Plot Synopsis

Local teams of aspiring restaurateurs compete to win one year of free rent for their new food-court restaurant, a prize worth $100,000. In each one-hour episode, two teams battle head to head to win restaurant space in the food court of a different shopping mall across America. These two teams, which are inexperienced groups having pre-existing relationships (e.g., family, friends, co-workers), create a menu of locally-inspired food, design a sign and a booth at the food court, market their brand, and attempt to outsell each other. The pilot episode, which aired in December 2012, featured Perkins & Sons hot dogs vs. team Kettle n' Spouts shrimp-and-grits at Madison Square Mall in Huntsville, AL. When the program for its official series premiere in July 2013, it featured these locations: Meridian, MS, where retirees Mary and Thomas want to elevate their Mississippi Delta tamale business from a gas-station hot plate and best friends Erika and Stevo have dreamed of opening their own place serving authentic New Orleans style po' boys; Spartanburg, SC, where mother-daughter team Jenn and Trish have developed a festival business from their Puerto Rican family tradition of making empanadas and Taco Spot owner J.V. and employee Michael want to build their taco empire; Wausau, WS, where restaurant Chef Tyler and waitress Sarah have dreamt of trading in their fine dining restaurant knowledge into a casual dining experience and girlfriends Carlie and Brianna are on a mission to use their healthy-living, roller-derby lifestyle by providing healthy food alternatives; Midland, MI, where Melania and Diana bring Middle Eastern food to the Midwest and restaurant-chain line cooks Jonathan and Craig connected over memories of their favorite childhood sandwiches; and Burnsville, MN, where siblings Aaron and Kirsten used adopted Aaron's heritage to create hot dogs with an Indian flair and neighbors Yoni and Jamaican-born Tomme expanded on their love of all things jerk -- jerk chicken, jerk pork and jerk veggies. Food Network first aired FOOD COURT WARS on Saturday, December 29, 2012 at 10pm ET/PT, when it showed the pilot episode as a sneak-peek special. A little more than six months later, Food Network broadcast the series premiere of this series on Sunday, July 7, 2013 at 10pm ET/PT. Gordon Ramsay is an executive producer of FOOD COURT WARS.
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FOOD COURT WARS returned for its second season on Sunday, February 23, 2014 at 8pm ET/PT on Food Network. In the Season 2 premiere episode, Tyler visited Traverse City, Michigan, where a husband and wife, Nick and Autumn, combined their love of music with their fondness for food when they opened their rock-and-roll, hot-dog restaurant. 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. Throughout Season 2, Tyler's visits locations in Arizona, California, Louisiana, and Texas.