Geoffrey Zakarian Will Help The Winner Of Big Restaurant Bet Open A New Eatery

There's a new Food Network show coming down the pipeline about a group of chefs competing to get the reigns to their very own restaurant — and no, we're not talking about "Guy's Chance of a Lifetime." However, it seems like Food Network liked the concept of Fieri's show — a group of people compete to win a franchise location of Chicken Guy, Fieri's fried chicken chain — so much that they're moving ahead with a Geoffrey Zakarian show that follows a similar format.

You probably know Geoffrey Zakarian for his many Food Network appearances. He's been a judge on "Chopped" and "Beat Bobby Flay," a competitor on "Iron Chef America," he's a co-host of "The Kitchen," and was the host of "Cooks vs. Cons." But what you might not realize is that he's also a successful restaurateur. He's had a couple of restaurants of his own, including The National in New York City, but he also has a hospitality company that designs restaurants and bars (via Geoffrey Zakarian). So it makes sense that in his new show "Big Restaurant Bet," contestants will be competing for Zakarian's help in opening up the restaurant of their dreams.

"Big Restaurant Bet" premieres on April 5 on Food Network and Discovery+, and it follows a similar structure to "Guy's Chance of a Lifetime." Eight chef contestants will fight it out over six episodes to win the grand prize: a $250,000 investment from Zakarian toward opening their very own restaurant (via The Hollywood Reporter). With his monetary funding and his experience designing, opening, and operating restaurants, Zakarian is offering the enterprising chefs on the show a big step up on their path to culinary success. It's not just his money, but his mentorship and expertise that's on the line. Zakarian will be joined by his wife Margaret and chef Eric Haugen as judges for the competition.

"It's not just a once in a lifetime competition — it's real life," Zakarian said in an interview. "The stakes are high, and my own reputation is on the line as we find America's next great restaurateur."