In this Restaurant Impossible episode, Robert Irvine visits Knife and Fork Gastropub in San Antonio, Texas.
Knife and Fork Gastropub is owned by brothers Javier and Gabe Orozco.
They started with a food truck called Bistro Six, which was successful.
With the help of their mother and stepfather, they set up a physical space to serve their food.
They invested $400,000 in getting the restaurant opened.
For the first six months, things were good at the restaurant and business was booming.
They made over $1million in their first year of business.
However, the constant presence of the brothers in each other’s lives led to arguments and fighting.
It caused a break in communication with their mother after she fired Javier.
They are busy and making money but do not know where it is all going to.
They are close to shutting the restaurant and losing their parent’s investment.
Robert arrives and he sees the restaurant is big and dark.
The tables are shoddy and a Christmas tree is hanging upside down from the ceiling.
Robert meets with Gabe but Javier is late and Robert is disappointed.
Gabe explains he is the executive chef and they have invested $400,000 in the restaurant.
They took $1million in year one but they did not save the money.
Javier comes in late and Robert reprimands him and he also does not know where the money went.
Robert allows them set up the kitchen while the lunch service starts.
The customers are confused by the decor of the restaurant.
The service itself goes very well but some feel the food doesn’t meet their expectations.
Robert inspects the surfaces and sees dirt and grime.
The floor behind the bar is sticky and the soda gun is dirty.
The floor has food debris and there is mould in the fridge.
Javier is shown all the problems and he is embarrassed with what Robert has found.
The food needs work too as the customers receive the wrong food.
The food that is received is bland and mediocre but they like the beer.
In the kitchen, Robert finds more problems.
There are more areas that need cleaning but it is cleaner than the bar.
Gabe is defensive of Javier explaining the bar situation but he is told not to do so.
Robert asks the brothers to prepare five meals for him to test.
The recipes are all Javier’s but are cooked by Gabe.
The pizza needs more seasoning and the Cuban sandwich is awful.
The Beef Stroganoff is too strong and the Tuna Tacos are bland with no tuna taste.
Robert says they need to define their roles and Javier needs to let Gabe make his own menu.
Robert meets with his designers, Lynn and Tom.
They decide what they are going to do with the space.
He asks the staff to empty the restaurant and they remove the furniture.
Gabe says they made the tables themselves and Robert easily breaks them apart to make a point.
Robert sits down with Rudy and Norma and they cannot tell where the money is going either.
They have cameras installed and they review some of the footage to get to the bottom of it.
In the footage they see bartenders giving out and drinking free shots.
Javier also joins in drinking the inventory and is also giving drinks away.
Robert sits down with the staff, owners and their parents.
The staff complain of no training and one of them admits they was hired while drunk.
They party too much at the bar and with no consistent management they do what they want.
Robert has them write honestly and anonymously the number of drinks they drink and give away behind the bar.
Robert does not read the results immediately and checks in with Tom.
They will be reusing the wood form the tables while the chairs will be reused and updated.
Robert goes off to another location to see the results of the survey he ran with the staff.
The next day, Robert checks in with the design team.
The renovation has moved along with the ceiling and lightings put up.
However, there is water on the floor and there is a leak they cannot find yet.
Robert goes to meet the family outside the restaurant.
Gabe has decided he will stay in the kitchen.
Robert tells him that is all his responsibility including the scheduling, menu, recipes and cleaning.
Javier will be stepping up to being the front house manager.
Both of them will be answerable to their parents.
Robert shows them the results from the survey he took the previous day.
It shows that a total of more than 100 drinks are given away every day.
Based on the number this totals over $60,000 of drinks a year.
This excludes the number of shots and food that is also given away by staff or consumed by staff.
Robert tells the staff the numbers as well and reprimands them for their behaviour.
He takes the owners and staff back to the kitchen to work on the new menu.
Robert trains them on making a classic Cuban sandwich and a Tuna Taco.
They are both items he felt were disappointing on their original menu.
The renovations continue and they have found the source of the leak and fixed it.
The bar needs to be cleaned ready for the reopening.
It takes the bar staff 4 hours to deep clean it.
The family are gathered and taken into their new restaurant.
It has been made to look more like a pub.
There is extra seating, a cohesive design and more space since the games have been removed.
They cannot believe the changes the team have made and love everything they have done.
The waiting customers outside are let in.
On relaunch, the customers love the space and find it warmer, more intimate and inviting.
Gabe is doing great with the food in the kitchen.
Robert acting as expediter notices some inconsistences and points it out.
The customers love the food coming out and promise to return.
What Happened Next at Knife and Fork Gastropub?
Two months later it is revealed the employees continue to abide by the no-drinking rule.
Gabe is still in control of the kitchen.
Javier is keeping close watch on the bar,
Their parents are in loop in the matters of the restaurant.
As the show was to be aired they told the local press that the show had not bought any more or less customers.
They said that they had not fixed everything and they had to spend thousands to put things right.
Knife and Fork Gastropub closed in September 2015.
It appears to have been closed by the landlord.
Reviews declined prior to closure and were mixed after the show.
Knife and Fork Gastropub was Restaurant Impossible season 10 episode 3 and aired on 15th December 2014.
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Why would anyone think it is the responsibility of Restaurant: Impossible to fix everything wrong with the restaurant? They have $10k and two days to give them something better. I think they accomplished that. It’s up to the owners to take it from their and actually “own” their problems and continue to work to fix them. Funny how some of these restaurants that fail after Restaurant: Impossible want to blame the show. To use a play on Robert Irvine’s famous words in response to that kind of attitude: “That’s why you FAILED!”
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