NBC ANNOUNCED THE TOP 10 RESTAURANT CONCEPTS THAT WILL COMPETE FOR THE TITLE OF "AMERICA'S NEXT GREAT RESTAURANT" ON LAST NIGHT'S PREMIERE EPISODE

Investors Bobby Flay, Curtis Stone, Steve Ells and Lorena Garcia Will Evaluate How The Top 10 Concepts Evolve Every Week in Order to Determine the Winning Restaurant Idea

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - March 7, 2011 - Last night (Sunday, March 6), NBC's new alternative series "America's Next Great Restaurant" revealed the top 10 restaurant concepts that will compete throughout the rest of the season. Every week, investors Bobby Flay, Curtis Stone, Steve Ells and Lorena Garcia will test and evaluate these contestants and their concepts in order to determine whose restaurant will open in three locations across the country.

In next week's episode, the top 10 hopeful restaurateurs are tasked with creating a logo as well as hiring an executive chef for their restaurant. Following these two tests, the contestants and their new chefs must then cook for a crowd of thousands at CityWalk at Universal Studios Hollywood (Calif.). They must impress investors Flay, Stone, Ells and Garcia with the decisions they make in order to stay in the competition.

The top 10 restaurant concepts are:

Sandra Digiovanni - "Limbo" Kansas City, Mo. (Bartender)

Joseph Galluzzi - "Saucy Balls" Brooklyn, N.Y. (Financial Services)

Fran Harris - "The Sports Wrap" Dallas, Texas (Former WNBA Champion)

Sudhir Kandula - "The Tiffin Box" New York, N.Y. (Software Sales Director)

Stephenie Park - "Compleat" Chicago, Ill. (Attorney)

Eric Powell - "Meltworks" Nashville, Tenn. (Financial Manager)

Alex Terranova - "Hard 'N Soft Tacos" Marina del Rey, Calif. (Restaurant Manager)

Gregory Westcott & Krystal Seymour - "Hicks" Los Angeles, Calif. (Bartender & Personal Trainer)

Jamawn J. Woods - "W3's" Detroit, Mich. (Self-Employed Caterer/Cook)

Marisa Zafran - "Wok" New York, N.Y. (Public Relations/Marketing Director)

"America's Next Great Restaurant" is from Emmy Award-winning producers Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz of Magical Elves ("Top Chef" and "Project Runway"). In the delectable new alternative series, people from every walk of life will vie for the opportunity of a lifetime to see their original restaurant concept spring to life -- starting with the opening of a restaurant chain in three locations - Los Angeles, Minneapolis and New York City.

Funding the restaurant concepts are four accredited investors: Bobby Flay, distinguished restaurateur ("Iron Chef America: The Series," "Throwdown! with Bobby Flay"); Curtis Stone, internationally renowned chef (NBC's "The Biggest Loser," "Take Home Chef"); Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO of Chipotle; and Lorena Garcia, executive chef and restaurateur.

Flay, Stone, Ells and Garcia not only serve as investors who put their money into the winning restaurant idea, but they also serve as mentors. They will be working side by side with the competitors to further develop their concepts and put each competitor's restaurant concept through rigorous business and cooking tests to determine which idea has what it takes to become America's next great restaurant.

The investors will determine which competitor's concept has the greatest potential for success, and those who do not rise to the challenge will be sent home. In the final episode, someone will fully savor his/her great American dream of launching his/her own restaurant chain, and viewers will have the opportunity to experience it for themselves.

"America's Next Great Restaurant" is produced by the Emmy Award-winning Magical Elves. Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz, Gayle Gawlowski, Ross Jacobson, Nan Strait and Amy Chacon serve as executive producers. Casey Kriley is a co-executive producer.

For "America's Next Great Restaurant" embeddable clips and full episodes, visit NBC.com's official show site: http://www.nbc.com/americas-next-great-restaurant/