Burrito-eating contest @ Coconuts w/Best Buddies & Legendary Juan "More Bite" Rodriguez!

Satisfy Your Cravings to Help Best Buddies

Feast your Eyes on Coconuts’ Burrito-eating Challenge

Juan “More Bite” Rodriguez not only has an insatiable hunger for food, he has an appetite for competition. This competitive eating machine has vowed to singlehandedly eat more than two teams of six opponents each in the 10 Pound 10K Buddy Bite Challenge.

This ravenous fundraiser is slated for 1 p.m., Saturday, May 19 at the Coconuts Beach Bar & Mexican Grill in Town Square Las Vegas. Cover is $5, and the restaurant is donating 10 percent of the day’s revenue to Best Buddies Nevada.

The genesis for the event occurred at Flash Mobs for Friendship, when super volunteer Mark Keller (of Circus Circus) encountered Rodriguez taking on a competitive eating challenge at Coconuts, which was participating in the day’s scavenger hunt.

“They chewed the fat, so to speak, and generated this novel and fun idea to benefit Best Buddies,” Best Buddies Nevada State Director Jason Smith said. “We’re incredibly grateful to Coconuts, Juan and Mark for helping Best Buddies.”

Rodriguez will face two teams comprised of both Best Buddies participants and Circus Circus employees. “More Bite” and each of the two teams will then attempt to devour 10 pounds of burrito (or 30 pounds total for all teams).

“It will be feast or famish,” Smith said.

Rodriguez has always loved eating and fell into the sport by chance. He undertakes a strict training regimen which allows him to gorge. In fact, he is a personal trainer by profession. A smattering of his eat feats include: 80 McDonald’s chicken nuggets in eight minutes; a 48 ounce steak in eight minutes; and one and a half gallons of ice cream with toppings in 24 minutes. He is also the 2010 Rocco Ranalli's Pizza Eating Champion, chowing down 19 slices in 14 minutes.

Most recently, he qualified to compete regionally in the world-famous Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. Come cheer him on at 3 p.m., Sunday, April 28 at New York New York’s Brooklyn Bridge. If he wins, he will take his fearsome bite to the championship round in the Big Apple.

“I’m getting the munchies just thinking about it,” Smith said.

For more information contact Best Buddies Development Coordinator Dave Clark at 822-2268 or 513-265-3352.