Creativity from the classroom recently made its way onto the menu at TAG’s Café thanks to students at Colerain High School in the Butler Tech Contemporary Cuisine program.
Students in Mrs. Monica Lewis’s class partnered with the local café for a “Create a Sandwich” competition, challenging teams to design an original sandwich that could be featured on the restaurant’s menu. After developing their recipes in class, two student teams were selected as finalists and invited to TAG’s Café to show the staff how to prepare their creations.
“These kids were awesome. I thought I knew which sandwich would win, but after seeing them in action and tasting both creations, it could have gone either way because they were both amazing,” said Terri Graber, owner of TAG’s Café.
Customers then had the chance to purchase the sandwiches and vote for their favorite during the four-day competition.
The two competing creations were:
Cozy Chicken Wrap
Grilled chicken with spices, lettuce, sun-dried tomatoes, bacon, and provolone, served with a side of TAG’s house-made ranch.
The Explosion
Seasoned shredded chicken, bacon, Swiss cheese, dill pickles, and lettuce piled on grilled Hawaiian rolls and served with fire honey sauce.
During the promotion, 134 sandwiches were sold, helping raise $250 for Colerain’s FCCLA chapter through a $1 donation from each sandwich purchased.
At the end of the voting period, The Cozy Chicken Wrap was selected as the winning creation. The sandwich was developed by:
Olivia Mitchell, Grade 11
Melissa Perez Reynoso, Grade 11
Justin Roper, Grade 12
Stephanie Wilson, Grade 12
The competing sandwich, The Explosion, was created by:
Cole Cooper, Grade 10
DeVan Johnson, Grade 12
Joe Sarfo Benson Jr., Grade 11
Lily Sarfo Benson, Grade 10
All eight participating students were recognized for their work with commemorative plaques and gift certificates from the café.
The collaboration was such a success that both sandwiches will remain available at TAG’s Café, with plans to add them to the menu based on customer feedback.
“This was so much fun — we should do it again next year,” Graber added.
The project may also open the door for an exciting next step. TAG’s Café has contacted WXIX-TV Fox 19 about the possibility of inviting the students to demonstrate their sandwiches during a future cooking segment.
Experiences like this highlight how Butler Tech students apply their classroom learning in authentic settings, working alongside local business partners while gaining real-world culinary and hospitality experience.
