I Heart Mac & Cheese, the Palm Springs-based fast-casual restaurant concept that offers traditional mac and cheese and sandwiches with health-conscious options, recently partnered with Palm Springs High School to empower the school’s students to create a real television commercial for the restaurant. Nine student-produced commercial spots were produced and are now viewable at pshsfilm.com/vote. The community is encouraged to watch the thirty-second spots and select their favorite. When voting closes on November 18, the results will be tallied, and the winning commercial will run later this year on local broadcast stations.
“We loved partnering with Palm Springs High School students to provide aspiring student filmmakers with an opportunity to write scripts and produce a professional television commercial,” said Blu Bryan, CEO and Founder of BMC Foods, owner of I Heart Mac & Cheese. “This project is an example of how our restaurant continues to involve different communities in our area. We wish to thank Tracy and Jerry Turco for providing the set, industry mentors Diego Elias and Collin Finn for guiding the students, Ms. Bea Haven and the Youth Training Orchestra for providing the acting, and the Palm Springs Unified School District for their educational support. We hope the entire Coachella Valley votes on these fun commercials.”
The creative project involved more than 190 high school students. The different scripts embraced the LGBTQ+ community and celebrated the upcoming holidays while showcasing the Mac & Cheese menu. The cast and crew for the commercials were made up of students, parents, family members of students, and local actors from several organizations. In addition to the commercial project, some of the students filmed and produced a documentary about the commercial creation project which will be aired later.
“We were thrilled to collaborate with such an innovative entrepreneur like Blu Bryan,” said Donnie Gerrell, FILM Pathway Teacher and Technology Department Lead at Palm Springs High School. “When he approached us with this idea, we jumped at the chance to give our students real-world experience. It has been an incredible opportunity for everyone involved and we could not be more thrilled about how this venture has enabled such student involvement.”
About I Heart Mac & Cheese
Serving up traditional macaroni and cheese and sandwiches as well as a variety of health-conscious options. The brand has earned a reputation for consistent, delicious food and is well-known for custom, build-your-own macaroni and cheese bowls, grilled cheese sandwiches, and desserts – including the recently launched Cheesecake Bites. Also available are broccoli bowls, cauliflower bowls and many vegan and gluten free options. Guests select a pasta, bread, quinoa, broccoli, cauliflower, or tater tot base along with a choice of ten different proteins, eleven vegetables, and nine cheeses. Sesame ginger, mango habanero, buffalo, BBQ, and pesto are just a few of the delicious dressings and sauces available to mix in or top off each creation.
The BMC Foods management team is committed to ensuring that the business is an integral part of the Coachella Valley community. It incorporates compassion, understanding, and progressive thinking in its hiring practices and is committed to creating a workplace culture where everyone is treated with honor, dignity, and respect. It embodies core values such as inclusion, compassion, philanthropy, quality, leadership, and teamwork. BMC Foods plans to open several more restaurants in Southern California soon.
For more information visit bmcfoodhq.com. Follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/iheartmacandcheesepalmsprings