In this Restaurant Impossible episode, Robert Irvine visits Stella’s Restaurant in New Kensington, Pennsylvania.
Stella’s Restaurant is owned by Stacey Mazzotta.
The show was contacted by her daughter Jamie Lynn.
Her mom opened the business twelve years and then her dad passed away two years later.
The business is struggling and is close to shutting down for good.
The restaurant is supposed to bring them together but it is tearing them apart.
They only have around 3 months before they would be forced to close.
Robert arrives and is shown footage of Stacy and her son, Dominic arguing in the kitchen while working.
There is a lot of tension in the family.
Stacy and the family are not at the restaurant yet.
Robert divides the team up with some to go to the restaurant, while he goes to their home to ambush them.
Stacy is the one who answers the door and immediately recognises Robert.
They sit and talk and he finds out how the restaurant got started.
She has been doing it all for 10 years and she has no idea why the business is failing.
Jamie joins them and she explains why they need help.
Stacy pays everyone else but doesn’t pay herself.
Dominic is an MMA fighter and is at the gym.
Robert decides to go see the restaurant because it does not open until 5 pm.
Ahead of his arrival Tom and Lynn have a look inside.
They don’t think it looks good and they immediately notice a bad smell.
After seeing the restaurant himself, Robert goes to the gym to meet Dominic.
Robert talks to him and he learns that Dominic believes his food is good.
He fails to admit that he has a bad temper.
Jamie Lynn and his friend give examples of how he loses his cool in the kitchen.
Robert watches him train for a bit then asks him to come to the restaurant when he is done.
At the restaurant they begin clearing the space out and remove all of the furniture.
Robert breaks down a window to send a message to the design team.
Dominic arrives at the restaurant and Robert watches him making a pizza.
He says he enjoys fighting more than cooking but he is there because of his mother.
Dominic prepares some of their best dishes for Robert.
He thinks they all lack flavour and the plating need improving.
Stacy joins them and has nothing but nice things to say about Dominic.
It is obvious that he is not done grieving his father, even though it has been 10 years.
The next day, Robert comes in and meets with the family.
He shows them the footage of the fight between Stacy and Dominic.
Robert reprimands Dominic on how he spoke to his mother.
He says that Stacy should let him go if he does not want to be there.
Dominic apologises and they hug.
Dominic and Jamie say Stacy works too hard and she needs to let go so they can run the place.
Robert goes to check on the renovation and they are making great progress.
Robert heads back to the family who he gave a task of defining roles in the business.
Stacy is going to step back a bit for her children to handle the front of house and back of house.
The children are happy for the promise that they will be able to take a more active role.
Robert takes them to the kitchen to train them on some dishes with the family cooking theme.
They made a mushroom soup, a Marinara and a plate of fries.
All of the dishes look and taste much better than the food he tried.
Robert plans to show the family how bad their fighting is by calling a staff meeting.
Robert’s staff have a loud shouting match, interrupting the staff meeting.
Robert calls his staff and joins in the argument,
The staff and family sit there looking on uncomfortably.
When Robert points out that is what Stacy and Dominic do, they understand and learn the lesson.
It is as awkward for the staff when they argue in front of them.
Dominic addresses the team and promises them that things will change.
Less than an hour to opening they are putting together the final touches.
The family of three are taken into the restaurant.
It is warmer with blue tones and a map of Pittsburgh on the back bar.
Bridges were the inspiration for the design of the space.
There are rivets in the steel hallway that looks like underneath a bridge.
Lastly, they see that a picture of the father has been put up.
They are all moved to tears at the new restaurant.
On relaunch, the Customers are let in.
They love the new look of the restaurant, immediately getting the theme.
They also love the food that comes out and comment on the freshness of the dishes.
What Happened Next at Stella's Restaurant?
Two months later, it is revealed that sales are up 50%.
Stella's Restaurant is closed.
They closed in 2017, with Stacy stepping back from operating a restaurant in the space.
She still owns the building but it has been rented by Call for Catering.
Reviews were mostly positive since they appeared on Restaurant Impossible.
Stella's Restaurant was Restaurant Impossible season 12 episode 5 and aired on 19th November 2015.
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