Chef Geoffrey Zakarian is putting a quarter of a million dollars on the line in search of the next restaurateur on new Food Network series 'Big Restaurant Bet'

Six-episode series premieres Tuesday, April 5; all episodes available to stream on discovery+

Food Network star, acclaimed chef and restaurateur Geoffrey Zakarian is looking to invest $250,000 of his resources for the next rising star in the restaurant world on the new Food Network competition series “Big Restaurant Bet,” premiering Tuesday, April 5 (10 p.m. ET/PT).

Through six, one-hour episodes, Zakarian presents eight talented chefs with the opportunity to take the next step in their culinary career with challenges to determine who has what it takes to run their first restaurant.

Food Network said, “When it comes to developing and operating a successful restaurant, there is no one with more knowledge than Geoffrey, and he is putting his reputation on the line to lift up a new generation of chefs competing to make their restaurant vision come true.” 

All episodes of “Big Restaurant Bet” are available to stream weekly beginning April 5 on discovery+.

In the premiere, the promising chefs are invited to Zakarian’s home base in beautiful seaside Florida as they take on their first test: Create a simple, one-bite dish that best showcases who they are and what their restaurant concept is. Zakarian needs to know each chef, not just on a skill level but also on a personal level, to be certain the person he chooses is the right fit for him and his hospitality group. With the help of his wife and business partner, Margaret, and hospitality consultant and renowned executive chef Eric Haugen as judges, the chef whose dish is not up to par is sent home.

Next, the chefs return to the kitchen to prove they are capable of cooking the basics, as defined by Zakarian. Another chef is eliminated while the chefs that can impress the judges with their dishes are one step closer to working with Zakarian to become tomorrow’s restaurant mogul.

"Opening a restaurant takes unwavering determination, razor-sharp skill and unique culinary talent," Zakarian said. "In ‘Big Restaurant Bet,’ viewers will follow the journey and dreams of eight talented chefs that are passionate about launching their own restaurant. It’s not just a once-in-a-lifetime competition – it’s real life. In the end, I’m going to select one chef to get behind and help bring their concept to fruition. The stakes are high, and my own reputation is on the line as we find America's next great restaurateur.”

Courtney White, president, Food Network and streaming food content, Discovery Inc., said, “Ask any chef to name one of the greatest professionals they have ever seen in a kitchen and Geoffrey Zakarian is on everyone's list. In ‘Big Restaurant Bet,’ we watch Geoffrey and his team put themselves out there like never before, as they risk their own business on the future of one very talented chef."

Throughout the competition, the aspiring restaurateurs must prove they can develop a restaurant and make it profitable from the ground up in real-world challenges that put their culinary and business expertise to the test, including the creation of a full menu for their proposed restaurant in a grand tasting to impress Zakarian and his advisers. In another episode, the chefs tackle the challenges associated with running a restaurant’s front of house as they each take turns helping the guests. But what the chefs don’t know is Zakarian has filled the restaurant with actors meant to cause havoc and see how the competitors react on their worst day.

The two chefs who advance to the finale take on the hardest test of their life, operating their dream culinary concept in a restaurant takeover, complete with overseeing staffing and cooking for real diners. Which chef will Zakarian decide to invest his time and energy into and make their dreams come true?

Fans can follow #BigRestaurantBet on social media to watch exclusive interviews with Zakarian and learn his eight pillars of success for leadership in the kitchen and beyond. Plus, get his tips for making his most-popular recipes, and catch sneak peeks of every new episode before it airs. Head to FoodNetwork.com/BigRestaurantBet for more info.