MPS and Prostart Proud

December 15, 2016

One of the operational cornerstones of The Bartolotta Restaurants is what we call our five tenets of hospitality. One of these tenets is “Giving Back to our Community,” which is why we were proud to host the Entrée To Excellence gala at Discovery World on September 28, 2016. The goal of the event was to raise money for the expansion of the ProStart program in Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS). ProStart® is a nationwide two-year program that trains high school students to enter the field of culinary arts and restaurant management.

Thee ProStart® program in Milwaukee is a partnership between MPS, The Bartolotta Restaurants, SURG Restaurant Group, Hospitality Democracy, the Wisconsin Restaurant Association, and several other local supporters.

The food, beverage, and service for Entrée To Excellence were all donated by Bartolotta’s with the serving staff for the evening primarily made up of volunteers from the restaurant group’s employees. Additionally, students from Harold S. Vincent, James Madison Academic Campus, Washington High School of Information Technology, and Bay View high schools worked in the kitchen alongside professional chefs from the Milwaukee area restaurants to prepare a four-course meal for over 350 guests.

The gala served as the perfect way for the students to showcase what they have already learned in the ProStart® program and to understand the logistics of putting on such a large event.

We are incredibly grateful to the guests of the gala who donated their time and money, to the dedicated students who created a delicious meal, and to our wonderful staff who volunteered their time to make the event happen. We look forward to seeing the efforts from the evening continue for years to come.

For further information or donations, please contact Anne Terrell at the MPS Foundation at www.mpsfoundation.net.