/A\ announced today that it has acquired the delectable new reality series AMERICA’S NEXT GREAT RESTAURANT, airing Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT, beginning March 6 on /A\ (visit Atv.ca to confirm local broadcast times). From Emmy Award-winning TOP CHEF and PROJECT RUNWAY producers Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz, the hour-long competition series follows contestants from every walk of life as they vie for the opportunity of a lifetime — to see their original restaurant concept spring to life. New episodes are also available on demand the day following their television broadcast on the CTV Video Player at CTV.ca.
After a nationwide search, 21 competitors present their restaurant concepts to a group of investors, and when 11 hopefuls are quickly eliminated, the remaining Top 10 are left to battle it out over the course of the season. Funding the restaurant concepts and acting as judges are the four accredited investors: Bobby Flay, distinguished restaurateur (IRON CHEF AMERICA: THE SERIES, THROWDOWN! WITH BOBBY FLAY); Curtis Stone, internationally renowned chef (THE BIGGEST LOSER, TAKE HOME CHEF); Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO of Chipotle; and Lorena Garcia, executive chef and restaurateur. The investors/judges determine which competitor’s concept has the greatest potential for success, and those who do not rise to the challenge are sent home. One contestant survives elimination each week to receive one of the biggest reality prizes in television history – their concept turned into a new restaurant chain in three locations – Hollywood, Minneapolis and New York City.
In each episode, Flay, Stone, Ells and Garcia also work side by side with the competitors as mentors, to further develop their concepts and put each competitor’s restaurant concept through rigorous business and cooking challenges, and to determine which idea has what it takes to become “America’s next great restaurant.”
“The restaurant business is about the people who have the drive to make their eateries work,” said Flay.
“We have a strong interest in making sure that the person who wins this will be successful. They’re not just winning a three-restaurant chain, but the opportunity to grow that chain and make it more valuable,” adds Ells.
In the series premiere (Sunday, March 6 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on /A\), for their first test, the investors ask the potential restaurateurs to pitch their restaurant concept and serve an “iconic” item from their menu. After the investors have heard the pitches and tried the menu items, they will choose 10 concepts to move on in the competition.
AMERICA’S NEXT GREAT RESTAURANT is produced by the Emmy Award-winning Magical Elves (TOP CHEF and PROJECT RUNWAY). Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz, Ross Jacobson, Nan Strait, and Amy Chacon serve as executive producers. Casey Kriley and Gayle Gawlowski serve as co-executive producers.
