Competition Dining Series Greenville, SC Invitation to Apply Deadline: June 12, 2015 Dear Chef, The Competition Dining Series invites you to apply to compete and showcase your talent as a chef in the Competition Dining Series Greenville, SC. 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 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 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, June 12, 2015. You may submit your application online at http://goo.gl/forms/pw5tf5bezs. You will be notified as to the status of your application in late June and the Greenville series will begin August 3. This series is sponsored by Pate Dawson-Southern Foods. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Jimmy Crippen Founder / Host / Director Learn more: www.competitiondining.com www.youtube.com/user/compdiningnc www.facebook.com/competitiondining www.twitter.com/compdiingnc
What 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 Winner 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 Winner of Cutthroat Kitchen What 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 The 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! 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 local 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. Why Participate? 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. 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 Win 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 (Media Exposure) Over 228 million impressions Ad value of $343,000+ PR value of $1+ million Dedicated PR Team When you compete in the 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 Website Data (www.competitiondining.com) 118,467 unique visitors 198,840 sessions 53% first-time visitors 47% returning visitors Email Marketing 11,901 active email addresses (70% increase over 2013) Social Media 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
Competition Dining Series Greenville, SC 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 July 7-8 for filming and Thursday, July 9 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 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. Competition Dining Series Greenville, SC Location & Dates Battles will be hosted at Larkin s Sawmill in Greenville, SC. As winning teams advance through the competition, they will be slated to compete once during each of the rounds below. Preliminary Dinner Battles August 3, 4 August 10, 11 August 17, 18, 19 August 24 Quarterfinals August 25, 26 August 31 September 1 Semifinals September 2 September 7 Final September 9 Contact Information For any competition-related inquiries, please contact founder and host Jimmy Crippen directly at (828) 265-9075 or jimmy@competitiondining.com