JBR's back – and he wants you to run his next restaurant...
Diners who have thought "I could run this place better" after eating out are to be given just that chance, as a Westcountry celebrity chef reveals plans to open the world's first interactive restaurant.
John Burton Race said he was "incredibly excited" about the ambitious scheme, while admitting that it is "completely new and difficult for people to get their heads around".
The new dining concept is called The Restaurant Experience, where members of the public will dictate the workings of the dining establishment.
People first need to become members online and choose a city from a selection of ten around the world. Once 10,000 members have registered in any one location, the first restaurant will be opened there.
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The members will be asked to pay a one-off fee of £60, creating a £600,000 pot for the initial start-up.
They will then be in control of choosing the restaurant's decor, staff, menu and every other aspect of its running, which will be voted on through the website or via a smartphone app.
Each member will also receive a £60 food voucher for the restaurant.
Michelin-starred chef Mr Burton Race, who lives near Dartmouth, South Devon, said: "This is the Big Brother of restaurants as the public will have full control of everything. It really is the first restaurant that is completely for the people, by the people.
"In these austere times, we're actually trying to take a lot of the risk out of opening up a restaurant. If the customer is always right, let's see if we can give them most of the choices before we start.
"You can never please absolutely everyone, but this way it is totally democratic."
Describing how the concept will work, he added: "Think for example of the process of hiring a new chef. Within The Restaurant Experience this will be achieved by members listening to all of the interviews through live screening, reading the chef's uploaded CVs and watching them cook trial dishes.
"Then it is just a case of them clicking a button to say who they think deserves the job."
The initial cities to choose from are London, Manchester, Glasgow, New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Auckland, Toronto, Sydney and Cape Town. They have been chosen following research into where the most "foodies" are – meaning those going to restaurants, spending money on food and blogging about all things culinary.
The celebrity chef admits it would be easier for him if the first 10,000 members came from a UK city, adding: "If we had people registering in England but saying they wanted a restaurant in, say, Exeter, then that's what we'd do. I'm still based in the South West and could see this working here.
"People here are justly proud of their ingredients – it's the only place where you really get this quality of dairy, meat and seafood."
His partner in the venture is Jonathon Davies, winner of Britain's Best Dish. He said: "Today, everything is virtual. At the touch of a button we can build and destroy virtual cities, manage a virtual football club and even build and create our own virtual culinary establishment.
"Now we want to give people the opportunity to create and run their own real life restaurant."
Comments
by nicold
Friday, March 09 2012, 3:20PM
“Am I the only one that would like to get rid of all these TV type chefs clogging up the TV screens? There's far too many of them!...get rid of this wannabe too!”
by swoop3
Friday, March 09 2012, 3:08PM
“Absolutely, rivierarover, apart from Racey who'll be off like a rat up a dranpipe.”
by rivierarover
Friday, March 09 2012, 2:49PM
“Each person will get a voucher for £60 to spend in either London, Manchester, Glasgow, New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Auckland, Toronto, Sydney and Cape Town.
Not much chance of redeeming that then, think I'll stick to the fish & chips for a fiver!
just one question though, when this venture flops as it surely will are all consortium members responsible for the debt that's left behind?”
by outbred
Thursday, March 08 2012, 8:12PM
“This is probably a desperate response by restaurateurs and other entrepreneurs to a huge drop in diners due to the economic recession?
However it is highly innovative nonetheless but with so many going for highly authentic, exotic ready meals available so much more cheaply in supermarkets will it get off the ground?
Indian, Chinese, British etc all available as well cooked ready meals and some firms delivering hot food to one's front door.”
by CarltonClub
Thursday, March 08 2012, 8:07PM
“All jesting aside it must be awful to be derided by so many people and looking at the comments there are many well informed individuals here. This does sound like a scam wrapped up as something remotely cutting edge but sadly not quite making it.
No one can wish this guy well as too many of us know what he is really like and you can't get away from that fact. I must say the business partner looks a bit of a tough.”
by MPstink1
Thursday, March 08 2012, 7:57PM
“Is it Aprils Fool day already???? The best comments are here...on a fraudster, possible ponzi, take away your money. John Burton ......Race to be idiot of the year.”
by taxedtodeath2
Thursday, March 08 2012, 6:20PM
“Suggested name " Ponzi Madoff with the bacon."”
by CarltonClub
Thursday, March 08 2012, 9:26AM
“I would sooner eat at the altar of the rancid toad cooker than sit at a table in his vastly over priced/over rated/restaurant. Firstly we don't need another 'celebrity' chef and secondly he is an odious individual who really doesn't know when to call it a day.
Keith Floyd at Tuckenhay had a personality for all his foibles but this guy is so now - bland.”
by jyppo
Wednesday, March 07 2012, 6:15PM
“file under free publicity gone horribly wrong”
by ceebeeone
Wednesday, March 07 2012, 2:00PM
“I wouldn't go any where near this horrible man's restaurant, never mind go into to business with him. He's a philandering, arrogant drunk from what I see and hear!”