1. food and drink
2. dining out

The Got To Be NC Competition Dining Series – Triad
Invitation to Apply
Deadline: April 11, 2015
Dear Chef,
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Competition Dining Series invites you to
apply to compete and showcase your talent as a chef in the G ot To Be N C Com petition
D ining Series – Triad. The mission of this series is to create emotionally inspiring dining
experiences that connect the chef, farmer and diner. We are searching for chefs who show
passion in their kitchens and a love for cooking with local ingredients, and we feel that you are
a perfect candidate to represent the series and our mission.
Competing in the Got To Be NC Competition Dining Series will provide numerous exposure
opportunities for you and your restaurant, as it is our goal to help make the most of your
experience. Past chefs have been featured in several lifestyle magazines and local newspapers,
as well as appeared on many radio and television programs through interviews and cooking
segments. In addition, the series and chefs have received sustained coverage from influential
food critics and bloggers. Most recently, several of our past competitors have been invited to
appear on the Food Network shows “Cutthroat Kitchen,” “Chopped” and “Sell My
Restaurant,” as the Got To Be NC Competition Dining Series has caught the attention of
producers and casting directors nationwide.
The following application package includes details on the competition and its marketing
potential for you and your restaurant. Please understand that this is an invitation to apply and
not a guarantee of selection, as there is limited space in the bracket. Also know that this series
takes a team commitment of time and energy. That being said, we are confident the resulting
publicity for your restaurant and opportunities for you as a chef are well worth it.
The deadline to apply is Friday, April 11, 2015. You may submit your application online
at http://goo.gl/forms/BfyXS64HBz. You will be notified as to the status of your application in
late April and the Triad series will begin May 26.
This series is sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, Pate DawsonSouthern Foods, Pepsi Bottling Ventures, Certified Angus Beef® Brand and Denver Restaurant
Equipment.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Jimmy Crippen
Founder / Host / Director
Learn more:
www.competitiondining.com
www.facebook.com/competitiondining
www.youtube.com/user/compdiningnc
www.twitter.com/compdiingnc
W hat the Chefs are saying…
“Coming from a smaller market in New Bern, NC, the exposure the Got To
Be NC Competition Dining Series brought to our restaurant and our area has
been incredible! Since I competed we now frequently have guests that visit
from all across the state! Competition Dining is not only about competing,
but even more it’s about getting to meet new colleagues and awesome new
friends from all around the state.”
Chef Gerry Fong
Executive Chef, Persimmons
2013 Fire on the Dock Champion
2013 Final Fire Competitor
2014 W inner of “Cutthroat Kitchen”
“[The Got To Be NC Competition Dining Series] was a blast and the most fun a
group of chefs can have. […] When I was competing our sales definitely increased
at the restaurant. Competition Dining did a great job getting my name and the
restaurant’s name out there – so there was immediate response. […] All of us are
working on the same page – wanting to support local farms and farmers and play
up every NC product we can. […] I’m ready to do it again myself!”
Chef John Bobby
Executive Chef, Noble’s Grille
2012 Fire in the Triad Competitor
2013 Fire in the Triad Champion
“From a chef’s perspective, the Got To Be NC Competition Dining
Series was one of the greatest things I’ve ever done. […] When I
won, my team won and it was really remarkable how many people
came from all over the state to the restaurant and to the hotel just to
meet us. […] Any chef with his or her own little place would be nuts
not to apply – from a marketing standpoint alone, the Competition
Dining team has a marketing structure already in place with
dedicated dollars to promote NC restaurants – no one does it
better!”
Chef Adam Hayes
Executive Chef, Barnsley Resort
Formerly at Red Stag Grill
2013 Fire on the Rock Champion
2013 Final Fire Champion
2014 W inner of “Cutthroat Kitchen”
W hat the guests are saying…
“This is an excellent event!”
“What a wonderful experience. The quality of service
and food was excellent!”
“Had one heck of an amazing night at a Competition
Dining dinner tonight! Both chefs served fantastic
meals and deserve 500 high fives. Loved it!”
“I love the great new ideas & learning about so many
new local products Grown, Raised, Caught and Made
in North Carolina!”
OUR MISSION is to create emotionally
inspiring dining experiences, which
connect local chefs, farmers and diners .
Event Overview
Why Participate?
The Got To Be NC Competition Dining
Series pits local chefs against each other in
head-to-head,
single-elimination
dinner
battles with the classic competition formula of
mystery ingredients and time constraints, but
with a unique twist: attending community
members help decide who wins!
Exposure
All participating restaurants are included in
series promotion and advertising. They also
have the chance to showcase spectacular food
to potential and existing customers, which all
adds up to great exposure.
In
each
regional
series, eight to
sixteen chefs
are
paired
together for
individual
“battles” on
set evenings.
The
two
participating
chefs
each
prepare three courses centered on a secret or
featured ingredient that comes from a North
Carolina farmer or artisan producer.
Featured ingredients are revealed to the chefs
only an hour before prep time on the day of
the competition. The featured ingredient
could be anything from purple sweet potatoes
to farm-raised sturgeon. The chefs then
create their three courses, each featuring that
item and using only the ingredients found on
the pantry truck. When the public arrives for
dinner, the mystery ingredient is revealed and
the guests are presented with the six courses.
During the meal, the identity of the chef
behind each dish is withheld. The public,
along with a panel of food professionals and
critics, judge each course based on flavor,
creativity, presentation and use of the secret
ingredient to determine who moves on to the
next round. The battles continue until one
chef is declared the winner for the series.
Learning
Teams get the opportunity to meet, work
alongside and share ideas with other talented
chefs during the competitions.
While
competitors are battling to win, there is
always a great sense of professional
camaraderie shared between those who
participate.
Connections
Chefs and their teams may work with very
unique ingredients, like local caviar and
sustainably raised buffalo, creating new and
exciting connections with potential vendors.
Creativity
Chefs have the opportunity to get creative in
the kitchen and really demonstrate their
unique style and passion to the local dining
public.
Promotion
The series offers an opportunity to broaden
and increase the exposure of your food and
cooking style. Competition Dining’s PR
firm, Bolt Public Relations, will work with
you to promote your restaurant throughout
the series.
Community
The series helps the local dining population
connect with the local culinary community as
a whole.
Chance to W in
A grand prize of $2,000 awaits the wining
team, along with a Coveted Red Chef Jacket,
a handmade chef’s knife from Ironman
Forge and a chance to compete against other
regional winners in the Final Fire.
Key Statistics / Audience
2014 Publicity Reach to Date (M edia Exposure)
• Over 228 million impressions
• Ad value of $343,000+
• PR value of $1+ million
Dedicated PR Team
• When you compete in the Got To Be NC Competition Dining Series, you will get PR
assistance from the dedicated and talented team at Bolt Public Relations.
2014 Events
• 64 battles statewide
• 192 Competing Chefs
• Total attendance of over 9,200 guests
• An estimated 55,200 dishes prepared
Diner
•
•
•
Demographics
53% Female – 47% Male
Age 30-55
HHI > $70,000 annually
W ebsite Data (www.com petitiondining.com )
• 118,467 unique visitors
• 198,840 sessions
• 53% first-time visitors
• 47% returning visitors
Email M arketing
• 11,901 active email addresses (70% increase over 2013)
Social M edia
Facebook
• 5,193 likes (42.6% increase over 2013)
• Average weekly reach of 15,000 users
Twitter
• 3,223 followers (54.7% increase over 2013)
• Potential reach of over 3 million users
• Official hashtag #CompDiningNC has potential weekly reach of over 700,000 users
YouTube
• Over 45,000 video views
Got To Be NC Competition Dining Series - Triad
Participant Requirements
Availability
Chefs and their teams must be available for all competition rounds. Upon winning, teams may compete up
to four times during the competition series. Restaurants must be able to provide a team of three for each
battle. Each team is allowed one “flex member” (may or may not work for the competing restaurant, as long
as they are not competing on another team) per heat. Each battle will start at 11:30 AM and chefs may be
needed as late as 11:00 PM.
Media Event
Chefs and marketing/PR representatives will need to be available on May 5-6 for filming and W ednesday,
May 7 for a media event. These days are very important. Official photos will be taken for series promotion.
Chefs will also receive digital files with posters, logos, etc. to use on websites, social media profiles and email
marketing campaigns. In addition, our public relations team, Bolt Public Relations, will provide pointers to
help restaurants leverage Competition Dining to grow their business. Local reporters and bloggers may also
be present throughout the event to meet and interview chefs.
Media Release
Chefs must allow the use of their name, restaurant name and logo, photos and video during series promotion.
Promotional Partnership
Restaurants must agree to actively promote the series in their restaurants with provided promotional materials
(including posters, table tents and digital media). Restaurant servers should be educated on the basic premise
of the series. Bolt Public Relations will provide educational materials. Promotion will also extend to web and
social media. Restaurants with websites must provide a link to the Competition Dining website. There could
also be other beneficial promotional opportunities, which may include radio, television and other
appearances. Competitors must be available for any such appearances when given prior notice.
Good Sportsmanship
Participating restaurants and their teams are asked to help maintain the integrity of the Got To Be NC
Competition Dining Series by competing in an ethical and good-natured manner. Competing teams should
not provide intentional giveaways to diners on the nights of their competition. The featured ingredients are to
remain secret until the unveiling at each battle. Chefs will be expected to surrender phones and other
communication devices at the start of each battle and until the results are announced. For a complete list of
competition rules, please visit www.competitiondining.com.
Got To Be NC Competition Dining Series – Triad Location & Dates
Battles will be hosted at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem. As winning teams advance
through the competition, they will be slated to compete once during each of the rounds below.
Preliminary Dinner Battles
May 26, 27
June 1, 2, 3
June 8, 9, 10
Quarterfinals
June 15, 16
June 22, 23
Semifinals
June 29, 30
Final
July 7
Contact Information
For any competition-related inquiries, please contact founder and host Jimmy Crippen directly
at (828) 265-9075 or [email protected]