On "Restaurant: Impossible," Robert Irvine makes it his mission to
transform failing eateries. The "before and after" is dramatic,
but do the changes stick? Here's a rundown of the show's rocky track record.
In season 19, episode 1, viewers met Robert Lane, the owner of The Anchor, in Louisville,
Tennessee. Lane's family turmoil took a front-row seat during the episode as
Robert Irvine and the team tried to help him brush up on his business practices.
The episode ended with a hopeful tune and left Lane and his daughter reunited while
giving his son a much-needed boost in confidence and responsibility.
It seemed that things would turn around for the waterside restaurant, but apparently not.
After filming, The Anchor received several mixed reviews regarding the food quality, service,
and even the bathrooms. According to sources,
Lane's daughter got a different job shortly after the show aired, which was significant,
considering the fact that her returning to work at The Anchor was a huge focal point
of the show. One Reddit user claimed that Lane's son Rob had been involved in a scandal involving
another employee; but whatever the case, The Anchor ultimately closed before the end of 2021.
Cape Horn Family Restaurant in Red Lion, Pennsylvania, was another family business
that met its end. In season 12, episode 6, Irvine and the show's team swept in
to help owner Joni Kauffman get things into shape. They tried to address lazy servers,
the attitudes of the staff, poor food quality, and the financial stress of the owner and her husband.
The episode ended with a happy Joni, improved staff morale, and an exciting new plan for a
different menu. After filming, the implemented changes brought on new customers, while a few
old menu items returned to the rotation to keep the regulars coming back. Tragically, though,
Joni was diagnosed with cancer shortly after the show aired. Cape Horn Restaurant closed
down as she battled toward recovery, but it never reopened, as Joni sadly passed away in June 2017.
In season 2, episode 4 of "Restaurant: Impossible," Irvine and his comrades
pulled up to a diner in Stafford, Virginia. The owner was facing bankruptcy, some dirt and grime,
and a lot of stress, and he desperately needed help. Irvine was more motivated
than usual to help this owner, Eric Green, who also came from a military background,
which Irvine related to and respected. After some significant changes by the end of the episode,
the County Fare crew was in good hands, with an exciting and fresh start before them.
Unfortunately, the Stafford County restaurant did not hang on for as long as fans hoped.
Green reportedly saw improvements in their business the first month after filming,
but sadly it was followed by a precipitous drop in sales. County Fare closed its doors
for good just a few months after the show aired in October 2011.
The Dinner Bell's owner Tommy stands out in viewers' memory as one of the
only chefs that was brave enough to buck up to Irvine on camera.
"Yeah, you want to hit me, right?"
"Yeah, I do!"
"You do. It's be the biggest mistake of your life."
While he and Irvine intensely clashed throughout filming, the "Restaurant:
Impossible" team ultimately made a positive impact during their visit to Madison,
Tennessee. This episode was one of the most difficult to film due to its raging tempers
and tantrums, but it ended on a positive note, with hope for The Dinner Bell's future.
But by the time season 5, episode 9 aired in February 2013, and the restaurant reportedly
had already returned to its old ways. Tommy reduced the prices back to their
original state and the restaurant ultimately closed in April 2013,
thanks to the economic impact of overspending for food and supplies. Additionally, The Dinner Bell
received mixed reviews after the transformation, which reflected that much had stayed the same.
The Mad Cactus and its issues with food, service, and everything in between led the "Restaurant:
Impossible" crew to Strongsville, Ohio for season 2, episode 12. Irvine and the owner
Tom worked together to make meaningful changes in the restaurant's finances and to instill a
proper management hierarchy. Though Tom put up some mild resistance, he conceded where it was
necessary, and viewers ended the episode with a fresh look and new plan for The Mad Cactus.
After the episode aired, there was a bit of animosity from Tom regarding how Irvine
treated him during filming. He claimed that Irvine was constantly losing his temper,
and the show was set up to depict The Mad Cactus in a negative light.
"When you're chewed out, you know, you get to a point where
you've pretty much had enough of being chewed out. So I am a little shaken."
Despite the drama, business for The Mad Cactus increased by about 20 percent
after the show's intervention, and the restaurant seemed to get good reviews.
That all changed when Tom decided to bring back the old menus and return to many old habits.
Ultimately, those choices led to The Mad Cactus' closure in 2013, just two years after filming.
Cockroaches, outdated decor, and a tired owner led Mama Lee's to the spotlight of Restaurant:
Impossible, season 3, episode 8. This restaurant needed extra support, which led Irvine to call in
reinforcements in the form of HGTV's "Kitchen Cousins," Anthony Carrino and John Colaneri.
By the end of the episode, Irvine and his team instilled new confidence into owner
Ken and the staff, and the joint sported a newly decorated, neat, and clean space.
From the significant improvements viewers were left with, one could assume that Mama Lee's
went on to lead a happy, long life of serving food. Sadly, that was not the case. A local,
San Antonio-based publication picked up the closure story and reported that the
final straw came very near a failed health inspection which revealed a continuation
of the original cockroach problem, some issues with food handling and storage,
and reported that a few additional pests had also moved in. With 42 inspection demerits on
the scale that typically caps off at 30, Mama Lee's finally closed its doors in July of 2013.
In the show's second episode, Irvine took off to Providence, Rhode Island,
to visit Mainelli's, a family-owned Italian restaurant. Jerry Picaro pleaded for help
after the business began losing more than it was making each month. Mainelli's also had
issues with the gas company shutting off its supply and the community not knowing
if the restaurant was open or closed. The episode ended with new signage,
a corrected community perception, better food, and nothing but potential.
Unfortunately, through no fault of Jerry or his staff,
Mainelli's fell into horrible luck when a car crashed into the side of the building
after filming. This naturally required another closure to repair the damage,
leaving the owners with a plan to reopen later. The reopening never happened, and the Mainelli's
building went up for sale at an auction in September of 2013, just two years after filming.
Meglio's, yet another Italian restaurant, drew Irvine and the "Restaurant: Impossible" team over
for assistance in the fifth episode of season one. Meglio's was based in Bridgeton, Missouri,
and it was owned by John Meglio, who came from a long line of restaurateurs and entrepreneurs. His
attempt to live up to a legacy had run him into debt, despair, and near destruction. Thankfully,
Irvine helped bring in fresh decor, fresher food, and some marketing tactics.
In a bit of a rebellious act, Meglio reportedly brought back some dishes Irvine took off the menu,
claiming that the locals wanted the old food back, particularly frozen pasta. The
changes didn't work, though, and Meglio's closed four years after the episode aired.
Louis and Susan Lonetti owned "Peppinos's" in Oviedo, Florida, and sought the help of
the "Restaurant: Impossible" team. The couple had owned the restaurant since
1992 and had invested a lifetime of work in the business. Irvine had his hands full with debt,
a staff member with an anger issue, and a design that needed updating. Irvine remade the menu,
got the staff into shape, and launched a new look with an exciting promise of improvement.
Season 13, episode 4 aired in March of 2016. Unfortunately,
Peppino's closed its doors in January 2020 due to reports
of business slowing down to the point that the Lonettis had no other option.
Kaitlyn Pilsbury owned Rosie's Cafe, in Escondido, California, which was the focus of season 14,
episode 1. The restaurant gave off a bad first impression to Irvine due to its unsightly
decor and disorganized management. In typical fashion, Irvine and his team came to the rescue
and boosted Rosie's Cafe to a better standing before the episode concluded. Filming wrapped
up around January 2019, leading to a year of improved success for the eatery and its owner.
Tragically, in December 2019, Pilsbury was the hit-and-run victim of a motorcycle accident. Her
injuries made it impossible for her to work, and they also cost a pretty penny. Irvine was notified
of this unfortunate circumstance and coordinated a fundraiser to help, raising $118,000.
"I know that Kaitlyn wants to get back here and thank each and every one of you."
Unfortunately, even that wasn't enough to keep Rosie's Cafe in
business after the pandemic struck, leading to its permanent closure.
It's probably not a good idea to combine mortgage debt with your buddies to secure
a restaurant deal, yet that's exactly what Brian, Jerry, Mike, and Leon did when they purchased the
restaurant Scrimmages in Wilmington, Delaware. The owners were facing financial stress, a smidge of
resentment, and a constant loss of finances: They were not in good standing when Irvine met them
"You guys might be great at what you do in your own business, but you suck at this business."
Additionally, the customers reported slow service and cold food. The episode
ended with a successful relaunch after the changes were implemented.
After season 2, episode 7 aired in 2011, though, the restaurant's Yelp and TripAdvisor reviews
continued to trend downward, with reports of poor service and many of the same issues that
were present before the show's intervention. The restaurant ultimately closed for good in 2013.
Snooty Fox restaurant, owned by Tim and Cathy Queisser, was located in Indianapolis,
Indiana. The restaurant had 29 years of business under its belt,
but Irvine still had to tackle the issues of limited clientele and various forms of debt,
not to mention the fact that the restaurant's head chef had walked out..
He also worked on boosting business so the business could get back on track,
helped resolve kitchen hazards, and assigned people to new roles that may
have better suited the restaurant's needs. The evening relaunch brought a gaggle of
customers and happy owners. But the turnaround following the season 2 episode 5 remodel only
lasted less than three months before Snooty Fox was closed for good in October 2011.
So Natural Organic Restaurant in Harker Heights, Texas, was a bustling family business. However,
when Irvine and his team visited in 2016 for season 13 episode 7,
the family was practically crumbling under the weight of an unstable business. Irvine's visit
led to a flurry of change and excitement among the owners. The family had a passion for healthy food,
and they hoped Irvine's visit would help spread the word about the restaurant's existence.
Irvine's help led to an increase in business after filming, and the family stood by the
renovation as one of the most helpful factors and the show itself as a massive source of new
business. Apparently, visitors from across the country stopped by purely because they
had seen the show. The success continued for about two years, with the family later
deciding to close the restaurant and focus their efforts on catering. Now,
the So Natural Organic Restaurant has been replaced with So Natural Catering.
The Wagon Wheel in Delaware offered muskrat, and that was only one of the iffy choices
available at the restaurant. Irvine rolled in season 6 episode 6 to help and was not
a fan of the marsh rabbit that hit his plate or the dusty floral decor. Owner
Patty Gallegos ran the business and carried on a line of three family generations who did
the same. Her daughter Sheila also worked in the restaurant, as did other family members.
Irvine helped the restaurant regain its standing, although he couldn't convince Gallegos to remove
the muskrat dish. The community reportedly resisted some of the restaurant's new changes,
though. Ultimately Patty decided to prioritize her health after spending 40 years of her life
on the family-based business, and with Sheila deciding not to continue at the restaurant,
Wagon Wheel closed its doors 16 months after the show aired.