How Gordon Ramsay Saves People From Themselves



We've all been there before. That horrid little restaurant on the corner that claims it serves haute cuisine, but what comes out is an overpriced mess. Not only that, but it takes an hour to come out of the kitchen! Then the snobby waiter treats you like a peon. You've made up your mind and you're never going back there. The drama in these types of kitchens has become the subject of an excellent reality TV show called Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares.

The famous, Michelin-starred chef heads to restaurants around the world (he's been to Spain, all over the U.K., and the United States) visiting restaurants in severe need of his help. He usually enters restaurants with horrible decor, frozen food being promoted as fresh, and clueless owners and staff. Many times these places are being operated by people who have never even worked in a restaurant. The owners and chefs invariably think they're doing everything right and that, somehow, the customers are wrong. Gordon helps them see the light.

First, he evaluates the food. He can always tell when it's frozen. Immediately, Gordon tries to make the owners see that fresh food is better and cheaper in the long run. Next, Gordon turns his attentions to the cleanliness of said restaurants, which isn't always up to snuff. In some cases, Gordon has shut down operations so that the staff can give the place a thorough cleaning. In one episode, he was shocked to find a vast population of cockroaches lurking all over the establishment.

Once the cleaning is complete, Gordon focuses on the other aspects of the business. If he notices that too large portions are being served, he nips that practice in the bud. Gordon also makes sure the chef is communicating to his staff because most of the bad food is caused by non-communicative cooks. If the restaurant has dated furniture and decor, he arranges an overnight makeover. Finally, he stays to guide the staff through a busy service to see if they can handle pressure.

Gordon follows up with the restaurants either at the end of the show (British version) or in a special episode at the end of the season (American version). Sometimes, the owners heeded his advice and subsequently thrive, while others ignore him and go under. In many cases, the owners who have taken Gordon's guidance to heart are able to pay down their debt and enjoy their booming businesses. By providing experienced guidance to chefs and owners, Gordon steers these establishments from the brink of bankruptcy to Boomtown.

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