NBC ANNOUNCES JAMAWN J. WOODS AS THE WINNER OF "AMERICA'S NEXT GREAT RESTAURANT" ON LAST NIGHT'S (MAY 1) SEASON FINALE EPISODE - AND ALL THREE "SOUL DADDY" RESTAURANTS ARE NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Detroit Native's Winning Restaurant Concept "Soul Daddy" Opens in New York, Los Angeles and Minneapolis Today

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - May 2, 2011 - Last night (Sunday, May 1), Bobby Flay revealed self-employed caterer/cook Jamawn J. Woods and his "Soul Daddy" concept as the winner of NBC's alternative series "America's Next Great Restaurant" in the season finale. Flay, along with investors Curtis Stone, Steve Ells and Lorena Garcia, narrowed the field of contestants to three before deciding that "Soul Daddy" had the greatest potential to succeed in the competitive restaurant market.

Due to national breaking news preemptions last night, the season finale will repeat on CNBC this Friday, May 6 at 10 p.m. ET. The finale episode is also available on NBC.com.

Woods' dream started by serving wings and waffles out of his home and has now evolved into a full-service, soul-inspired restaurant with the completion of the series. Viewers were also treated to the first look at the Los Angeles (Hollywood & Highland) location of the fully built-out restaurant. As part of his prize, Woods' concept will make its grand opening as three "Soul Daddy" eateries open today in New York (South Street Seaport), and Minneapolis (The Mall of America) as well.

Woods beat out his final two competitors, Joseph Galluzzi ("Brooklyn Meatball Company") and Sudhir Kandula ("Spice Coast"), in an episode where the contestants worked with architects to build a mini-version of their restaurant, hire staff members and create their final menu. This allowed investors a final chance to see how their businesses would run during a soft opening.

"A passion for food, a solid work ethic, good business sense and delicious meals are what the investors were searching for on this series and Jamawn embodies all of those traits and more. He is truly the heart and soul of "Soul Daddy," said Bobby Flay, distinguished restaurateur, investor and host of "America's Next Great Restaurant." "The investors are thrilled to introduce soul food to America through these restaurants and we are confident they will savor every flavor."

"At the core, this series followed the contestants' pursuit of the American dream and Jamawn was presented with the opportunity of a lifetime. He came in with a concept and a dream and over the course of the show he worked hard to develop it into a business," said Paul Telegdy, Executive Vice President, Alternative Programming, NBC and Universal Media Studios. "The investors couldn't have picked a more deserving person. We look forward to following his success in the restaurant business now that America finally can taste the delicious offerings he served up all season long."

Specific information regarding hours and location information for "Soul Daddy" is available at www.souldaddyrestaurant.com.

"America's Next Great Restaurant" is hosted by distinguished restaurateur and investor Bobby Flay, ("Iron Chef America: The Series," "Throwdown! with Bobby Flay") along with accredited investors ; 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. The series 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/

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