The Verdict - Kitchen Nightmares Update - Open or Closed?

In this Kitchen Nightmares episode, Gordon Ramsay visits The Verdict in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The Verdict is owned by Melika Honoré.

The southern restaurant is run by her whole family.

Her mother Michiko cooks in the kitchen and Keesha is the manager.

Her job is made harder by Michiko, who is disruptive and loud.

There are a lot of complaints about Michiko.

Customers have been known to walk out of the restaurant, leaving their food.

Melika is now in financial trouble and has not paid herself in 2 years.

Gordon arrives and the staff immediately recognises him.

Melika is proud of the decor of the restaurant.

She proudly tells him the space used to be a strip club.

There are many murals on the walls.

Melika shares she is in a lot of debt.

She blames her mother’s practices for pulling the business down.

Gordon sits down and orders from the southern themed menu.

They are out of Gumbo rolls so he asks a customer to taste theirs.

Gordon does not like the taste and has to spit it out.

The food is delayed and apologies are given to customers and Gordon.

Michiko won’t be hurried and holds everyone up as they all look on quietly.

The food arrives and Gordon compliments the chicken.

The chicken has been cooked perfectly but the dish has too much sauce.

He doesn’t eat the death row burger because the meat is cold and raw in the middle.

The steak comes next and his plastic cutlery breaks while cutting into it.

He sends it back to have them cut it up.

Keesha is frustrated with Michiko for delaying the food and leaving the customers waiting.

She walks out and is consoled by Gordon.

After the customers are sent home Gordon sits with the staff to get down to what the problems are.

It becomes clear there is a disconnect as the ingredient costs are unclear.

Michiko purchases the ingredients but so does Melika.

They often end up buying the same things and waste produce.

Melika admits to the staff that she is $1million in debt.

They were all shocked to hear this.

Gordon tried to drive home how dire the situation was.

They are all told to set up for the dinner service.

Gordon sits with Melika’s son, Malik, to advise him to focus on his future.

He wants him to not get caught up in the drama of the business.

While the set up is being done Gordon watches the customers come in.

Gordon snoops in the walk-in while the meals are prepared.

He smells produce that is off but Michiko insists the produce was bought a few days ago.

Customers are left waiting and tickets are quickly backed up.

Michiko is cooking quietly without communicating.

There is confusion about the orders.

When a special is ordered, Michiko cooks something that Gordon does not allow to be served.

Keesha is made to apologise to customers and ask them to leave as they have been waiting too long.

Michiko is given feedback about the food and the service.

She sits and cries but is not accepting his criticism.

Gordon continues to point out all the things that are bad in the kitchen but it is pointless.

Melika is told she needs to hold her mother accountable as her boss.

Michiko finally breaks down and accepts Gordon’s help.

The next day, Melika takes Gordon on a ride around town to see the income level.

They discuss having family in the business and how to manage this.

She needs to step up and not be taken advantage of.

Gordon's team has worked hard and the restaurant has been revamped.

It has changed from a mismatched theme to a cohesive and sophisticated design.

The kitchen has been fitted with new equipment.

The staff are all happy with the changes and Melika is in tears.

Gordon surprises them with new metal cutlery that won't break when cutting into steak.

They have a new trimmed-down menu and sample the dishes.

There is also a new POS system to speed up the ordering process.

This should cut down ticket times.

For the relaunch, Keesha will be expediting.

Michiko is nervous about having her in her kitchen again.

On relaunch night, the customers are let in.

Orders come through to the kitchen.

Michiko is standing at the front of the house, staring.

Gordon has to remind her to get back in the kitchen.

The kitchen staff are all working together cooking the dishes quickly for the customers.

Michiko seems lost but everything is going well without her.

The customers love the food and the new atmosphere.

The servers confuse the tables and food starts going to the wrong people.

Keesha is embarrassed about the situation and gets frustrated.

She is reminded it is not her mistake and to not take it personally.

It is the servers that are confusing table numbers.

Melika coaches her so she calms down and she also reassures customers.

Gordon has a surprise for the staff and family.

He has invited NFL star Justin Renfrow to meet with Malik.

Malik has aspirations of playing football professionally and he gives him words of advice.

Gordon is happy with the positive atmosphere of the dining room.

He calls the family together to say his goodbyes.

Musicians get onto the stage and play some music.

What Happened Next at The Verdict?

Two months later, the business is doing great.

Michiko is happy and still stepping back.

Malik was comfortable enough to leave the business and attend a football camp.

The Verdict is open.

They described their appearance on the show as good publicity.

Yelp Reviews are mostly positive.

There is praise for the food and service.

The Verdict was aired on 18th February 2025.

The episode was filmed in September 2024 and is Kitchen Nightmares season 9 episode 7.

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