# Watching the Amy's Baking Company episode of Kitchen Nightmares **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 17, 2013, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-the-amys-baking-company-episode-of-kitchen-nightmares/658599 "2013-05-17T13:39:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-the-amys-baking-company-episode-of-kitchen-nightmares/658599/21 "2013-05-17T17:17:52Z")
> [@miss\_elizabeth](#): > > I’ve read in several different places that ABC is utterly swamped now. The parking lot has been swamped with the morbidly curious, but the restaurant has temporarily closed until May 21 in the face of all this internet rage. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-the-amys-baking-company-episode-of-kitchen-nightmares/658599/22 "2013-05-17T17:18:22Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > There’s always a hilarious point in the show where the owner is upset, Gordon is in his/her face, and they inevitably resort to the “Who the fuck are you?” argument, and I’m quite shocked that Gordon _never_ fires back with the obvious answer of “#1 I own dozens of successful restaurants and have earned 15 Michelin stars, and #2, YOU called ME because YOU are FAILING!” Maybe toss in a “You fat donkey!” somewhere for that unique Gordon Ramsay flavor. > > Or maybe he does and they just edit that part out because it’s too mean (even though we’re all thinking it). He almost certainly does. Even if he doesn’t have creative control, I’m sure the producers are smart enough not to piss him off by making him look like (more of) an arse. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-the-amys-baking-company-episode-of-kitchen-nightmares/658599/23 "2013-05-17T17:56:47Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > Actually, I’ve only really seen the first season but Ramsey seemed to really focus on niche marketing with very different menus for the different restaurants. He turned one into a family-style Italian place and another into a gastropub. Since the new menus are always much smaller, I think that they are actually quite diverse. Small menu and really highlight the focus on a single signature dish. Homemade meatballs. Jerked chicken wings. etc. and market that to set yourself apart from the other restaurants of your genre. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-the-amys-baking-company-episode-of-kitchen-nightmares/658599/24 "2013-05-17T19:20:38Z")
I think he should have his next show called The Launch or something like that - take a person or couple who want to open up a place, and have however much money they want to use. They all sit down, discuss the basics - Where - what makes a good location What - what would go over best there Food - menu that would be best Build it - what goes into good restaurant and kitchen design Staff it - who needs to be hired, how to schedule staffing and training Open it - show it opening day Follow Up - and go back in 6 months and see how it is going. It would have to be something like 3 or 4 shows instead of 1 show per place, but I think it could work. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-the-amys-baking-company-episode-of-kitchen-nightmares/658599/25 "2013-05-17T19:39:14Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > I think he should have his next show called The Launch or something like that - take a person or couple who want to open up a place, and have however much money they want to use. They all sit down, discuss the basics - > > Where - what makes a good location > What - what would go over best there > Food - menu that would be best > Build it - what goes into good restaurant and kitchen design > Staff it - who needs to be hired, how to schedule staffing and training > Open it - show it opening day > > Follow Up - and go back in 6 months and see how it is going. > > It would have to be something like 3 or 4 shows instead of 1 show per place, but I think it could work. I like that idea - instead of doing it episodically, though, do it as a season long thing, with four or five restaurants on the show at the same time, so you can compare who’s succeeding at each step with who’s failing. ---
**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 17, 2013, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-the-amys-baking-company-episode-of-kitchen-nightmares/658599/26 "2013-05-17T19:39:28Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > I think he should have his next show called The Launch or something like that - take a person or couple who want to open up a place, and have however much money they want to use. They all sit down, discuss the basics - > > Where - what makes a good location > What - what would go over best there > Food - menu that would be best > Build it - what goes into good restaurant and kitchen design > Staff it - who needs to be hired, how to schedule staffing and training > Open it - show it opening day > > Follow Up - and go back in 6 months and see how it is going. > > It would have to be something like 3 or 4 shows instead of 1 show per place, but I think it could work. This sounds really useful and interesting. It also sounds like there would be very little shouting and drama and batshit crazy owners. Therefore it will never be made. 😉 Seriously though, I’d watch it. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-the-amys-baking-company-episode-of-kitchen-nightmares/658599/27 "2013-05-17T19:48:43Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Because no one thinks they’re going to end up looking like a loon. Similarly, none of these restaurant owners are aware of how filthy their food storage and kitchens are, how overloaded their menus are or how poorly their food is cooked. Also, when they shoot dozens of hours of footage with multiple cameras, there’s a lot of fodder for the editors to make up whatever storyline they like. Take enough bits and pieces, sometimes clips only seconds long, arrange them right and put them to the correct music, and you can make even normal people look pretty psycho. I once saw a contract someone had to sign to be on one of those wife swap shows, and it had a very specific clause which basically said, “You agree that we can defame you, and you will not sue us for it, no matter how much we mislead the audience about you.” I imagine all the reality shows use something similar. \*\*aruvqan \*\*- there is a BBC show called [The Restaurant](http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00djpzy) that is similar in idea. It’s much more “reality-show” with challenges and stuff, but it is about going in from the front and setting up a restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-the-amys-baking-company-episode-of-kitchen-nightmares/658599/28 "2013-05-17T19:52:21Z")
If you like his shows with less drama, BBC America used to (and may still) carry his series called “The F-Word” - F stands for “food,” you see. It’s a mix of segments; it starts off in a little restaurant setting where he schmoozes with UK celeb guests a bit, then he goes out to someone’s place and teaches some not-good-at-cooking people how to cook, then shows people where some food item comes from off the farm, then a bit at his home-raised food attempts (typically meat-raising), and then a competition segment where he has a 4-5 person team come in to the restaurant and cook recipes he’s taught them, and their overall score is based on how many diners say they’d pay the given price for it in a regular restaurant. Very low drama, entertaining, and educational. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2013, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-the-amys-baking-company-episode-of-kitchen-nightmares/658599/29 "2013-05-18T00:51:24Z")
> [@](#): > > I think he should have his next show called The Launch or something like that - take a person or couple who want to open up a place, and have however much money they want to use. They all sit down, discuss the basics - > > Where - what makes a good location > What - what would go over best there > Food - menu that would be best > Build it - what goes into good restaurant and kitchen design > Staff it - who needs to be hired, how to schedule staffing and training > Open it - show it opening day [The Restaurant](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Restaurant_%28U.S._TV_series%29) (not the BBC show) > [@](#): > > This sounds really useful and interesting. It also sounds like there would be very little shouting and drama and batshit crazy owners. Psst-apparently you missed the show linked above. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2013, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-the-amys-baking-company-episode-of-kitchen-nightmares/658599/30 "2013-05-18T01:49:42Z")
That was episode 16, the last of the season. Maybe some episodes never make it to the air? Like the one where right after Gordon tells them “This is under done” the owner takes a taste and says “Damn! You’re right, it is underdone! Show me how to make it right, please!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-the-amys-baking-company-episode-of-kitchen-nightmares/658599.md?page=1)