Restaurant Impossible....

[Dallas]

I have to admit, I am addicted to the Food network and I love this show. I really enjoy watching the major changes Chef Robert and his staff implement at all of these different restaurants across the country. Talk about a guy who brings the problems home to the owners, and he's in your face right from the start. He is a big muscled dude, but Im surprised someone hasn't tried to punch him out. :

Been following the show the past year or so and just cant get enough of the unreal changes they can do w/ $10k in 2 days time. The schedule and work is immense.

Super fun show.. Anyone follow it?

 

[RS12]

Not realistic to believe those changes happen in 48 hours. We dont know over what period of time things really happen. Also, when all is said and done most of those restaurants probably fail. 95% of restaurants fail regardless, but half these people tell him they have so much debt, there is no way they could make it without declaring BK.

 

[Jammer]

I have to admit, I am addicted to the Food network and I love this show. I really enjoy watching the major changes Chef Robert and his staff implement at all of these different restaurants across the country. Talk about a guy who brings the problems home to the owners, and he's in your face right from the start. He is a big muscled dude, but Im surprised someone hasn't tried to punch him out. :

Been following the show the past year or so and just cant get enough of the unreal changes they can do w/ $10k in 2 days time. The schedule and work is immense.

Super fun show.. Anyone follow it?

I'll watch it if I'm flipping channels and it's on. The show I like is Bar Rescue. It's on Spike (I think). They seem to explain why certain things work and why others don't better than the other shows.

You do come to the understanding it's a lot cheaper to stay at home and drink your beer and make your own hamburgers because the markup on booze and food is pretty steep.

 

[Jammer]

Not realistic to believe those changes happen in 48 hours. We dont know over what period of time things really happen. Also, when all is said and done most of those restaurants probably fail. 95% of restaurants fail regardless, but half these people tell him they have so much debt, there is no way they could make it without declaring BK.

I've actually Googled that and I've read the local papers reporting on the show when it comes into town. From all reports it really is a 48 hour thing. There have been some successes and some failures. The ones that do fail were going to fail no matter what.

 

[Dallas]

I'll watch it if I'm flipping channels and it's on. The show I like is Bar Rescue. It's on Spike (I think). They seem to explain why certain things work and why others don't better than the other shows.

You do come to the understanding it's a lot cheaper to stay at home and drink your beer and make your own hamburgers because the markup on booze and food is pretty steep.

I too enjoy watching Bar Rescue. The host reminds me a lot of Chef Robert from RI. They spend a lot more than 10k to redo the bars, but man the things that he does w/ the insta cold delivery systems. Awesome!

That shows cool thing is that they do get really detailed on bar operation. Pretty cool actually. I sat one night and watched like 5 episodes back to back.

Popular show.

 

[Hoofbite]

I can't remember what restaurant show it was but some famous chef was apparently having a bad day and some lady came in and started complaining about how everything she ate was awful.

He laid into her. It was hilarious.

The benefits of owning your own business. Telling people off.

 

[yimyammer]

Not realistic to believe those changes happen in 48 hours. We dont know over what period of time things really happen. Also, when all is said and done most of those restaurants probably fail. 95% of restaurants fail regardless, but half these people tell him they have so much debt, there is no way they could make it without declaring BK.

Love the show, it's amazing the amount of money these idiots sink into keeping their failing business afloat. Makes my wonder what percentage of our economy is made up of failed operations that are financed with personal capital before the money runs dry and the doors have to be closed. The business is really romanticized but its a hell of a lot of work.

I'm in culinary school and working at a restaurant now. One of the things we went over in class is the myth that 95% of all restaurants fail, its not easy, but its not that bad:

Several years ago, researchers at Cornell University and Michigan State University conducted a study of restaurants in three local markets over a 10-year period. They concluded the following: After the first year 27% of restaurant startups failed; after three years, 50% of those restaurants were no longer in business; and after five years 60% had gone south. At the end of 10 years, 70% of the restaurants that had opened for business a decade before had failed. Those are far different numbers than a 90% failure rate after the first year quoted by our television star chef. Another academic research study concluded that 81.4% of all small business failures result from forces within the control of the owners/managers. The bottom line is that even if the failure rate is a little daunting, failure is not inevitable.

http://www.restaurantowner.com/public/302.cfm

 

[Dallas]

Love the show, it's amazing the amount of money these idiots sink into keeping their failing business afloat. Makes my wonder what percentage of our economy is made up of failed operations that are financed with personal capital before the money runs dry and the doors have to be closed. The business is really romanticized but its a hell of a lot of work.

I'm in culinary school and working at a restaurant now. One of the things we went over in class is the myth that 95% of all restaurants fail, its not easy, but its not that bad:



http://www.restaurantowner.com/public/302.cfm

Culinary school? Really? How interesting. Great career choice. I have a couple friends in Anchorage who are top chefs at some of our best restraunts.

I envy them! I love love love to cook. : Glad to hear that 95% isn't as bad as everyone wants to throw out there. Thanks for sharing and have success in your career.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Restaurant Impossible and Bar Rescue are both great shows. I've watched every one.

 

[Yeagermeister]

Not that it matters for the show but Irvin isn't all that he claims to be. He lied on his resume about working to Buckingham Place if I remember correctly. :laugh2:

 

[1fisher]

My favorite channel as well..... Triple D - Chopped - Heat Seekers.

 

[Meat-O-Rama]

My favorite channel as well..... Triple D - Chopped - Heat Seekers.

Heat Seekers would be a great show if they replaced the two morons starring in it. They are too busy trying to be cool and hip to actually talk much about the food. Annoys the hell out of me.

I love watching Restaurant Impossible. It's funny when people argue with him or just flat out refuse to do what he says. You got yourself into this mess, asked him to help and now you know better?

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Great show.

Glad yimyammer pointed out the 95% failure rate falacy.

I did business brokering back in the 90's (helped people to sell their businesses).

The failure rate can be 100% if you mismange it.

The success rate can almost 100% if you do things right.

And what is right?

It's pretty much covered by the show...

1. Know your foods costs and price things accordingly– you gotta make money.
2. The place has to be clean... Make that very clean.
3. The service has to be good AND consistent.
4. The food of course has to taste good. I couldn't believe the yawhoo (I guess I could believe it) who didn't add salt to his dishes.

The franchises and company owned locations succeed almost 100% of the time because the do all four things.

It's the folks who think they can cook and also think it would be fun to own a restuarant who usually get killed within the business.

 

[iceberg]

Not that it matters for the show but Irvin isn't all that he claims to be. He lied on his resume about working to Buckingham Place if I remember correctly. :laugh2:

and that's what got him fired from food network to begin with. the popular outcry to bring him back made food network rethink it. sure he made a mistake but he's very popular in this and has done some incredible work.

i do think they go over what they will do with the bar before they just go apecaca on it. but who knows.

one show that cracked me up is when this BBQ place was an unholy mess with crap everywhere. they had to clean the place up before they could even begin. i told my friend who was watching it with me it was a waste of time because anyone who would let their rest. get that cluttered will just do it again when robert leaves.

he did.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

I really liked the original Iron Chef show. The one that was in japan and had the over the top host that reminded me of Liberace with his outfits. But that show was pretty funny to watch.

Other than that I really don't watch much of that channel. I think it is more of the wife wearing me out watching so many of those shows. Although to be fair if I see on the guide that someone is going to be in a location I am interested in, I might tune in. Not sure of the name of the show(s) but there are one or two where they have a guy going to different locations to either check out the local foods or to do some kind of challenge of eating some large meal. I have watched a few of those.

 

[Dallas]

I really liked the original Iron Chef show. The one that was in japan and had the over the top host that reminded me of Liberace with his outfits. But that show was pretty funny to watch.

Other than that I really don't watch much of that channel. I think it is more of the wife wearing me out watching so many of those shows. Although to be fair if I see on the guide that someone is going to be in a location I am interested in, I might tune in. Not sure of the name of the show(s) but there are one or two where they have a guy going to different locations to either check out the local foods or to do some kind of challenge of eating some large meal. I have watched a few of those.

Man vs Food

Diners-Drive Ins and Dives


I enjoy the Iron Chef and you are right the old IC was pretty fun because of the host and his outrageous interaction. Is it just me or does Bobby Flay the only one who ever actually loses on occasion? Everytime I see a IC lose, its BF. :

 

[Yeagermeister]

I really liked the original Iron Chef show. The one that was in japan and had the over the top host that reminded me of Liberace with his outfits. But that show was pretty funny to watch.

Other than that I really don't watch much of that channel. I think it is more of the wife wearing me out watching so many of those shows. Although to be fair if I see on the guide that someone is going to be in a location I am interested in, I might tune in. Not sure of the name of the show(s) but there are one or two where they have a guy going to different locations to either check out the local foods or to do some kind of challenge of eating some large meal. I have watched a few of those.

Man vs Food

Diners-Drive Ins and Dives


I enjoy the Iron Chef and you are right the old IC was pretty fun because of the host and his outrageous interaction. Is it just me or does Bobby Flay the only one who ever actually loses on occasion? Everytime I see a IC lose, its BF. :

The original IC cracks me up because of the crazy voice overs and the wild secret ingredients.