MovieChat Forums > America's Next Great Restaurant (2011) Discussion > Which one would you most want to INVEST ...

Which one would you most want to INVEST in?


This is drastically different than which one you would most want to eat at. For example, you might love Indian food but not believe in Spice Coast as a restaurant to invest in. You might hate Soul food but believe Soul Daddy will make you a pile of money. As an investor myself, I realize you don't have to like something to believe in it. There are things I believe in the business model of, but would never personally use.

So, here's the question: If you were one of the judges--and at this point it's become clear they're more food snobs trying to host a cooking competition than actual business minds looking for investments--or, even better, an actual investor thinking about basic things the judges aren't like menu pricing, food costs, etc. which would you invest in? Feel free to include ones that have already been eliminated too.

For me it goes kind of like...
10. Spice Coast: There is not one national Indian food chain. NOT ONE. Clearly, this type of food has trouble going into franchise mode so I'm out. Plus, the guy is clearly going to be more comfortable in a sit down, less fast paced environment and he isn't doing anything special with the food. It's just straight up Indian food. If there were a twist, maybe, but as is you're just asking to franchise something that has been around forever but has yet to launch a single national franchise.

9. Harvest Sol: The food's not bad, but the person behind the wheel is. She doesn't really know anything but is arrogant about it. First she wouldn't even change the name from Compleat, then she changed everything but her hair color when she almost went home. Then she didn't want to serve a sandwich because most people aren't "mobile while eating" she said they sit down and eat at a desk. She's a young corporate lawyer used to hour long power lunches where people sit down and eat a salad at some over priced restaurant. She does not, fundamentally, get the type of food she's being asked to serve.

8. Sports Wraps: Actually I think this could catch on, but the problem is it already has. She's not really doing the wraps with a twist. This is the type of place you might eat at at an airport terminal waiting for a plane and there's few choices, but I'm not sure anyone is going to beat a trail to this place. Still, worth a second look, but since the judges didn't keep her around long enough I guess we'll never know.

7. Saucy Balls: The food looks delicious but it has limited appeal. The name is actually not bad, and would let it distinguish itself easier. It catches on as memorable in a way "Sports Wraps" or "Harvest Sol" just don't. Still, the food does have limited appeal. I think you might eat there every other week, but certainly not on the regular.

6. Fast Wok: If the judges--Curtis Stone in particular--had not been so obsessed with what is "proper" stir fry (who cares? again, they let being food snobs cloud the issue) this could have caught on. Also, the wrong person was at the helm probably, but I do think there's potential here.

This is where it gets harder because I would probably invest in any of these:

5. Soul Daddy: I think it can work, I think it will work regardless of if he wins this competition. Problem is there's a lot of overlap between Soul Food and country food and I personally would eat at Grill Billies before I would eat at Soul Daddy. Plus, some of his side items have limited appeal--and I'm from the South, even I don't think black beans, greens, cabbage, etc. is a good idea for a fast casual setting--so I would probably just go down the street to Boston Market instead.

4. Revolutionary Tacos: They cut this guy too soon. He had spent time on the food (arguably not very strong) but more importantly the mood of the entire restaurant. That's very important, but the judges are under estimating it so far.

3. Melt Works: The judges were wrong to keep pushing a straight forward grilled cheese, and he was right. And the sauces? Puh-leeze. In a way it was a blessing he got cut from the competition because he will do better outside of it. This is the kind of guy (clean cut, clearly business minded, does his research, pricing, actually knows about business which the judges don't like) that could go to a bank, and get a loan tomorrow. He'll do well. This is the kind of guy real investors like. You won't lose your shirt with him. Curtis Stone showed extreme ignorance for criticizing Eric for actually doing some research into HIS own restaurant concept. [The judges are forgetting that investors don't run the show, they find a restaurant they like and invest in it].

2. Grill Billies: Probably because I just love that type of food and it works best in a fast casual setting. There are dozens of chains in the South that have made a bundle doing this type of food, but it works in New York/LA as well. I don't know about Minnesota but who cares? That's a strange location for the third restaurant anyway. It should have been in Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, Charlotte, etc. where this restaurant would clean up.

1. Sinners and Saints: I don't know if the food is really as bad as the judges say but it's fixable. The food she has made looks pretty good to me, but most imporantly the concept is great. I could see this being a restaurant with the least amount of work, and the concept just has this thing, like...it's not new food but it's done in a new way, which is the mark of a national chain.

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I'd invest in Brooklyn Meatball Co., make Joey get an image makeover and essentially remove him from the forefront of the restaurant. In fact I think that's exactly what the judges are planning to do and these challenges are just for show at this point.

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> In fact I think that's exactly what the judges are planning to do and these challenges are just for show at this point.

I've been quite positive all along that the winner is Soul Daddy. For some reason the judges just can't say enough good things about him.

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What Would Jesus Do For A Klondike Bar (WWJDFAKB)?

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Going by the shots of him breaking down in the last episode, you may be right.

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They've been defending Joey more often though, it seems. I think they really enjoy his idea and don't care about the actual results of challenges. Like MES-one said, they're probably going to take his concept of "meatball restaurant" and turn it into what they want it to be and then either end up buying him out or just pushing him back behind the scenes where he doesn't actually do anything, because his creative ideas are terrible as he has shown.

How much do you want to bet that the only reason they let him keep "Saucy Balls" at the beginning was because they knew it would never work, and they spent some time thinking up a new name themselves and eventually came up with "The Brooklyn Meatball Company." Then at some point they took a couple of people that said "I wouldn't go to a place called 'Saucy Balls'" (which they were hearing every week anyway) and used that to tell him it would be a good idea to change the name.

Then they could casually bring up their new name with him: "So have you thought of a new name?" "Yeah, I've thought of a few, ________, _________, ____________, and _____________" "Well... how about... I don't know... I'm just pulling this out of the top of my head *wink* *wink* 'The Brooklyn Meatball Company' or something like that?" "That sounds great." "Oh, good, I can't believe I just thought of that a few seconds ago. *wink* *wink*"

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> They've been defending Joey more often though, it seems. I think they really enjoy his idea and don't care about the actual results of challenges.

Well, of the remaining restaurants, meatballs are the better idea. They are basically just little mini-hamburgers and we already know America loves hamburgers. In fact, the kids this week voted overwhelmingly in favor of "mini-hamburgers."

But I still think the judges will go with Soul Daddy because it is different and the premise of the show is to find something "new."

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What Would Jesus Do For A Klondike Bar (WWJDFAKB)?

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Having seen the last episode...I have to admit that if Joey wasn't such an idiot he could have won. His food looked delicious, and I would invest in a restaurant like that...but not the guy behind it.

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> I would invest in a restaurant like that...but not the guy behind it.

Most likely the investors are going to be the ones running the place and the "winner" will be relegated to nothing more than a manager at one of the outlets.

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What Would Jesus Do For A Klondike Bar (WWJDFAKB)?

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"Most likely the investors are going to be the ones running the place and the "winner" will be relegated to nothing more than a manager at one of the outlets."


Haaaa you're probably right about that. I mean obviously they'll be involved because it's their concept but you're right, the big investors will be calling the shots basically.

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You're probably right that the "investors" (real investors just put money in a restaurant they like, they don't try to drive the bus like these four investors think they're entitled because they're putting up a little bit of money) will run whatever restaurant...into the ground.

For most of the entire competition they ignored basic things like customer satisfaction (it's a miracle they went with Soul Daddy since he actually won the most competitions by a landslide), price points, what the food cost vs. how much to serve it, etc. to nitpick about canned green beans or fried chicken.

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