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Tyler Florence returns in new season of 'Food Court Wars'

by jmaloni

Submitted

Thu, Jan 9th 2014 01:15 pm

Culinary competition premieres Sunday, Feb. 23, on Food Network

Host Tyler Florence returns for the second season of "Food Court Wars," premiering Sunday, Feb. 23, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Food Network. During the 13-episode series, Tyler travels the U.S., helping aspiring entrepreneurs realize their lifelong dreams of opening a restaurant, with a chance to open their own spot in a local mall food court, rent-free for a year.

But first, two teams must battle it out against each other over the course of 72 hours, as each team must create an irresistible food court concept, market it, and then outsell the other team in a single day of business at the mall. The winning team is rewarded with their very own, new food court restaurant.

"Restaurateurs across the country are paying more attention to mall food courts as a destination to serve enticing and delicious, under-the-radar cuisine," said Bob Tuschman, Food Network general manager and senior vice president. "Tyler's unique culinary experience and business acumen makes him the perfect fit to help guide the teams as they battle it out for a chance to fulfill their dreams of opening their own restaurant."

In the premiere episode, Tyler visits Traverse City, Mich., where husband and wife Nick and Autumn combined their love of music with their fondness for food when they opened their rock 'n' roll hot dog restaurant. With only seasonal business and a "cursed" location, they hope to expand their brand so Nick can quit his construction job and focus solely on their hot dog business.

Best friends Matt and Matt not only share the same name, but also share a passion for beignets, which they hope to transform into a broader, successful culinary concept.

These two teams face off to prove that they have what it takes to win over the hungry residents of Traverse City, with one walking away with their restaurant.

Throughout the season, Tyler's journey takes him across the U.S., including locations in Arizona, California, Louisiana, and Texas, among others, while guiding the teams as they embark on a life-changing competition.

Chef Tyler Florence graduated from the culinary program at Johnson and Wales University, and moved to New York where he honed his skills under the tutelage of premier chefs Charlie Palmer, Marta Pulini and Rick Laakkonen. He ultimately became executive chef at Cafeteria. Tyler is a veteran star of Food Network, and has starred in such series as "Tyler's Ultimate," as well as "The Great Food Truck Race." In 2010, Tyler opened his restaurant, Wayfare Tavern, in San Francisco, followed by the historic El Paseo in Mill Valley. He has released multiple top-selling cookbooks.

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