Cheyenne students win Taco John's^® West-Mex^® Culinary Competition
Second year-in-a-row Cheyenne team has won

Cheyenne, Wyo. - After an action-packed final round of the Taco John's^® West-Mex^® Culinary Competition, an all-girl team from Cheyenne was declared the winner, earning them the title of Taco John's^® West-Mex^® Chefs.

Cheyenne Central High School students Madison McCue and Becca Brenner were named the 2009 champions, beating Glenrock students Dustin Ailport and Taylor McIntyre. The announcement was made today at the 8th Annual ProStart Student Invitational awards ceremony in Cheyenne. This is the second year-in-a-row a team from Cheyenne Central High School has won the culinary contest and the fourth year the school has been represented in the competition.

McCue and Brenner's winning item, the Fiesta Beef Pita, is a celebration of Taco John's^® boldest flavors. The menu creation was judged for overall taste, quality and creativity, potential customer appeal, profitability, operational simplicity and speed, and consistency with Taco John's^® West- Mex^® menu positioning. The final two teams were also judged on how well they worked together during the final round.

"It was a very tight race between the Central High School and Glenrock High School teams," said Bob Karisny, vice president for Menu Strategy and Innovation. "Both teams created unique menu items and displayed top-notch professionalism and teamwork throughout the competition. But in the end, the Cheyenne team pulled off the victory."

McCue and Brenner each were presented with a $500 Taco John's^® scholarship, an embroidered black chef coat and the champion trophy for their school. Their instructor is Mary Kay Bohnenblust.

In addition, McCue and Brenner will return to the Taco John's^® Support Center to develop both their semifinal and final menu item entries: the Kickin' Chicken Ranch Pita and the Fiesta Beef Pita. One of these two items will be chosen to sell in Taco John's^® Cheyenne restaurants next year for a limited time. McCue and Brenner will also help develop training and point-of-sale materials for the selected menu item.

Last year's winning item, the Chicken Wrapito, created by Cheyenne Central High School students Rockie Hiser and Tate Bauman, is on sale through February 15 at Cheyenne-area Taco John's^®. Proceeds from the sale of the Chicken Wrapito go to the Wyoming Lodging and Restaurant Association (WLRA) Education Foundation.

The fourth annual competition, sponsored by Taco John's^® and the Wyoming Lodging and Restaurant Association (WLRA), encourages high school students to consider a career in the food service industry. This year, a record-breaking 46 recipes were submitted.

For more information on Taco John's^® visit www.tacojohns.com. To learn more about the WLRA and the West-Mex^® Culinary Competition go to www.wlra.org.