# Epic facebook meltdown from Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 14, 2013, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-facebook-meltdown-from-gordon-ramseys-kitchen-nightmares/658341 "2013-05-14T19:14:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-facebook-meltdown-from-gordon-ramseys-kitchen-nightmares/658341/141 "2013-05-16T14:01:52Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > And I never did find out how much they were paying their servers. I find it hard to believe, even in this economy, that 100 people would agree to work for $2.13 an hour and having the owner snag their tips. I’m pretty sure they said they got paid minimum wage (not the tipping wage, looks like $7.80/hr in AZ) and that’s partly how the owner justified taking it. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-facebook-meltdown-from-gordon-ramseys-kitchen-nightmares/658341/142 "2013-05-16T14:10:45Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Katy, the girl who was fired did an AMA on Reddit yesterday and she said she got 8 dollars an hour. The anger is not from the idea that the servers are forced to work for scraps. It’s that Amy and Samy were using the expectation that in a restaurant with table service, the server gets a tip to make an extra 10 bucks a table. Either pay your servers the server wage and let them be tipped or pay them hourly and don’t accept tips at all. > [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m pretty sure they said they got paid minimum wage (not the tipping wage, looks like $7.80/hr in AZ) and that’s partly how the owner justified taking it. Problem is, this ain’t Europe, the restaurant’s patrons don’t know this because it’s an American restaurant where tipping is the norm and I’d also be willing to bet that Samy and Amy do not tell their servers that the ownership keeps all the gratuities when they hire them. And damn…100 servers/food runners in a _year_? That’s _unreal_ turnover, even for a transitory job like waiting tables. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-facebook-meltdown-from-gordon-ramseys-kitchen-nightmares/658341/143 "2013-05-16T14:12:25Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Yesterday, the Phoenix Business Journal ran [this article](http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2013/05/15/amys-baking-company-turning-into.html) saying that the restaurant is becoming a tourist attraction with people taking pictures of the restaurant and eating there as a result of the hoopla. So they might be busier than ever. This was obviously gonna happen, but it won’t last more than a few weeks. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-facebook-meltdown-from-gordon-ramseys-kitchen-nightmares/658341/144 "2013-05-16T14:30:54Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Note that the [About Us page](http://amysbakingco.com/about-us/) on the restaurant’s website claims the cakes are made in-house, “All of our Pastries are baked fresh daily by me and all of our food is made per order.” And as said, the name of the place is Amy’s Baking Company, so one would expect them to actually bake the stuff themselves. That, coupled with the fact that nearly every photo of a baked good on the site, and the photos that the owners uploaded to the yelp site, were stolen from other sites, is pretty good evidence of fraud. Also, as several people have noted, the kitchen had no baking supplies. She also posted lots of stuff about America being all about ressling (_sic_) and saying on the show Gordon doesn’t understand about reselling because he’s not American. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-facebook-meltdown-from-gordon-ramseys-kitchen-nightmares/658341/145 "2013-05-16T15:11:31Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Problem is, this ain’t Europe, the restaurant’s patrons don’t know this because it’s an American restaurant where tipping is the norm and I’d also be willing to bet that Samy and Amy do not tell their servers that the ownership keeps all the gratuities when they hire them. Pretty sure we agree with you here. Look at the comment upthread where I say “The owners take the tips? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” I’m just addressing the facts of what was going on, as a poster wondered why someone would stay on at $2.13/hr. They’re getting paid regular minimum wage. Still absolutely ridiculous to take the tips. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-facebook-meltdown-from-gordon-ramseys-kitchen-nightmares/658341/146 "2013-05-16T15:14:34Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > That’s because IIRC Panera doesn’t have servers. They have people that take and make your order, but every time I’ve been there, I’ve collected my own food and brought it to wherever was available to sit. If I am mistaken please correct me because it’s been awhile, but I am pretty certain this is correct. > > The rant for tip jars for hourly employees in such places is for another time I guess. Yeah, it’s mostly self served. For a brief period when Panera was offering their take on pizza - “crispanis” the food was brought out. For large to-go orders of multiple bagel packs, coffee packs, etc. we were told to take it to the car for the customer, or if you saw a mom wrestling with a bunch of kids, you would just bring her the food, etc. I know Arby’s serves food and for some drive-thru’s if it’s backed up they tell you to park and they’ll bring the food out to you. Like I said, the tipping opportunities were rare but it does present itself from time to time. > [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > And damn…100 servers/food runners in a _year_? That’s _unreal_ turnover, even for a transitory job like waiting tables. I know right? I’m not caught up on tax code but I would imagine filing that many W2’s would raise an eyebrow or two at the IRS. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-facebook-meltdown-from-gordon-ramseys-kitchen-nightmares/658341/147 "2013-05-16T15:20:23Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > I know right? I’m not caught up on tax code but I would imagine filing that many W2’s would raise an eyebrow or two at the IRS. Yeah, there’s no way they’re doing that kind of paperwork. Definitely something smells funny here, financially. ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-facebook-meltdown-from-gordon-ramseys-kitchen-nightmares/658341/148 "2013-05-16T15:44:15Z")
[quote=“Dewey\_Finn, post:105, topic:658341”] I think they actually _want_ people who don’t respond well to criticism, as it means for a more dramatic show. \>snip!\ **Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-facebook-meltdown-from-gordon-ramseys-kitchen-nightmares/658341/149 "2013-05-16T16:08:45Z") > [@pulykamell](#): > > Pretty sure we agree with you here. Look at the comment upthread where I say “The owners take the tips? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” I’m just addressing the facts of what was going on, as a poster wondered why someone would stay on at $2.13/hr. They’re getting paid regular minimum wage. Still absolutely ridiculous to take the tips. Sorry. I did read that yesterday but forgot. I watched that episode with my girlfriend yesterday evening and we were constantly looking at each other during it with that “great googly moogly, for real?” look on our faces. It was so over the top that I would have believed it was utterly staged had I not read about it here and elsewhere before watching it. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-facebook-meltdown-from-gordon-ramseys-kitchen-nightmares/658341/150 "2013-05-16T16:48:28Z")
Ramsay should have done the same thing with Chappy. ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-facebook-meltdown-from-gordon-ramseys-kitchen-nightmares/658341/151 "2013-05-16T16:54:59Z")
I wonder how old Katy is. She looks about 13. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-facebook-meltdown-from-gordon-ramseys-kitchen-nightmares/658341/152 "2013-05-16T17:44:16Z")
After watching the show and the aftermath, I couldn’t believe the owners thought that it would go well:😕 I was still talking to my husband about it two days later. It reminds me of a certain chef/ owner here, who scolded me on Yelp. Are Amy /Sammy Israeli ? I thought I heard some Arabic. ( in between the swearing) ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-facebook-meltdown-from-gordon-ramseys-kitchen-nightmares/658341/153 "2013-05-16T17:46:11Z")
Sammy emigrated from Israel sometime around 2000 and Amy, or Amanda Bossingham as she was known before her stint in prison, is american. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-facebook-meltdown-from-gordon-ramseys-kitchen-nightmares/658341/154 "2013-05-16T17:50:39Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m pretty sure they said they got paid minimum wage (not the tipping wage, looks like $7.80/hr in AZ) and that’s partly how the owner justified taking it. Still illegal, tough. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-facebook-meltdown-from-gordon-ramseys-kitchen-nightmares/658341/155 "2013-05-16T18:21:35Z")
> [@Sally\_Mander](#): > > I’ve never worked in a restaurant…why was that shady? I get why it was stupid, and slowed down the entire process to a snail’s pace, but what makes it shady? Is there a way to screw with the books if Samy is the only one using it? Sure. You can “forget” to put things on the ticket, and once they’re paid for that cash goes into your pocket, for one (something like this occurred that we saw). There are other ways to screw with it too. Just the fact that there’s no oversight and no one but Samy ever sees the books and they have so much turnover leaves plenty of room to fiddle with the numbers. Who would know? > [@](#): > > Do most of the owners accept his help? I can understand some resistance to change, but do they take his advice in the end? > (I’ve never watched the show before, please forgive the questions. Oooh, just checked Netflix. The first two seasons are there. Guess I know what I’m doing the rest of the night!) Most owners end up taking his help but in the restaurants with the really fucked up weirdos (the best episodes!!) I always get the feeling things will return to the dysfunctional norm as soon as he’s gone. Some things you just can’t fix in a week. A lot of the owners get into this business thinking it’s a fast buck, and they have absolutely NO experience of any type. I always assume they ultimately fail, but so what? Makes for good TV. Also, I want to say that I think Gordon is a real good guy. He comes across as an asshole a lot, but it’s just to shake these morons out of their complacency. The amount of delusion many of them have is astonishing. But I’ve never seen him walk into a place with kind owners who have a strong willingness to improve and then act like an asshole. With people who want to learn, he’s very helpful and patient. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-facebook-meltdown-from-gordon-ramseys-kitchen-nightmares/658341/156 "2013-05-16T20:20:31Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Sammy emigrated from Israel sometime around 2000 and Amy, or Amanda Bossingham as she was known before her stint in prison, is american. !!! Oooooooh, do tell. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-facebook-meltdown-from-gordon-ramseys-kitchen-nightmares/658341/157 "2013-05-16T20:26:07Z")
I thought it was mentioned previously but if not, she was arrested in, I think, 2000 or 2001 for opening a line of credit with someone else’s SSN. She served about a year of her sentence and then had a couple years of probation, I think. After she got out, she snapped Sammy up and they opened the restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-facebook-meltdown-from-gordon-ramseys-kitchen-nightmares/658341/158 "2013-05-16T20:33:48Z")
Reading for comprehension !!??? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-facebook-meltdown-from-gordon-ramseys-kitchen-nightmares/658341/159 "2013-05-16T21:02:43Z")
Part 1 of the episode seems to have disappeared from the OP’s Buzzfeed link. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-facebook-meltdown-from-gordon-ramseys-kitchen-nightmares/658341/160 "2013-05-16T22:53:08Z")
> [@bup](#): > > That, coupled with the fact that nearly every photo of a baked good on the site, and the photos that the owners uploaded to the yelp site, were stolen from other sites, is pretty good evidence of fraud. > > Also, as several people have noted, the kitchen had no baking supplies. > > She also posted lots of stuff about America being all about ressling (_sic_) and saying on the show Gordon doesn’t understand about reselling because he’s not American. Correct, it wasn’t mentioned on the show at all, but it was all over their Facebook before they claimed it was hacked. Those posts have since been deleted but [this page](http://gossipy.co/tag/amys-baking-company-facebook) has a screenshot of one of the posts talking about it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-facebook-meltdown-from-gordon-ramseys-kitchen-nightmares/658341.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-facebook-meltdown-from-gordon-ramseys-kitchen-nightmares/658341.md?page=9)