Plot Synopsis

In each 60-minute episode, two culinary professionals -- one chef and one designer -- go undercover to learn why a restaurant needs to be refreshed, and then they and their team spend six days overhauling and re-launching the eatery with a budget of up to $30,000, splitting the costs 50/50 between the production company and the restaurant owner. RESTAURANT TAKEOVER follows a similar format to its predecessor, RESTAURANT MAKEOVER, but adds an undercover element that allows the professionals to take a behind-the-scenes look at just how each restaurant is run. With the help of hidden cameras, they get to see what should stay and what needs to change in order for each eatery to succeed. Once they identify the problems, the team then puts their expertise to work after completely taking over the restaurant. They redesign and reconstruct the space, revamp the menu, retrain the staff, and work towards transforming a restaurant on the verge of collapse into an upscale locale that can't keep up with booking reservations. Cooking Channel aired the U.S. premiere of RESTAURANT TAKEOVER on Monday, August 12, 2013 at 10pm ET.