My Restaurant Rules

My Restaurant Rules

Company type	Television program
Industry	Reality television, Cooking
Founded	2004 (2004)
Headquarters	Australia
Area served	Australia
Products	Television series

My Restaurant Rules is a reality television program from Australia that was broadcast on the Seven Network.

Overview

This competition showcases five pairs from major Australian cities vying to establish thriving restaurants. Each duo is granted an unoccupied restaurant venue within their city to refurbish. They present their dining concept and mission statement to a judging panel to secure extra renovation funds. Throughout the contest, judges offer continuous feedback and incentives.

After the initial weeks, restaurants are eliminated based on judges' assessments combined with public telephone voting. The restaurant with the lowest support must close, continuing until a single winner emerges.

Despite many restaurants closing during the series, all participating establishments remained profitable due to the exposure received. Some venues that were eliminated successfully relaunched at different locations.

Series 1 (2004)

The inaugural season of My Restaurant Rules aired in 2004, featuring five couples and their restaurants:

• Nick & Emily – The Red Sea, Adelaide
• Simon & Nathalie – My Little Kitchen, Brisbane
• Peter & Tayissa – Seven Stones, Melbourne
• Ash & Amanda – Room Nineteen, Perth
• Sam & Catherine – Cucina Vera, Sydney

In the finale, Ash and Amanda from Perth’s Room Nineteen claimed victory over Melbourne’s Seven Stones. The first season was hosted by Curtis Stone.

Summary

• Brisbane secured $300,000 in sponsorships, which was viewed as an "unfair advantage" and thus had to be distributed among all teams.
• Sydney won a $50,000 phone poll prize during renovations; teams that lost received $10,000 each.
• Sydney was the first restaurant to close after facing Perth in an unexpected bottom-two showdown.
• Brisbane was eliminated second against Perth; subsequent investigation revealed Brisbane’s disqualification due to failure in transferring trademark ownership.
• Adelaide closed third following competition with Perth and Melbourne; Melbourne was anticipated to be next.
• Melbourne was the last to close before Perth ultimately won despite facing several eviction threats.

Series 2 (2005)

The second season aired in 2005 featuring six couples and restaurants:

• John & Justine – The Greedy Goose, Adelaide
• Todd & Francesca – Restaurant Louvre, Brisbane
• Dan & Rob – Two Words, Melbourne
• Andre & Sandy – Mint Leaf, Perth
• Evan & Bella – Pink Salt, Sydney
• Nathan & Georgia – Whisk, Melbourne

In the final episode, John and Justine’s The Greedy Goose from Adelaide triumphed over Sydney’s Pink Salt. This season was hosted by Ian Dickson.

Summary

• Adelaide secured the first bank prize of $50,000; Melbourne and Perth earned $8,000 and $7,000 respectively.
• Brisbane claimed the second bank prize of $50,000.
• Nathan and Georgia entered as a secret sixth pair; they would take over the first restaurant eliminated.
• Restaurants were judged on service (10 points), atmosphere (10 points), and food quality (20 points); Two Words and Mint Leaf scored lowest and faced public voting.
• Two Words was eliminated and subsequently rebranded as Whisk by Nathan and Georgia.
• A secret professional critic introduced an additional "Wow! Factor" scoring criterion (2 points), with Mint Leaf receiving the lowest score.
• Perth was the first restaurant to close after competing against Brisbane and Melbourne.
• Female partners visited all establishments; controversy emerged when some rated Brisbane lowest across all categories.
• Brisbane closed second against Sydney in an episode known as The Big Chop, with results leaked on Channel 9's A Current Affair prior to airing on Channel 7.
• Melbourne was the third restaurant to close following a contest with Sydney.
• The final public vote featured Pink Salt and The Greedy Goose; Pink Salt appeared in elimination rounds three times—the highest that season but fewer than Room Nineteen’s four appearances in season one.
• Adelaide promoted local landmarks despite being new entrants in public voting.
• Sydney closed fourth; Adelaide was declared the winner.

Cancellation

Although the Seven Network had intentions to produce a third season in 2006, it ultimately did not come to fruition, partly due to the shutdown of the inaugural series' winning establishment, Room Nineteen Restaurant.

After the show

In 2005, Ash and Amanda, winners of the first series with Room Nineteen, faced the demolition of their designated location. Due to contractual limitations, they were unable to sell the restaurant, and the expense of relocating proved too high, resulting in its closure in June 2005. The structure remained intact as of January 2010.

On the other hand, The Greedy Goose, victors of the second series, continued operations for four years after the show but ceased trading in February 2009 following a failed expansion into Glenelg that specialized in gourmet hamburgers. Financial difficulties played a significant role in their closure.

Although Evan and Bella from Pink Salt did not win series two, they launched a new restaurant under the same name in Double Bay in March 2006, achieving greater success than during their time on the program. Incorporating a cocktail bar, it earned acclaim as one of Australia's top dining venues. In 2011, Evan bought out Bella's share and has managed Pink Salt solo since then. The restaurant temporarily closed for refurbishment and rebranding in October 2014, receiving positive feedback that reinvigorated the business. Apart from Pink Salt, no other restaurants from either the first or second series remain operational.

Possible reboot

In 2010, Seven Network explored reviving the format to leverage the popularity of Network Ten's MasterChef Australia. This initiative led to the development of My Kitchen Rules. Later, in 2015, Seven introduced another culinary competition series titled Restaurant Revolution, which lasted only one season.

Belgium

Starting on 4 March 2008, vtm broadcast Mijn Restaurant (My Restaurant), hosted by Rani De Coninck. Five pairs launched eateries across Leuven, Ghent, Hasselt, Antwerp, and Ostend. The judging panel included chef Peter Goossens, culinary magazine editor Dirk De Prins, and hotel general manager Christel Cabanier. Leuven emerged as the winner of the first season.

The second season debuted on 3 March 2009 with "Dell'Anno" from Kortrijk claiming victory. After authorities halted initial renovations early on, the restaurant reopened in November and has maintained continuous success without closing days. The runner-up "Bigarreaux" from Sint Truiden also opened a new establishment.

The show ran for four straight seasons until 2011 before being replaced by Mijn Pop-uprestaurant (2014–2017), which featured restaurants constructed from shipping containers similar to those seen in Restaurant Revolution.

Germany

Mein Restaurant (My Restaurant) premiered on VOX on 10 October 2008 with five couples representing Munich, Cologne, Berlin, Hamburg, and Leipzig. The Munich team operating "Grinsekatze" won the only season produced.

The Netherlands

On 18 January 2007, Mijn Tent is Top (My Shed is Best) launched on RTL 4, hosted by Herman den Blijker. Winners included "Coquille" from Den Bosch (2007), "Flinstering" from Breda (2008), and "De Pastinaeck" from Amersfoort (2009).

New Zealand

My Restaurant Rules NZ was broadcast from 30 September to 29 October 2019. The judging panel featured Collin Fasnidge from My Kitchen Rules NZ alongside chef and restaurateur Judith Tabron, who founded and formerly served as executive chef at Soul Bar.

Competing teams consisted of paired head chefs and front-of-house managers, frequently the restaurant owners themselves, who initially prepared dishes without their usual kitchen teams. The competition format had teams ordering dishes from each other's menus; the team with the lowest score faced elimination before being granted NZ$20,000 and 72 hours to refurbish their establishments.

In the second round, local restaurateurs and media representatives joined as judges. Two teams were eliminated at this stage, with the final two progressing to a public dinner featuring a three-course meal for 30 guests. Contestants who were eliminated became part of the judging panel. The main sponsor for the series was Harvey Norman.

United Kingdom

The British series The Restaurant premiered on BBC Two in 2007. Couples vied for the chance to open a restaurant financially supported by renowned French chef Raymond Blanc. Winners were awarded their own dining venue located near Blanc's Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons. The show ran for three seasons.

Rules Franchise

This program initiated the Seven Network's Rules franchise, which was followed by My Kitchen Rules in 2010, House Rules in 2013, and the forthcoming My Reno Rules, scheduled for release in 2026.

See also

• List of Australian television series
• List of Seven Network programs