{"id":7337,"date":"2013-07-08T14:18:35","date_gmt":"2013-07-08T19:18:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=7337"},"modified":"2021-07-25T19:11:54","modified_gmt":"2021-07-26T00:11:54","slug":"local-chefs-decline-food-network-prize-what-happened","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/local-chefs-decline-food-network-prize-what-happened\/","title":{"rendered":"Local Chefs Decline Food Network Prize \u2013 What Happened?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Oxford, Miss. (TLV) –<\/i> Food Court Wars<\/i><\/b>, Food Network\u2019s newest competition show, aired its first episode Sunday night. Oxford chefs Erika Lipe<\/b> (Lenora\u2019s<\/b>) and Steven \u201cStevo\u201d McCain<\/b> (McEwen\u2019s<\/b>) were featured on the show with their restaurant PoBoy Station<\/b>, competing for $10,000 and \u201cfree rent for a year\u201d at the Food Court in the Bonita Lakes Mall in Meridian, Mississippi.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Lake Dawson, Stevo McCain, and Erika Lipe won the Food Network’s debut show “Food Court Wars” which aired July 7, 2013. Photograph by Newt Rayburn.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

PoBoy Station competed against Mary<\/b> and Thomas Jordan<\/b>, who own Suck the Shuck Tamales<\/b> in Clinton, Mississippi. The Jordans won the teams\u2019 first challenge by winning over mall shoppers with samples of their food. They were given an advantage in the marketing phase of the competition\u2014air time on a local Meridian radio show. But Erika and Stevo\u2019s marketing strategy ultimately brought in more customers. Team PoBoy offered sandwiches to concert goers at the Riley Center during a packed house for an Aaron Neville<\/strong> show.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Food Network host Tyler Florence consoles Mary and Thomas Jordan, who own Suck the Shuck Tamales in Clinton, Mississippi, after losing the final competition on “Food Court Wars” debut show. Photograph by Newt Rayburn.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The final showdown had the teams compete for the most sales during one hectic day of service in the food court. Team PoBoy snagged the win when people lined up for roast beef poboys, fried green tomato BLT poboys, crawfish mac and cheese, and other delicious offerings.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the surprise ending shows host Tyler Florence<\/strong> paying a visit to the Jordan\u2019s home in Clinton, Mississippi, to explain that, \u201cdue to personal reasons, Erika and Stevo could not open the restaurant.\u201d So, the $10,000 and free rent was instead awarded to Mary and Thomas, who were thrilled to accept the offer.<\/span><\/p>\n

[button size=medium style=less_round color=blue align=none url=https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1400052386\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1400052386&linkCode=as2&tag=thelocalvoice-20&linkId=e92a21a37705c81c7a63044dfc9ff755]Tyler’s Ultimate: Brilliant Simple Food to Make Any Time: A Cookbook[\/button]<\/p>\n

So what happened?<\/span><\/p>\n

After returning to Oxford from Meridian and sourcing equipment, researching small business operations, making notes and plans, and doing a ton of legwork, Erika\u2019s car was stolen from her home on June 13\u00a0with all of her materials inside. The car was later recovered, but she didn\u2019t get her stuff back.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat was really the breaking point,\u201d said Erika.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Chef Erika Lipe celebrates her victory on “Food Court Wars” at a viewing party with her family in Oxford on July 7, 2013. Photograph by Newt Rayburn.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe would have had to do so much work in so little time just to get caught back up to where we were,\u201d said Stevo.<\/span><\/p>\n

With pressure to open the restaurant in time for the July 7\u00a0premiere, Erika decided to decline the offer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even before the stolen car, Erika began having reservations as she did her research and found that there\u2019s no such thing as \u201cfree rent.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt turns out I needed about $25,000 more to get it up and going,\u201d she said. \u201cWe could have made some money in the first year, which I guess not a lot of restaurants do. With our really conservative estimates \u2026 probably about as much as we would make here in Oxford working 40-hour weeks.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

They both weighed the options and decided that Oxford is where they belong, and they weren\u2019t ready to leave home and face potential debt.<\/span><\/p>\n

And frankly, we\u2019re happy to keep them around! They really killed it in the competitions, proving that Oxford has a wealth of talent and a truly special restaurant culture. We are extremely proud of their onscreen success and their decision to allow the other team to have that opportunity.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat was my prize anyway\u2014winning on TV,\u201d Erika said, smiling.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

See more behind the scenes photographs by Newt Rayburn<\/strong> on The Local Voice Facebook page<\/a>\u00a0and read Nature Humphries<\/strong> article and interview with Erika and Stevo in The Local Voice #183.
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Tyler’s Ultimate: Brilliant Simple Food to Make Any Time: A Cookbook<\/u><\/p><\/a>\n\n\n\n<\/a>\n\n\n\n