What does it take to open a new restaurant from the ground up? This question was posed to the ProStart and Hospitality, Restaurant, and Tourism (HRT) level II team members to launch their first project of the semester. The Next Great Restaurant Challenge is a project designed to help the team members learn the skills and tasks that must be considered when opening a new restaurant. 

The team members were broken into three teams of 3-4 members. Each team developed its concept, which included the decor, menu, pricing, service style, and ambiance. The group also decided upon a location, created a budget, and designed a marketing plan. All of this information was put into a written business proposal. The teams then presented their proposal to a panel of industry experts. The project's final step was for each team to prepare and serve their restaurant concept’s signature dish to a panel of tasters. 

The team members will revisit their proposals at the end of the semester for revisions based on any new learning they experienced during the semester.