24 Hour Restaurant Battle Begins On Food Network 4/21

Renowned chef Scott Conant (owner and executive chef of Scarpetta) challenges dueling duos of hopeful restaurateurs to an intense 24 Hour Restaurant Battle when the hit Food Network series returns on Thursday, April 21st at 10pm ET/PT for its second season. In each 60-minute episode, two teams have 24 hours to conceive, plan and open their own dream restaurants for one night. When the doors open, each restaurant serves a discerning group of diners along with Scott and a rotating panel of judges representing three areas of expertise: restaurant marketer, restaurant reviewer, and restaurant investor. Season two judges include: Geoffrey Zakarian, Marcus Samuelsson, Ben Leventhal, Gabriella Gershenson, Alison Brod, David Sax, Drew Nieporent, and Tim Gannon. Based on the restaurant's concept, execution, and viability, the judges choose a winning team who receive $10,000 seed money toward realizing their dream.

Season two of 24 Hour Restaurant Battle features contestants from across the country including: California (Burbank, La Crescenta, Lodi, Los Angeles, Orange, Santa Rosa, West Hollywood), Florida (Miami), Illinois (Chicago, Elmhurst), New Jersey (Livingston), New York (Brooklyn, Floral Park, Glenwood Landing, Manhattan), Pennsylvania (Philadelphia), Texas (Allen, Dallas, Wylie) and Virginia (Arlington).

A frequent judge on Food Network's Chopped, Chef Scott Conant has more than 20 years of restaurant and culinary experience. As one of the country's preeminent Italian chefs, he currently serves as owner and executive chef of Scarpetta New York, Scarpetta at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, Scarpetta Toronto at the Thompson Hotel, Scarpetta Beverly Hills at Montage Beverly Hills, and Scarpetta and D.O.C.G. Enoteca at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

Upcoming episodes include:

Premiering Thursday, April 21st at 10pm ET/PT - "Battle of the Exes"

DavIna Thomasula, a bartender at Park Bar, and Michele Ragussis, head chef and manager of Dutch Boy Burgers, co-own Stuft Catering in Brooklyn, N.Y. but seek to create their very own traditional restaurant called Avery Point. Eric Paraskevas, executive chef at Terra Restaurant in Philadelphia, and Laura Sandoval, a graduate student and server at Terra Restaurant, dream of seeing their own daring international restaurant, Magdalene, become a reality.

Premiering Thursday, April 28th at 10pm ET/PT - "Battle of Family Traditions"

Livingston, N.J. brothers Alexi Kavourakis, a compliance representative at Standard Chartered Bank, and Jonathan Kavourakis, a cook at Commerce Restaurant in New York City's West Village, channel their Greek family traditions into a modern diner called Jaks Diner. Best friends Hope Billings, a Verizon call center manager in Livingston, N.J., and Natalie Stephenson, executive assistant at an asset management company in Philadelphia, overcome personal battles in hopes of opening Savor, an upscale and modern restaurant with traditional Southern specialties.

Premiering Thursday, May 5th at 10pm ET/PT - "Asian Food Battle"

Maiki Le, a sous chef at Josie Restaurant from Los Angeles, and Meghna Gandhi, an office assistant in Orange, Calif., dream of opening an Asian fusion restaurant, Piper. Anna Abbey, owner of catering company Rock 'n' Roll Noodle, and Stephanie Sposito, server at a fine dining restaurant, work together at a Chicago farmer's market but dream of creating their restaurant called Street, where they can serve their Thai street food staples.

Premiering Thursday, May 12th at 10pm ET/PT - "Battle of the Twins"

Sylvia Jankowski, a clinician at Philadelphia's Alexander McClure elementary school, and Sandra Baird, a Spanish teacher at Washington Lee High School and spin instructor in Arlington, Va., dream of bringing their grandmother's family-style Spanish food to their restaurant, Allegria. Daniel and David Lipka, twin brothers from Elmhurst, Ill., co-own a bar called Art's Tavern but dream of owning a casual full-service restaurant serving modern twists on American classics, called Vintage Social Club.

Premiering Thursday, May 19th at 10pm ET/PT - "Deli Battle"

Working together at New York restaurant Mark, Erik Rubin, chef and general manager, and Donna Erlich, manager, both grew up alongside their fathers in the restaurant business and now dream of opening an upscale deli callEd Rubin's Reubens. New York-based brother and sister duo Zach Israel, operations manager of Hudson Terrace, and Sasha Israel, a bartender at SideBar and Hudson Terrace as well as a freelance photographer, dream of meshing a New York sports bar with a Kosher-style deli to create their restaurant, Izzy's.

Premiering Thursday, May 26th at 10pm ET/PT - "Themed Restaurant Battle"

Brothers-in-law Rob Zahner, owner of Floral Park Florists in Floral Park, N.Y., and Tom Henrichs, executive chef at The Swan Club catering facility in Glenwood Landing, N.Y., focus on their love of German food to open a beer hall called G.A.S.T. HAUS. Texas-based best friends Carrie Layne (of Dallas), CEO of BestofTexas.com and BestBuzz.Biz, and Ann Marie Romero (of Allen), an account executive at BestofTexas.com and BestBuzz.Biz, bring their love of roller derby and sassy personalities together to create a gastropub called Bout.