Plot Synopsis

Set in pop-up kitchens outside local supermarkets, each one-hour episode of SUPERMARKET STAKEOUT begins with host Alex Guarnaschelli giving the four chef contestants $500 apiece -- their whole budget to buy ingredients for the three-round cooking competition. In round one, the chefs can purchase ingredients only by blindly ambushing customers outside the store and negotiating for their grocery bags without knowing the contents. In round two, competitors can only purchase groceries from a single shopper, but may look through the bags before negotiating the price. In the final round, competitors may purchase five ingredients total, but can approach as many shoppers as it takes to get what they need. After each themed cooking round, the least successful chef is eliminated, leaving two competitors going head-to-head in the final round, vying for the prize. A rotating panel of judges determines which challengers had the most successful dishes using the acquired ingredients, with the last chef standing in each episode walking away with enough cash for a year's worth of groceries. In the series opener, "An Egg-cellent Adventure," Alex Guarnaschelli welcomes four chefs to Lazy Acres Market in Hermosa Beach, CA, where they have to stake out unsuspecting shoppers and convince them to part with their carts. It's all eggs on deck as the chefs are challenged to make a breakfast sandwich before cooking up a Southern favorite. Then it's a sweet finish as the remaining two chefs hunt for ingredients to make a decadent dessert for judges Duff Goldman and Christian Petroni. Other guest judges this season include: Eddie Jackson & Bricia Lopez (at Gelson's Market in Thousand Oaks, CA); Sharone Hakman & Antonia Lofaso (at Gelson's Market in Thousand Oaks, CA); Aarti Sequeira & Zac Young (at Lazy Acres Market in Hermosa Beach, CA); Monti Carlo & Simon Majumdar (at Bristol Farms in Calabasas, CA); and Katie Lee & Sabin Lomac (at Bristol Farms in Calabasas, CA).

The sophomore season of SUPERMARKET STAKEOUT premiered on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 at 10pm ET/PT on Food Network. Hosted again by Alex Guarnaschelli, each episode features four talented chefs who must ambush shoppers as they exit the store and blindly bid on their grocery bags without knowing what's inside. Over three themed rounds with a budget of only $500 and pop-up kitchen setups, the chefs can only cook with the items they are able to negotiate out of the customer's carts with persuasion and a little cold hard cash. A rotating panel of judges, which this season includes Scott Conant, Giada De Laurentiis, Bobby Flay, Molly Yeh, and more ultimately determine each week which competitor made the most successful menu and is awarded enough cash for a year's worth of groceries. In the season opener, "Some Like It Spicy," Alex kicks off the competition with four chefs staking out customers at Fry's Marketplace in Phoenix, AZ. One chef must go after cooking breakfast-to-go, and the parking lot heats up with something spicy. Judges Jeff Mauro and Molly Yeh decide who has the guiltiest pleasure and claims sweet victory.

SUPERMARKET STAKEOUT returned for its third season on Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 10pm ET/PT on Food Network. In Season 3, Alex is joined by a rotating panel of judges, including Eddie Jackson, Antonia LoFaso and Aarti Sequeira, who determine each week which chef made the most successful menu and is awarded enough cash for a year's worth of groceries. In the season opener, "Viva la Stakeout," the stakes are sky-high as Alex challenges the chefs to find a cart with enough in it to create a stacked dish. Then, the competitors channel their inner Julia Child to cook up some fine French food, but they may be headed for a meltdown when the final challenge is to make something cheesy.

Season 4 of SUPERMARKET STAKEOUT debuted on Tuesday, May 17, 2022 at 10pm ET/PT on Food Network. Alex Guarnaschelli continues to host each hour-long episode, which features outdoor cooking battles where anything can happen, as four talented chefs persuade unsuspecting customers to sell their groceries as they attempt to turn the ingredients into themed culinary delights. A rotating panel of judges ultimately determines which competitor made the most successful menu over three rounds and is awarded a year's worth of groceries. In the season opener, "You Got Fries in That?," the chefs keep their eyes peeled as they search for food to make fries. Then, they put their best fruit forward as Alex Guarnaschelli asks them to make a fruit-centric dish. It's a bittersweet battle in the final stakeout as judges Stephanie Boswell and Jet Tila determine the winner.
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The fifth season of SUPERMARKET STAKEOUT premiered on Tuesday, April 25, 2023 at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network. Host Alex Guarnaschelli returns, giving four contestants $500 apiece -- their whole budget to buy ingredients for the three-round cooking competition. In round one, the chefs can purchase ingredients only by blindly ambushing unsuspecting customers outside the store and negotiating for their grocery bags without knowing the contents. In round two, competitors can only purchase groceries from a single shopper, but may look through the bags before negotiating the price. In the final round, competitors may purchase five ingredients total, but can approach as many shoppers as it takes to get what they need. After each themed cooking round, the least successful chef is eliminated, leaving two competitors going head-to-head in the final round, vying for a cash prize.

In the season opener, "Passport to the Parking Lot," Alex takes four chefs on an international trip without leaving the parking lot! First stop: Italy, where they dish up some countryside cuisine. After judges Eric Adjepong and Gabe Bertaccini bid "ciao" to one chef, things get a little "bazaar" in Morocco. Only one chef will say "bonjour" to a year's worth of groceries and the win.