RALEIGH, N.C., Nov. 18, 2015 – Platinum Corral, the parent company of 26 Golden Corral franchises throughout North and South Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia and Ohio, has announced a five-year donation, starting in 2015, of $25,000 to ProStart, a career and technical education (CTE) program that focuses on teaching culinary arts and restaurant management fundamentals to secondary school students in all 50 states. The donation, given at $5,000 per year, will assist today’s best and brightest high school talent to develop into tomorrow’s restaurant and foodservice leaders.

ProStart, dedicated to “Feeding Dreams. Building Futures,” is a program supported by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF), along with others in the restaurant and hospitality industry, educators, and state restaurant associations in the United States, Guam, and U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity schools in Europe and Asia. The program reaches more than 118,000 students in 1,700 high schools and provides an industry-driven curriculum that includes culinary techniques, management skills and real-life restaurant experience, as well as builds practical skills and a foundation that will last a lifetime.

For more information on ProStart, visit http://www.nraef.org/prostart.

QUOTES:

“Platinum Corral is dedicated to not only providing an excellent restaurant experience to all of our customers, we are also committed to being responsible stewards of our community,” said Billy Sewell, president and CEO of Platinum Corral. “Through our annual donation to ProStart, we seek to improve the lives of citizens in the communities we serve through providing excellent educational and real-world experiences to the restaurant and hospitality leaders of tomorrow. We look forward to working with ProStart for years to come.”

ABOUT PLATINUM CORRAL:

Established in 1996 by owner Billy Sewell, Platinum Corral, based in Jacksonville, North Carolina, owns and manages 26 Golden Corral franchises throughout North and South Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia and Ohio, including the newest Golden Corral model, a pavilion Golden Corral in Greenville, North Carolina. The company has been recognized as one of the Triangle’s top 50 privately held companies and institutions in Triangle Business Journal’s Book of Lists. Sewell’s family has been involved with Golden Corral since his father became a founding investor when the business first began. A graduate of Campbell University, Sewell worked as a manager trainee and rose through the management ranks. By 1996, he owned two Golden Corral restaurants, one in Burlington, North Carolina, and the other in Hickory, North Carolina. Golden Corral restaurants, located nationwide, feature steaks, buffet, and bakery at every location, each offering the highest quality food at reasonable prices in a clean, friendly atmosphere, thereby fulfilling their mission to “make pleasurable dining affordable.”

ABOUT THE NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION:

As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the NRAEF exists to enhance the restaurant industry’s service to the public through education, community engagement and promotion of career opportunities. The NRAEF works to attract, develop and retain a career-oriented professional workforce for the restaurant industry. In 2015, the restaurant and foodservice industry is projected to comprise one million outlets and a workforce of 14 million employees, making it the nation’s second largest private sector employer. For more information on the NRAEF, visit NRAEF.org.

ABOUT PROSTART:

ProStart is a career and technical education (CTE) program that focuses on teaching culinary arts and restaurant management fundamentals to secondary school students in all 50 states. Available in nearly 1,700 high schools and career technical centers, ProStart reaches more than 118,000 students from a broad range of racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. The program offers students a platform to discover and develop new interests and talents, and effectively teaches culinary and restaurant management techniques and theory, as well as employability skills including teamwork, professional behavior, time management and communication that are hallmarks for achieving life-long career success.

ProStart is supported by industry, educators, school administrators, the NRAEF and state restaurant associations in the United States, Guam and Department of Defense Education Activity schools in Europe and Asia. For more information on the ProStart program, visit NRAEF.org/ProStart or find us on Twitter or Facebook.

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