In the 18th season of “The Great Food Truck Race,” contestant Rising Tiger unexpectedly withdrew from the competition, citing personal reasons. This popular culinary series on Food Network features nine food truck teams battling it out in a series of food-related challenges, with the ultimate goal of taking home $50,000.
In this season’s cooking competition, Rising Tiger was one of the participants, managed by chef Devin Keopraphay, showcasing their signature dishes such as scallion pancakes and banana-fried steaks from Longmont, Colorado. However, in an unexpected turn of events, the teams participating in The Great Food Truck Race seemed to withdraw from the competition during Season 18, Episode, even though they had not been officially disqualified.
On several occasions, well-known contestants have decided to leave popular reality shows. However, this particular exit seemed particularly dramatic because the team’s departure was attributed to “personal matters,” offering no further explanation.
Why Rising Tiger Had to Leave Food Truck Race In Season 18 Opener
The initial episode of “The Great Food Truck Race” Season 18 left viewers in a state of shock when one of the main food trucks, Rising Tiger, decided to withdraw from the competition.
Toward the close of the show, it became clear that Vanetta Roy’s group, “Eat My Biscuits,” had been eliminated from the competition, making them the first team to depart during these recent installments.
Meanwhile, Devin Keopraphay, the owner of Rising Tiger, also decided it was time for them to leave.
At the end of Episode 1, Keopraphay announced his intention to pull our team out of the competition due to some private matters. He remained vague about the exact reasons when asked further.
As a devoted connoisseur of culinary creations, I must confess that “Eat My Biscuits” left me feeling a profound sense of disillusionment. With a heavy heart and reluctance that borders on despair, I find myself compelled to share my disappointment. However distressing it may be, I feel it’s necessary to part ways with this production, symbolically requesting the keys to move on and explore more palatable pastures in the cinematic world of gastronomy.
Devin Keopraphay: “Chef, I need a moment. For some personal matters, I have to step down from the team for the competition.
Florence: “Hang on, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hang on, huh?”
As a passionate cinephile, I regretfully find myself compelled to step away from our team’s participation in this competition. Back home, there are matters that urgently demand my attention and care. I apologize for any inconvenience caused.
Florence: “Is it personal reasons?”
Keopraphay: “Personal reasons, sir.”
Later, Keopraphay attempted to argue in favor of allowing Eat My Biscuits to remain in the competition since the Rising Tiger truck had decided to withdraw. Unfortunately, this effort proved fruitless, as Roy’s team ended up getting eliminated regardless.
Florence: “Are you trying to tell me you wanna go home instead of Biscuits?”
Keopraphay: “Yes.”
Vanetta Roy: “No, you’re good. You deserve to be here.”
In response to being pursued by the series creators to discuss events, Keopraphay expressed his unwillingness to discuss the matter by saying, “I prefer not to discuss it.
Hey everyone, I regret to say that I must depart, as leaving is tough because I believe we have the potential to triumph. It’s challenging to go because I think we can win and reach great heights together.
Producer: “Why are you leaving the race? Let’s talk it out.”
Keopraphay: “I don’t want to talk it out.”
It’s unclear why Rising Tiger departed from the show, but following just one week of competition, both the truck and the team associated with it have vanished.
As a die-hard film enthusiast, I can’t help but ponder over the possibility that Keopraphay’s exit from “The Rising Tiger” could have been connected to his daughter. It seems that their bond ran so profoundly deep, it might have played a significant role in his decisions.
Previously on the show, the head chef at Rising Tiger shared about his family life, expressing to the host, Tyler Florence, “She’s fantastic. Everything you put effort into each day is ultimately for your kids.
Florence: “Family’s back in Colorado. Who have you got back home?”
Keopraphay: “It’s just me and my daughter.”
Florence: “Oh my God, tell me about her.
She’s fantastic, I must say. Indeed, it’s all about the kids, isn’t it? You dedicate each day to them.”
Or simply:
“She’s terrific, truly. It’s always the kids, right? That’s who you’re working for every day.
Florence: “We got to keep– That’s why we gotta keep working, right?”
In the aftermath of Episode 1’s release, Rising Tiger shared a passionate Instagram post, but it remains undetermined whether these two occurrences are related.
In his post, Keopraphay shared that setting up a physical restaurant for their business has been challenging, and they’ve faced financial difficulties due to complications with an investor.
“I tried. I really f*ck*ng tried. Sometimes, you have to listen to your heart.
Over the past year, I’ve been deeply immersed in the process of setting up a physical establishment, and let me tell you, it’s no walk in the park. Running a restaurant is complex, confusing, and can be quite expensive. In today’s market, it’s not unusual to invest half a million dollars to a million just for a single project. Architectural plans, scans, legal fees, deposits, equipment, food costs, labor costs, time – you name it, and chances are it’ll end up on your bill somewhere along the way. Growing our business often means taking a leap into the unknown, whether that’s in the construction of our building, working with new suppliers, or securing financing.
In this instance, the chef expressed that there are simply too many cooks involved, so he decided to delay the launch of their physical store.
As a devoted cinephile, I’ve got to say, given that The Great Food Truck Race was believed to have been shot way back then, it seems rather improbable that this recent turn of events is connected to the team choosing to step down from the smash-hit reality show.
It’s quite possible, as it frequently happens in similar reality TV situations, that a pressing family matter arose for Keopraphay, necessitating their immediate attention and departure from the show to handle things at home.
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2025-08-04 18:12