In this 24 hours to Hell and Back episode, Gordon Ramsay visits The Old Coffee Pot in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The Old Coffee Pot is owned by Dustin, who started working there as a chef.
When he first purchased it, it was doing very well.
They had a reputation as the best breakfast restaurant in the area.
The Old Coffeepot is located in the busy French quarter but now struggles to get customers through the door.
Dustin started having personal issues and got divorced from his wife, who left him with three kids.
Since then, his attention had been divided and the restaurant has suffered.
Dawn is in charge when he is not around but she is also very relaxed about her responsibilities and often leaves her shift early.
When Dustin is away the staff no longer act professional.
Gordon gets into disguise as a rocker and uses a band of musicians to get into the restaurant and sample the menu.
Gordon immediately notes the street is busy but the restaurant is empty.
They order staple New Orleans dishes from the menu.
Their food is delayed and the server ignores them until their food is ready to be served.
The red fish is frozen and the chicken in the Chicken Fleur de Lis is contaminated and old.
The toast is burnt, the eggs benedict are overcooked and the Po Boy comes with rotten fries.
The staff misbehave during the service and ignore the customers.
Gordon has had enough of what he has seen and goes to remove his disguise in the men’s room.
He then shuts down the restaurant and calls for the kitchen staff to give feedback.
Dustin is clueless when asked about the meal.
They are all taken to the Hell on Wheels truck to see secret video footage of the restaurant.
They see servers being rude, cockroaches, rats and other vermin in the kitchen, spoilt food and Dawn licking a plate.
Dan was embarrassed, moved to tears and Dustin is speechless.
The timer is started until relaunch and Gordon takes the staff for a meeting inside to read their online reviews.
The reviews highlight that the restaurant used to be good but now the customers will not go back.
Customer complaints include that eggs were overcooked, and the wait staff were lazy, slow and rude.
Dawn is quick to say she may be a problem as she was not trained as a manager.
Dustin says they have gotten complacent.
When the staff are asked who is in charge they all point to Dawn.
Dawn is just a chef but is expected to oversee the kitchen and the dining room.
The staff are not aware that they are just three months away from closing.
Gordon is distracted by the dirty bar and sees the bar is sticky.
There is a leaking fridge, a candy bar behind a cupboard and mould on an apron.
Gordon is shocked to discover that the restaurant rents their coffeepots.
Gordon then finds a dead mouse in the toaster.
Gordon’s team then get the staff to get the place cleaned up.
The furnishings are taken out of the restaurant for the renovations to start.
In the kitchen, Gordon finds slimy chicken and five freezers full of frozen food and produce.
The staff are asked to clean up the kitchen while Gordon takes Dustin aside as he has been very quiet throughout the whole inspection.
Gordon reveals Dustin has lost $300,000 and wonders what has happened since he opened the restaurant to lose so much money.
Dustin tells him how his divorce affected him, his wife cheating on him and leaving him with another man’s kids.
Because of this he had to make the drastic decision of cooking for the restaurant a week in advance so he could take care of his children.
Dustin admits he has given up on both himself and the business.
Gordon calls in an exterminator to take care of the infestations in the kitchen.
The kitchen staff are then taken to the Hell on Wheels truck to see the new menu for the restaurant.
Gordon takes them through making an egg’s benedict.
They are left to train with Gordon’s team of chefs all night to perfect the new menu.
Dawn is struggling with the tasks she is given while other staff are doing well.
Gordon pulls Dustin aside and tells him Dawn does not belong in the kitchen.
Dustin makes the decision to let Dawn go, permanently and it is a tearful exit.
Back at the restaurant they undergo a mini power outage which they repair and move on.
In the morning, the staff are brought together to present the new menu with dishes made by the kitchen staff.
Dustin also informs them that Dawn was let go and the staff are happy seeing Dustin step up.
The staff love the new dishes that have been prepared for the new menu.
After returning to the restaurant Gordon shows the kitchen staff the new kitchen with equipment from Breville.
There are also new coffee machines that they now own.
They immediately get to work prepping for the big reveal.
Gordon catches the servers leaning on the bar and reprimands them.
At the final countdown customers are let in and the place is now bright with white walls, it looks fresh and modern.
In the kitchen, orders come through and food comes out to the admiration of customers, who love the plating of the food.
Orders are confused in the kitchen and some chicken dishes are sent out raw.
Gordon is upset and calls out the kitchen reminding them they need to cook chicken for longer.
The meals are refired and sent back out cooked perfectly.
The customers are loving the taste of the new menu.
There are also walk-in’s coming for grab and go coffee.
These orders are served with branded bags that will help promote their business.
Gordon has a surprise and Dustin’s three kids are there to see him.
Gordon leaves them with a final gift of a brand new mouse free toaster.
What Happened Next at The Old Coffeepot Restaurant?
Three months later, business had improved and the customers love the new food.
Trip Advisor reviews and Yelp reviews were mostly positive with most of the negative comments complaining of poor service and wait times for food.
The owner said on Facebook that they weren't happy with some of the changes including the removal of the mural, chandelier and some of the artwork.
They added some if their old dishes back onto the menu and reintroduced the artwork.
The Old Coffeepot Restaurant closed in February 2019.
Dustin told the local media the restaurant was closing due to declining business and local construction.
He also said that appearing on the show didn't give him the boost in sales he had hoped for and it annoyed some of the regulars.
The Old Coffeepot Restaurant is 24 Hours to Hell and Back season 1 episode 2. It aired on June 20 2018 and the episode was filmed in October 2017.
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These restaurant owners don't listen to the best advice in the food industry and revert back to stupid practices. We'll see if these people have a restaurant in 6 to 12 months since they know it all...LOL
ReplyDeleteSome real, some staged but I don't see how putting back some artwork and adding back menu items will hurt - the problem wasn't the dishes but how they were made. As long as Dustin stays woke up and keeps working and studying to be a dynamic chef the Old Coffee Pot will be all right.
ReplyDeleteYou don't HAVE to work 80 hours a week to run a small restaurant - if you look at the operation logically, delegate and have good people you can do it in 50 hours or less easily. That leaves plenty of time for a home life.
To get the best employees you treat your staff like human beings and teach them to be the best but if they can't hack it let them go and be free in the restaurant world. There are plenty of books on management and motivation in the library. The reason most restaurants fail is management.
I dont know the real reason why he closed the doors. Maybe he wanted to sell the restaurant.. Its definitely in a gold place by the looks of it. Who knows. He was a real character that everyone can get behind. Sad to here they are closed hope he find his place and his kids are living in a good environment.
ReplyDelete