Where Are They Now: ‘Kitchen Nightmare’ Restaurants (Season 1)
Recently, The Ashley has become obsessed with the show Kitchen Nightmares. She used to be really annoyed by its star Gordon Ramsey, but The Husband has been watching the show a lot and eventually got The Ashley hooked!
Naturally, because she is also obsessed with doing “Where Are They Now” posts, she had to find out what’s happened to the restaurants featured on Season 1 of the show. Those episodes were filmed in 2007, so The Ashley was wondering if any of the restaurants were still open today. Read below to find out what happened once Ramsey left the building kitchen.
Peter’s (Babylon, New York):
‘Member this little piece of sunshine?
For his very first U.S. episode of ‘Kitchen Nightmares,’ Gordon visited Peter’s Pasta Specialities in New York back in 2007. If you’ll remember, Peter was not the owner; it was in fact his sister’s restaurant, however he was the one running the restaurant into the ground. He was also the one supposedly dipping into the restaurant’s profits to purchase fancy clothes, flashy cars, self tanner and other stuff rich people (or poor people who are trying to look rich) have. However, when the debt collectors come calling, things get physical out in front of the restaurant! (By ‘getting physical’ I mean he chased the bill collector with a meat tenderizer. No, seriously, this happened.)
Gordon put a stop to Petey’s sticky fingers, as well as all of his “sampling” of the restaurant’s food and drink. He also forced Pete to spend money to upgrade the restaurant’s kitchen and created a new, family-style Italian menu.
Status as of 2011: CLOSED! Apparently, Pete and the gang didn’t keep Gordon’s changes and the restaurant closed in 2008. Check out what some of its last customers had to say about the place. (It ain’t pretty!)
The Old Stone Mill (Tuckahee, New York):
This episode focused on The Old Stone Mill, a beautiful restaurant in a historical building. The owner, Dean literally rebuilt the building on his own. He also had an terrible temper (and even worse food!) Also working against them? The armpits of the restaurant’s general manager (he was a ball of sweat) and the over-garnished but poor quality food. (‘Member the funnel of salad and the martini glass of calamari?)
Gordon turned the restaurant into a steakhouse and played up its beautiful building and landscape. He also got rid of all the cheesy food presentations (such as the risotto in a diaper-like wrapping!)
Status as of 2011: OPEN! As you can tell from the restaurant’s website, they have kept a lot of Gordon’s menu suggestions, including several steak and seafood options. Overall, they seem to have upped their food quality as well, as the restaurants has gotten mostly favorable reviews on food critique sites. However, it seems like owner Dean hasn’t done much to control his explosive temper. (Check out this diner’s experience with Dean-o!)
UPDATE! Special thanks to Roundup Friend Jody for sending this update on The Olde Stone Mill! “Just to let you know Dean sold the old stone mill in 2009. So whoever had the complaint about the owners, it was the new owners, not Dean from ‘Kitchen Nightmares.’”
Finn Mccool’s (Westhampton, New York):
Gordon visited this family-run Irish pub/restaurant during Season 1. The place was owned by a father and run along with his two sons (one was a bartender, one was the chef). They received one of the worst kitchen inspections of the season. After making the family clean the kitchen, Gordon gave the place a makeover and gave the chef a lesson on how to make a shepherds pie that doesn’t taste like roadkill.
Status as of 2011: CLOSED! The restaurant lasted a few more years, with the owners stepping doing comedy nights and other events to keep business going, but unfortunately, the place closed down in March 2012.
Sebastian’s (Toluca Lake, California):
Season 1′s sixth episode focused on Sebastian’s, a pizza restaurant near Burbank. The owner was a wannabe actor who was convinced that the restaurant’s “20 gourmet sauces” could fix anything, even craptastic food. Everyone in the place was a waiter/actor and the owner appeared to be more concerned with getting on TV than fixing his restaurant. (You know you’re a douche when you put your own Hollywood headshots up in your office!)
Still, Gordon slimmed down the menu and made over the restaurant. He also got the dormant woodfire pizza ovens up and running (replacing the microwave the chefs previously used to unthaw everything.)
Status as of 2011: CLOSED! The word online is that the owner completely disregarding Gordon’s changes and went back to his old ways almost immediately after the cameras left. In January 2008, the restaurant shut down and the family moved back to Boston. (Wanna read the email that they sent out to their mailing list? Click here.)
Sebastian, the owner, got it in his head that he was going to be getting his own show. Obviously, that worked out well for him.
Campania (Fair Lawn, New Jersey):
This eatery had it all: a chef who was desperately trying to cling to his youth via piercings and tattoos, a wisecracking waitress and an owner, Joseph Cerniglia, that thought he knew everything. (Here’s a HIGHlarious summary of the episode.) Gordon did his best to get things turned around.
Status as of 2011: CLOSED! Holy crapballs. Lots of stuff happened here. For one, the restaurant closed down. However, that’s not even the craziest update. Apparently, the owner and his wife split up and he started to romance his 27-year-old pastry chef.
In July 2010, Joe overdosed on cocaine in the restaurant and he was later arrested. A few months later, Joe committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge. You can read all about that here.
Want to know what happened to the rest of the Season 1 ‘Kitchen Nightmares’ restaurants? Unfortunately, there aren’t too many left.
- The Mixing Bowl (Bellmore, New York): Despite the fact that Ali Lohan (Lindsay’s lil’ sis) recorded tracks for her album here a few months after Gordon visited, things went down hill and in 2009, the restaurant closed.
- Seascape (Islip, New York): Peter, the owner that Gordon helped on the show, sold the restaurant after filming to a new owner. It has since closed down and has become a steak house.
- Lela’s (Pomona, California): Apparently, this restaurant closed down in the summer of 2007, before the episode taped there could even air! Despite this dilemma, FOX still aired the episode.
- The Secret Garden (Moorpark, California): This restaurant was panned by Gordon for its arrogant French chef and its moldy food in the walk-in fridge. (You should read this article about the restaurant and the filming. Very interesting!) However, the owner must have made some improvements, as the restaurant is still open today!
To find out what happened to the restaurants featured on Season 2 of the show, click here.
30 Comments
Just to let you know Dean sold the old stone mill in 2009. So whoever had the complaint about the owners, it was the new owners, not dean from Kitchen nightmares.
Finn MCcools was sold but is still open.
Stop being “snarky”, and stop with the third person. In fact, stop blogging. How generally worthless are you? Are you truly convinced that banter like that will give you an edge in the field of worthless gossip blogging? Find a topic people care about, write about it sincerely and from the heart, and watch your followers grow. “The Ashley” needs to grow the f*ck up. “The Husband” probably makes fun of “The Ashley” to his friends. Although, it is most likely prerequisite to not have many friends inorder to marry someone like “The Ashley”.
Dear “Rachel,” “Brad” and “Gardenia,” If you’re going to leave me hateful comments on my website & pretend they’re from different people at least be smart enough to change IP addresses LOL… -THE ASHLEY
Your a douche bag.
You’re*
Thanks for the updates, I have wondered what happened to those restaurants, especially Peters, please update more!
@donna I plan to do an update on Season 2 very soon! Keep an eye out! -The Ashley
I’ve also become addicted to this show. I waitressed while in college and so many places I worked in could have used Gordon to set them right. The majority of the time personalities were to blame, or as Gordon often points out, their priorities are wrong. The restaurant has to be top priority and the patrons are king. This is a good rule for any business since without the customer there is no business. Thanks for the update on the show.
Just wanted to add that I hope you keep us updated for all future seasons too.
Season 2, coming soon!
-The Ashley
Well deserved praise, The Ashley.I have been curious about the show and the other sites aren’t nearly as informative,and your right, as I have been to a few they are closed! Great work!
Hey does anyone know what happen to that India resturant from New York.
Pretty boy Peter was a poser not an owner , no wonder his place closed
Hi,
I saw one season in tv (i live in Europe). Gordon always proposes the same solutions : changing the menu, cleaning the kitchen, buying chairs and tables.
But there is a big problem : most of the owners can’t cook and can’t manage a restaurant.
One day they tought to open a restaurant to earn money but without the knowledges to manage it. That’s the problem: they are stupid people that believe earning money is so easy…
hey i like your updates on what has happened to the place’s gordon has visited. plus i find your snarkyness funny.
The Ashley,
I personally was taken aback by Gordon’s straight forwardness, but in every occasion he was right on. To bad the owners that closed didn’t follow his direction. Keep typing Ashley.
The Ashley..LOVE IT!! BRAD IS A HATER!!!!!
Yeah! F**k Brad and everybody that looks like Brad!
I enjoyed this a lot. I googled trying to find out whatever happened to Finn McCool’s after re-watching an update show on season and this was a bonus to find out about all the restaurants. Very sad that Finn McCool’s made it all the way up to this year and then went out of business. Thanks for the interesting updates!
Seems like Robert Irvine is doing a better job rehabbing restaurants on Kitchen Impossible.
Personally, I find the bullying and foul language both on this show and his other chef seeking show ( in which the winners do not seem to receive the promised posts) to be past off-putting, and I can tell you that as a long time restaurant manager, you would have employees pissing in your soup to get back at you, followed by successful harrassment suits if you behaved like Ramsey.
IT’S THE RAMSEY .THE ONLY ONE WHO MAKES THE MONEY IS NOT THE RESTURANT IT’S THE RAMSEY
I like how most of these places closed even after Gordon helped.
I strongly suspect Lindssy Lohan little sister recorded her tracks in a studio called the Mixing Bowl and not a restaurant.
I just found Kitchen Nightmares on Netflix. What a train wreck! Each owner is worse than the previous, but Sebastian takes the cake. What a douche! Half of these people need therapy as much as the need a business overhaul. It’s too bad that Lou doesn’t have a place of her own. She was receptive to Ramsay’s ideas and actually knows what restaurant work is all about. I’m not surprised that most of these places failed. The business plans were excellent. The owners’ egos and hardheadedness are the problems.
Hey thanks for the updates! I am hooked on this show! Now that its on Netflix I am in heaven! Thanks again! P.s. do you know what happened to the Indian restaurant in New York?
Just came across your site while watching Kitchen Nightmares and wondering what happened to Zeke’s in New Orleans.Ignore the negative comments. Your site is witty and entertaining and your writing style engaging.I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks for the contained updates, they save me the time of searching for restaurants individually.
Just to clarify, Finn McCool’s restaurant closed due to problems with their lease, and the landord doubling the rent, according to two Westhampton newspapers. The business didn’t go under and was a success story from the TV show.