I enjoy watching Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares because it shows how a restaurant should be run. There has been a lot of backlash on the number of the restaurants that have closed since he helped them, but the people who say these things don’t understand why. They seem to attribute it to Ramsay, but that’s not the case.
Usually, when people have called Gordon Ramsay to assist them, they have reached the bottom of the barrel or the end of their rope. Business owners wouldn’t call Gordon unless they have run out of money, ideas or both.
So, when Gordon gets there, the restaurant has already gotten a bad reputation or is poorly run. (or both) Just because he steps in the door, the crowds are going to come in just to see him and be a part of “his” restaurant for a portion of what it would cost to go to one of his own restaurants. Of course, that’s going to appear as if he has revived the restaurant. But the problem with poorly run operations is that it isn’t going to change in 3 days.
If the people are in horrendous debt, they will not be able to turn that around quickly enough to keep the place open. If they are poorly run, the owners think it’s someone’s fault other than their own.
I have owned businesses and I have shut them down. There was a statistic that said 90% of businesses fold within a year. You have to either have unlimited cash to keep a business open. Very few people have that. I actually ate at NYLA, owned by Britney Spears in the short time it was open in NYC. The decor on the table was a dollar store beaded lamp and the food was not worth the price. So, it wasn’t surprising when I heard it closed down. So, even Britney’s cash wasn’t enough to keep the doors open.
People who have never owned a business think it’s a party from the time you open the doors. You are married to the business. You have to live and breathe every second of the day. At least for the first year. The standard is that you have to have enough cash to keep the business open for a year without showing a profit-that no business shows profit the first year.
The reason people react so poorly on Ramsay’s show is that they have already burned out. The restaurant is on its last legs. No amount of work in 3 days will keep the business open. Most of the time, the people call him when they want out of the place, want to showcase it on TV and then sell it before it closes. This sort of backfires in the process because if you see how much attitude is in the background, it doesn’t make you want to patronize their restaurant.
One of the places actually closed the doors after Gordon’s visit and slammed him on their website, and then personally attacked him there as well. They don’t get that he didn’t just show up. THEY INVITED HIM TO HELP THEM. They know how he operates, they know his tactics, they know he’s going to yell, but in the end, he gets the job done! The underlying reason for the closing is that they wait until it’s too late to save the place. If they called when the tables just started to get empty, there might be a chance.
It was nice to see one restaurant that had a clean kitchen and cooler, but the only thing wrong was the owner’s attitude and food. He actually accosted a customer about whether the food was microwaved. (Which it was.) His attitude drove customers away. That’s not something Gordon is going to be able to change in 3 days.
Here’s a list that someone put together of the restaurants that have closed since the show aired:
Original site
US
S01E01 – Peter’s – Babylon, New York **closed**
S01E02 – Dillon’s – New York, New York **renamed Purnima, closed**
S01E03 – Mixing Bowl – Bellmore, New York **closed**
S01E04 – Seascape – Islip, New York **sold**
S01E05 – Olde Stone Mill – Tuckahoe, New York
S01E06 – Sebastian’s – Toluca Lake, California **closed**
S01E07 – Finn McCool’s – Westhampton, New York
S01E08 – Lela’s – Pomona, California **closed**
S01E09 – Campania – Fair Lawn, New Jersey **sold, then closed** 3 years later
S01E10 – Secret Garden – Moorpark, California
S02E01 – Handlebar – Mount Sinai, New York **closed**
S02E02 – Giuseppe’s – Macomb Township, Michigan **closed**
S02E03 – Trobiano’s – Great Neck, New York **closed**
S02E04 – Black Pearl – New York, New York **closed**
S02E05 – J Willy’s – South Bend, Indiana **closed**
S02E06 – Hannah & Mason’s – Cranbury, New Jersey **closed**
S02E07 – Jack’s Waterfront – St. Clair Shores, Michigan **closed**
S02E08 – Sabatiello’s – Stamford, Connecticut **closed**
S02E09 – Fiesta Sunrise – West Nyack, New York **closed**
S02E10 – Santé La Brea – Los Angeles, California **closed**
S02E11 – Cafe 36 – La Grange, Illinois **closed**
S03E01 – Hot Potato Cafe – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania **closed**
S03E02 – Flamangos – Whitehouse Station, New Jersey **renamed The Junction** **closed**
S03E03 – Bazzini – Ridgewood, New Jersey **closed**
S03E04 – Mojito – Brooklyn, New York
S03E05 – Lido di Manhattan Beach – Manhattan Beach, California
S03E06 – Le Bistro – Lighthouse Point, Florida
S03E07 – Casa Roma – Lancaster, California
S03E08 – Mama Rita’s – Newbury Park, California **closed**
S03E09 – Anna Vincenzo’s – Boca Raton, Florida **closed**
S03E10 – Fleming – Miami, Florida
S03E11 – Sushi-Ko – Thousand Oaks, California **closed**
S04E01 – Spanish Pavillion – Harrison, New Jersey
S04E02 – Classic American – West Babylon, New York
S04E03 – PJ’s Steakhouse – Queens, New York **closed**
S04E04 – Grasshopper Also – Carlstadt, New Jersey
S04E05 – Davide – Boston, Massachusetts
S04E06 – Downcity – Providence, Rhode Island
S04E07 – Cafe Tavolini – Bridgeport, CT **closed**
S04E08 – Kingston Cafe – Pasadena, CA
S04E09 – La Frite – Sherman Oaks, CA
S04E10 – Capri – Eagle Rock, CA
S04E11 – Zekes – Metairie, LA
S04E12 – Oceana – New Orleans, LA
S05E01 – Blackberrys – Plainfield, NJ
S05E02 – Leone’s – Montclair, NJ
S05E03 – Mike & Nellies – Oakhurst, NJ
S05E04 – Luigi’s – Anaheim, CA
UK
S01E01 – Bonapartes Restaurant – Silsden, England **closed**
S01E02 – The Glass House – Ambleside, England
S01E03 – The Walnut Tree Inn – Llandewi Skirrid, Wales **closed**
S01E04 – Moore Place – Esher, England **sold, now Esteem**
S02E01 – La Lanterna – Letchworth, England **closed**
S02E02 – D-Place – Chelmsford, England **closed**
S02E03 – Momma Cherri’s Soul Food Shack – Brighton, England
S02E04 – La Riviera – Inverness, Scotland **renamed to Abstract**
S03E01 – Oscar’s – Nantwich, England **sold**
S03E02 – The Sandgate Hotel – Sandgate, England **sold**
S03E03 – Clubway 41 – Blackpool, England **closed**
S03E04 – La Gondola – Derby, England **sold**
S04E01 – La Parra de Burriana – Nerja, Spain **closed**
S04E02 – The Fenwick Arms – Claughton, England **sold**
S04E03 – Rococo – King’s Lynn, England **closed**
S04E04 – Morgans – Liverpool, England
S05E01 – Ruby Tate’s – Brighton, England **closed**
S05E02 – Piccolo Teatro – Paris, France **closed**
S05E05 – The Priory – Haywards Heath, England **sold, now La Capilla, a tapas bar**
S05E06 – The Fish and Anchor – Lampeter, Wales
S05E07 – Curry Lounge – Nottingham, England
S05E08 – The Granary – Titchfield, England **closed**
Great British Nightmare
S01E01 – The Dovecote Bistro – Devon, England
S01E02 – The Runaway Girl – Sheffield, England