Coffee's Boilin' Pot - Restaurant Impossible Update - Open or Closed?

In this Restaurant Impossible episode, Robert Irvine visits Coffee's Boilin’ Point in Madisonville, Louisiana.

Coffee's Boilin' Pot is owned by Tim Oalmann and Allene Bouey who bought the restaurant six years ago.

Tim has been working with the restaurant for the past 30 years since he was 14 years old.

It's always been his dream to work there and one day he hoped to own the restaurant.

Alleen started working there when she was twelve.

Her mom was a waitress while she was bussing tables.

After several years of working together, Tim and Allene fell in love and got married.

They had a daughter called Olivia and continued to work at the restaurant.

Six years ago, the former owner wanted to sell the restaurant and Tim bought it.

The couple figured out that they knew what to do since they have been working at the restaurant.

Tim and Allene bought the restaurant from the previous owner for $250,000.

The first year of business was good but after this it started to decline.

They have been losing money every month for the past four years.

They are sinking deeper into debt and owe over $220,000 against their homes.

The stress of keeping the business afloat took its toll on the couple.

The plan was for Allene to work with her husband the first year and after this she would stay home and hire a front-of-the-house manager.

Alleen has two kids and she became burnt out so she decided she wanted a divorce.

They have been divorced now for three years.

Tim takes care of the back of the house while Allene takes care of the front of the house.

Running the restaurant as a divorced couple is complex and currently, the relationship between the two is only for the restaurant.

The restaurant has reached a boiling point and they need Robert’s help.

Robert arrives at the restaurant and there is no flooring and a fishy smell.

The restaurant is old and outdated, everything looks old and dirty.

Robert is sure that there are a number of health violations and he decides that he won’t eat there.

Robert wants to meet the owners for a brief and to hear more about the restaurant.

Allene has been trying to protect the restaurant and it has only resulted in pain and no profit.

Robert thinks a couple that divided running a restaurant is a recipe for disaster.

They haven't taken a salary from the business but survive on money from other jobs.

Tim is a technician and Allene also has another job.

They have left the restaurant to run by itself because Tim isn't there enough.

They are losing $6,000 each month.

Allene thinks they are losing money because they don’t have an attraction.

Tim wants their daughter to be proud and doesn't want to see people unemployed.

He puts himself further in debt to help them out.

Allene still works there but waiting to be able to take her name off the signpost, menus, and everything.

They tell him that Tim can't afford to buy Allene out of the restaurant.

She feels like she is trapped at the restaurant instead of wanting to be there.

Robert asked to see the restaurant's food service in five minutes.

For a famous place for its delicious plates of seafood, Robert saw nothing but greasy fried food coming out of Tim's kitchen.

The rest of the menu is even more of a disaster.

Tim has been cooking without salt and seasoning.

As a result the food that comes out of the restaurant is bland and tasteless.

Robert feels he might be the cause of the failure in the restaurant so he moves Tim out of the kitchen.

Robert has seen enough of the service and food sohe decides to check the kitchen.

The kitchen is appalling. It is dirty, disgusting and caked in grease.

He meets Tim's brother Mickey who is also a chef.

There are holes in the wall that could become infested by vermin and Mickey is defensive of Robert's criticism.

The staff haven’t cleaned the kitchen in years and Robert orders them to start cleaning straight away.

Robert calls the staff together to discuss his plans for the restaurant and afterwards the staff get to work cleaning.

Robert meets with his designers Taniya and Tom and they discuss the best way to move forward with the renovation.

Robert asks the staff to start moving the furniture out of the dining area so that the design team can get to work.

While the staff are cleaning the kitchen they aren’t able to get rid of all of the grease.

The only option that they have is to burn the grease off of the equipment.

Despite the burning there is still a lot of work to do in both the kitchen and dining room.

Tim still thinks that his food is excellent and Robert needs him to see that his food is not good.

Robert goes into the town with a video camera to hear what they say about the restaurant.

The customers believe the boil is awful, the food is bland and declined after the first year.

Robert shows the footage to Tim who says that he spends little time at the restaurant because he cares for his daughter.

His next job is to work with Tim in the kitchen.

Robert shows Tim a method of boiling that saves time as it can be pre-prepared and has more flavour.

Robert checks in with the design team and is impressed with the progress.

His next task is to work with Tim and Allene.

Robert tells Allene that Tim will never be able to buy him out.

He thinks that it will take five years just to get above water.

Robert tells them to both go home and decide what they want to do.

They need to work together or one needs to walk away.

The next day, Robert met with Taniya and the design team to see the progress and is impressed with what they have done so far.

Robert meets with the owners to discuss what he had asked of them.

Allene reveals that she is going to walk away from the restaurant after three weeks without buying bought out so they can get on with their lives.

She says it is because it is Tim’s dream and what is best for their daughter.

Robert thinks that they need a new menu for the relaunch.

Robert shows Tim and Mickey new dishes they are to add to the menu including a crawfish and pork belly spring roll and a revamped catfish dish.

They all enjoyed the session and came out better for it and ready for the new challenges ahead.

Robert speaks to Tim about his concerns about Allene's role as front of house for the next three weeks.

He wants her out of that role for the relaunch.

Tim decides to keep her as front of house due to what she has put into the business over the years.

Robert and the team go to a community market with some free samples.

They plan to entice diners to the restaurant and introvert Tim shines speaking to the customers.

The newly decorated dining room is revealed to Tim, Allene and their daughter Olivia and they love the new laid back, relaxing decor.

On relaunch night, customers love the new welcoming decor.

Tim is loving being busy in the kitchen and customers love the new food and vow to return.

What Happened Next at Coffee's Boilin' Pot?

Coffee's Boilin' Pot closed in July 2012.

Reviews were mixed prior to their closure.

The restaurant was ravaged by Hurricane Isaac after being sold in August 2012.

Another seafood restaurant named Crabby Shack was opened in it's space in February 2013 following a vast revamp.

Coffee's Boilin' Pot was Restaurant Impossible season 2 episode 14 and aired on November 16 2011.

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