(Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. ET)
All programming subject to change.
"Restaurant Startup" features restaurateur and TV personality Joe Bastianich and chef and restaurateur Tim Love who vie to invest their own money in restaurant concepts they believe could make them millions. Each week, two teams are invited to pitch their food ideas to our investors. Under high-pressure questioning, each team tries to convince Bastianich and Love that theirs is a concept worth backing. The chosen team is given the keys to a working restaurant on trendy Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. They get 36 hours and $7,500 to put their dream to the test and create a business plan; come up with a branding campaign; and, finally, launch their pop-up restaurant. Under the watchful eye of Bastianich and Love's culinary consultant Antonia Lofaso, the aspiring food moguls open their doors, serve their food, and test their concept on the public. Based on the reaction from the diners, the quality of the branding, and the viability of the business plan, Bastianich and Love decide whether or not they will put their own money on the line to make someone's dreams come true – and, hopefully, make big money for themselves.
TUESDAY, 01/27/15 at 10PM ET/PT: RESTAURANT STARTUP #203 – YOUNG HUSTLERS
Tonight, restaurateurs and investors Joe Bastianich and Tim Love struggle to decide between two young and hungry teams from the restaurant capital of the world: New York City. Rock the Kasbah is an edgy Moroccan food catering company with dreams of conquering Manhattan. Yeah Dawg!!! is the funky creation of two sisters who think they make the best plant-based hot dog on the planet. Which team will get the opportunity to open a pop-up? And will they get the financial backing they need to take a bite out of the Big Apple?
TUESDAY, 02/03/15 at 10PM ET/PT: RESTAURANT STARTUP #204 – SECONDS, PLEASE!
This week, investors Joe Bastianich and Tim Love hear from restaurateurs who want to expand their reach and revenue by opening a second location. Roast is a Los Angeles deli where everything on the menu is roasted to perfection – including their signature sliders. Over Easy Omaha is a popular chef-driven breakfast café owned by an ex-stockbroker turned restaurateur. Which concept has better profit potential? And will it be enough to earn a deal from one or both of the investors?
TUESDAY, 02/10/15 at 10PM ET/PT: RESTAURANT STARTUP #205 – FROM THE STREETS
This week, two food truck empires battle it out to prove they're worthy of a location that's not on wheels. Restaurateurs and investors Joe Bastianich and Tim Love hear pitches from two teams, each with multiple food trucks. La Cocinita, owned by newlyweds Benoit and Rachel, uses only handmade ingredients that showcase Benoit's Venezuelan roots. Lloyd Taco Truck, owned by two childhood friends, has generated a huge social media following that has the entire city of Buffalo rooting for the colorful company and its quirky creations. Will either of these teams earn the investment they need to get off the streets?
TUESDAY, 02/17/15 at 10PM ET/PT: RESTAURANT STARTUP #206 – MOVIN' OUT
This week, it's all about location, location, location. Restaurateurs and investors Joe Bastianich and Tim Love must decide between two restaurants that are struggling in their current spots… and think a new location is all they need in order to thrive. Up first is Nosh & Swig from Las Vegas. This married couple knows their international small plates menu is perfect for the Las Vegas market, but they are struggling to get people through the door at their off-strip location. Next up: family-owned Hiatus Urban BBQ from Los Angeles, which takes slow-cooked meats and serves them with a heap of healthy options in a fast-casual setting. Their food is on target for the LA diner, but their location isn't. Will the investors roll the dice on the City of Angels or Sin City? And will either team get the money they need to start movin' out?
TUESDAY, 02/24/15 at 10PM ET/PT: RESTAURANT STARTUP #207 –THE ULTIMATE COCKFIGHT
This week, it's an all-out cockfight as restaurateurs and investors Joe Bastianich and Tim Love choose between two tasty chicken concepts. Ms. P's Electric Cock Fried Chicken is hoping to stabilize its food-truck business by opening a brick-and-mortar. Smoke Kitchen is the brainchild of two culinary teachers from Philadelphia who are looking to transition from the classroom to a fast-casual takeout restaurant. Which team will get the chance to launch the restaurant of their dreams in L.A.? And will their performance earn them an investment?
TUESDAY, 03/03/15 at 10PM ET/PT: RESTAURANT STARTUP #208 – PIE VS. PIE
This week, it's pie versus pie in the ultimate pastry showdown. Restaurateurs and investors Joe Bastianich and Tim Love hear compelling pitches from two very different pie companies. Rock City Pies, owned by a rock n' roll couple from Detroit, wants to take its hand-crafted delights and turn them into a nationwide sensation. Sixpence Pie Company, owned by two suburban soccer moms from Southington, CT, has been so successful that it's outgrown its tiny space within two years of opening. Which piemaker will get the opportunity to launch a pop-up? And will one or both of the investors be so impressed that they end up buying a slice of the business?
TUESDAY, 03/10/15 at 10PM ET/PT: RESTAURANT STARTUP #209 – SMALL MARKETS, BIG DREAMS
This week, two successful catering companies – both based in underserved markets – fight for the chance to score an investment from restaurateurs and investors Joe Bastianich and Tim Love. 17 Summer is owned by a young brother/sister team from New Jersey who believe they have the skills to make their fine-dining concept soar (hopefully high enough to leave the nest, as they still live with their parents). Peculiar Culinary is owned by a husband/wife team who hope to open the first gastropub in their part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Which team will cater more to the investors and get a shot at their dream restaurant?
TUESDAY, 03/17/15 at 10PM ET/PT: RESTAURANT STARTUP #210 – THE FOOD OF THE FUTURE
This week, restaurateurs and investors Joe Bastianich and Tim Love must choose between mad scientists – mad food scientists, that is, each with a unique approach to molecular gastronomy. The two teams have very different markets in mind for their science-based food. Crave Culinaire pitches a high-end, chef- driven restaurant for the 1%, while The Inventing Room wants to open a quick- service restaurant that serves snacks, desserts, and drinks to the masses. Which team will get the chance to launch a pop-up restaurant in L.A. – and earn an investment that could change their lives?
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