CNBC to Premiere Season Two of RESTAURANT STARTUP, 1/13

CNBC announced today that season two of the popular primetime series "Restaurant Startup" will premiere on Tuesday, January 13 at 10PM ET/PT. Produced by Shine America, the ten original one-hour episodes will feature restaurateurs, Joe Bastianich and Tim Love, who vie to invest their own money in restaurant concepts they believe could make them millions. Joining them this season is chef, restaurateur and TV personality, Antonia Lofaso, who will help guide the hungry entrepreneurs as they are put to the ultimate test: opening a restaurant!

Each week on "Restaurant Startup," two teams, selected from hundreds of applicants, are invited to pitch their food ideas to the investors, Bastianich and Love. But, only one will receive the opportunity of a lifetime. The Chosen team is given the keys to a working restaurant on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. They get 36 hours and $7,500 to put their dream to the test and create a business plan; come up with a branding campaign; and finally, launch their pop-up restaurant. Under the watchful eye of Bastianich and Love's culinary consultant Antonia Lofaso, the aspiring food moguls open their doors, serve their food and test their concept on the public.

Based on the reaction from the diners, the quality of the branding and the viability of the business plan, Bastianich and Love must each decide whether or not they will put their own money on the line to make someone's dreams come true - and, hopefully, make big money for themselves.

New addition Antonia Lofaso is one of America's most popular chefs, perhaps best known for her role in the TOP CHEF franchise. And, as executive chef and owner of two restaurants in California, Scopa Italian Roots and Black Market Liquor Bar, she not only has the culinary expertise but also the business expertise to help guide these contestants through the process.

Joe Bastianich, restaurateur and TV personality, is behind some of the most internationally recognized dining destinations, including New York's Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca and Del Posto; Las Vegas' B&B Ristorante and Carnevino; Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles and Singapore, as well as the famed Italian marketplace Eataly now in New York and Chicago. His memoir Restaurant Man became a New York Times Bestseller in the first week of its release.

Texas restaurateur Tim Love is known as much for his savvy business acumen as he is for his signature urban western cuisine. As chef and owner of five acclaimed concepts, Tim is a culinary trailblazer, embracing bold flavors and wild game while pioneering the innovative use of wood to add flavor. Tim is the Official Chef at AUSTIN CITY LIMITS Music Festival and featured at events around the world including the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen and Lollapalooza in Brazil and Chicago. He is a co-founder of Austin FOOD & WINE, where he leads the world's largest hands-on grilling demo every year

To learn more about "Restaurant Startup," visit: http://www.cnbcprime.com/restaurant-startup/. Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/restaurantstartupTV and follow us on Twitter: @restaurantstartup #restaurantstartup

"Restaurant Startup" is produced for CNBC by Shine America and JB Crushed, LLC with James Bruce, Eden Gaha, Paul Franklin, Robin Feinberg and Joe Bastianich as executive producers. Jim Ackerman and Luke Bauer are the executive producers for CNBC.

About CNBC:
With CNBC in the U.S., CNBC in Asia Pacific, CNBC in Europe, Middle East and Africa, CNBC World and CNBC HD , CNBC is the recognized world leader in business news and provides real-time financial market coverage and business information to approximately 371 million homes worldwide, including more than 100 million households in the United States and Canada. CNBC also provides daily business updates to 400 million households across China. The network's 15 live hours a day of business programming in NORTH AMERICA (weekdays from 4:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. ET) is produced at CNBC's global headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., and includes reports from CNBC News bureaus worldwide. CNBC at night features a mix of new reality programming, CNBC's highly successful series produced exclusively for CNBC and a number of distinctive in-house documentaries.

CNBC also has a vast portfolio of digital products which deliver real-time financial market news and information across a variety of platforms. These include CNBC.com, the online destination for global business; CNBC PRO, the premium, integrated desktop/mobile service that provides real-time global market data and live access to CNBC global programming; and a suite of CNBC Mobile products including the CNBC Real-Time iPhone and iPad Apps.

Members of the media can receive more information about CNBC and its programming on the NBC Universal Media Village Web site at http://www.nbcumv.com/programming/cnbc.

About Shine America:
Shine America is the U.S. division of Shine Group, an award-winning global production and distribution organization with 27 production companies across 11 countries. Shine America is a leading television studio that creates inspired and compelling programming including current unscripted series MasterChef (FOX), MASTERCHEF JUNIOR (FOX), THE BIGGEST LOSER (NBC), RESTAURANT STARTUP (CNBC), FAKE OFF (TruTV) and Aloha Vet (Nat Geo Wild). Scripted series include Peabody Award-winning The Bridge (FX), GRACEPOINT (FOX) and upcoming drama UTOPIA (HBO).

Shine America incorporates several divisions including unscripted format label Ardaban, which develops and distributes original content to the U.S. marketplace including series BEAT THE HOUSE (HGTV) and The One That Got Away (TLC). The global Shine 360? division builds brands through the leveraging of its intellectual property and creating integrated marketing opportunities for advertisers. Shine Group's distribution arm, Shine International, distributes Shine America's extensive library of programming and formats to more than 150 countries.

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