In this 24 Hours to Hell and Back episode, Gordon Ramsay visits Southern Kitchen in Richmond, Virginia.
Southern Kitchen Restaurant is a family run restaurant on a busy intersection near key Richmond landmarks.
Owner Shane and her daughters Chelsea and Kelyn have invested all of their money and are now in debt and facing bankruptcy.
Shane tells us that it is a traditional southern restaurant with staple southern dishes and she opened the restaurant after a career in sales and marketing.
She believes if you can sell then you should be able to sell food.
They moved from a previous location that failed and Shane went bankrupt.
Chelsea worked in education but gave up her career and invested $60k for her mothers dream and Kelyn finds it stressful working with her mom.
The family feel the new location is more stressful and the relationships are suffering as a result of pressure in the restaurant.
For the first time Gordon meets with Shane's mother Linda before he goes undercover in the restaurant. Linda tells Gordon that it is chaotic and the family is being torn apart.
Gordon goes undercover as a woman in a women's book club.
The group order staple southern dishes including blackened catfish, shrimp and grits, meatloaf, pork chop and more.
There is a lot of yelling from the kitchen whilst they read an erotic novel and giggle.
After 30 minutes the table has had most of their food but the salmon cakes were taken to the wrong table.
The food is presented poorly with piles of parsley.
The pork chop is dry, the shrimp is overcooked and the salmon cake is canned salmon.
Gordon intercepts Linda and asks Shane to get the staff out of the kitchen as he removes his disguise.
Gordon brands the food as sub par and reveals his bag of parsley and Linda makes an emotional plea to her daughter to tears all around.
Gordon asks the customers and staff to come out to his Hell on Wheels truck where he reveals hidden footage.
The footage shows breakages, the constantly ringing service bell, menu items missing and Shane shouting at staff in front of customers.
He asks the customers to return in 24 hours and tells the staff to tell their family they won't be coming home.
The staff sit down for a meeting and he asks Shane to go to her office.
Tim tells Gordon that communication is an issue between the family.
Chelsea is defensive and says that communication is an issue across the board and brands the staff as lazy at times.
The staff don't think that it is a positive environment and Shane thinks the staff aren't taking their jobs seriously.
Gordon meets with the kitchen staff to show them the new menu and tells Dre that he needs to take charge to keep Shane out of the kitchen.
The staff learn the new menu with Mary and her team and the staff seem invigorated by the new menu.
Gordon asks Chelsea for a talk as her name is on the lease for the restaurant and Gordon questions if she wants to be there and she admits it is her mums dream.
She feels that she can't give a timeline for her leaving the restaurant to resume her dream of opening a day care centre.
Gordon tells Chelsea that Shane needs to change completely and he asks Kelyn to join them.
She has no idea what she would like to do next with her life but all she knows is the restaurant.
Gordon makes it clear that he wants it to be successful but not at the sake of the daughters who have been burdened by the restaurant.
Gordon checks in with Mary and she tells him that they are passionate and are improving with practice and will work on speed.
Gordon sits down with Shane who is extremely defensive and he tells her that Chelsea has no long term interest in the restaurant.
He tells her that it is not her dream and she only signed the lease to please her mother.
He thinks it is unfair for her daughters to be dragged into the restaurant.
As Gordon is interviewed he gets word from a producer that Shane has left the restaurant and he runs after her.
Shane thinks Gordon has given up on her (?) and they talk through the issues and have a tearful hug before returning to the restaurant.
On relaunch night, the customers love the new decor and Gordon refuses to use the service bell.
The customers love the new food and the kitchen is working well together.
The food leaves the kitchen at a steady pace and Dre tells Shane it is his kitchen at one point lol.
What Happened Next at Southern Kitchen?
Southern Kitchen is open.
Three months later, the restaurant has been busy every day and the food has improved dramatically.
Chelsea has cut down her hours to three days, Shane has had the odd weekend off and took the family away for a Christmas vacation.
Southern Kitchen reviews are mostly very positive.
Southern Kitchen Yelp Reviews are very positive with customers loving the new decor and menu.
Southern Kitchen Trip Advisor reviews are mostly very positive with compliments to the new menu and service received.
Planning a visit to Southern Kitchen? Check out their website for more info including opening hours.
Southern Kitchen is 24 Hours to Hell and Back season 3 episode 6, was aired on February 11 2020 and the episode was filmed in November 2019.
More 24 Hours to Hell and Back
Next - The Park Restaurant and Bar
Previous episode - Seafarer's Family Restaurant / Halterman's Eatery
This was probably the funniest disguise yet!
ReplyDeleteHe expects his arrival to be secret but he comes to the area in a truck with the words Hell on Wheels in big letters. That kinda doesn't make sense to me.
ReplyDeleteFully understand why the owner wanted her girls to be their own boss. Glad that this family has mended things. It is hard to let your children fly on their own. But it is so necessary. Wishing them continued success.
ReplyDeleteThis was by far, the most emotional restaurant rescue episode Gordon has done so far.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing family and outcome, I'm really happy for them and I wish them the best in their future endeavors.
Honestly, the most organized episode so far. There wasn't much work that need to be done the kitchen wasn't a problem for the first time! The kitchen staff didn't even have problems. Loved this epsidoe beautiful family.
ReplyDelete