In this Kitchen Nightmares episode, Gordon Ramsay visits La Granada Divino in Gaucin, Spain.
The restaurant had only opened 8 weeks ago but is losing £4,000 a week.
Gordon arrives at La Granada Divino and meets the owners.
Gina and Milan are sat drinking on a rooftop terrace.
Gordon orders a range of dishes from the menu.
He orders a risotto, fish cake and kebab, a terrine, steak and a lentil salad.
The risotto arrives 40 minutes after the tasteless pate starter.
The risotto is under cooked, the steak is hard to eat and salad is awful.
Gordon meets Chef Neil, who likes fiddling with knives.
He seems to take Gordon's criticism quite well.
Gordon arrives for a dinner service.
In the kitchen, Neil has two other cooks but they are only preparing salads.
Neil is doing everything and starts to corner cut to be able to send food out.
Gina is drinking wine on the terrace.
Two hours into the service, half of the customers have not received their food.
Neil is lost the kitchen and customers tell the staff that they wouldn't return.
Gordon sits down with Gina and Milan, who admit that they didn't do any checks on Neil.
Gordon calls some contacts, who reveal that he has never worked as an executive chef.
Gordon challenges Milan to run front of house and Gina to cook in the kitchen.
Neil is unable to communicate and Milan struggles in the front of house.
Gordon is forced to apologise as food takes two hours to reach the customers.
Gina and Milan finally see Neil's struggles.
Gordon tells them they have expected too much of him.
They stand at the front of the restaurant discussing replacing Neil.
Gordon suggests a special of roast chicken to take some pressure off of the kitchen.
For the evening service, Gordon asks Neil to delegate tasks to help take the pressure off.
The waitresses are pushing the chicken special.
Neil leaves the kitchen to speak to diners in the restaurant and the customers love the special.
Milan, Gina and Gordon take to the streets with samples to advertise the restaurant.
A new menu is devised featuring Spanish inspired food.
Gordon has fixed the lift to improve the service and take some pressure off of the wait staff.
He suggests that Emily is made the manager of the restaurant which is supported by the owners.
For relaunch night, Gordon reveals that he has invited the top, local food critic in for the evening service.
Communication is good and the sharing plates are taking the pressure off.
They are also going down well with the customers.
Neil begins to slip and Gordon tries to pull him back.
They sell out of the sharing platters and Neil has to serve individual dishes.
Neil slips into bad habits and the communication disappears.
The cook tries to put out food before it is ready.
Gordon gives them a pep talk and the communication recovers with great food leaving the kitchen.
The food critic brands it the best restaurant in Gaucin.
He is particularly impressed with the lamb dish.
What Happened Next at La Granada Divino?
After Gordon left they were taking £5,000 a week.
Gina and Milan had taken a step back from the restaurant.
This allowed the staff to run the restaurant.
There were compliments on the service, food and presentation of the food on Trip Advisor.
They appear to have kept the concept of sharing platters that Gordon introduced.
La Granada Divino closed in September 2015.
They closed as owners Milan and Gina retired from working in the restaurant trade.
They posted the below on their website,
"Dear All, We would like to Thank you all for dining at La Granada Divino over the past couple of years!!
La Granada Divino has certainly had an amazing couple of years with some notable highlights including featuring on Gordon Ramsay's Costa Del Sol Kitchen Nightmares watched on National TV as far away as South Africa, Australia and the USA.
Our kitchen has two great chefs from the UK and South Africa with out Front of House waitresses.
The restaurant hosted some fantastic events ranging from Halloween to Art Exhibitions, the Andalusia Porsche club, Birthdays and Anniversaries and customers from all over the world.
We hope everyone enjoyed the La Granada Divino dining experience that was also complimented by mouthwatering food and delicious wines that was all reflected by an excellent Trip Advisor rating.
We regret to announce that the owners, Milan and Gina, are now retiring from the restaurant trade and the restaurant in now closed.
All of us at La Granada Divino want to thank you all for supporting us and hopefully the restaurant will open under new owners soon. Best, The La Granada Divino Team"
La Granada Divino aired on 07 October 2014, the episode was filmed in June 2013 and is Costa Del Nightmares episode 3.
We're now on YouTube - La Granada Divino YouTube Video
I cannot express enough to any "Baby Boomers" on either side of the pond that if they harbor any restaurant dreams to watch the entire KM library. You have worked hard for many years to save for your retirement and that is not an easy thing. Do you really want to take all of your life's hard work and throw it in the bin? I will be more than happy to take your money as I am a single dad with a teenage son. Seriously, take your portfolio and your pension and go travelling. In the best of scenarios, 7 out of 10 restaurants close within a year. You don't want or need that kind of stress at this time of your life.
ReplyDeleteI dont understand why anyone would want to open a restaurant in retirement. It looks like very hard work and long hours
ReplyDeleteAfter working for The Man their whole life, it can be enticing to get to be the boss, and if they can afford to hire good management the hope is their staff runs the restaurant and they get the profits, like investing in a mutual funds.
DeleteOf course the retired looking to become restaurateurs aren't looking to work hard and long hours, but they expect that as owner of a popular restaurant they will be popular themselves and can hook their friends up with reservations, chef's table, a place to host events (Art Exhibits, Porsche Club meetings), etc.
In this very case, I would like to see the restaurant by the staff only without the owners - they have been just sucking money out of it.
ReplyDelete