How is this even possible as a viable business strategy? I can only picture a battle of ownership egos willing to take losses just to try and brag about it.

Someone enlighten me. I've never done food industry but was the wholesale buyer and back office manager for a chain of high end bicycle shops, and this makes no sense IMO.

Being from Wisconsin, I have no frame of reference other than what I saw on Man V Food years ago. But I’d absolutely try them both!