Four Lakeland University hospitality management students recently placed third in the “In the Works” management category at the Midwest Food Expo in Milwaukee.

The quartet of Hailey Diney, A.J. Jacobchik, Tiffany Fischer and Patrick Webster presented their fictional restaurant, Grillz, which they marketed as a “BBQ experience.”

Britannie Meinnert, LU’s instructor of hospitality management, explained that her students created the concept for the restaurant and presented all facets of their plan, including marketing, financials and a menu, to the judges.

The judges acted as though they were potential investors, and asked their students plenty of questions about the planned restaurant.

“The judges tried to poke holes in their plan,” said Meinnert, “and the students had to be prepared with answers. I was not allowed to coach them while they were being questioned.”

Meinnert said her group worked on the project for seven weeks.

“Our students blew me away with how they presented their plan to the judges,” she said.

“I was so impressed by how they functioned as a team during the judges’ Q and A session. The feedback we received from the judges was that they were very impressed.”