In this Restaurant Impossible episode, Robert Irvine visits From Across the Pond in Colleyville, Texas.
From Across the Pond is owned by Lee Herdman.
Lee is British and runs the restaurant with his wife Jodie.
He has owned the restaurant for 12 years.
It is a gluten-free restaurant inspired by his son’s allergy.
He had been a soccer player but due to an undiagnosed illness, he had to stop.
His children were unhappy in the UK so he moved his family to the US, leaving his finance job.
His first wife had experience in restaurants, so they bought the business in the US.
The business has been suffering and it affected his marriage.
They eventually split up and divorced.
They have had their water and lights cut off several times, due to not being able to pay the bills.
Robert arrives at the restaurant in a strip mall.
He thinks nothing about the exterior makes it stand out.
Inside it looks like a coffee shop with nothing British or pub-like about it.
Jodie introduces herself first and Robert has had people come in so he can see their service.
Robert sees lots of servers and orders everything on the menu.
He has ordered 15 items in total, which he expects to come out in 40 minutes.
Lee wants to prioritise Robert but he is distracted quickly.
Robert watches Lee in the kitchen and Jodie explains he had to take over after the staff quit during the pandemic.
Staff are touching the food with their hands and Robert points it out.
Lee is hurried and rushed to putting the food out.
With just 10 minutes to go Robert speaks with the guests who say they only come to the restaurant because it serves gluten-free food.
The first of his meals arrives and there are problems.
There is no seasoning and it is oily and rubbery.
He cancels the rest of his order and sends all the guests home.
He calls Lee out of the kitchen to tell him what he thinks of the food.
Lee takes the feedback and tells Robert his story.
They had started an Italian restaurant and they moved the business 3 times.
They all failed for various reasons and this is his last shot as he is out of money.
Robert invites his design team of Tom and Lynn into the restaurant.
They brainstorm what they can do to make it more pub-like but still an eatery.
The staff and the community come to help empty the restaurant.
Robert has Lee and Jodie break some bulbs to signify the changes they will be undergoing.
His team starts training Lee’s staff as they have never been trained before.
Robert trains Lee on how to make a meal and shows him that fresh ingredients make food delicious.
Robert checks in on his design team who have worked out the changes they need to make.
Lee and Jodie are then given the assignment to bring items from the failed restaurants.
He also wants him to write a list of all his failures.
The next day, Robert checks in on the progress of the redesign.
The mini Big Ben in the centre of the restaurant is coming along well.
The dark colours and wood elements of British pubs are also coming together.
Robert meets with Lee and Jodie and there are t-shirts and menus of the previous businesses.
He also has the list of all his failures, which Robert has him burn along with the items.
Lee is taken to a soccer pitch where his staff play against Robert's team.
It is fun but Lee’s team is beaten quite badly.
Lee is made to coach his team, showing how he can lead and direct.
After the exercise, the staff are taken back to train.
Lee and Jodie are shown some of the new dishes for the menu.
The dishes are unique and they are excited to start serving them.
The team are a little behind due to the detailed work they had to do but Robert joins in and they finish on time.
Lee and Jodie are taken into the restaurant and they are shocked to see the space.
It is finally looking like a pub with the Big Ben tower and dark woods everywhere.
Lee said it feels like home to him.
On relaunch, he lets customers in and they love the new vibe.
It is especially well received by the Brits who come in.
The kitchen staff are cooking while Lee is directing.
The customers love the food and promise to come back.
Lee is supporting and encouraging his staff.
What Happened Next at From Across the Pond?
Since the show, sales are up 40%.
Lee is following all the advice that Robert gave him.
Ticket times are just 6 minutes.
New chefs are being hired for the increased business.
They post on social media how grateful they were to the show.
From Across the Pond is open.
Reviews are mostly positive with praise for the fish and chips and gluten free options.
From Across the Pond is Restaurant Impossible season 20 episode 1 and aired on 26th August 2021.
Click for more Restaurant Impossible Restaurants
Next episode - Fun Time Cafe / CWS
Previous episode - Gaston's Bistro
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments will be moderated prior to being published. Those with spam links, offensive language or of an offensive nature will not be published. All comments are the opinion of the commenter and do not represent the opinions of the website owner.