Mama E's - Restaurant Impossible Update - Open or Closed?

In this Restaurant Impossible episode, Robert Irvine visits Mama E’s Wings and Waffles in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Mama E’s Wings and Waffles is owned by Keith and Stephanie Patterson.

They have owned the restaurant for 9 years and it is named after Keiths mother, Evelyn.

He chose to name the restaurant after her as she taught him how to cook and it seemed fitting to name it in her honour.

The restaurant was on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives but the restaurant is still in trouble.

Keith has a passion for cooking and became an executive chef at a Country Club.

His mother sadly passed away and he finally realised her dream of him owning his own restaurant as they had discussed.

After Diners Drive-ins and Dives he expanded and changed location.

He renovated the new restaurant but as it was closed for this the customers left.

Business declined when they opened as the customers had moved on.

He was forced to go back to the country club and leave Stephanie to run the place.

The challenges have affected their marriage with a divorce looming and they are losing everything they own.

Robert arrives at the restaurant and the entrance leaves a very bad first impression.

There are broken tiles, peeling vents and scotch-taped wires as the renovations are still not complete.

There are insects falling out of the curtains, food on the floor and the serving tables are leaking.

The furnishings are not better with a hair salon chair in the dining space, writing on the walls and ceiling.

The floors are also filthy and sticky.

The owners meet with Robert and he tells them how disgusting the space is now.

Robert walks out and Keith is upset by the criticism and asks the cameras to leave.

Robert comes back while Stephanie is confronting Keith about abandoning the help they are about to get.

All three get into an argument and it comes out that Stephanie is the one who contacted Restaurant Impossible.

Keith is resistant at having his problems aired on TV and Stephanie is upset.

Robert says he is only saying the truth and Keith explains the space does not reflect him but the life that happened to him.

Keith is apologetic and Robert explains he is there to help and not to shame.

All three sit and have a progressive conversation about how they started.

Stephanie complains that she does not know how to run a restaurant.

It was Keith’s forte but he left her alone at the restaurant.

She wanted to do what she wanted and so she set up a hair salon in the corner of the restaurant.

Keith says the hair salon is temporary and Stephanie begins to walk out.

This makes Robert realise that he must work on their relationship.

Keith slips up and says he loved her rather than he loves her.

She walks out again and drives away from the restaurant.

Robert meets with his team.

They discuss continuing with the renovation as they are losing time and the owners are not on the same page or cooperative.

Robert decides to meet with the staff and Stephanie returns interrupting them.

The staff are dismissed and the three continue where they left off.

Robert identifies some issues that moves Stephanie to tears.

Robert leaves them to discuss between themselves to see if they can still work together.

This will determine if they will continue with the show.

While they are away Robert still decides to check out the restaurant’s lunch service.

There is still a strong customer base of returning customers and a few new customers.

The restaurant is known for chicken and waffles.

The kitchen is clean except for the waffle iron that is in constant use and is blackened with burnt food.

There are rotten leaves in the lettuce they are serving but the customers love the food as it is served in huge portions.

The customers have positive feedback.

Tom and Lynn look at the structure of the space in the off chance they still get to do the renovation.

Some time later Keith and Stephanie come back and they agree to working together on the restaurant.

Robert learns Stephanie has a great voice but also Keith too and they both sing together for the staff and crew.

The renovation finally has the go ahead and they clear out the space.

They are working on the floors, the ceiling, the walls and the lighting all at once to recover the lost time.

It is a small space so there is not much to work with.

The next day, Robert arrives and checks in with the design team.

The space is looking better with lighting and the walls coming together.

Robert sits with the owners outside to discuss their financial plans moving forward.

He shows them how they have been both undercharging and overserving their food.

This is where they are losing their money each month.

In the kitchen, Robert takes the staff through his version of collard greens to elevate the taste.

They have been given a new waffle maker and he makes chicken and waffles.

They will be served in a different way and he also adds a peach pie to their menu.

Robert and the couple are taken to a local TV station for a new marketing drive and Stephanie sings the restaurant jingle live on TV.

Afterwards, he takes them to a recording studio for them to record a song together.

They are both emotional afterwards and happy to do something they love to do together.

Back at the restaurant the renovations are done and the couple is taken in to see the space.

It has been modernised with some colour and proper lighting that makes the room look bigger.

The consistent tables and chairs that make it look more like a restaurant.

They have a new logo with Keith’s mother as a drawing, which moves him to tears.

They both love the new restaurant.

On relaunch, the customers are let in.

They love the changes and how classy the space is.

The customers love the food from the menu and say they would all come back.

What Happened Next at Mama E's Wings & Waffles?

Some weeks later it is revealed Keith quit his job at the country club.

Their revenue had doubled and customers love the new look of the place.

The food at the restaurant is better than ever, portion control and inventory management are now tracked in the books.

The salon chair is no longer in the restaurant space and the couple are getting closer every day.

Five years later, business has slowed but is still up 15% from before the show.

Mama E's is open.

They have closed their second location since the show.

Reviews after the episode are mostly positive.

Mama E's 2020 Revisited Episode

In 2020, Robert Irvine revisited Mama E’s.

He visited owner Keith back in 2014 for season 10.

Robert says that the state of the restaurant was appalling.

Robert had to focus on saving their marriage more than saving the restaurant.

Six years later, Robert is going to revisit the restaurant to see how they are doing now.

Robert says he isn’t quite sure what to expect.

Robert walks into Mama E’s.

He tells Keith he wants to try the chicken and the cobbler now.

Robert gives Keith a poster of himself and he signs it.

He says that Guy was best man at his wedding but he is much cuter than Guy.

Robert wanted to see if he kept up with how he started off six years ago.

He tries the food.

The chicken is moist and seasoned correctly and the collard greens are great.

However, Robert says they went wrong.

He says he wants ice cream on this.

Stephanie is in beauty school studying hair and makeup.

She also does government work.

Their marriage is better, however there are still some problems.

Robert says to tell Stephanie that he says hi.

Six years ago, the food cost was around 60-70%.

Now, it is around 34-35%.

Keith says he is able to make money now.

Six years ago they made from $200-$3000 a day.

Keith paid off all of the debt that they had.

They are able to have a life and he can’t thank Robert enough.

Keith is working on starting a food truck alongside the restaurant.

Robert and Keith create some dishes that will be unique to the food truck.

Robert says that Keith is killing it.

Keith says that this experience is priceless.

Robert bought Keith another waffle iron.

The customers are very happy with the food.

The staff like working for Keith.

Today’s visit with Robert means the world to Keith.

Mama E's Wings & Waffles was Restaurant Impossible season 10 episode 1 and aired on 24th November 2014.

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