Students create award-winning burger, beer


Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews announced Feb. 16 The 305 Burger, submitted by chemistry major Given Suman, as its Golden Robin Award-winner. Red Robin also crowned IPArin, brewed by FIU hospitality students Adam Yudorich and Mauricio Fischer, champion of the first-ever Golden Brew-Off Award.

The students will showcase their award-winning burger and brew alongside Red Robin during the Heineken Light Burger Bash, presented by Schweid & Sons hosted by Rachael Ray, Friday, Feb. 24.

“Florida International University students have provided inspiration and innovation to our culinary team over the past five years and we are proud to continue our scholarship tradition,” said Jonathan Muhtar, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Red Robin. “We are excited to lean into our burgers and brews culture to bring Given’s craveable burger and Adam and Mauricio’s delicious brew to the white sand of South Beach for hundreds of Burger Bash attendees to enjoy.”

“This illustrates the perfect relationship between classroom work and field experience. It’s what makes FIU students Worlds Ahead, and it’s in perfect alignment with the Chaplin School’s vision to become a leading global resource for creating and cultivating innovative management talent and solutions for the hospitality and tourism industry,” said Mike Hampton, dean of the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. “We are extremely proud of our students and very grateful to Red Robin and the Festival for the continuous support.”

Red Robin’s Golden Robin Award competition is part of an annual partnership between Red Robin, the Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival and the Chaplin School. This year’s competition challenged students to create their best gourmet burger for a chance to win a $10,000 scholarship and serve their burger at the Burger Bash as well as potentially have their burger featured on Red Robin’s menu.

FIU student and Golden Robin award-winner Given Suman.

Suman’s 305 Burger is a cross between a classic American burger and the legendary flavors of a Cuban sandwich. The build features a fire-grilled beef patty topped with melted Swiss cheese, thinly sliced smoked ham and dill pickle chips with mango-infused mustard.

To further showcase its commitment to brews, Red Robin partnered with FIU’s Brewing Science class to create the Golden Brew-Off. The inaugural competition challenged students to leverage knowledge gained in the classroom to create and submit their best homebrew recipe for a chance to win a $2,500 scholarship. Students Adam Yudorich and Mauricio Fischer developed IPArin, an India Pale Ale-style beer infused with mandarin orange peel, which earned the pair the very first Golden Brew-Off Award. In addition to splitting the grand prize, Yudorich and Fischer will pour samples of their beer at Red Robin’s tent.

At the Burger Bash, Red Robin will also present its fifth annual Best of the Bash Award to one deserving chef. Television host Marc Summers will join Red Robin as celebrity judge of the competition and help decide who will take home Red Robin’s prestigious award. The winning chef will receive a check for $10,000 and their award-winning burger will have the opportunity to appear on Red Robin’s burger menu in the future.