America's Next Great Restaurant
Encyclopedia
America's Next Great Restaurant is an NBC
reality television
show featuring contestants pitching restaurant ideas to a panel of judges, where the winner receives financial backing for their restaurant concept. Three locations were opened across the nation — Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and New York—on Monday, May 2, 2011, the day after the May 1 season finale. The judges included chefs Curtis Stone
, Bobby Flay
, Lorena Garcia, and Chipotle Mexican Grill
founder Steve Ells
, who were the investors in the winning concept. The production company behind the show was Magical Elves, the same company that produces Top Chef
. The show, which has been described as a cross between The Apprentice and Top Chef, premiered on March 6, 2011. The first season finale aired on Sunday, May 1, 2011, with Jamawn Woods' concept, a soul food
restaurant concept called Soul Daddy
, judged the winner.
The season finale, which drew a 2.0 viewership rating, was rebroadcast on May 6, as viewers in the Pacific Time Zone
did not learn the winner during the original broadcast, due to the breaking news of the death of Osama bin Laden
. Due to low ratings, on May 13, 2011, NBC cancelled the show after the first season.
The three Soul Daddy restaurants that were opened in Minneapolis, Manhattan and Los Angeles closed after one month.
Episode 7 was an unaired episode that had contestants create a mini-website.
's restaurants. It also holds registered trademarks on several of the other restaurant concepts' names (marked ® below). The Minneapolis Soul Daddy was housed in the Mall of America
, while the Manhattan location was at the South Street Seaport
, at 189 Front Street. The Los Angeles restaurant was located at Hollywood and Highland
, in the same grand center as the Kodak Theater. On June 14, 2011, the Manhattan and Los Angeles locations were closed in order for Woods to focus on the Minneapolis locations, but that location later closed on June 28. Woods has been vocal in blaming Chipotle's management team for the failure of the Soul Daddy chain. As of August 2011 he has yet to engage in legal action, but says that the company owes him a year's salary, and reached a settlement with Chipotle by September 27 of that year.
As of early October 2011 the top three contestants are all working on opening restaurants based on their "Next Great Restaurant" concepts. While on leave from his job at Chrysler
, Woods is splitting his time constructing a Soul Daddy in his hometown of Detroit, while catering from his home and pursuing an associate's degree
at Schoolcraft College, a school in Livonia, Michigan
known for its culinary arts program. Runner-up Joey Galluzzi intends to pursue his restaurant concept, and enrolled in the Culinary Arts program at Le Cordon Bleu
to improve his knowledge of the business. Runner-up Sudhir Kandula is also plans for the culinary industry. He joined a San Francisco-based start-up called eCert, Inc. as their Vice President of Sales, advising a friend on his software/food venture called GlassCart, and working with friends on a stealth food project called American Dirt.
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
show featuring contestants pitching restaurant ideas to a panel of judges, where the winner receives financial backing for their restaurant concept. Three locations were opened across the nation — Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and New York—on Monday, May 2, 2011, the day after the May 1 season finale. The judges included chefs Curtis Stone
Curtis Stone
Curtis Stone is an Australian celebrity chef, author and television personality, nicknamed "The Quiet Terminator" by fans following his performance on The Celebrity Apprentice 3.-Background:...
, Bobby Flay
Bobby Flay
Robert William "Bobby" Flay is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur and reality television personality. He is the owner and executive chef of 12 restaurants: Mesa Grill in Las Vegas, New York City, and the Bahamas ; Bar Americain in New York City and Uncasville, Connecticut; Bobby Flay Steak...
, Lorena Garcia, and Chipotle Mexican Grill
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. is a chain of restaurants in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada specializing in burritos and tacos, founded by Steve Ells in 1993 and based in Denver, Colorado...
founder Steve Ells
Steve Ells
Steve Ells is the founder, Co-CEO, and Chairman of Chipotle Mexican Grill. Ells founded Chipotle in 1993, and under his direction, committed the restaurant to serve only naturally raised meat and to promote sustainable agriculture....
, who were the investors in the winning concept. The production company behind the show was Magical Elves, the same company that produces Top Chef
Top Chef
Top Chef is an American reality competition show that airs on the cable television network Bravo, in which chefs compete against each other in culinary challenges. They are judged by a panel of professional chefs and other notables from the food and wine industry with one or more contestants...
. The show, which has been described as a cross between The Apprentice and Top Chef, premiered on March 6, 2011. The first season finale aired on Sunday, May 1, 2011, with Jamawn Woods' concept, a soul food
Soul food
Soul food cuisine consists of a selection of foods traditional in the cuisine of African Americans. It is closely related to the cuisine of the Southern United States...
restaurant concept called Soul Daddy
Soul Daddy
Soul Daddy was an American fast casual restaurant founded by Jamawn Woods, featuring soul food that is both traditional and healthy. As a contestant on the reality television show America's Next Great Restaurant, which aired in 2011, he created the concept for Soul Daddy , and was named the winner...
, judged the winner.
The season finale, which drew a 2.0 viewership rating, was rebroadcast on May 6, as viewers in the Pacific Time Zone
Pacific Time Zone
The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time . The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 120th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC-7.In the United States...
did not learn the winner during the original broadcast, due to the breaking news of the death of Osama bin Laden
Death of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden, then head of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, shortly after 1 a.m. local time by a United States special forces military unit....
. Due to low ratings, on May 13, 2011, NBC cancelled the show after the first season.
The three Soul Daddy restaurants that were opened in Minneapolis, Manhattan and Los Angeles closed after one month.
Contestants
| Contestant and Age | Hometown | Occupation | Original Restaurant Name | Changed Name | Slogan | Restaurant Concept | Eliminated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamawn Woods, 32 | Detroit, Michigan | Self-employed cook | W3 - Woods' Wings & Waffles | Soul Daddy Soul Daddy Soul Daddy was an American fast casual restaurant founded by Jamawn Woods, featuring soul food that is both traditional and healthy. As a contestant on the reality television show America's Next Great Restaurant, which aired in 2011, he created the concept for Soul Daddy , and was named the winner... ® |
Cooking With Heart And Soul | Soul Food Soul food Soul food cuisine consists of a selection of foods traditional in the cuisine of African Americans. It is closely related to the cuisine of the Southern United States... |
Winner |
| Sudhir Kandula, 40 | New York City, New York New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... |
Software Sales | The Tiffin Box | Spice Coast® | Eat Flavorfully | Modern Indian cuisine Indian cuisine Indian cuisine consists of thousands of regional cuisines which date back thousands of years. The dishes of India are characterised by the extensive use of various Indian spices, herbs, vegetables and fruit. Indian cuisine is also known for the widespread practice of vegetarianism in Indian society... |
Runner-Up |
| Joey Galluzzi, 40 | Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated... |
Financial services | Saucy Balls | Brooklyn Meatball Company | Italian Home Cooking, Fresh Is Best | Meatballs | Runner-Up |
| Stephenie Park, 28 | Chicago, Illinois Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... |
Attorney | Compleat | Harvest Sol® | Flavor You Can Count On | health meals/Mediterranean cuisine | Episode 9 |
| Greg Westcott/Krystal Seymour, 30/29 | Los Angeles, California Los Ángeles Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants... |
Bartender/Personal Trainer | Hick's | Grill'Billies® | Urban Grill With Southern Attitude; Be The Sauce | Southern comfort food Cuisine of the Southern United States The cuisine of the Southern United States is defined as the historical regional culinary form of states generally south of the Mason Dixon Line dividing Pennsylvania from Maryland and Delaware as well as along the Ohio River, and extending west to Southern Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.The most... / Grilling Grilling Grilling is a form of cooking that involves dry heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above or below.Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat quickly and meat that has already been cut into slices... |
Episode 8 |
| Sandy DiGiovanni, 54 | Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties... |
Bartender | Limbo | Sinners and Saints® | Food For Your Mood | Choice of healthy or indulgent dishes | Episode 6 |
| Eric Powell, 28 | Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home... |
Financial Manager | Meltworks® | Artisanal Ingredients, Endless Possibilities | grilled cheese Cheese sandwich A cheese sandwich is a basic sandwich made generally with one or more slices of any kind of cheese on any sort of bread. In addition to the cheese, it may also include pepperoni, lettuce, bacon, tomatoes, pickles and/or condiments such as mustard or mayonnaise... |
Episode 5 | |
| Alex Terranova, 28 | Marina del Rey, California Marina del Rey, California -Demographics:-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Marina del Rey had a population of 8,866. The population density was 6,094.6 people per square mile... |
Restaurant Manager | Hard 'N Soft A Taco Bar | Revolution Tacos® | Explore, Discover, Indulge | Fusion Fusion cuisine Fusion cuisine combines elements of various culinary traditions while not being categorized per any one particular cuisine style, and can pertain to innovations in many contemporary restaurant cuisines since the 1970s.-Categories and types:... tacos Taco A taco is a traditional Mexican dish composed of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling. A taco can be made with a variety of fillings, including beef, chicken, seafood, vegetables and cheese, allowing for great versatility and variety... |
Episode 4 |
| Marisa Zafran, 31 | New York City, New York New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... |
Director of PR/Marketing | Wok | Chǎo® | The Art of Stir Fry | Stir frying Stir frying Stir frying is an umbrella term used to describe two Chinese cooking techniques for preparing food in a wok: chǎo and bào . The term stir-fry was introduced into the English language by Buwei Yang Chao, in her book How to Cook and Eat in Chinese, to describe the chǎo technique... |
Episode 3 |
| Fran Harris Fran Harris Fran Harris is an American television host and former professional basketball player. She is currently the host of Home Rules, a television series on HGTV.-Early life and education:... , 45 |
Dallas, Texas | Personal trainer | The Sports Wrap® | healthy sports wrap | Episode 2 | ||
| Sarah | Private chef | What's Good | organic and healthy | Episode 1 | |||
| Aimee Kyriss, 29 | Denver, Colorado Denver, Colorado The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains... |
The POO Crew, LLC co-owner | SoupZ | Soup Soup Soup is a generally warm food that is made by combining ingredients such as meat and vegetables with stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth.Traditionally,... Fast, health, raw, made to order soups |
Episode 1 | ||
| Brianne | Educator | Café crEATivi | Interactive cafe for kids | Episode 1 | |||
| Tran | Nam Nam | Vietnamese | Episode 1 | ||||
| Anita | Restaurant manager | Pot Belly | Pot pie Pot pie A pot pie is a type of baked savory pie with a bottom and top completely encased by flaky crusts and baked inside a pie tin to support its shape.... |
Episode 1 | |||
| Joe B. | Big Wangs Restaurant Chain Owner | Lil’ Wangs | wings | Episode 1 | |||
| Jason | Restaurant owner | Bully's Burgers & Wings | Burgers and wings | Episode 1 | |||
| Anastasia | Greek | Episode 1 | |||||
| Win | Episode 1 | ||||||
| Farzan | Houston, Texas | Abe's Cajun Market Manager | Sina | Persian Iranian cuisine Iranian cuisine is diverse, with each province featuring dishes, culinary traditions and styles distinct to its region.It includes a wide variety of foods ranging from chelo kabab , khoresht Iranian cuisine is diverse, with each province featuring dishes, culinary traditions and styles distinct to... |
Episode 1 | ||
| Shannon | Spanish | Episode 1 | |||||
Episode elimination chart
Episode 7 was an unaired episode that had contestants create a mini-website.
- The contestant was the Winner of America's Next Great Restaurant and won three restaurants in 3 cities across the country.
- The contestant(s) were the Runner-Ups of America's Next Great Restaurant.
- The contestant won the challenge for the week.
- The contestant made it into the Top 10.
- The contestant was safe from elimination but did not win the challenge of the week.
- The contestant was in the bottom group for the week.
- The contestant was eliminated.
Episodes
Each episode combines a business challenge with a food challenge.| Ep # | Title | Airdate |
|---|
Opened restaurants
ANGR Holdings is the company that ran Soul DaddySoul Daddy
Soul Daddy was an American fast casual restaurant founded by Jamawn Woods, featuring soul food that is both traditional and healthy. As a contestant on the reality television show America's Next Great Restaurant, which aired in 2011, he created the concept for Soul Daddy , and was named the winner...
's restaurants. It also holds registered trademarks on several of the other restaurant concepts' names (marked ® below). The Minneapolis Soul Daddy was housed in the Mall of America
Mall of America
The Mall of America, also called MOA and the Megamall, is a shopping mall located in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of the Twin Cities, in the United States. It is located southeast of the junction of Interstate 494 and Minnesota State Highway 77, north of the Minnesota River and is across the...
, while the Manhattan location was at the South Street Seaport
South Street Seaport
The South Street Seaport is a historic area in the New York City borough of Manhattan, located where Fulton Street meets the East River, and adjacent to the Financial District. The Seaport is a designated historic district, distinct from the neighboring Financial District...
, at 189 Front Street. The Los Angeles restaurant was located at Hollywood and Highland
Hollywood and Highland
The Hollywood & Highland Center is a shopping mall and entertainment complex at Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue in the Hollywood district in Los Angeles. The center also includes Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the Kodak Theatre, home to the Academy Awards. The historic site was once the...
, in the same grand center as the Kodak Theater. On June 14, 2011, the Manhattan and Los Angeles locations were closed in order for Woods to focus on the Minneapolis locations, but that location later closed on June 28. Woods has been vocal in blaming Chipotle's management team for the failure of the Soul Daddy chain. As of August 2011 he has yet to engage in legal action, but says that the company owes him a year's salary, and reached a settlement with Chipotle by September 27 of that year.
As of early October 2011 the top three contestants are all working on opening restaurants based on their "Next Great Restaurant" concepts. While on leave from his job at Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
, Woods is splitting his time constructing a Soul Daddy in his hometown of Detroit, while catering from his home and pursuing an associate's degree
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
at Schoolcraft College, a school in Livonia, Michigan
Livonia, Michigan
Livonia is a city in the northwest part of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Livonia is a very large suburb with an array of traditional neighborhoods connected to the metropolitan area by freeways. The population was 96,942 at the 2010 census, making it Michigan's 9th largest...
known for its culinary arts program. Runner-up Joey Galluzzi intends to pursue his restaurant concept, and enrolled in the Culinary Arts program at Le Cordon Bleu
Le Cordon Bleu
Le Cordon Bleu is the world's largest hospitality education institution, with 35 schools on five continents serving 20,000 students annually. Its primary education focus is on hospitality management and the culinary arts...
to improve his knowledge of the business. Runner-up Sudhir Kandula is also plans for the culinary industry. He joined a San Francisco-based start-up called eCert, Inc. as their Vice President of Sales, advising a friend on his software/food venture called GlassCart, and working with friends on a stealth food project called American Dirt.
External links
- Official site
- Meltworks Official website of one of the competitors.