Food Court Wars - Season 1

First aired: 7/7/2013 6 episodes

Episodes

1. Suck the Shuck vs. Po'Boy

Aired: 7/7/2013

Retirees Mary and Thomas, a married couple of 45 years, have been selling their famous Mississippi Delta tamales off a hot plate at a gas station in a neighboring town, always imaging how successful they could be with a proper kitchen in the right location. After having worked in restaurants for the past ten years, best friends Erika and Stevo have dreamed of opening their own place serving authentic New Orleans style po' boys, but due to circumstances beyond their control, their careers were put on hold. In Meridian, Miss., these two teams will face-off in a battle of good ole' Southern cooking and only one will ultimately win their very own food court restaurant in Food Court Wars!

2. Tirado's Empanadas & More vs. The Taco Spot

Aired: 7/14/2013

In Spartanburg, S.C., mother-daughter team Jenn and Trish have taken their Puerto Rican family tradition of making empanadas and turned it into a small business at local festivals, but these ladies are now ready to expand from the food cart to the food court and build a lasting family business. Taco Spot owner J.V. and employee Michael currently have two existing restaurants, but meager revenues barely keep their doors open: These taco entrepreneurs will need to bring on the heat if they want to build their taco empire. Who will be left standing after this south of the border showdown and win their very own food court restaurant?

3. Casual Joe's vs. The Wrap Trap

Aired: 7/21/2013

Restaurant Chef Tyler and waitress Sara have dreamt of trading in their fine dining restaurant knowledge into a casual dining experience, but do these co-workers have what it takes to go from caviar to cheese curds? Girlfriends Carlie and Brianna's mission is to use their healthy living, roller derby lifestyle to take out the competition by providing healthy food alternatives in their comfort food loving hometown, but can they do this without knocking each other down? These teams will get your heart racing when one team promotes at an enduro race and another at a YMCA roller derby debut: All the way to the end it's a neck and neck battle of healthy choices versus Wisconsin-style comfort food, but ultimately the people of Wausau, Wis., will decide which team will win their very own food court restaurant.

4. Oasis vs. Chip-N-Wich

Aired: 7/28/2013

Melania and Diana were brought together by fate when Melania moved home to take care of her ailing mother and Diana desperately needed a brilliant chef to bring Middle Eastern food to the mid-west. Jonathan and Craig became fast friends working on the line at a restaurant chain where the two connected over memories of favorite sandwiches of their childhood and the hope of being their own bosses one day. Local taste buds will be challenged during a Great Lakes minor league baseball game with a surprise guest appearance by a baseball legend. One team will ultimately knock it out of the park, winning their very own food court restaurant in Midland, Mich.

5. Slum Dogz vs. Pimento Jamaican

Aired: 8/4/2013

Siblings Aaron and Kirsten have had each other's backs ever since two-month-old Aaron was adopted from India: Little did they know that Aaron's Indian heritage would elevate an American classic resulting in hot dogs with an Indian flair. Minneapolis native Yoni and Jamaican-born Tomme bonded over their love of all things jerk ... jerk chicken, jerk pork and jerk veggies: These two neighbors are bound and determined to take their killer recipes from their street to Main Street by getting Minnesotans addicted to a Jamaican flavor experience. In this battle of the flavors, who can bring the most heat to the town of Burnsville, Minn.

6. Charleston Gourmet Burger Company vs. Holy City Pizzeria

Aired: 8/11/2013

Husband and wife Chevalo and Monique put their family's future on the line when Chevalo quit his job to join Monique in developing their love of burgers into a fulltime business selling their gourmet fare at local farmers' markets. After growing up in the family restaurant business, Topher wants to break out on his own, and with the help of his fiancee, Kacie, the couple hopes to start their lives together as newlyweds by opening their own pizza restaurant. The two teams will be put to the test as they face off against unforeseen obstacles as well as each other. But only one team will see their food court dream turn into reality as they attempt to win over the hungry masses in Charleston, S.C.