Nine aspiring restaurateurs arrive in Las Vegas, where they meet Chef Robert Irvine and the Restaurant Express Bus. In order to secure one of the eight spots on board, they must first pitch their dream restaurant concept to Robert: Those with the best concepts head into Lake Las Vegas for the first challenge. They'll have to create a restaurant from the ground up with just $500 and six hours to feed 250 hungry guests! The bottom three earners will be up for elimination.