Now in its sixth year, the Krystal Square Off season kicks off in Chattanooga with the opening ceremony featuring the annual Running of the Krystal Square Off Grill, a new-rules eating exhibition by the number two-ranked eater in the world Patrick “Deep Dish” Bertoletti, and an eight-minute qualifying contest that puts amateur hopefuls chosen on the spot against some of the world’s best professional eaters. The winner earns a seat at the World Hamburger Eating Championship in Chattanooga on Sept. 27.

Here is the schedule:
Friday, Aug. 21
1 p.m. Lighting and Running of the Krystal Square Off Grill - Krystal Headquarters at 1 Union Square

The official Krystal Square Off Grill will be lit on the steps of The Krystal Company headquarters to signify the beginning of this year's Krystal Square Off. From there, a processional of Krystal employees and Chattanooga residents will lead the running of the ceremonial grill through the streets of downtown to the Chattanooga Riverfront, the location of the kick-off event and home of the Krystal Square Off VI World Hamburger Eating Championship on Sept. 27. All Chattanoogans are invited to join the running of the Krystal Square Off Grill.

2 p.m. Media Square Off - Chattanooga Riverfront
A Media Square Off will take place during the Opening Ceremonies with some of Chattanooga’s news personalities putting their money where there mouth is as they compete in a two-minute Krystal burger eating contest, featuring the two new rules: Big Angus Burger Points and a new no-dunking rule.

2:20 p.m. Eating Exhibition by Pat Bertoletti – Chattanooga Riverfront

Patrick “Deep Dish” Bertoletti, the number two-ranked competitive eater in the world and the runner-up at last year’s Krystal Square Off V (with 85 Krystal burgers in eight minutes), will show off his new eating strategy as he tackles both the famous Krystal hamburger and Krystal’s new Big Angus Burgers while adhering to the challenging, new “No Dunking” rule.

Saturday, Aug. 22
2 p.m. Open Registration for Five Amateurs Spots - Chattanooga Riverfront – Main Stage at Southern Brewers Festival

3 p.m. Chattanooga Qualifier- Chattanooga Riverfront - Main Stage at Southern Brewers Festival

At the Chattanooga Qualifier, professional and amateur eaters will battle it out during the first eight-minute contest of the 2009 Krystal Square Off season. For the first time in Krystal Square Off history, eaters will contend with two new rule changes—Big Angus Bonus Points and a No Dunking policy—that alter the face of the competition and force eaters to rethink their strategies.

And just like last year at Krystal Square Off V, up to five amateur hopefuls will be chosen on the spot an hour before the qualifying eating contest to go head-to-head and bite-to-bite against professional eaters. The winner of this event will earn the first of 12 seats at the final table of the Krystal Square Off VI World Hamburger Eating Championship, where the best eaters in the world will compete for a $50,000 in cash prizes, the largest cash purse in competitive eating history.

Admission is free. The Krystal Square Off VI Opening Ceremony events on Friday will be free and open to the public. The Chattanooga Qualifier on Saturday will take place on the Main Stage of the Southern Brewers Festival on the Chattanooga Riverfront and will cost the price of admission.

Krystal Square Off VI World Hamburger Eating Championship is heralded as the “Super Bowl of competitive eating” and one of the two “majors” in the sport. It is the only world hamburger-eating championship officially sanctioned by Major League Eating, the world governing body of all stomach-centric sports. At the Krystal Square Off VI final in Chattanooga on Sept. 27, competitors will battle for the title and a $50,000 total cash purse, the largest in competitive eating history. Joey Chestnut, the world’s number one-ranked eater and the hamburger-eating world record holder with 103 Krystals in eight minutes, receives an automatic seat to this year’s championship as the reigning Krystal Square Off champion.