Featured Image Credit: FOX
Topics: News, US News, Gordon Ramsay, Food and Drink
Kit Roberts
A chef who appeared on Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares in the US has claimed the appearance on the show ruined the business.
John Chapman opened up a restaurant called Chappy's, a New Orleans-style cajun restaurant serving up classic dishes.
He invited Ramsay into the kitchen to see if he could help to improve revenue at the business and offer tips, but he claims things did not turn out that way.
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John claimed that when he opened up the restaurant he had designed the menu to feature the sorts of things you would expect to find at a cajun restaurant.
So think gumbo and jambalaya. Classic delicious cajun dishes.
But John was stunned when Ramsay came back with a raised menu which had effectively cut all these dishes from the menu.
He said: "I couldn’t believe that [was] the menu that he wants to put in. Hush puppies, fried chicken, hamburgers – give me a break.”
While the expletive-saturated Kitchen Nightmares is made with the intent of helping out a struggling business, John claims that in his case it had the opposite effect.
He said: “It was truly a kitchen nightmare for me. Gordon Ramsay destroyed my business. It was a confrontation from the get-go.”
The show, which runs on FOX network, follows Ramsay as he travels around the US offering assistance to struggling restaurant businesses.
But Chappy's sadly didn't work out, closing down after the appearance on the show.
A spokesperson for Kitchen Nightmares said that any advice given on the show is optional, and it is at the restaurant owners' discretion to follow it.
They said in a statement: "The mission of Kitchen Nightmares is to help struggling restaurants succeed.
"Gordon Ramsay is the owner of 27 restaurants and holds 11 Michelin stars.
"He is eminently qualified to offer solutions and tools to help turn failing restaurants around."
The statement continued: "In every case, restaurant owners choose to participate in Kitchen Nightmares to receive the benefit of Gordon Ramsay's expertise.
"In the case of Chappy's, a fledgling restaurant in Nashville, Gordon suggested extensive revisions to the menu, updated the décor and offered his expertise and advice to the management and staff.
"It was their decision -- as it is with all participating restaurants on the show -- whether to take his advice. Mr. Ramsay and the show producers always wish the participating restaurant owners much success."
UNILAD has reached out to representatives of Gordon Ramsay for comment.