 2024 NRAEF Scholarship recipient. Molly is a freshman at Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, studying baking and pastry. Someday, Molly wants to open her own restaurant and showcase Mexican-American cuisine.
Molly’s Background
Molly got her first taste of what goes into opening a restaurant while competing in the ProStart management competition. Her team’s restaurant concept name was Mosaic, because it featured a mix of different Mexican foods and traditions. As a Mexican-American woman, Molly was excited to share her culture with many business professionals and friends through the competition. Despite setbacks and struggles with self-confidence in high-school, Molly’s participation in ProStart and the support of teachers and chefs helped her to believe in herself and succeed.
Why It Matters
For the 2024-25 school year, NRAEF awarded more than $1 million to three-hundred students who attend 130 schools across the U.S. Read the press relase.

Honoring Veterans in Hospitality on Veterans Day
November brings Veterans Day, a time to honor the sacrifices made by those who have served in the armed forces. We honor those who have served and celebrate their contributions to the hospitality industry. By supporting veteran-owned businesses and advocating for veteran employment and training, we can ensure that their sacrifices are remembered and valued in our communities.
The Impact of Veterans
Many veterans transition from military service to careers in foodservice and hospitality, bringing with them invaluable skills such as leadership, teamwork, and resilience. Their ability to remain calm under pressure, adapt to changing environments, and provide exceptional customer service makes them ideal candidates for various roles, from hotel management to culinary arts. NRAEF is proud of our dedication to veterans and opportunities we help create for businesses in our industry that actively seek to hire veterans.
Restaurant Ready & Accessible: Promoting Disability Employment
What’s New
Thanks to grant funds from Kessler Foundation, the Hospitality Pathways project aims to expand access for people with disabilities to Restaurant Ready work-readiness resources, as well as job and career opportunities in the restaurant and foodservice industry. October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), highlighting the importance inclusive workplaces and providing an opportunity to celebrate NRAEF’s disability access work and Restaurant Ready sites. These sites enroll diverse individuals, including those who are justice-involved, unhoused, and/or out-of-school. Over 30% of participants also report having a disability, mental health needs, and/or cognitive/learning disabilities.
Where This Work Happens
Restaurant Ready is proud to include many sites with disability-specific programs, such as Clubhouse Atlanta (GA), Hugs Cafe (TX), Food Bank of Delaware, Peckham (MI), and DIRT Coffee (CO). Divergent Inclusive Representation Transforms (DIRT) began as a mobile coffee truck and now has two stores in Denver, training and employing neurodivergent workers.
What’s Next
NRAEF partners with the Kessler Foundation on a universal design program which will increase access to training, credentialing, and employment. NRAEF will continue to develop and distribute these resources in support of building pathways to opportunity in our industry for all.
HOPES Keeps (En)Rolling Along!
The newest Hospitality Opportunities for People (re)Entering Society (HOPES) grant reached a significant milestone during this quarter: meeting and exceeding full enrollment at the end of September. With this achievement, our 2022 U.S. Department of Justice funded grant follows our 2019 and 2021 grants in exceeding the enrollment and industry skills training performance measures.
HOPES Program Impact
With the success of the 2022 grant, NRAEF has now enrolled over 1,200 individuals in twelve communities across seven states in collaboration with justice systems, state restaurant associations, and community-based partners. This has translated to nearly 600 mostly in-industry job placements, to date.
New Apprenticeships Approved by U.S. DOL
What’s New
The Restaurant & Hospitality Leadership Center team is excited to announce that two new Registered Apprenticeship occupations have been approved by the U.S. Department of Labor. We are now offering free training and technical support for Assistant Kitchen Manager and Assistant Restaurant Manager apprentices.
Why It Matters
These management roles are crucial to the success of all restaurants. While the Assistant Kitchen Manager focuses on the kitchen operations, the Assistant Restaurant Manager oversees all restaurant operations. Both roles require strong leadership, organizational skills, and a commitment to providing excellent customer service. RHLC now provides free training and technical support for five industry occupations: Line Cook, Assistant Kitchen Manager, Kitchen Manager, Assistant Restaurant Manager, and Restaurant Manager.

MFHA Hosts Third ELEVATE: Checking In Webinar
MFHA hosted more than 160 registrants in its recent “Checking In” webinar series to discuss how Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives can increase positive business outcomes, engagement and retention, and employee performance. If you missed any of the three sessions in this webinar series, you can still view them on-demand.
- Building Your DEI Business Case: Leveraging Data for Sustained Support
- Engaging Stakeholders and Defining DEI Success
- Crafting an Inclusive Communication Strategy
Sponsor Spotlight:
Burger King Foundation Contributes $150K to NRAEF’s Scholarship Program
The Burger King Foundation has committed $150,000 to continue their support of the NRAEF Scholarships program in 2025. Since 2015, the Burger King Foundation has impacted thousands of lives by supporting and underwriting scholarships for National ProStart Invitational (NPSI) winners and ProStart educators.
Recent Natural Disasters
The NRAEF understands the scope of devastation that has impacted the southeast, especially the workers and their families, and businesses in the restaurant and foodservice industry. The National Restaurant Association has set up this hurricane disaster resource page to provide information on how affected restaurants can seek relief.
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