Suburban High School Doubles Cafeteria Sales With Student-Created Sandwiches

LAKE ZURICH, IL — Students at Lake Zurich High School recently traded textbooks for cutting boards in a fun and flavorful competition that brought their culinary skills directly to their very own cafeteria.

“The Battle for the Best Bite” challenged five student teams to create the ultimate sandwich using fresh, sustainable ingredients.

With guidance from the school’s Culinary program and Quest Food Management Services, the competition encouraged students to think creatively while keeping sustainability and presentation in mind, according to a news release from Quest, a company that partners with schools to provide food service management.

Teams selected locally sourced produce, crafted unique flavor combinations and minimized waste by using every part of their ingredients.

Each creation was then presented for a blind taste test judged by the Quest team, the principal, assistant principal and the head of Lake Zurich's culinary department. Entries were scored on flavor, texture, creativity, sustainability, and visual appeal, according to a news release.

Two sandwiches emerged as fan favorites: the Greek Garden Sandwich and the Flavor Lab Caprese Sandwich. Both earned featured spots in the school deli, and on the day the sandwiches debuted, cafeteria sales nearly doubled.

“This collaboration shows what is possible when we invite students to be part of the process,” said Dan Bicouvaris, the food services director for Quest at Lake Zurich High School. “The talent, creativity, and attention to sustainability our Culinary students demonstrated was outstanding. When students help design the menu, they are more excited to participate and more connected to the program.”

With the recent addition of a new culinary kitchen, Lake Zurich High School is planning for more hands-on learning opportunities in the future.

“This experience allowed our students to apply their skills in a real-world setting," said Niki Jensen, who is head of Lake Zurich High School's culinary department. "They were challenged to think critically about flavor, sustainability, and presentation, while also considering what would appeal to their peers. Seeing their ideas come to life in the cafeteria has been incredibly rewarding.”

Down the road, Quest and Lake Zurich's culinary department are already planning future competitions, including a homemade soup contest.