Show's grand prize? A chain of restaurants

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Nov. 19 (UPI) -- The winner of a new competitive TV series called "United Plates of America" will get the chance to open a restaurant chain in four U.S. cities, NBC said.

The show is from Magical Elves, the Emmy Award-nominated producers of "Project Runway" and "Top Chef."

"The contestants' fate will be decided by a panel of real investors who fund the chain of restaurants with their own money," NBC said in a news release. "As the competitors chase their American dream, viewers will also be fully engaged with interactive elements online at nbc.com."

The announcement was made Thursday by Paul Telegdy, executive vice president of alternative programming at NBC and Universal Media Studios.

"This is the first time the culinary and business worlds have come together in a big event series where the prize is one of the largest in reality TV history," Telegdy stated. "Not only will viewers get to watch the competition unfold, they'll be able to eat at the winning restaurant immediately after the show's finale."

"This show is going to make the American Dream come true for someone out there -- all they need is one great idea," added executive producer Dan Cutforth.