Mama Maria's / Sal's Pizza - Kitchen Nightmares Update - Open or Closed?

In this Kitchen Nightmares episode, Gordon Ramsay visits Mama Maria’s in Brooklyn, New York.

Mama Maria’s is also in business with Sal’s Pizzeria.

The two restaurants are attached.

Sal’s was owned by Sal and Maria Esposito.

They purchased the restaurant in the 1970’s.

It was run successfully until their son John Esposito took over in 1990.

John joined the family business when he was 14.

By the time he took over, they had expanded, buying the attached restaurant.

After his mother Maria died, the restaurant was renamed Mama Maria’s in her honor.

Sales have declined in both restaurants over the years.

John isn’t able to manage the business well.

Running both of the businesses has left him overwhelmed.

He is also stubborn and allows his kids to run free in the place.

John does not understand the changing demographic of the community.

He has not moved with the times.

Gordon arrives at the restaurant and isn’t impressed with the tatty exterior.

The awning is ripped through the letters of the restaurant name.

He enters the restaurant and meets Fabio, the general manager.

Fabio tells him that John ripped the sign.

John is currently next door in the pizzeria.

Gordon goes next door to find him.

He meets John, thinking he was filling in because they were short-staffed.

He is told that John makes all of the pizzas in Sal’s.

John tells Gordon the history of the place.

He thinks that they are struggling because they are not busy enough.

John blames this on increased competition in the area.

Gordon sits in Mama Maria’s to order from the lunch menu.

He is served by Laurie and Fabio.

Gordon reads on the menu that all the pasta is made every day on the premises.

He orders spaghetti meatballs, margherita pizza and tortellini di patate.

Server Fran brings the desserts to the table.

One of the cakes is moldy but this is explained to be okay as they are just for display.

Fabio tries to defend the products.

He says that it is just for display and they are not served to customers.

Gordon says it doesn’t make sense to display old desserts.

He is offended when Fabio says that’s why he is there.

The tortellini is brought out and Gordon thinks it tastes bland.

He can tell it is frozen, which Laurie confirms after asking the kitchen staff.

Gordon is surprised to learn they make fresh pasta but freeze it for later use.

Gordon smells something off in the dining area.

On inspection, he finds an overwatered plant with stagnant water.

He takes the plant off the shelf.

The water spills everywhere, including on innocent diners.

He promises to pay their dry cleaning bill after they were covered in water from the plant.

The spaghetti meatballs are also disappointing.

Gordon can tell that the meatballs were frozen just by looking at them.

The meatballs are rubbery and dry.

The Pizza is the last to be brought out and it is too greasy.

Gordon doesn’t think that John is tasting the food before it is sent out to diners.

John is upset about the feedback and angrily throws pizza boxes around.

Gordon meets the kitchen staff, Joe, Oscar and Valentino to give feedback.

John explains the frozen food is the standard practice.

Gordon argues that may have been the case in the 80s.

In the 2000s, standards rose and things changed.

John tells Gordon that it takes too long to make the meatballs fresh.

The Chef agrees that the food is poor and he has no control over changing the menu.

Gordon advises they should shut the restaurant if they don’t want to change.

John doesn’t agree with him on their processes not working.

Gordon returns in the evening to observe a dinner service.

He can see that John is making pizza in the corner of the kitchen.

He is ignoring other orders and the other activities in the kitchen.

The other kitchen staff cook the other meals using his recipes.

The customers are not happy with the food.

A vegetarian customer finds a bone in the tomato sauce.

It is revealed that the plain tomato sauce is made with pork bones and sausage bits.

A customer is discovered being sick in the restroom.

He had eaten a lobster tail that made him ill almost instantly.

Gordon investigates the lobster dish.

He notices that the lobster is old and it smells like ammonia.

John has to call for an ambulance as the customer is getting worse.

The ambulance's presence makes other diners uncomfortable.

The restaurant is shut down for the evening.

All food taken back to the kitchen without any payments being taken from customers.

Gordon takes John aside to talk about what has happened during the service.

He lets John know that the night’s disaster is due to his poor practices.

He has a defeated attitude and is not taking ownership of the place.

Instead, he is acting like a member of staff.

John is concerned about providing for his family.

He gets emotional when talking about the restaurant failing.

Gordon reminds him he needs to change and succeed for the sake of his children.

The next day, Gordon looks in the freezers and finds plenty of prepared food that has been frozen.

He is disgusted to find buckets of frozen pasta, meat and sauces.

They are covered in mould and some have been freezer burnt.

None of the food is dated or labeled and Gordon has to try and guess what some of the items are.

Gordon takes the frozen food to the front of the restaurant to show its scale.

He reveals that it is a year’s worth of frozen food.

Gordon tells them that the customer who was sick the previous evening is feeling better.

He was discharged from the emergency room.

John says it is his fault.

He has been buying the same amount of product that he did when they were more successful.

Gordon tells John that he needs to let go of the past.

He discovers that the Specials have not been changed since his parents passed away.

John says the restaurant is his life.

It is hard to let go, but he doesn’t want the restaurant to keep failing.

Gordon reminds him that he needs to set things in place and be the owner.

The next day, Gordon returns and reveals his first change to the restaurant.

He has replaced the awning with a new, modern, bold sign.

Inside the restaurant, it is modern and vibrant with an art display of the Brooklyn Bridge.

There are also photos of his parents around New York up on the walls.

There are custom tablecloths on the tables.

The menu has been overhauled and improved.

The portion sizes are smaller and they are only using fresh ingredients.

On relaunch night, Gordon has invited influential food critics, journalists, and bloggers.

John is nervous meeting the influencers that could make or break his business.

The kitchen gets off to a good start.

John is not managing his staff and is found at the bar.

Gordon gives him a pep talk,and he steps up to the task.

He mingles with customers and takes control of his staff.

The night ends well and all the diners loved the atmosphere and the improved food.

What Happened Next at Mama Maria's?

A few months later, business at the restaurant was reported to be up 10%.

Some old favorites were returned to the menu, as requested.

John had kept Gordon's revised menu in place, with a few minor tweaks to the dishes.

Mama Maria's and Sal's Pizzeria closed in February 2023.

They closed as owner John decided to retire.

The closure was announced at the restaurant and on social media.

Yelp reviews were mostly positive after Gordon's visit.

Reviews in 2019 appeared to suggest that the seafood is frozen.

TripAdvisor reviews were also mostly positive.

Negative reviews related to non-delivery of take-out orders.

Mama Maria's was aired on November 09 2012.

The episode was filmed in June 2012.

It is Kitchen Nightmares season 6 episode 3.

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