GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., Feb. 9, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida International University students Yolanda Suarez and Michelle Diaz achieve burger supremacy with a mash up! The pair teamed up for Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews' fourth annual Golden Robin Contest and beat out more than 300 entries to earn a $10,000 scholarship and the opportunity to serve their Loaded Baked Potato Burger at the Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE. Their original recipe will be featured on behalf of Red Robin during the festival's Amstel Light Burger Bash presented by Schweid & Sons hosted by Rachael Ray on Friday, February 26.

Best of the Bash Contest
At the festival, Red Robin will present its Best of the Bash Award for the fourth consecutive year. All chefs participating in America's most prestigious burger competition can enter their burger for a chance to win $10,000 and be featured on Red Robin's Finest premium burger menu. Andrew Zimmern, creator, host and executive producer of Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods, will anchor a revered panel of judges that includes past Best of the Bash Award winners Brad Halsten, owner of The Burger Dive in Billings, Montana and Michell Sanchez, owner of the Latin House Grill in Miami. The winning chef will be announced by Zimmern during the awards ceremony on the Burger Bash^® stage.

"As the gourmet burger authority, Red Robin constantly looks for burger inspiration from the country's most established chefs to its future rising stars," said Jonathan Muhtar, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Red Robin. "Each year we challenge Florida International University students for new burger ideas that bring the Yummm and this year's Golden Robin Contest did not disappoint. We applaud Michelle and Yolanda for combining two American favorites – loaded baked potato skins and burgers – into one unique, Red Robin-worthy burger that we are proud to showcase among the best in the business at the Amstel Light Burger Bash."

Golden Robin Contest
Red Robin's Golden Robin Contest is a key component of the ongoing partnership between Red Robin, the Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival and FIU's Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, one of the highest rated hospitality and tourism programs in the United States. For this year's contest, Red Robin challenged students to submit their best recipe for a gourmet burger. Diaz and Suarez sought inspiration from popular bar food favorites for their award-winning Loaded Baked Potato Burger, which features melted cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, sour cream, chives and Red Robin's signature steak fries stacked high on a juicy, fire-grilled burger served on a potato bun.

"Opportunities like this support our endeavor to produce innovation-focused graduates with a critical understanding of the industry, and give our students real-world challenges with the chance to make an impact on the industry and their future careers," said Mike Hampton, dean of the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at FIU. "We are extremely grateful to Red Robin and the Festival for the continuous support of the Chaplin School." 

For more information about Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews and to find a restaurant near you, visit www.redrobin.com.

About Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (NASDAQ: RRGB)
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (www.redrobin.com), a casual dining restaurant chain founded in 1969 that operates through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Red Robin International, Inc., and under the trade name, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews, is the Gourmet Burger Authority^™, famous for serving more than two dozen craveable, high-quality burgers with Bottomless Steak Fries^® in a fun environment welcoming to guests of all ages. Whether a family dining with kids, adults grabbing a drink at the bar or teens enjoying a meal, Red Robin offers an unparalleled experience for its guests. In addition to its many burger offerings, Red Robin serves a wide variety of salads, soups, appetizers, entrees, desserts and signature beverages. Red Robin offers a variety of options behind the bar, including its extensive selection of local and regional beers, and innovative adult beer shakes and cocktails, earning the restaurant a VIBE Vista Award for Best Beer Program in a Multi-Unit Chain Restaurant.  There are more than 530 Red Robin restaurants across the United States and Canada, including Red Robin Burger Works^® locations and those operating under franchise agreements. Red Robin... YUMMM^®! Connect with Red Robin on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

About the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management
Florida International University's Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management has been distinguished as one of the top hospitality programs in the United States. More than 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students from across the nation and around the world choose FIU for its outstanding reputation, advantageous campus locations in Miami, expert faculty, rich curriculum and fast-track career opportunities in the international hotel, foodservice and tourism industries. In August 2006 FIU unveiled the first U.S. school of hospitality and tourism in Tianjin, China. The Marriott Tianjin China Program is FIU's largest international program, with a capacity for up to 1,000 students. For more information about Florida International University's School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, visit hospitality.fiu.edu.

About Andrew Zimmern
Andrew Zimmern is a three-time James Beard award-winner, a chef, a writer, teacher and gracious dinner guest who has traveled to over 150 countries, logging countless hours in kitchens around the world. Andrew is best known for his Travel Channel series, Bizarre Foods, Bizarre Foods America, Bizarre World, and now Bizarre Foods: Delicious Destinations. He will tell you that his life is about demonstrating and promoting cultural acceptance, tolerance and understanding. He has written three books, appears monthly in Delta Sky Magazine, is a Chef-in-Residence at Food & Wine Magazine and an entrepreneur in residence emeritus at Babson College's prestigious Lewis Institute. He has produced a prodigious amount of television, incubated a dozen businesses, created restaurants, designed a cookware line, created an award winning podcast and is devoted to his charitable endeavors. Andrew is always shining the spotlight on impactful ways to think about, create and live with food.

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SOURCE Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.