In this Restaurant Impossible episode, Robert Irvine visits the Breakfast Place in San Jose, California.
Breakfast Place is owned by friends and former co-workers Cristina and Raquel.
They opened the restaurant in 2011.
They were both working in a restaurant as a manager and server.
Cristina went through personal problems that had her take a back seat for a year.
Raquel was too laid back so the staff and operations fell through the gap and business went down.
They are in debt and in trouble after 10 years of being open.
Robert arrives at the restaurant.
He hopes the place is catering to high-class people offering at least simple easy dishes well-made.
However, he comes into a dull atmosphere, bad smells and worn furnishings.
There is an open kitchen that is showing all the filth.
Robert checks the kitchen immediately and locates the sources of the bad smells.
He then watches service as the cooks touch food with their bare hands.
He takes the owners to see all he found in the back of the kitchen.
It is so untidy and once they see the office space Cristina blames the camera crew for some of the mess.
Robert points out everything that's wrong with her business has nothing to do with their presence.
Raquel is quiet because she's embarrassed.
Robert shuts down the restaurant after talking to the owners, sending the customers away.
Robert orders to see their plating but declines to eat because it is not safe.
Robert queries the chef about the food as it all looks unappetising.
He then sits with the owners to look at their financials and it is a mess that they both do not understand.
They lost focus due to Cristina’s divorce.
They do not get paid and Raquel gets paid in tips.
Rob brings in Tom and Taniya, who see the place has nice windows but almost everything else is worn.
The crew and volunteers empty the place and Raquel and Cristina are emotional to see 10 years disappear.
The staff are deep cleaning the kitchen while Robert reads the reviews to Raquel and Cristina.
It paints a picture of horrendous experiences by the customers.
Robert gives them tips on mending their tarnished reputation.
They then tackle Cristina’s self-confidence.
She still acts like a server and not an owner.
He leaves them to talk and mull it over.
Work has started in the space and Robert sees that the cleaning is making the space smell better.
Taniya and Tom then tell Robert of the work they have to do to achieve the vision of a breakfast getaway.
Robert inspects the kitchen and he is happy with the cleanliness.
Robert goes back to Raquel to help make her more assertive with an exercise of egg throwing and self-expression.
It works as she says a lot of things she had been too afraid to.
Robert leaves Raquel and Cristina with homework of assigning roles and responsibilities.
The next day, Robert hears there is a problem.
Robert shows the owners footage of a grease fire that started in their kitchen.
It was contained but could have been so much worse.
Robert reminds them to hold the staff accountable as if they had been doing their job it would not have been an issue.
They present their assignment to Robert.
They will be swapping responsibilities weekly and covering a lot more to manage the staff.
In the space, the renovation has progressed with a mural half done.
The painting completed but there is still much more to be done.
Robert has another challenge for Raquel.
He wants her to find her voice by marketing to the community with a megaphone to invite them to the relaunch.
She is shy and nervous but she does it in front of a supermarket, getting plenty of attention.
The owners meet with Robert who recooks some food on their menu with substitutions that make them more exciting.
In the restaurant space, the team is way behind and rushing on their many tasks.
The chefs are trained on the new menu.
The serving staff are taught how to use the new POS system.
Raquel and Cristina rile up the staff with positive energy then Robert takes them in to see their new space.
It is open, brighter with colours and has some cabana booths that feel like a vacation space.
They are moved to tears as it is beyond their dreams.
The owners bring in their children and they are just as pleasantly shocked.
The waiting customers are invited into the restaurant for the relaunch.
On relaunch, the regulars love the changes to both the decor and the menu.
Raquel is more of a leader in the kitchen.
Cristina is managing the front of the house with more support from her partner.
The food that is sent out is great and customers love it all, complimenting everything they try.
Robert left them with a gift of a megaphone for Raquel.
What Happened Next at The Breakfast Place?
After the show, sales have increased by 10%.
They hired a second chef to deal with the increased demand.
They are training servers so Raquel can focus on leading.
The Breakfast Place is closed.
They closed in 2022.
They opened a new restaurant called Anejo Cantina & Kitchen.
The Breakfast Place is Restaurant Impossible season 20 episode 7 and aired on 7th October 2021.
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Previous episode - Casa Real
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