In this Restaurant Impossible episode, Robert Irvine visits Forks and Flavors in Kennesaw Georgia.
Forks and Flavors is owned by David and Darnell.
They are a married couple, who serve American food.
The restaurant is known for their Sunday brunches.
Darnell is more of the entertainer and creates the atmosphere for the brunches.
David is the cook.
They have had a turbulent relationship.
They got married but later divorced and then remarried.
They combined their passions and opened a restaurant together in 2020.
They are now in debt and have never collected a paycheck since opening.
This has put a strain on their relationship as things are tense between them.
Robert arrives and he assesses the space which is vast but has unnecessary walls.
There are dirty floors and there is no character in the colours or decor.
Robert calls in David and Darnell.
He is almost overwhelmed by their story but gets to find out they do not have any experience in the restaurant industry.
David is an accountant and does the books along with the cooking.
Their most popular event is the Sunday brunch.
This brings in over 100 people but they have not costed it properly to see if it is making money.
They have also had some negative reviews from people who do not know how loud their busiest time can be.
The service begins and Robert sees there is a lot of staff.
David is vocal in the kitchen but the ticket system is a TV screen that shows 8 tickets at a time.
The customers have complaints on the food.
Darnell tells them they do not take food back to the kitchen as this is policy.
There is confusion as orders go to the wrong tables.
Darnell complains in the kitchen, which puts everyone on edge.
Robert tastes the food from the menu and he only likes the ribs but nothing else.
He also tells them their process is worse than the POS system they have.
David and Darnell start bickering on camera and it goes on so long Robert has to break it up.
He calls Darnell a bully and asks him to step back and allow David to work with better systems he will put in place.
The design team of Tom and Lynn are let into the space.
They outline all they would like to change.
The staff and volunteers empty out the space ready for them to get to work.
Robert sits with David, who he commends on his commanding the kitchen.
He believes that Darnell is stifling him.
David wants to be more creative and Robert challenges him to make a special dish.
When he is gone Robert tries to get to the bottom of Darnell’s temper by sitting with him.
Darnell blames the customers and Robert tries to get through to him that he is too strong headed.
Work in the restaurant has begun.
The team highlights all the work they are going to do making the space look more industrial.
Robert checks in on David who is with Darnell.
His dish is a variation of Cornish hen and mashed potato.
Robert loves it and puts it on their new menu.
Robert gives them homework to write down three things they like and dislike about each other and the restaurant.
The next day, Robert checks in with the design team.
The restaurant is getting closer to the final look with exposed pipes and pops of colour.
Robert is happy with it and leaves to sit with David and Darnell.
They give their responses to the assignment.
It starts a discussion on Darnell thinking he is never wrong.
They talk about how it has affected their business with his decisions costing them.
The owners have a communication problem.
They decide to start having business meetings about the restaurant weekly.
Robert gives them a challenge for David to direct Darnell to cook a meal and he does a good job.
Robert sits them down again to go over to their POS sales.
They see they are operating at a loss and the brunch is priced too low.
To solve this Robert takes them through making upscale comfort food.
It will be unique to them and also have low costs to maximise profits.
They love the dishes and cannot wait to serve them at brunch.
The work is coming together nicely in the restaurant space.
David starts prepping in the kitchen.
Darnell motivates the staff with some new found calmness.
The design team has finished the work on the restaurant.
Robert takes David and Darnell into the newly renovated space.
The restaurant is warm, open and modern with a giant mural of a fork on the wall.
They love the changes so much that Darnell is moved to tears.
Darnell and David let in the waiting customers.
The regulars are astounded at the new look of the restaurant.
On relaunch, the service soon begins.
They use the ticketing system and David embraces it.
He is maintaining leadership in the kitchen.
Darnell is running front of the house and making sure customers are satisfied.
The food is coming out on time.
The customers all love the food, giving glowing reviews.
Darnell calls David to the front of the house to commend him on the great food.
Robert agrees that they have done a great job.
What Happened Next at Forks and Flavors?
After the show, sales are up 30%.
David is pricing dishes properly and their brunch is finally making money.
Darnell continues to communicate properly and David is running the kitchen without drama.
Darnell and David’s communication with each other has also improved.
They have been meeting twice a week to discuss the business.
Forks and Flavors is open.
Reviews are mixed, most of the negative comments seem to be about the $30 brunch.
Forks and Flavors is Restaurant Impossible season 21 episode 3 and aired on 12th May 2022.
Click for more Restaurant Impossible Restaurants
Next episode - Giovanni's Italian Restaurant
Previous episode - Moondoggy's Pizza
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