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Dallas couple tries to sell sliders on 'Restaurant Startup' Wednesday

When looking to open a new bar or restaurant, some entrepreneurs court investors behind closed doors. Others, like locals Lara Whittington and Jennifer Bonner, head to reality television.

The couple, which owns Full Circle Tavern in Dallas, will appear on CNBC's Restaurant Startup Wednesday night in hopes of convincing industry experts Tim Love and Elizabeth Blau to invest in their business. The show pits business owners head-to-head to pitch the experts on their concepts. One team gets $7,500 to build a mock restaurant, then Love and Blau decide if it's worth their money.

The Dallas duo is showcasing a concept called Full Circle Sliders, which they describe as a fast-casual version of the sit-down tavern they currently operate. The menu recreates the tavern's full-size burgers and sandwiches as mini finger foods.

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"We did catering for eight years prior to opening our restaurant and the slider bars were always popular," says Whittington.

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Restaurant Startup isn't Whittington and Bonner's first reality rodeo. In 2014, the duo competed on and won Food Court Wars on the Food Network using the Full Circle Sliders concept. As winners, they received a free year-long lease at Vista Ridge Mall in Lewisville, but that didn't come to fruition. Whittington says the deal didn't fit; however, the experience proved Full Circle Sliders had traction.

"We felt the concept was not only viable, but it made sense for this show to get it out there and try to get investors," Whittington says.

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Comparing the two reality shows, the women say they varied vastly. Restaurant Startup focused heavily on ownership and operation, rather than just the business' food. Luckily, the couple felt like the bases were covered: Whittington handles the numbers, while Bonner focuses on the kitchen.

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And just because chef Love is from Fort Worth doesn't mean he went easy on them -- Love worried sliders had been overdone in many markets, which limited the business' potential for expansion.

"Tim Love is hardcore," Bonner says.

During the episode, the duo is up against a group of entrepreneurs from Houston with a South African fine dining concept they're looking to modify into fast-casual. Do the cards fall in favor of Full Circle Sliders? We're not going to tell you that, but both women say they learned a lot in the process.

"Overall both [television] experiences really did make us much stronger people, much stronger as business owners and stronger as a couple," says Bonner.

Restaurant Startup airs Wednesday at 9 p.m. CST, and Full Circle Tavern is hosting a watch party beginning at 8 p.m. The tavern also serves slider-versions of its sandwiches every Thursday.