September 19, 2007 (2007-09-19) – September 12, 2014 (2014-09-12)
Release
September 25, 2023 (2023-09-25) – present
Kitchen Nightmares, known in the U.K. as Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA, is an American reality television series originally broadcast on Fox, in which chef Gordon Ramsay is invited by the owners to spend a week with a failing restaurant in an attempt to revive the business.[1] Produced by ITV Studios America, it is based on the British show Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares.
The show premiered September 19, 2007, on Fox. On June 23, 2014, Ramsay announced that he was ending the series; the final episode aired on September 12 that year.[2] In June 2018, Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell and Back, a new series with a premise much like Kitchen Nightmares but a shorter timeline, premiered on Fox.[3] The show still hosts a YouTube channel with over 6.57 million subscribers. The channel presents highlights from the show, and has also shown selected full episodes of the show.[4] In May 2023, Fox announced that the show would re-enter production for an eighth season,[5] which premiered on September 25, 2023.
Synopsis
Each episode of Kitchen Nightmares typically consists of a series of introductory clips and interviews of the specific restaurant before Gordon Ramsay's visit, emphasizing the subpar conditions of the restaurant. This is followed by Ramsay arriving to the restaurant for lunch, meeting the owner(s), and trying various items on their menu while making first impression observations of the restaurant. Chef Ramsay then consults the restaurant's chef(s) on his dining experience, which is almost exclusively negative. After this, every episode involves Ramsay observing a typical dinner service for the restaurant, it does not go well as the various issues of the restaurant are highlighted. Gordon Ramsay then in each episode inspects the conditions of the restaurant's kitchen and food storage compartments, uncovering even more issues. This is typically followed by meeting with the owners and/or staff to discuss the critical changes that need to be made. These changes are then shown, from additions to the items in the menu to the staff being trained and occasionally replaced to the restaurant being remodeled. After these revisions, the restaurant is relaunched, which predominantly ends with a more successful service. After the end of each relaunch, Ramsay addresses the restaurant's owner and staff one final time before leaving, wishing them well. At the end of episodes of later seasons, a follow-up segment is shown, showcasing the status of the restaurant in the weeks and months after Gordon Ramsay's visit. Each season after season one, an episode is dedicated to Ramsay revisiting some of the previous restaurants he visited to see what became of the restaurant and its staff.
Production
The show was produced by ITV Studios America[nb 1] and Optomen, in association with A. Smith & Co. Productions,[7] with Arthur Smith, Kent Weed, and Patricia Llewellyn serving as executive producers.
In the UK, the series is broadcast under the name Kitchen Nightmares USA and Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA on Channel 4, which also produced the original UK version. It is broadcast under this name to avoid confusion with the original UK version. UK airings of the US show feature an alternate soundtrack and mix, with less prominent musical stings, wild music, a lower level of vocal compression, and a different narrator to the US broadcast. It also airs uncensored, when shown after the watershed. Reruns, along with the British series, are frequently shown on BBC America.[8]
On May 15, 2023, Fox announced that it would revive the series after a 10-year absence.[9] Ramsay and his crew were spotted at several restaurants in the New York metropolitan area through the spring and summer of 2023. Some locations include a restaurant in Wayne,[10] a pizzeria in Dumont,[11] a bar and grill in Asbury Park,[12] and a cafe in Saugerties.[13][14]
Gordon travels to Babylon, New York, to help a family-owned Italian restaurant with no communication, subpar food, and an arrogant owner who spends more money on his extravagant lifestyle than supporting the business.
Gordon travels to New York City to help a struggling Indian restaurant correct their substandard food, bad management practices, and poor state of the kitchen and food storage. Note: the restaurant was renamed Purnima during production. It was also misspelled "Dillions" on the street signs after chef Ramsay's facelift.
Gordon travels to Bellmore, New York, to help an American bistro revamp their dated food, mend a broken relationship between the husband and wife owners, and stand out among other new eateries in the local area.
Gordon travels to Islip, New York, to help breathe life back into a 45-year-old seafood restaurant with a clueless owner at the helm, a lazy chef, and decor that is stuck in the past.
Gordon travels to Tuckahoe, New York, to try to save the Olde Stone Mill, an eatery with dated food, a defiant owner with no experience in the restaurant industry, and a kitchen staff who have lost their passion.
Gordon travels to Los Angeles to try to save Sebastian's, a pizzeria with an owner who thinks his confusing restaurant concept is pleasing the locals, when it is actually turning them away.
Gordon travels to Westhampton, New York, to help save Finn McCool's, an Irish pub with surprisingly little Irish fare on the menu, a chef with hardly any experience, and a family that could lose everything if the business fails.
Gordon travels to Pomona, California, to help save an upscale-looking restaurant with low-quality food. He must guide the staff and kitchen team to get back on track before the owner is forced to close its doors.
Gordon heads to Fair Lawn, New Jersey, to help Campania, an Italian restaurant where the staff treats the business like it is a frat house, joking around and drinking on the job, while the kitchen serves up one bad dish after another. Gordon has to act quickly before the owner's attitude and staff behavior force the restaurant to shut down entirely.
Gordon travels to Moorpark, California, where he meets an arrogant and deluded chef who thinks everything he does is perfect. Ramsay tries the subpar food and finds moldy produce in the walk-in cooler before trying to save the fancy French restaurant that is on its last legs.
Season 2 (2008–09)
No. overall
No. in season
Restaurant
Location
Original air date
Prod. code
U.S. viewers (millions)
11
1
"Revisited: Gordon Returns"
N/A
September 4, 2008 (2008-09-04)
123–124
N/A
Gordon revisits Finn McCool's, The Olde Stone Mill, The Mixing Bowl, Dillon's, Campania, and Peter's to see how their restaurants are faring after his first visits to their businesses.
Gordon visits Mount Sinai, New York, to help Handlebar, a dive bar and restaurant that is suffering from cliched, bland food, owners with no restaurant experience, and a chef who needs motivation to show up and cook.
Gordon travels to Macomb Township, Michigan, to help an Italian eatery whose bland food has turned away the locals. The atmosphere in the kitchen is chaotic, and managed by a chef who has no clue what he is doing. Gordon has to implement changes swiftly before the owners and staff dig a hole of which their business cannot get out.
Gordon travels to Great Neck, New York, to help Trobiano's, an Italian restaurant that has been hindered by its boring menu, drab decor and a surplus of seniors, who take advantage of the restaurant's specials, which have ended up losing them money.
15
5
"Black Pearl"
New York City, New York
September 25, 2008 (2008-09-25)
116
N/A
Gordon travels to New York City and meets three owners struggling to keep their seafood restaurant afloat. After tasting subpar food and battling with David, an owner in denial, he has his work cut out for him, to save an eatery located in one of the most competitive restaurant cities in the country.
Gordon travels to South Bend, Indiana, to help breathe life back into an American-style restaurant J Willy's, where the standards have hit rock bottom. He is forced to battle with the owners and show them the way to properly run a kitchen after tasting disgusting food and seeing restaurant practices that make him question the passion the staff brings to the table.
Gordon travels to Cranbury, New Jersey, where he finds a depressing American bistro and two chefs with no passion. After trying the disappointing food, he holds nothing back to reignite the spark in both the chefs and the restaurant as a whole.
Gordon travels to St. Clair Shores, Michigan, to help restore a lakeside seafood restaurant with a dysfunctional slew of owners and management. After trying frozen seafood despite being on the river, watching a manager drink and party with the guests, though he was on the job, and discovering the unsafe storage of food, Gordon has to act quickly before it is too late.
Gordon travels to Stamford, Connecticut, where he finds a arrogant, pompous owner running a subpar Italian restaurant using day-old, frozen ingredients. Gordon must change the food and get through to the stubborn owner quickly before he drags his restaurant past the point of no return.
Gordon heads to West Nyack, New York, to help save a Mexican restaurant with a confused manager at the helm. His stepdaughter and wife have invested heavily in the business, and if Gordon cannot turn the business around, they both will lose everything.
Gordon travels to Los Angeles to help save a health-food restaurant that suffers from a micromanaging owner, underwhelming, stale food, and a cluttered dining room. Gordon has to get through to the owner quickly before his compulsive behavior forces his business to shut down.
Gordon heads to La Grange, Illinois, to help save an upscale bistro from shutting for good. Gordon comes face-to-face with confusing, subpar dishes, an old-fashioned dining area, and a head chef who is not concerned with the restaurant's success or the quality of the meals he is serving.
Season 3 (2010)
The third season was originally scheduled to premiere on Wednesday, January 27, 2010,[16] but it was postponed to Friday, January 29, 2010, due to the State of the Union address.[17]
Gordon heads to Fishtown area of Philadelphia to help a potato-themed restaurant after a scathing food critic review turned customers away and gave their business a bad reputation in the community. Gordon helps mix the menu and gives the dining rooms several updates.
Gordon travels to Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, to help save a Hawaiian-themed restaurant that has an elderly owner tired out. The food is repulsive, the decor is ugly, and the female owner is in complete denial and resistant to change. Note: The restaurant was renamed The Junction during production.
Gordon travels to Ridgewood, New Jersey, to help breathe life back into an American-Italian bistro. The chef owner has lost passion, the food is mediocre, and the restaurant is closed for lunch, meaning revenue is being missed.
Gordon travels to Brooklyn to help a Cuban restaurant get back on its feet. The owners, who were formerly married, are constantly feuding, the food is disgusting, and they have created a bad reputation in the community.
Gordon travels to Manhattan Beach, California, an upscale eatery that has a young owner at the helm. The food is overpriced and not up to par, the kitchen is filthy, and the owner does not take responsibility for her business and the mistakes her staff and she are making.
Gordon travels to Lighthouse Point, Florida, to help restore a bistro on its last legs. The chef is arrogant and rude to staff and customers, the food is overpriced for the area, and they have turned away locals due to the long waits for food and the animosity between the owner and the patrons.
Gordon visits Lancaster, California, to help a bar and Italian restaurant regain its former glory. The chef is lazy and in complete denial, the food is disgusting and takes too long to arrive, and the dining room and kitchen are a complete mess. Note: This episode was produced as part of season two, but not aired until season three.
Gordon travels to Newbury Park, California, to help a Mexican restaurant with an owner who thinks a catering business is the same as running a dine-in restaurant. The kitchen staff is not experienced with cooking fresh food, the freezers are jam-packed with frozen products, and the manager does not know what is wrong with the business, though it is crystal clear to Gordon.
Gordon heads to Boca Raton, Florida, to help save an Italian restaurant with one of the most defensive, rude owners yet. The menu is huge and the quality and consistency are not up to par, the staff is fed up with being berated by the kitchen staff, and customers are turned off by the owner's malicious personality.
32
10
"Revisited No. 2"
N/A
April 9, 2010 (2010-04-09)
213
N/A
Gordon revisits Santé La Brea, Finn McCool's, and Giuseppi's to see how their restaurants are faring after his first visits to their businesses.
Gordon visits Miami, Florida, to help save a Danish restaurant. The chef is lazy and has lost his passion for cooking Danish cuisine, the food is old-fashioned and bland, and the dining room is painted a hideous shade of pink. Gordon has to think fast or this long-running restaurant might have to shut its doors for the last time.
Gordon heads to Thousand Oaks, California, to help a failing sushi restaurant. The business is losing money and the husband-and-wife owners are on the brink of divorce, with their daughter caught in the middle. Gordon needs to work quickly to help correct the food, decor, and worker dynamics before the restaurant rips this family apart.
35
13
"Revisited No. 3"
N/A
May 21, 2010 (2010-05-21)
212
N/A
Gordon revisits Handlebar, Casa Roma, and Black Pearl to see how their restaurants are faring after his first visits to their businesses.
Season 4 (2011)
In May 2010, the Fox network announced the return of Kitchen Nightmares for a fourth season, which aired from January 21, 2011, to May 20, 2011.[18]
Gordon visits a Spanish restaurant that is struggling since the founder retired. His daughter and two grandsons are now running the restaurant, but one brother is a busy member of the town council, while the other has given up in the kitchen.
Gordon visits an Irish restaurant where the kitchen can not make shepherd's pie, and the manager is on the verge of breakdown from his father-in-law's constant criticism.
Gordon visits an Italian restaurant with misleading claims of home-made cooking. One of the owners has a history of opiate addiction, and has stolen from the business to pay for drugs.
Gordon visits a comfort food restaurant with terrible food and a co-owner in denial. Over the course of the episode, she learns to accept criticism and listen to her staff.
Gordon visits an Italian restaurant run by two immature twin brothers. Despite deteriorating furniture, a filthy restaurant, and unappetizing food, he is able to inspire the brothers into raising their standards.
Gordon visits a former Metairie staple, once run by the community-beloved Zeke. The new owners are more concerned with finances than good food, and are resistant to their staff's suggestions for improvement.
Gordon visits a New Orleans restaurant run by two brothers. Despite initially butting heads with Ramsay, they come to realize the problems in their kitchen, including a rat infestation, that he brought up are valid.
Season 5 (2011–12)
In March 2011, the producers of the show announced a casting call for a fifth season.[19] The fifth season premiered on Friday, September 23, 2011, and ended on March 30, 2012.[20]
Ramsay visits a soul food restaurant in New Jersey. The owner, Sherry, was a successful caterer before opening her own restaurant with the financial help of her mother Mary. Sherry proves resistant to Ramsay's changes, though Mary and other employees embrace them. The recap shows that Sherry eventually acquiesced to them once she saw how successful the restaurant was.
Gordon visits a family restaurant which has declined in quality and popularity since the death of the family's grandfather, Nellie. Gordon convinces owner Mike to delegate responsibility to his staff, for the sake of himself, his family and the restaurant.
Gordon visits an Italian restaurant that was run by a father-son duo from 1981 to 2006. Now, Luigi's is on the verge of bankruptcy since the father retired to Italy, and an unconcerned brother takes his place. The arrogant chef-owner's wife also has a history of yelling and swearing at both staff and customers.
Due to the level of conflict with the restaurant owners, Ramsay leaves the restaurant without finishing, the first and only instance of this in the show's history.
Season 7 (2014)
Season 7 was originally set to premiere on February 28, 2014, but was delayed until April 11, 2014.[18]
Ramsay himself does not return to Amy's Baking Company (instead presenting the episode from the set of Hell's Kitchen), though a new, specially recorded interview with the owners is conducted by local reporter Ana Garcia, as well as featured bonus footage, which was not aired on the original episode.
In September 2007, a case was filed by Martin Hyde, a former manager of Dillon's, against Ramsay for ten separate offenses, including allegedly staging disasters and hiring actors to trick the viewing audience.[42] The case was dismissed because the contract signed by Hyde stipulated arbitration in the event of a legal dispute. The case went into arbitration in 2008.[43]
In 2018, Oceana Grill sued Ramsay and the show's production company alleging fabrication. Specifically, they claimed that Ramsay staged a scene where he vomited during his kitchen inspection and planted a mouse in a rodent trap "to manufacture drama for their show."[44] The restaurant also argued that a prior settlement from 2011 (before the episode aired) placed limits on the production company's ability to re-use clips from their episode. The 2018 suit was filed after the production company posted clips of the Oceana Grill episode on Facebook.[45]
Reception
Gordon Ramsay in 2010
Ginia Bellafante of The New York Times found Ramsay's teaching methods and high standards "undeniably hypnotic" and commented, "the thrill of watching Mr. Ramsay is in witnessing someone so at peace with his own arrogance."[46]
Doug Elfman of the Chicago Sun-Times said the show is "a very entertaining public service" that "will make you laugh, make you sick, and make you think".[47]
Randy Cordova of the The Arizona Republic found Ramsay "just as blustery and foul-mouthed here as he is on Hell's Kitchen. But he is also oddly endearing, mainly because he genuinely seems invested in the fate of each restaurant".[48]
Critics have commented that Fox's adaptation of Kitchen Nightmares strayed from the strengths of the original Channel 4 series. Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune said, "Leave it to Fox to take something the Brits did pretty well and muck it up". She added, "Never mind the cooking; this edition of the show appears to be more interested in playing up the family dramas at the restaurants Ramsay visits".[49]
Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times commented, "Whereas the British Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares is fundamentally a food show—it has interesting things to show you about how a restaurant runs and a kitchen works, the wonders of local markets and what you can make from them if you're Gordon Ramsay or willing to follow his instructions—the Fox edition emphasizes mishap, argument, and emotional breakdown almost to the exclusion of cuisine".[50]
