Here's an idea for a new game to play with your foodie friends: Restaurant Makeover Deathwatch. Every time another failing restaurant is featured on the popular Food Network show Restaurant Makeover, place bets on how long they'll last post-reno before finally giving up the ghost.
Once of the latest places to fall victim to the RM curse is The Office Sports Bar & Grill (3313 Bloor Street West), an Etobicoke institution that was quite possibly the first sports-themed bar in Toronto. Rather than being rejuvenating, their makeover ended up alienating much of their already dwindling clientèle, and they finally had to pack it in a couple of weeks ago. Thankfully, the location won't lie dormant for long, as the popular North end family-friendly pub The Longest Yard (535 Mount Pleasant Road) has taken it over for a second location due to open next month.
After months of declining quality and popularity following the departure of original chef Corey Mintz, vegetarian resto-lounge Boom Shiva (1180 Queen Street West) has packed it in. Given its prime location between the Drake and the Gladstone, it's doubtful that the space will remain empty for long.
Barely a month after opening, chicken and rib joint Cluck, Grunt & Low (362 Bloor Street West) has lost executive chef Paul Boehmer for reasons unknown. This puts Marc Thuet in charge, which could be good news or bad news depending on how you feel about Thuet and/or Boehmer.
Also recently departed is Michael Pataran from the Windsor Arms Hotel (18 St. Thomas Street), with the likely cause being the hotel's decision to put plans for his Japanese restaurant and sake bar Kappo on hold in favour of a more traditional steakhouse. The executive chef role is now being held by Stephen Ricci (ex-Prego della Piazza), while Pataran has accepted a new position on Paradise Island, The Bahamas. Well, can you blame him?
If you have a scoop to share about the local food & restaurant scene, please let us know so we can include it in a future edition of T.O. Tidbits.
One more for the Restaurant Makeover Deathwatch: Eduardos (once 'Latitude') on Harbord. There are sale signs in the window indicating that "everything must go". I assume that no more fixtures= no more Eduardos. Sad....
Sad indeed. I don't get it- there has been quite a bit of ink in the Globe, The Star and TO Life referring to shall we say "lacklustre" construction and the resulting disgruntled resto owners who share his/her "experience." Yet there are tons waiting to get reno'ed on TV in one measly week (NOT enough time to do anything right- just ask any contractor or designer) to the tune of $15K... I've worked on similar remodelling type TV shows (admittedly not a full-out reno with construction) and even they were shall we say, very quickly slapped together.
By now, if I was a restaurant owner, I'd be more than just a bit cautious. You know the old saying, "if it seems to good to be true..."
I think the attraction of RM for restaurant owners is probably triggered by a combination of desperation caused by a failing business and the "I want my 15 minutes of fame" bug that pushes so many people towards reality TV in general.
Although a couple of the successful owners (i.e. those that managed to stay in business after the reno) have said that they viewed it as great advertising for their place. Which makes some sense given the popularity of the show.
Still, with the slap-dash job that's done on most of the renos, it's hard to say if the benefits really outweigh the risks.
This is actually how I've found out about Boom Shiva finally closing. It seems unlikely that owner's Ian Brock and Greg Moyer will ever by paying me the two grand they owe. Good luck in all your future plans buddies.
Blaming Restaurant Makeover for the closure of a restaurant seems rather unfair and unjustified to me. Many restaurants have closed that had nothing to do with Restaurant Makeover. There are many reasons why a restaurant closes. In one case, the chef died in a motorcycle accident. In another case, the restaurant was unable to obtain a liquor license to attract more customers. It takes a lot of hard work to run a successful restaurant and some people just don't have the knack for it. I think that Restaurant Makeover is doing a great job and I hope that they can continue to revitalize restaurants for years to come.
Keep in mind it is a tv show, nothing more. They find struggling restaurants and revamp them yes, but they don't always do what is in the best interest of the restaurant itself. There are many reasons that restaurants go under but a poor investment of $15,000 and having to invest money after that to fix what they've done- is enough of a reason.
I own a restaurant that was on the show and everything they did was cosmetic and poorly done. But it is a TV show at the end of the day! They're not saints so take it with a grain of salt.
While I find Restaurant Makeover entertaining, the show really does nothing at all for the best interest of the owners. They are so horribly formulaic they refuse to look at the real reasons why restaurants fail; it isn't only because of food or decor. I mean.. there are restaurants that have been around forever with absolutely horrid food and decor...
Too bad the show is incapable of deviating from their formula, they could look at management, costs, staff, and at least do something to help them start off. When you start a new business you will lose money for a while.. they are basically starting a new business and they are already in debt.... no wonder they are dropping.
My restaurant Aggie Martin, http://www.aggiemartin.com was on Restaurant Makeover. Probably the best $15K I ever spent. First, the design is beautiful and in line with our vision and future plans. Second, the value was far greater than $30K as the show is comped so many things that would cost us a fortune to do / buy our self. Last, a one hour commercial repeated for years is priceless.
It is only a week so you have to go in understanding there is only so much the show can do - and be prepared to use some elbow grease, a few more $ and another week or so to get ready to re-open.
The makeover does not teach business skills, and unfortunately many people feel that knowing how to cook and loving restaurants / food is all the skill that is needed to run a business. Not true in restaurants and not true in any business. The show is a makeover show, not a miracle for poor business skills.
That being said, I am surprised at changes such as with the Office and can only presume based on my experience that they must have given direction vis a vis their future goals and changing demographics of customers in the area. The producers are very careful throughout the interview process to ascertain the owner’s goals and vision. As much as the show has a surprise reveal, it is not logical that the producers would make a significant change to the restaurants style or branding on their own. In our case, they called 300 times a day during the process to check hundreds of details and while the reveal was a surprise they were conscientious about maintaining the integrity of our building, space and vision.