In this Restaurant Impossible episode, Robert Irvine visits Spicy Bar and Grill in Falls Church, Virginia.
Spicy Bar and Grill is owned by friends Mike Loh and Floyd Bui.
They bought Spicy two years ago and only wanted to be silent business partners.
They wanted to keep their careers in the car industry and the Government.
However, they both ended up running the restaurant as they lose their other business partner.
Whatever big plans Floyd and Mike had they went down the hill fast as they failed to bring in customers.
They are just a few bad months away from closing the doors and walking away.
They don’t have a clue on how to make the business work.
They struggle to make money and haven’t been able to pay themselves.
Things have got so bad that Mike had to use her son's college fund.
Floyd also recently sold his car to pay some bills in the restaurant.
They both got into the business, having everything and have lost it all.
Robert arrives at the restaurant and says that it all looks new in there.
Everything looks generic and boring.
Robert met the owners for a brief.
They tell him that they purchased the restaurant two years ago.
The pair paid $300,000 for it and don’t have any prior restaurant experience.
They got into the restaurant business because of a friend who led them into it.
He approached and convinced them to buy into it thinking it was a good deal.
Sadly, he left the business just three months after they opened.
Floyd does the restaurant's paperwork while Mike manages the kitchen.
They are currently losing $5000 each month.
Robert asks to see a service so he can find out what is wrong with the restaurant.
The dress code was the first issue that he sees.
The servers also do not know the menu they are serving.
Nothing in the restaurant runs like a typical restaurant.
There's no table numbering system, they all disrespect each other and they are wasting food.
Chaos and miscommunication are major problems at the restaurant.
It is the customers who pay the price for this from awful tasting food to waiting too long before getting their order.
It was time for Robert to try the food for himself.
He orders some popular items from the menu but is disappointed with the food he receives.
Communication is a significant problem, as suggested by Mike.
He has difficulty communicating with "Mommy” in the kitchen.
She is his friends mom and does most of the cooking.
Robert suggests that maybe someone else needs to be brought in to improve communication.
Next, Robert meets with his designer Taniya to discuss the restaurant.
He tells her that she has just 48 hours and $10,000 to update the decor.
Robert asks the owners and staff to move the furniture out of the restaurant so the design team can get to work.
As the servers blamed the owners for their lack of training Robert wants to test them.
He gathers them together to test them on the menu.
Robert is stunned to discover that the managers and even the chefs don’t know their menu either.
He gives them a copy of what will be the new menu so they can learn this ready for relaunch.
For the restaurant to have any chance of survival, Mike and Floyd must step up and lead their staff to success.
Robert asks the owners to do some homework that evening.
They are to go onto social media and place a job advert for cooks at the restaurant.
Those they recruit will need to be at the restaurant for 9am the following day.
Before he leaves he speaks with Nath and asks her to wear a more professional outfit the next day.
The next day, Robert arrives and meets with the design team to see the progress they made overnight.
He is impressed with the progress that they made overnight.
He encourages them to keep up with the good work, ready for the relaunch that evening.
Robert meets with the owners to see if they had completed the homework he asked of them.
They tell him that they have four potential candidates for the cook position.
Robert wants them to audition to see if they have what it takes.
Two of the cooks performed well and each cook a signature dish for Robert and the owners.
They are so impressed with both of them that they decide to hire both of them.
Robert works with both of them to teach them the new menu and new dishes.
Next, he wants to test the servers on the homework he gave them of learning the new menu.
To reward Nathalie and Carmen for dressing more professionally he takes them for a pedicure.
They appreciated it and were excited at the experience.
The design team have finished in the restaurant and it is time for the reveal.
The owners are brought into the dining room.
They are amazed by the new look of the restaurant.
The pair are surprised at how much they were able to do in such a short timescale.
They feel invigorated and energized for the relaunch that evening.
On relaunch, the customers are let into the restaurant.
They love the new decor and believe that the transformation is remarkable.
The relaunch is a success with customers loving the new food and promising to return.
What Happened Next at Spicy Bar and Grill?
A few weeks later, the restaurant had new owners.
Mike quit working after the restaurant shortly after relaunch and they decided to sell the restaurant.
Spicy Bar and Grill closed in November 2014.
They closed after being sold to new owners.
Spicy Bar and Grill was Restaurant Impossible season 9 episode 8 and aired on 10th September 2014.
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