Contestants vie for the opportunity to see their original restaurant concept be realized with the opening of a restaurant chain in three locations: Hollywood, Minneapolis and New York City. Funding the restaurant concepts are four accredited investors: chefs Bobby Flay, Lorena Garcia, and Curtis Stone, as well as Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO of Chipotle. Flay, Stone, Ells and Garcia also serve as mentors, working with the competitors to further develop their ideas. Each contestant's concept is put through rigorous business and cooking challenges to determine whether it has what it takes to become America's Next Great Restaurant.