Quench Owner To Pitch Restaurant-Focused Reality Show

Quench owner Michael Holstein is no stranger to reality television — his work as a television producer and entertainment lawyer is what pays many of his bills. It's not unusual for a chef friend or colleague to tell him they have a great idea for a reality television show (featuring themselves, naturally). But this time, he's taking matters into his own hands.

Holstein has teamed up with radio DJ Tommy McFly and Equinox co-owner Ellen Gray, among others, to shop around Design and Dine, a show that will focus on design students competing for the chance to design a restaurant, including everything from interiors to logos to branding. He says that the owner of a well-known New York City restaurant in need of a makeover has even offered to let the winning student redo the restaurant, should the show come to fruition.

The idea of the show came out of the collaboration that Todd and Ellen Gray had with Muse, the cafe at the Corcoran. Holstein originally envisioned a show featuring the process behind that particular project, but decided to broaden the concept a little more. McFly has signed on to host, he said.

He also has a second food-themed show in the works called Snacks of the Round Table, based on a segment from the Big O and Dukes show, that he could try to package with Design and Dine. It's basically a riff on overly elaborate reviews of junk food items.

Holstein already has received some preliminary interest in Design and Dine from several television networks, he said. He could envision the shows finding a home on such channels as Bravo or Spike TV. Check out the promotional video below.

Design & Dine from Michael Holstein on Vimeo.

Michael Holstein [Photo: Quench]