Experiencing Entrepreneurship
Wolffest Features Pop-up Restaurants and More April 9-11
Undergraduate students from the Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship at the C. T. Bauer College of Business will host Wolffest, a three-day competition that challenges entrepreneurship students to put together a pop-up business to raise money for scholarships and student activities, April 9-11 on campus in Butler Plaza.
This competition is the final project for students in the program and currently raises more than $250,000 a year in sales and donations. Each team prepares throughout the spring semester — gathering sponsors, putting together a business plan and testing out their products at a variety of places before showing off their work on campus.
Here are the teams competing this year and what customers can expect at each business:
New ELMNT
Team Members: Jazmin Davila (CEO), Bennett Mainini, Alvaro Torres, Gabi Rojas, Liliana Espinoza, Angel Perez, William “Billy” Eaton, Truc Duong
What will your team be selling?
“Under New ELMNT’s tent, we will have a variety of options that would entice your taste buds. We have smoky barbecue with pork ribs, beef brisket and the best tasting potato salad and coleslaw. To keep our menu interesting, we also offer Tex-Mex food and plenty of fusion dishes ranging from Japanese, Mediterranean, Italian and French! But in this age, the camera always eats first. Our team is bringing Instagram-worthy dishes on campus for you to capture both palate and pixel.”
How did you come up with the idea?
“Our inspiration comes from a deep inquiry of cravings from students and staff and the innovations of the food industry. For many, Wolffest is a once-a-year opportunity to truly enjoy unique food directly on campus. But for business owners, this is the perfect opportunity to not only gain more brand awareness but to innovate their food menus. At the core of Wolffest lies a profound ethos: the fusion of people, culture and cuisine.”
How has the team prepared for Wolffest?
“Wolffest is a semester-long project that requires all hands-on deck. We prepare ourselves by seeing obstacles as a growth opportunity. With this mindset, New ELMNT never lost our fiery passion and took every opportunity we could to spread our purpose. We work hard to not only provide fun events, but we also ensure that the sponsors understand the mission behind our team. We want to create a landscape of opportunities for entrepreneurs who believe in making a change and envisioning a better future for our community.”
Who are your sponsors?
“A few of our esteemed sponsors include 40+ Kids BBQ, Houston Car Meet, Kubosh Law Firm, Fidelity National Title and Thrive Drip Spa. We cannot thank our sponsors enough for believing in our team.”
WolffBite
Team Members: Michael Talley (CEO), Aarya Patel, Jeanette Lam, Tu Pham, David “DJ” Buenaventura, Maya Kuruvanka, Rozy Abbasi, Jean Mina
What will your team be selling?
“Our team will be selling a good number of items that will provide a diverse mix of options for foodies and festival goers. For our main food courses, we will be serving tacos which include both birria and street tacos. We will also be serving smash burgers and hot chicken sandwiches which will provide a bit of diversity. Along with the sandwiches, we will be serving fries and allowing customers the opportunity to customize the fries to their liking from the available options. For drinks, we will be providing energy drinks, fruit drinks, water and soft drinks that are pretty standard for events such as Wolffest. For desserts, we will be serving homemade brownies and cookies as well as ice cream which will be provided by one of our vendors this year.”
How did you come up with the idea?
“Our team came up with this idea because we wanted to provide a variety of menu items to people who will attend Wolffest. Our biggest thing was to provide a good number of items but not too many at the same time. The diverse amount of food items also stems from being able to bring new companies and items out to Wolffest. This not only would allow us to bring a new experience to Wolffest, but also help us get these new businesses a good amount of visibility and marketing.”
How has the team prepared for Wolffest?
“Our team has prepared for Wolffest by obtaining the necessary permits needed for each of our vendors and mapping out the necessary appliances needed for the festival.”
Who are your sponsors?
“We have a good number of vendors and sponsors that we have secured and are currently in the process of confirming sponsors. Currently, we have sponsors such as H-E-B, Local Foods and many more in the works.”
Backyard Wolves
Team Members: Alim Maknojia (CEO), Gillian Fisher, Jayli Samnaneveth, Diana Rogel, David Lorch, Samantha Maldonado, Erica Parkinson, Isaac Spring
What will your team be selling?
“We will be selling hotdogs from the Weenie Wagon, street tacos, burgers, Voodoo Donuts, churros, fried chicken and Bahama Bucks!”
How did you come up with the idea?
“Our team wanted to bring the nostalgic feeling of a backyard and family back to food, so we wanted to stick with a theme of American backyard food, and that's how we ended up choosing our vendors and food choices.”
How has the team prepared for Wolffest?
“We have been working tirelessly to ensure our operations run smoothly during the day of the event so we are able to create an inviting nature and get people their food as fast as possible. We also have been throwing multiple events such as a small business market and a car show to prepare for Wolffest.”
Who are your sponsors?
“Our sponsors include Northside-Westside Lexus, Eclipse Massage & Spa and Biggie's so far.”
Legacy
Team Members: Argentina Guerra (CEO), Ai-Ling Kuon, Arianna Chavarria, Julie Miller, Waleed Abushaaban, Jhostin Perez, Miguel Longoria, Evie Vuong
What will your team be selling?
“We will be selling food items such as loaded tots and barbecue cones from Fainmous BBQ, wing combos from Wingstop, shrimp platters from The Crawfish Shack, kolaches and turnovers from The Original Kolache Shoppe as well as boba tea and drinks from YoYo Drinks and Celsius Energy drinks. We will also have samples from ElectroMax, La Morena and Zaaschila thanks to Market 5201 and curated vintage clothes from New Era Thrifted.”
How did you come up with the idea?
“We thought carefully about a good selection of food that would attract the tastes of college students. We wanted to support new, local businesses while supporting vendors that have supported Wolffest in the past.”
How has the team prepared for Wolffest?
“Over the past couple of months, we have worked on organizing two vintage clothing festivals on campus; one in February and one in April. We brought in over 25 independent vendors and secured sponsorships from recognized vintage clothing stores in Houston such as VNTG SPLY, Thrifted Threads and New Era Thrifted. These two events have helped us prepare financially for the costs anticipated for Wolffest and have allowed us to make multiple connections across the food pop-up industry.”
Who are your sponsors?
Our sponsors include Market 5201, VNTG SPLY, Thrifted Threads, New Era Thrifted and Wingstop.
Space City Wolves
Team Members: Valle Kauniste (CEO), Billy Talbert, Terrance Sowell, Priscila Becerril, Angel Shamba, Minson Vo, Paulina Gonzalez, Lexavier Richey
What will your team be selling?
“Space City Wolves will be cooking and selling bacon fried rice, vegetable eggrolls and pork dumplings at Wolffest.”
How did you come up with the idea?
“We came up with the idea by wanting to be a team who cooks our own food to stand out but most importantly cook food that students can just grab-and-go. We specifically chose the foods we are going to be selling because bacon fried rice is something that makes us stand out and it is also easy for our team to cook and get it out quickly.”
How has the team prepared for Wolffest?
“We have had a few pop-ups to test cooking and selling our food and we have had a lot of success so far. We have learned how to work together and what everyone’s strengths are on the team. We have also been practicing everything when it comes to cooking, set-up, selling and teamwork so we feel confident for Wolffest.”
Who are your sponsors?
“One of our main sponsors is Vallensons’ Brewing Company, owned by the family of our teammate Valle.”
AstroWolff
Team Members: Omar Kanaan (CEO), Jack Gilliland, Danlin Wu, Yezzenia Kay, Daniel Sadegi, Aidin Stimson, Amal Momin, Nicholas Einarsson
What will your team be selling?
“Our core offerings encompass a diverse range of culinary delights. At the heart of our menu lies Gyro King, featuring savory gyro platters, mouthwatering gyros and an array of delectable sides. Complementing this Mediterranean-inspired fare, we offer Italian ice with an assortment of flavorful syrups. And for those craving classic comfort, our menu also boasts juicy burgers and succulent hot dogs.”
How did you come up with the idea?
“Astrowolff sprouted from a desire to transcend conventional boundaries and create something truly exceptional. As a team, we believe in going above and beyond, and Astrowolff is our vessel to achieve just that.”
How has the team prepared for Wolffest?
“Countless meetings have been held where seasoned veterans impart wisdom to eager juniors, guiding them through the intricacies of running a successful food establishment. We believe in learning by doing and this hands-on approach allows us to fine-tune our operations, ensuring seamless execution when Astrowolff officially launches.”
The Wolves
Team Members: Dara Santiago (CEO), Fernanda Ruelas, Abhishek Sambaraj, Xavier Esquivel, Matteo Sharp, Xenia Cosino, Katherine Pham, Alexander Laos
What will your team be selling?
“Our team will be selling a variety of items from sweet to savory. Some of our savory items will include pupusas, tacos, burgers and Korean corn dogs. And if you are looking for something sweet, we will have candied popcorn, crêpes and middle eastern sweets. Apart from food items, we will also have drinks such as Minute Maid, boba and aguas frescas. We also cannot forget our non-food vendors that specialize in soaps, candles and small knick-knacks. Our vendors range from small to large, but they are all participating for the same cause: showcasing their business while also supporting a good cause in raising funds for student scholarships.”
How did you come up with the idea?
“We came up with the idea to showcase different businesses as we want to show how diverse Houston is. We want to help small businesses thrive as much as our big vendors and aid in their traction to success. Bringing them onto Wolffest does this perfectly. As a team, we are committed to aiding our local community and bringing vendors that specialize in good food and items but just need a bit more help in grabbing people’s attention. That is where we step in.”
How has the team prepared for Wolffest?
“Our team has prepared for Wolffest in organizing events both on and off campus to raise further funds along with raising donations. A great deal of work and delegation has gone into the marketing, operations and financials of these events. Our team has also gained vendors through building close relationships with vendors who we have found on our way to our off-campus events. Overall, we have learned and gained valuable knowledge when it comes to organizing events, pitching to vendors and becoming a better team that will help us on the three days of Wolffest.”
Who are your sponsors?
“Our sponsor is Blenders, an eyewear company that specializes in specialty and luxury eyewear.”
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