Frequently Asked Questions

How were guests selected to be on the show?

Anyone who is interested in being considered may nominate three favorite restaurants. If selected for the show, we will pick one of the three restaurants you nominated to be included in your episode. Be expressive about why we should pick you and why you love the restaurants you’re nominating!

Are there rules I should know?

You may not have a personal or professional relationship to a restaurant you are nominating. Examples of personal or professional relationships include, but are not limited to:

• You or your family members may not work at the restaurant or own any share in the restaurant.
• You may not be a vendor or service provider to a nominated restaurant.

In order to appear on the show, you must be at least 21 years old and be willing to travel to and participate in a taping at Arizona PBS’ studios in downtown Phoenix.

Guest reviewers dine at three restaurants we assign to them. They are not with the other guest reviewers at the restaurants. They do not identify themselves to the restaurants.

Guest reviewers pay for their own meals. We provide a modest stipend in the mail a few weeks after the program taping.

The taping may take place on a weekday or on a weekend and will last a few hours.

If you are chosen to be a guest on “Check, Please! Arizona,” you must be able to arrange your own transportation to and from our studios and the restaurants. For the Valley, restaurants will be within a 50-mile radius of Phoenix.

What can I do to increase my chances of being selected?

The more expressive and detailed you are in your nomination/application, the more likely it is you’ll be considered as a guest reviewer. Applications are reviewed by the production team. If we are interested in you as a potential guest reviewer, we will contact you for a short telephone interview.

We do read and carefully consider each and every submission. We love hearing about those restaurants that are off the beaten path–the more interesting the locale or cuisine, the better.

How are restaurants selected?

We select restaurants based on a combination of factors:

• Generally, restaurants must be in business for at least three years.
• We select restaurants with diversity in mind: cuisine, geography, price, atmosphere, etc.
• When restaurants receive multiple nominations, we take that into consideration. If we see an unusual pattern of nominations and suspect restaurants are campaigning to be on the show, we take notice of that too.
• Financial support of the station in any form, including in-kind donations, does not factor into the selection of nominated restaurants and/or guest reviewers.
• National chain restaurants will not be considered.

To nominate a restaurant, fill out the form here.

I’m a restaurant owner or handle public relations and marketing for a restaurant. If I support Arizona PBS financially, will that improve my changes of being featured?

No. Like all Arizona PBS original productions, “Check, Please! Arizona” is free from commercial interest and is not and never will be “pay-for-play.” The financial sponsors of this program have no editorial input or oversight.

Arizona PBS is grateful for the financial support of businesses in Arizona including restaurants. However, our editorial policy and internal review processes ensure a clear separation between fundraising and content creation.

What is the editorial policy?

As a PBS member station, Arizona PBS observes a strong code of policies regarding editorial content to maintain viewers’ trust. Arizona PBS is mandated to certify that editorial freedom is guaranteed in every locally produced program to fulfill the mission of public broadcasting to inform, inspire and educate. Arizona PBS will not relinquish or compromise the editorial control of any production by request or suggestion of sponsors, funders, donors, lobbyists or special interest groups. Editorial integrity in public broadcasting depends upon each station upholding a commitment to providing a free and independent decision-making process throughout the production process in a manner ultimately accountable to, and in service of, the needs and interests of Arizonans.

Does “Check, Please! Arizona” feature restaurants outside the Phoenix metropolitan area?

Yes, the program has featured restaurants in Sedona, northern Arizona and Tucson, among other areas around the state. We welcome suggestions for restaurants throughout Arizona!

I have a question or comment about “Check, Please! Arizona” or one of the featured restaurants. How can I submit my comment or question?

If you’d like to discuss the show or the restaurants with fellow viewers, we invite you to do so on our Facebook page.

If you have a comment or question about the production rather than a restaurant, please email us at [email protected] or call Viewer Services at 602-496-2308 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Arizona time.