America’s Next Great Restaurant

We live in an era of convenience. Dozens of pizzerias, coffee bars and sandwich shops line our streets, and dinner can be delivered to our doorstep (or defrosted in the microwave) at a moment's notice. Along with our ever expanding food choices, television fans have had a surplus of food-related programs at their disposal in recent years. NBC is looking to cash in on our entertainment cravings with its new series America's Next Great Restaurant, which premiered Sunday night.

Part Apprentice, part Top Chef, this new foodie TV offering looks to explore both the creation and innovation of American's restaurant chains, namely the "fast casual" concepts of successful outposts like Au Bon Pain, Panera Bread and Chipotle. Host Bobby Flay and his panel of celebrity judges—Steve Ells, founder and co-CEO of the popular Mexican chain, chef Lorena Garcia and chef and TV personality Curtis Jackson—rounded up 21 aspiring restauranteurs from across the country and presented them with the challenge of proving that their idea will become the next big thing in American convenience cuisine.

But in this show, prior cooking experience isn’t required. (In fact, it may even be a hindrance.) During the pitch presentations, two established chefs and restaurant owners simply looked to expand their existing brands (burgers and wings, respectively) to underwhelming responses by the judges. Jason, owner of multiple burger joints in Lenox, Mass. and Joe, owner of the “gourmet sports bar” contingent Big Wangs in Los Angeles—who quickly established himself as the night's "villain," thanks to off color remarks about chicken wings—recycled their existing business models, confident they’d be moving on to the Top 10 because of proven success. Despite their lack of originality, it was the execution and overall taste that made the difference, with judge Curtis Stone reluctant to even taste Joe's little wangs.

Other concepts that didn’t translate to the fast casual model: soups, pot pies, kabob sliders, and mainstream Vietnamese, all of which either didn’t have the innovation or the practicality that the judges were looking for. An all grilled cheese joint was fiercely debated, before the judges put innovator Eric up the task of grilling as many sandwiches as he could in 15 minutes (to his credit he made 29). High concept ideas from business minded foodies like Stephenie, a lawyer from Chicago who pitched "food within fixed calorie ranges for busy professionals,” and Marisa, a marketing/PR director from New York, whose Wok-heavy menu preached "stir fry for the healthy heart," seemed to tap in to what the target demographic was looking for…even if each woman couldn't exactly execute the dish herself.

Like any good reality show, there were all-encompassing, dramatic statements repeated throughout the hour, as Flay reminded viewers that the "stakes couldn't be any higher" as contestants were asked to give the "pitch of their lives" in order to stay in the running. Dramatic pausing helped to build tension, and with no system for elimination (some pitches were rejected or accepted on the spot, while a few others were forced to go back and wait on the judges' decision), the fate of the final contestants lingered until the final minutes.

While they'll theoretically be more focused on the task at hand than personal conflicts (then again, who knows?) a few of the those moving into the Top 10 have already established themselves as certain archetypal reality show characters. Among the hopefuls vying for the grand prize: WNBA veteran Fran Harris, who won a championship with the Houston Comets, whose sports-minded idea was extremely high concept and interactive, Jamawn, a victim of the Detroit automotive industry bust (who seems to be a shoe-in for a fan favorite award, his commitment to his kids had my tears ready to flow) offering comfort food via chicken and waffles and Joey, a New Yorker with a background in finance, and the guts to name his meatballs and macaroni concept "Saucy Balls." (Can you withstand an entire season of related punchlines?).

We'll have to wait and see whether the drama comes from the contestants themselves or through the series of challenges aimed at preparing their own eatery. For those who revel in Top Chef's "Restaurant War" episodes, where contestants create an entire restaurant in 24 hours, America's Next Great Restaurant looks to have the same, if not more, detailed behind-the-scenes insight that will have you coming back for seconds.