America's Next Greatest Restauraunt

When we first started this journey, I was mostly looking forward to the evolution of the concepts and contestants. From the beginning I saw the passion and perseverance necessary to win and carry a chain of restaurants in Jamawn. During each challenge his commitment was evident. He was always eager to learn, and consider our advice in order to grow without losing himself along the way. He exemplified great leadership and team player attributes, which will make him a success. It was a pleasure and a privilege to be part of it all.

I too have grown personally and professionally throughout this competition. This experience has allowed me to be part of a health-conscious movement that is so necessary in our country. Most importantly and most gratifying for me was the opportunity to help someone with so much passion realize his dream. In my eyes, Soul Daddy is the perfect concept to represent America's Next Great Restaurant. Classic American soul food flavors, presented in a modern and healthy way. It is definitely a must-try! Thank you all so much for watching...

I'll be seeing you again soon.

- L

People from all over the world are drawn to Vegas for many reasons. One main draw of course is the food. Among the all-you-can-eat buffets and fast food restaurants, you have some of the best restaurants from all over the country in one place. This week, our contestants got the chance to introduce their concept and food to a new and diverse focus group.

Vegas also provided us with a great pool of people to help the contestants prepare to sell their food to the crowd. Hiring and training your staff is perhaps one of the hardest and most important tasks of any restaurant owner. The people you employ have to be capable and hospitable, but more importantly, they have to buy into your vision in order to sell it properly. A good restaurant owner/manager with a clear vision and focus will empower their employees to successfully help run the restaurant.

It may have seemed like Jawman deviated from traditional soul food this week, but in fact he was able to come up with a light and healthy option while staying true to his flavor profile. His food was AMAZING! More importantly, he trained his staff well and got them excited about his concept. This made the whole Soul Daddy experience very enjoyable.

Stephenie was the least successful this week. Her food fell short and it seemed like she wasn't able to properly verbalize her concept to her employees, making it hard for them to convincingly communicate it effectively to the investors and the public.

Eight weeks after we began this journey, we're down to three final contestants. I know this will be the toughest and longest deliberation yet. While I'm not looking forward to letting anyone else go, I am excited to focus our energy into making the winning concept a reality.

As the group of contestants becomes smaller, the challenge for this week was to create a kid-friendly menu and tie it into a promotional toy for this group of tough critics. In my opinion, children are a very hard crowd to please when it comes to food. If they don't like what they're eating they'll tell you like it is.

The contestants had to be creative with both the menu and the promotional toy. My advice? Don't underestimate this crowd - you'll be amazed how honest and direct they are.

Joey had a great advantage because kids love meatballs; he just needed to create a simple yet flavorful menu, and also a toy which would entertain the kids. The combination of a great meatball burger, pasta-edamame salad and a chocolate-dipped strawberry, took it home. Plus his toy was interactive and very entertaining.

Stephanie also put forth an interesting menu that the kids were very drawn to. I am happy to report that in this case, the kids were very open to the idea of healthy food. I realized at that moment that our younger generation is looking for good-tasting food, but also healthy food. It's a sign we're on our way to a healthier generation! I was concerned about Spice Coast, since spicy food can be a little offensive for our little tasters, so we made sure to advise Sudir to lower the level of spice for this challenge.

I was also skeptical of Grill'Billies' kabobs. While they were nice and flavorful, serving them on a sharp stick was risky and hazardous for the kids, a major concern in my eyes. Grill'Billies totally dropped the ball on this one, and made it impossible for us to keep them in the competition.

Oh and one last thing, my props to Bobby's daughter, Sophie. You can tell she comes from a household of foodies!

Until next time...L.

Besides being trendy, food trucks are a great way for the contestants to piece together the results of all the previous challenges and take their concept to the streets. This was the first time the contestants actually had to sell their food to the public. So besides overall concept and design, they should have considered marketing, food cost, and price point. Taking all of this into account, we were able to determine whether or not their concept could be profitable without compromising their food's integrity.

Up until this challenge, Jawman's food has always been among the favorites. This week, he served canned green beans, which was unacceptable in my eyes. Likewise, Stephenie, whose concept is all about fresh food, chose to serve canned chick peas at the suggestion of her chef. Ultimately, these details could be easily fixed through education and menu recipe development.

Unfortunately, it was Sinners & Saints' food that made it impossible to justify keeping Sandy in the competition. Making this decision gets harder every week. With five contestants left, the pressure is on. The concepts are really taking shape, and the contestants are evolving with each challenge. I predict long hours of deliberation in the Investors' Suite. Make sure the coffee's on!

I love the way we've been able to see the progression of the contestants and the concepts each week. While designing the uniforms, it was important for the contestants to continue developing their ideas and creating images that will ultimately become their brands. Most importantly, the uniforms had to look good but be functional in a fast-paced environment. This is a fast casual restaurant so the uniform has to represent that. Some contestants succeeded at this by keeping it fashionable without sacrificing functionality and comfort.

It was great to see some of the contestants really embracing the challenge and having fun with the photo shoot. Joey and Jamawn put fashion over functionality. Joey's gangster theme was almost as offensive as his concept name. Perhaps he had too much fun and ultimately made a joke of his concept. I always say - less is more.

Speaking of uniforms, I remember the first banquet job I had at a hotel. They made me wear an oversized chef jacket that made me look 20 pounds heavier, and roll up the pants three times so they wouldn't drag on the floor. I am sure you all have horrible uniform stories you'd love to share... :))

The task this week challenged the contestants' creativity and attention to detail. One of the things I was looking forward to the most at the beginning of this competition was seeing the progression of the contestants and their concepts. This week I was finally able to see their growth and vision through the design of their pods on Restaurant Row.

 

Stephenie was finally able to give us what we had been asking for, a flavor profile for her health food concept. Going to law school, you learn how to think logically. Mediterranean cuisine is a logical flavor profile for a calorie-counting concept because the ingredients and cooking methods allow you to create many healthy options. She gave a perfect example of being able to take our advice and improve her concept.

 

On the other hand, Eric came into this competition with a very well thought-out plan, even providing his own sketches to the designers. The downside is that he's so attached to his original idea that he didn't allow his concept to evolve and improve according to our recommendations. Let me assure you, I'm a huge fan of grilled cheese, so I loved this concept - but he is the only person standing in his way.

 

We saw many triumphs this week and unfortunately some failures. After much deliberation, we decided that one thing we could not invest in was bad food and Alex's inability to improve it.

 

See you next week...

We walked into Steve's restaurant, through the back doors to the second floor, where they had set up a huge screen with lots of monitors, each capturing a different kitchen station where the contestants were prepping for the lunch crowd.

Watching the monitors, one thing became clear to me. This task was designed to give us a better idea of who could handle the pressure of a real lunch rush in a real restaurant while staying in control. In this competition, with so much invested, just having a great business idea isn't going to cut it.

As the customers started to form a line outside, I could sense Steve's anxiety and concern about the service. Unfortunately, his worst fears were realized when the doors finally opened.

Quickly, service began to decline, and it became clear the contestants were struggling. As a chef, my first instinct was to jump behind the counter and get the line moving. Believe me, if it weren't for the heels being a potential hazard in the kitchen, I would have.

Sure enough, suddenly I see Steve, rolling up his sleeves and jumping in to rescue his restaurant. Who can blame him?

It was rough for a moment there, and for the contestants it was a definite wake up call. Running a restaurant is not an easy task.

Back in the Investors' Suite, as I predicted, it was getting harder to decide who would go home. Bottom line, we needed a partner that could handle, as we say in the restaurant business, being "in the weeds."

You only have one chance to give a "great" first impression, but don't forget functionality!

 

Taking off... see you next week!

Quantity AND Quality, never give up one for the other.

This week, the contestants faced their first major challenges. It's tough for any seasoned chef to prepare food for 1,000 people without compromising the quality. So you can imagine how difficult it would be for someone with no culinary background whatsoever. The first task this week and perhaps one of the most important of the competition was to choose a chef that could be part of their vision and help create the food that would make the contestants dream a reality. They had to use their best judgment when choosing their chef. Choosing the right chef could make you a frontrunner in this competition, the wrong chef could send you home. 

Sitting in the investors' suite, I would ask myself what I needed to find in these contestants in order to invest in their concept. As a chef and restaurateur, I know what it takes and what I'm looking for in the winning contestant. I throw myself completely into every project I take on, and the winner of this competition has to do the same. They have to "own" their idea, believe in it all the way, and I really need to see their passion.