Tom + Chee Co-Founders Presenting at UC Clermont March 25

UC Clermont College’s student group P.A.C.E. – will host co-founders of Tom + Chee gourmet grilled cheese shops- for a presentation open to the community on March 25 from 12-1 p.m. in the Student Activities Center located on campus.

Tom and Chee co-founders Trew Quackenbush and Corey Ward successfully pitched their Cincinnati area gourmet-grilled cheese shops on Shark Tank in 2013. Quackenbush is a self-taught cook who “cooked around” all over the United States before settling in Cincinnati. Ward is the son of ice cream shop owners who grew up behind the grill and wanted a business of his own. The two “cheftrepreneurs” decided to create a casual dining concept around the old lunch standard of tomato soup and grilled cheese.

They will be coming to UC Clermont to talk about what's going on at Tom+ Chee (T+C).

“Our P.A.C.E. (stands for Professional Academic Character Experiences) Business Student Organization’s main focus is to provide students experiential learning experiences for our UC Clermont students. We strive to bring textbooks to life in a variety of ways including bringing guest speakers to campus. Having the co-founders of Tom and Chee, Trew and Corey, who have appeared numerous times on Shark Tank, on our campus sharing their stories is amazing. To be able to hear all about their journey from a tent and a burner on Fountain Square in 2009, to the successes of today and the future will be an unforgettable experience for our students,” said Jay Page, Assistant Professor of Business Management and Marketing at UC Clermont.

From the Tom and Chee website:
Spotlighting quality ingredients and friendly customer service, T+C’s founders have grown this quirky grilled cheese business from a tiny food tent on a public square in Cincinnati to a rapidly expanding franchise empire, thanks to TV exposure and an investment deal on ABC’s “Shark Tank.” Our Grilled Cheese Donut has been featured on ABC’s “The Chew”, Travel Channel’s “Man v. Food Nation” and was named one of America’s best new sandwiches by NBC’s “Today” show. The 2013 Brand Innovators Made in America Summit named Tom+Chee one of “25 Brands to Watch.”

This event is free and open to the community. The campus is located at 4200 Clermont College Dr. in Batavia.