SiP Bistro - Restaurant Impossible Update - Open or Closed?

In this Restaurant Impossible episode, Robert Irvine visits SiP Bistro in Holly Springs, North Carolina.

SiP Bistro is owned by Sarah and Justin.

Sarah has reached out to the show for Robert to come and help their restaurant.

It was her dream to own her own restaurant but it has turned into a nightmare.

It has not only cost them a lot of money but their relationship and her confidence.

She was the top of her game but as the restaurant started to fail she lost confidence.

Sarah is embarrassed about the state of the restaurant.

The couple are having major marital problems due to the stresses of the restaurant.

Sarah did not know where else to turn other than to Robert.

Robert has sent scouts into the restaurant to find out more about the place and why it is failing.

Server Amanda says that Justin belittles Sarah in front of staff and customers.

He tells her that she is worthless and that she sucks.

Justin knows that Sarah has applied to the show but doesn’t think he is part of the problem.

Robert decides to ambush the couple so they have no time to prepare.

The decoy had already thrown them off and they were even more shocked when Robert arrives.

Robert sits down with the owners for a brief about the restaurant.

Sarah used to have a high earning role in hotel management in the North.

She moved South for Justin and for the business opportunity.

Justin promised that she would be able to open the coffee shop that she had always wanted to open.

However, they are now losing money and close to losing the place.

Robert wants to know what led to the breakdown of their relationship.

He was sure that Sarahs success had something to do with it.

Sarah had a successful rise through the ranks in the hotel industry and overcame her dyslexia being an obstacle.

Justin doesn’t feel part of it and this caused problems between the two.

Whilst the crew sets up Robert decides to have a look around the restaurant.

He can see that the theme of the place is a wine/coffee bar.

Robert wants to see a service to find out where the problems are in the restaurant.

The cook has called in sick so Justin is having to stand in for him.

At the start of service, Justin is stressed and unprepared.

The food takes a long time to get out of the kitchen.

The kitchen is tiny and the diners can hear everything that happens in there.

They hear Justin getting frustrated and the clashes with Sarah.

Robert starts to feel like he is out of his depth on this ambush.

Robert meets with his design team of Taniya and Tom to discuss their plans for the restaurant.

The design will focus on improving the space but also making the kitchen more efficient.

There is no point making it look pretty if it takes 45 minutes to prepare a sandwich.

Robert asks Justin to make one of their signature drinks.

He wants to make sure that the bar concept is the right direction for the place.

During the service, the customers don’t complain about the wine prices.

However, they have a number of vintage red wines that are gathering dust, unsold.

It is clear the customers like spending money on wine but they are still losing money.

It doesn’t make much sense to Robert.

After the service, Robert thinks that it needs to be revamped from the ground upwards.

The staff and crew begin to empty the restaurant for the design team to get to work.

Robert sits with the couple and wants to talk about their relationship.

He shows them footage where Justin degrades her in front of staff and customers.

The next day, Robert takes the couple to a firefighting training school.

Justin is going to do some high pressure challenges whilst Sarah makes degrading comments.

Justin doesn’t like it and realizes how he has made his wife feel with his behavior.

He apologizes to his wife for his past behavior and things he has said.

Robert heads back to the restaurant to see what progress the design team have made.

He is impressed that Tom has been able to reconfigure the coffee area into a food prep area.

Robert will be redoing the menu entirely and takes the staff through the new dishes.

These new, delicious menu items will bring in money for the restaurant.

The design team have finished and it is time to reveal the new restaurant to the owners.

The new restaurant looks amazing and everyone loves the changes that have been made.

On relaunch, the customers waiting outside are let in.

The customers love the new food and the new look of the restaurant.

What Happened Next at SiP Bistro?

SiP Bistro closed in October 2017.

They closed after shutting temporarily for a remodel and failed to reopen.

Owner Sarah blamed the closure on the loss they were making on the Groupon promotion that they ran.

SiP Bistro was Restaurant Impossible season 13 episode 5 and aired on 13th April 2016.

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