In this Restaurant Impossible episode, Robert Irvine visits De Rican Chef in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
De Rican Chef is owned by Raquel and Reuben Rothenberter.
The show has been contacted by Raquels daughter Tamara.
She meets with Robert to tell him why they need his help.
Her mom runs the restaurant and her brother manages the floor.
She used to work at the restaurant but she had to quit as it was putting a strain on the family relationships.
Her mom and brother disagree about everything and they won’t listen to each other.
Their constant disagreements are causing problems both at the restaurant and within the family.
Tamara wants the two to be able to work together to make the restaurant a success.
She feels like it needs a professional to intervene to let this happen.
Tamara has lured the pair to the restaurant by saying she wants to have breakfast with them both at the restaurant.
Robert heads over to the restaurant to ambush the owners.
They are all surprised when Robert appears and ambushes them.
He sits with the owners for a brief on the restaurant.
Raquel opened the restaurant in 2005 with a friend.
Her friend left the restaurant after getting pregnant and she was left without any help.
She didn’t have any experience in the restaurant industry before opening the restaurant.
Raquel invested $220,000 in the restaurant and Reuben invested $30,000.
They made $900,000 in their first year and expanded the restaurant to add more space to the bar.
This cost them $65,000 for the remodel to be able to do this.
Robert asks for a tour of the restaurant and also wants to see a service.
He is actually impressed with what he sees in the restaurant and questions how the restaurant is failing.
Robert asks some questions about the kitchen maintenance and cleaning but no one seems to know the answers.
During the service Robert sees that they are serving gigantic portions.
The portions are about three times what they should be and it is clear this is where they are losing money.
Robert meets with his design team Taniya and Tom.
They all sit down together to sample the menu and all are disappointed with the taste of the items.
Robert feels like Raquel has lost her passion and senses there is something they aren’t telling her.
He discovers that Raquel’s daughter Patricia sadly died and this led to her losing her passion.
Robert promises to bring back her passion whilst honoring her in the process.
He thinks that the restaurant has great potential, but they are haunted by the past.
Robert wants to get them excited about the future.
He gets Raquel and the staff to empty out the restaurant ready for the design team to get to work.
Robert wants the family to see the space for one last time and reflect on the memories they’ve has in the restaurant.
Tamara says that she feels like an outsider when she comes to the restaurant.
Robert knows that the key to success at the restaurant is restoring the family relationships.
This is the only way that they will be able to move forward.
He thinks that the best way to do this is to air all of the grievances that they have with each other.
Robert asks the staff to meet him to find out what they think the problems at the restaurant are.
They complain about Reuben, they think he is arrogant and inconsiderate.
The next day, Robert arrives and checks in with the design team.
He is impressed with the progress that they have made overnight.
Robert meets with Raquel as he has found some inconsistencies in the books.
The portions are huge but the dishes are also costing 70% of what they charge.
This is the reason they are losing money as the food costs are far too high.
Robert thinks that Raquel should be more hands on in the kitchen.
She used to be more hands on with the kitchen using her recipes.
Robert wants to see how she cooks so asks her to prepare some dishes for him to sample.
Whilst she is cooking the staff gather together and he wants Reuben to hear what the staff say about him.
He had no idea he was behaving that way and promises to change.
Robert goes to check on Raquel but she needs a little extra time to prepare the dishes.
He checks in with the design team and they are nearly finished and the design is looking great.
Raquel has finished with her dishes and Robert tastes them.
He thinks they are great tasting and will be added to the new menu.
It is time to reveal the new look restaurant to the owners.
They are impressed with the new look of the restaurant and meet the designers.
They are given a last pep talk before the relaunch.
On relaunch, the customers are let into the restaurant.
They are impressed with the new look of the restaurant.
The new food is such a big hit on taste that diners don’t mind the smaller portions.
What Happened Next at De Rican Chef?
De Rican Chef is open.
Reviews are mostly very positive with compliments of the food.
Robert revisited in 2020 and they have opened a second location and updated the menu.
De Rican Chef was Restaurant Impossible season 13 episode 2 and aired on 16th March 2016.
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