The Memphis Business Journal has suspended its Best Chef in Memphis contest just one day after it was launched.
The move came after restaurateurs and chefs included in the contest complained about the contest’s format, which pitted chef against chef in a bracket, with the winner to be determined by an online vote.
MBJ made the announcement Thursday in a post on the paper’s site, explaining, “We looked at the contest as a way to engage more local readers while highlighting the spectacular culinary scene we have in Memphis (which we plainly stated in the launch). We never intended to disparage or upset the chefs; we thought, quite honestly, it would be a fun, tongue-in-cheek way to incite a friendly competition.”
