What’s Cookin’, Wolffest?
A First Look at Wolffest’s Flavor‑Packed Lineup
What’s on the menu for the 14th annual Wolffest?
Named for the Bauer College Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship (WCE), the nation’s No. 1 undergraduate entrepreneurship program, Wolffest is a three-day on-campus food festival.
This event is a capstone project for WCE seniors who take up leadership positions as CEOs for their individual teams. Supported by their juniors who take on the responsibilities of different officer positions on a company board, these student-run teams apply everything they’ve learned over their time in the entrepreneurship program to cook up a fun-filled Wolffest.
From April 7 – 9, Butler Plaza will be a hub for bold Texan flavors, sweet treats and classic comfort foods. All proceeds go entirely to scholarships, program funding and student support.
Meet this year's Wolffest teams and the flavors they’re packing!
Welcome to the Jungle
NOSH (Nurturing Opportunity and Spreading Hospitality) can be found right over the rainbow!
With a high energy jungle theme, this team is excited for guests to try some of their South American flavors. A few of the vendors they are partnering with this year are Elotes & Hot Dogs Don Pepe and Tornado Taco. They will also be indulging in their sweet tooth with desserts from The Scoop Coupe (with their signature rainbow inflatable), May’s Crepes and ensō.
Led by management information systems and entrepreneurship senior Arya Patel, NOSH is bringing the energy.
“It’s not many times you see such a large number of people on campus at once,” Patel said. “I’m happy that we get to make people smile by offering them good food. I’m proud to see what we’ve built.”
Patel recommends guests try matcha from ensō and elote from Elotes & Hot Dogs Don Pepe.
CEO: Arya Patel, CFO: Danny Gwynne and COO: Camila Ramirez
CMOs: Paola Perez, Daniel Cardozo, Lexi Gaddis, Frida Flores Palafox, Breanna Bhakta and Sebastian Popa
Peak Texan Flavors
Chill out with Wolff Summit!
This team is bringing the Aspen Mountains to Wolffest. They have peak Texan flavors with classics from BB’s Tex-Orleans and UniCookies. They will also have a few vendors who aren’t food-related but will be passing out free swag to students.
Led by finance and entrepreneurship senior Nate Babin, Wolffest represents more than just a fun three-day event. It is a culmination of all their hard work in the program.
“The metaphor behind Wolff Summit is climbing that mountain and getting to the pinnacle of what the Wolff Center is all about,” Babin said.
With his team’s strong work ethic, he hopes to inspire the next generation of Wolff students to always try their best so they can reach the mountaintop one day too.
Babin’s recommendation is the chicken wings from BB’s Tex-Orleans. Try his favorite, the lemon pepper wings, or turn up the heat with mango habanero!
CEO: Nate Babin, CFO: Jesus Salinas and COO: Niko Vastakis
CMOs: Sofia Eaton, Tahlaya Kell, Ansley Brown, Jorge Rangel and Mariah Castillo
International Cuisine
Grab a passport and travel around the world with Wolff Nation!
This team is bringing in a wide range of flavors that represent different international regions. A few of the vendors they are partnering with are Fruteria Queens, a Salvadorian based brand, Main Bird Hot Chicken as a Halal option and Portillo’s, a Chicago brand that recently expanded to Houston.
Finance and entrepreneurship senior Valeria Serenil, Wolff Nation CEO, said it was important to her for their guests to feel like they could have a little bit of everything on their plate.
Guests can pick up a passport book at the Wolff Nation team tent; the more stamps they get, the more coupons they’ll get! Serenil said that with this idea, she wanted to keep the fun going past Wolffest.
“You’re going to expect a lot of fun, a lot of unity and most importantly, a lot of love,” Serenil said.
She would recommend a hot chicken sandwich from Main Bird Hot Chicken and a sweet treat from Fruteria Queens.
CEO: Valeria Serenil, CFO: Sakari Eason and COO: Enrique Martinez
CMOs: Fe Andrews, Liz Smith, Michael Gibson, Andrew Campos, Hans Adani and Dylann Hearn
Peace, Love and Food
Wolffstock will be rocking and rolling for three days straight!
Inspired by the music festival Woodstock, this team is focusing on creativity, community and culture. They want to portray the joy and excitement of attending a music festival through their food.
Their three big vendors this year are Wingstop, Fajita Pete’s and Halal Shack & Grill.
Marketing and entrepreneurship senior Haley Salinas, Wolffstock CEO, would recommend getting a chicken sandwich from Wingstop or kebabs from Halal Shack & Grill and washing it all down with a refreshing cup of lemonade from one of their vendors that guests can refill throughout the festival!
“I love my team. I don’t think I could have done any of this without them,” Salinas said. “They are some of the most supportive, creative people I know.”
Wolffstock will be passing out goody bags, lanyards and hydration packets to exemplify the music festival vibe they’re going for. They will also be selling two different t-shirts so guests can look back and remember all the good times they had at this year’s Wolffest.
CEO: Haley Salinas, CFO: Maria Cadavid, CCO: Alex Cristea and COO: Brianna Bhakta
CMOs: Precious Collins, Diego Lopez, Elliot Abbey, Emerson Higgins and Blake Burris
Street Art & Street Food
H-Toon has a fun surprise planned for this year’s Wolffest!
This cartoony team is dedicated to providing the best possible customer service. It is important to them to not just raise the most money, they said but to make sure everyone who comes to their area has a good time.
They plan to represent Houston not just in their food but in their graphic design as well. They believe street art to be a big part of the city’s culture, and they want that to come through in their visuals.
Some of the vendors that they’re bringing in are Burger Bodega, Gyro King and Pudgy’s Fine Cookies. Entrepreneurship senior Jake Schnur, who leads H-Toon, said that Burger Bodega makes some of the best smash burgers he’s ever had.
“Regardless of where you go, it’s going to be a good time,” he said. “Come out and try some good food."
Schnur said that H-Toon has something big planned that will positively impact the customer’s experience, and he’s excited to unveil what those plans are at Wolffest.
CEO: Jake Schnur, CFO: Nancy Teran Aguilar and CMO: Adam Jhaver
COOs: Landen Bennett, Kirsten Le, Rowan Kaul, Sonia Shahram and Smarak Nanda
Little Slice of Paradise
Backyard Wolves are bringing paradise to Bauer’s backyard!
This team has won the last two years of Wolffest by raising the most money that goes towards supporting student success. Marketing and entrepreneurship senior Isis Craig, Backyard Wolves CEO, is excited to keep that legacy alive.
“We’re hoping to bring good vibes and high spirits to Wolffest,” Craig said.
They want their area to feel like guests are walking into a backyard party with vibrant decorations and classic foods found at a cookout. Some of the vendors they are bringing include Weenie Wagon, Raising Cane’s, OMG! Burger, The Waffle Bus and Love Ice.
Craig would recommend trying matcha or a refreshing acai bowl to help cool off in the heat.
“But they should try everything,” she said. “Everything is good.”
Craig and the rest of the Backyard Wolves are excited to welcome guests into their backyard paradise.
CEO: Isis Craig, CFO: Rohan Gupta, CCO: Doug Cruz and CMO: Rico Castillo
COOs: Isabella Mixon, Elijah Zimel, Isiah Tchokonte, Khushi Bhatnager, Zayn Kabir and James Hua
Faire Family Fun
Wolff Legacy are taking guests back in time!
Inspired by modern day Renaissance festivals, this team wants to incorporate those same themes and decor. Marketing and entrepreneurship major Dave Kurian, Wolff Legacy CEO, said that one of the first things they did as a team was going to a Ren fest together, both as a way to bond and for ideas.
“You can expect your food to be nice and hot, the lines to be shorter and for everything to be personally efficient,” Kurian said.
Some of the vendors they will be bringing out are Chicano BBQ, Crawfish & Noodles, Cosmic Ice Cream and Lé French Press.
If Kurian had to recommend anything, it would be brisket fries from Chicano BBQ.
“They sell out quick, so we tried to overstock them this year, but make sure to try some before they’re gone,” Kurian encouraged.
CEO: Dave Kurian, CFO: Roberto Carrizales and CMO: Ernesto Trejo
COOs: Taylir Nguyen, Daniel Trinh, Jalilah Fletcher, Alexa Borja, Jacy Dang and Fatima Nadeem
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