NBC has announced Curtis Stone, Steve Ells and Lorena Garcia will join Bobby Flay as investors and judges on America's Next Great Restaurant, a new reality competition series that will follow contestants as they vie for the opportunity to open a new restaurant chain.

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America's Next Great Restaurant will begin with contestants pitching their restaurant plans to the panel of investors, who will then put the participants and their ideas through a series of business and cooking challenges designed to see which has the greatest potential for success.

The winner will be selected by the panel, which will then invest their own money in the winning concept by helping it open restaurants in three cities across America.

NBC tapped Flay, the star of Iron Chef America, as an investor, judge and mentor for the reality series in March.

Stone is no stranger to appearing on NBC reality series, as the Australian celebrity chef has appeared on The Biggest Loser, is helping Jillian Michaels in her new Losing It With Jillian reality series, and also competed on The Celebrity Apprentice's third season.

America's Next Great Restaurant represents the first reality roles for Ells, the founder, chairman and co-CEO of fast-food chain Chipotle, and Garcia, an executive chef and restaurateur.

NBC ordered America's Next Great Restaurant last November under the working title United Plates of America.

The series is being produced by Magical Elves and will be executive produced by co-founders Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio
Christopher Rocchio is an entertainment reporter for Reality TV World and has covered the reality TV genre for several years.