Media & Press

Now in its second year, The Frankie Tomatto’s Restaurant Innovation Competition will serve as a platform for cash incentives for Ontario College and University hospitality students to create innovative ideas or concepts for the restaurant industry.

Hal Roback, owner of Frankie Tomatto’s, a Markham, Ont.-based restaurant is offering $3,000 (first prize) and $2,000 (second prize), and $1,000 (third prize) to the student teams who can offer winning innovations on anything from technology to food preparation and management.  The top eight teams receive plaques acknowledging their achievements.  The top three teams, in addition to prize money, present their ideas to a panel of executive judges at the Restaurants Canada Show, and receive VIP treatment for themselves and their supporters.  The top team also receives time with creative design, finance and legal firms to discuss the commercialisation of their idea.

Several institutions have already committed to take part in the competition, including Algonquin College, Centennial College, George Brown College, Humber College, Niagara College, Ryerson University, and the University of Guelph.

Teams must consist of a minimum of two and a maximum of four students, who are registered in the fall 2014 semester of any post secondary hospitality programs. The University of Guelph’s School of Hospitality, Food and Tourism Management will host the event. Student teams from institutions offering post-secondary hospitality and/or nutrition programs in Ontario can find out more by visiting the website,/hftm/restaurant-innovation-competition [1] or sending an email to: innovate@uoguelph.ca [2]

The competition will begin Jan. 26, 2015 and conclude March 2, 2015 at the centre stage of the Restaurants Canada Show in Toronto.