The Grille is no stranger to change. Last year’s additions of paninis and smoothies shook up the menu, but this year’s sushi and boba have taken the spotlight. In an effort to diversify the eating experience for students, the decision to add these foods stems from both student demand and long-term planning.
“Students have been asking for this for a while,” Head Chef Chris Behrens said. “My company, (Metz Culinary Management), does run a sushi program. They have a machine that puts the rice in the sushi and fills it up, but I did not have the space for that nor the manpower.”
To address this problem, Behrens reached out to Crazy Fish Sushi owner Steven Shao. Before arriving at Trinity Prep, Crazy Fish Sushi had already been operating at several high schools across Orlando, Valencia and Seminole State College campuses, and at the Lockheed Martin campus in Orlando. Although Behrens knew the company offered safe, high-quality products, it still took over a year for the company to get approved as a vendor.
“If you sell something, I can’t just have you come and give me the product,” Behrens said. “It has to be company approved. (Shao) has had to send paperwork in and I have (spent) over a year trying to get him involved.”
In addition to preparing sushi though, Crazy Fish Sushi also makes boba, which Behrens decided to bring to Trinity Prep as well. So far, the sushi and boba have been a major success among students. When sushi was first introduced, over 400 rolls were sold, with sales remaining just as consistent the second time. The debut of boba also saw similar success, with around 150 being sold out within the first three minutes. Its second appearance saw 250 being sold and the third time saw sales climbing over 300.
“The line the first day was at the door on both sides,” Behrens said. “Students are loving it, and they’re selling out everyday. Everytime (Shao) comes here, he doesn’t have any leftovers from any of them, sushi or boba.”
In order to assure students that the sushi and boba were being freshly made on the first day, Behrens made sure to bring in Shao and the rest of the team to prove this point.
“I brought him in specifically on the first day for students to see who it was,” Behrens said. “I wanted to introduce the group and the guys making the food so it wasn’t like I was picking it up from Publix and reselling them.”
Beyond its popularity, sushi and boba were also introduced as part of a broader initiative to expose students to more familiar global cuisines and a wider variety of food options.
“We got a diverse group of kids,” Behrens said. “I listen to everybody talking about their summer breaks and how they went overseas and spent time in Japan. I think though everyone’s familiar with this stuff, it is something new we do here which is exciting.”
Currently, sushi is being offered every Monday while boba is being offered two to three times a week. As the year goes on though, Behrens anticipates demand for these items to fluctuate and he is planning on buying less or more based on how much students purchase each week.
“I would say instead of 300 this week, give me 150 and then we would slowly back out or add more,” Behrens said. “I could do it everyday if I wanted to, but I don’t want to oversaturate the place because then students are going to get tired of it fast.”
Along with sushi and boba though, the Grille has also introduced foods like grits, oatmeal and Muesli during breakfast. In the future, Behrens also plans on inviting guest chefs and restaurants to sell food in the Grille.
“If someone owns a restaurant and wants to come in and sell their food, they would give us their menu and we would put it out and tell everybody that they are coming for that day.” Behrens said. “There is a Peruvian restaurant up the road here and we might bring them in as a guest chef. When we touch base, they are going to provide the menu and what I have to buy, so that they can run the hot station for the day.”
Students across campus have greatly enjoyed these new offerings, viewing them as a refreshing change to their usual options.
“I like how they are incorporating new foods from across the world,” sophomore Akkaash Naidu said. “I feel like this adds a new element to the Grille (and) I think it is just a good thing for all students to try.”