ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — One Rochester man is a contestant on a new Food Network show; restaurant owner Phillip Tomasso is competing in “Guy’s Chance of a Lifetime.” The show is partly available on Discovery Plus, as new episodes of the show will be unveiled each week.

The winner of the show will be the new owner of a new Guy Fieri franchise, “Chicken Guy.” Tomasso owns “Something Delicious” bake shop in Rochester, the same bake shop that was once owned by Food Network contestant Mina Hoyt.

That connection lead to him getting casting calls, which he almost missed.

“After purchasing the bakery, the previous owner had been on a couple of Food Network shows, so we were still continuing to get casting calls,” Tomasso said. “So, I applied, and I didn’t hear anything, and still didn’t hear anything, and then I realized my voicemail box was full, and I had missed a call from two weeks prior that I had been chosen to go on the next selection round, and I got a big huge text message saying ‘Phil you need to get back to us right now, we really want you,’ and I was like ‘Oh my God, I did it!'”

That Rochester connection — and the well-established reputation as a spot for foodies, pictures, pizza, and coffee — helped Tomasso prepare for the grueling 12 hour days.

The show puts contestants through cooking, business, budget, and marketing challenges. Tomasso says that it’s like nothing he’s seen on reality TV before. Through the long days, he took away an important lesson about perseverance, and trusting one’s self.

“One of the biggest things I would say is never count yourself out, always try your best, and be confident. Confidence is key, and that’s something I had to learn from doing this experience here,” Tomasso says.

“Guy’s Chance of a Lifetime” is fully taped and edited, leaving Tomasso needing to cut off his own grandmother to keep the news of the winner a secret.

The winner will be unveiled in the season finale on February 6th on Food Network.