My Restaurant Rules Australia

The contestants were off to a sizzling start as the race to build the ruling restaurant began. A quiet dinner wasn't on any of the contestants' minds as they sized up their competition at The Stokehouse in Melbourne, one of Australia's best restaurants. They'd only have a mere eight and a half weeks to design, renovate and staff their restaurants before the all-important opening night.

After the first few days of frantic renovation, the couples are just realising that $50,000 won't get them far. It's going to take some meaty dollars to get their rundown restaurants into five-star shape, and they still have equipment to purchase, kitchens to install and staff to hire. To get the extra cash, couples must prepare a submission for The Bank that sells their dream restaurant concept.

After being granted the welcome extra cash, they were paid a visit from a not-so-welcome caller. Heritage Victoria arrived on the site's doorstep to ensure that the renovations didn't interfere with the heritage-listed building.

The five contending couples have had a tense week as the ultimate restaurant challenge heats up. You could cut the tension with a knife as Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide went up against each other in the second round of funding from The Bank. With $50,000 at stake, no one was leaving anything up to chance.

The five couples were put on their guard this week as Patrick Collins, one of The Bank's judges, conducted surprise spot checks of each of the restaurant sites. As Patrick made his rounds of each state it was apparent that there were still some noses out of joint after the last week's coveted $50,000 was granted to Brisbane.

The five couples are set for a few sleepless nights as they wait to find out which state will walk away with this week's $50,000 bonus. Post Patrick visit has shaken up quite a few of the couples. Some have taken his comments on board whilst others seem unperturbed. Who the winner will be is anyone's guess as the rules of the game have taken a complete change in direction.

They've contended with testy tradesmen and stressed spouses, but queues of wannabe workers really pushed the five contending couples to the limit. Hundreds of prospective employees arrived at the restaurant doorsteps at the crack of dawn earlier this week vying for positions as wait staff, kitchen hands and bartenders. As the queues grew longer, tempers grew shorter.

After a trying week, the five couples flew to Perth to face The Bank. This week's focus was on customer service, with each team asked to explain their model for service in their restaurant. In a surprise twist, the judges shifted their focus away from the couples and entered a heated debate among themselves about whether the customer was always right.

Tensions were high as the couples felt the pressure of their impending opening nights, which are just a week away. The contenders were given a rare chance to relax after the last Bank in Perth, with Curtis cooking up a storm and relaxing over a shared meal. Nick turned a touch sheepish when his impersonation of Patrick was interrupted by Patrick unexpectedly walking up the stairs.

Another tense few days pass as the couples' face up to their final chance for a $50,000 windfall. The pressure is on Perth's this week, as Ash and Amanda remain the only team who are yet to receive the much-needed cash bonus. They've managed to renovate their restaurant on a shoestring, but they sorely need the money to stock their cupboards and provide their kitchen staff with basic utensils.

The contestants have spent the week adding the final touches to their restaurants as they prepare to open their doors for their Launch Night this Friday. Emily and Amanda have used this time as an excuse to dress themselves up, and each managed to slip in some shopping time to find something to wear on the big night.

Each of the five couples was off to an early start on Friday to prepare for their much-anticipated opening nights. Brisbane's Simon and Natalie chose to start their big day with a run to ensure they had enough energy to see them through, while in Perth Ash and Amanda seemed a little worse for wear having had only two hours sleep.

The shine of the opening night wore off quickly for some contestants as they learned how the competition would progress now that their doors have opened. Over the next few weeks, a secret reviewer will dine in each of the restaurants. The reviewer will judge each restaurant on their food, service, atmosphere, and most importantly the long term viability of the business.

Tempers are flaring and our restaurateurs' patience is well and truly showing cracks. Since the restaurants opened their doors almost two weeks ago they have faced a multitude of challenges, including drunken diners, complaining customers and sensitive staff. But these challenges are nothing compared with Seven's demon diners that have been sent to put the restaurants to the test.

With the renovations, staffing and menus dealt with, this week the five contenders tackled the biggest hurdle faced by all restaurateurs. The bottom line. Advisors from small business consultancy BDO sat down to talk dollars with each of the five couples, revealing which restaurants are turning over the most money.

Each restaurant kitchen can be like a pressure cooker at times, and the My Restaurant Rules kitchens are certainly no exception. This week, tensions between Sydney's kitchen and wait staff intensified, with Chef Danielli flaring up at the front of house staff. Kitchen staff in all restaurants are working exceptionally long hours.

The My Restaurant Rules secret reviewer has completed the first round of restaurant reviews that will determine which two restaurants will battle for Australia's votes to stay alive. All the restaurants have now been reviewed, and Australia was able to hear the first-hand reviews of Adelaide and Perth restaurants on Sunday night's show.

On Thursday night's show, Australia heard the reviewer's comments on the Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne restaurants. Time is ticking loudly for one of the five restaurants, and Matt Preston's review will determine which two restaurants will be going head to head in a battle to win your vote and stay alive.

Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide are set to enjoy a pressure-free week as Sydney and Perth go head to head in the first week of My Restaurant Rules nominations. The secret reviewer determined that Cucina Vera in Sydney and Room Nineteen in Perth scored lowest overall against a range of criteria that addressed food, atmosphere, service and profitability.

Ash and Amanda from Perth and Sydney's Sam and Catherine spent an exhausting week on the campaign trail battling for the survival of their restaurant as the first round of closures is looming. It's particularly tough for both couples as the Perth and Sydney boys have forged a strong bond throughout the competition.

Sydney's Italian brother and sister team Sam and Catherine were the first casualties in the My Restaurant Rules showdown. After a knife-edge week during which Perth and Sydney focused on rallying community support, Sydney's Cucina Vera closed its doors for the final time on Sunday night's show amid an outpouring of emotion.

Matt Moran and Patrick Collins, two of the more contentious bankers on My Restaurant Rules, made their visits to the Melbourne and Perth restaurants this week (Brisbane and Adelaide's reviews will air on Sunday's show). Their final verdict will determine which two restaurants are the next to face the chopping block.

The four restaurants came to a halt for the announcement of this week's two weakest restaurants. Brisbane and Perth are set to go to the polls, and only one of them will still be open for business by next Sunday. Your votes determine who survives, and you've got one week to show your support of your favourite couple.

The Red Sea was swirling with an undercurrent of tension as the remaining couples shared the last supper together in Adelaide on Tuesday night. The strain of nomination remained thinly veiled under the light-hearted jibes swapped between Ash and Simon. Simon was the first to pull out the knives. He and Natalie had purchased them as gifts for the head chefs at each restaurant.

Simon and Natalie greeted the news of their shutdown with their signature stiff upper lip as Brisbane's MYLK became the second My Restaurant Rules casualty. Ash and Amanda's Perth restaurant escaped from closure a second time, making them formidable competitors in next week's round of voting in which all three remaining restaurants are up for elimination.