In this Restaurant Impossible episode, Robert Irvine visits Broad Street Bistro in North Versailles, PA.
Broad Street Bistro is owned by Tasso Athans.
The show has been contacted by his son Yianni.
Yianni is a chef, trained at Cordon Bleu in Pittsburgh.
After he graduated, he worked at resorts in Alaska, Washington State and Colorado.
Yianni gave up his progressing career to come and help his father.
Unfortunately, the restaurant continued to go downhill.
No matter what Yianni has done to improve things, nothing has worked here.
Yianni has realized that his dad is an ineffective leader.
His dad is stubborn and refuses to take advice.
Yianni says that there is always negativity there.
Just two weeks ago, Yianni got so fed up that he took a job in Colorado to get away.
At the end of the day, Yianni just wants his father to be happy.
His father has hit rock bottom and is stressed out.
Instead of coming home and being happy to see his wife, they are constantly arguing.
This restaurant is affecting Yianni’s mom Kathy the most.
Every day he sees her sad, depressed and crying.
Robert is headed to the salon where Kathy works to surprise her first.
In order to capture the ambush, Robert’s producer Katie has made an appointment.
She will go into the salon pretending to be getting married to Robert’s camera guy Jon.
Robert walks into the salon.
Kathy says that an angel must have sent him.
When her husband purchased the restaurant, he did it without her knowledge.
They’ve been married for around 22 years.
Robert can see that Kathy is overwhelmed.
Robert asks her to give him a haircut.
She tells him that her husband bought the restaurant for $400,000.
It was a bar and Kathy doesn’t think it was worth that money.
Yianni went to school and became a chef.
Kathy’s husband Tasso grew up in the restaurant business.
Kathy calls Tasso and tells him to come outside.
Tasso is shocked that Robert is here and they go inside.
The restaurant is dark and the carpet is disgusting.
Tasso’s dad set the bar high as a successful restaurant owner.
Working for someone else’s business left him feeling inferior.
Tasso says that this restaurant is killing their marriage.
Tasso lives in the restaurant.
He doesn’t talk to his wife much and when he does, it turns into arguments.
Kathy fell in love with how good of a person Tasso is.
Tasso says it was heart breaking when Yianni left.
Even though his father has passed, Tasso is still trying to prove himself.
Seeing Tasso run a lunch service will give Robert some more insight.
Tasso says he has worked in places so much busier than this and he was on top.
The burger isn’t good and doesn’t taste fresh.
It doesn’t taste like a real burger.
The French onion soup is oily and there is no flavor in the onions.
Robert tells Tasso that the food has no love in it.
Robert says that this is why they are failing.
The designer Lynn says that it feels like a bar and not a restaurant.
They begin taking everything out of the restaurant.
Their youngest son Philip is at the restaurant.
Philip isn’t there often because he is in school for culinary arts.
Yianni comes into the restaurant.
Lynn says that one of the biggest challenges is that there’s a wall that separates the bar from the dining area.
They’re going to open it up and make it into one big space.
Tasso gathers his staff outside so Robert can figure out how they communicate.
Robert asks them if Tasso is a good leader and Yianni doesn’t think so.
He says when it comes toward disciplinary action, when someone messes up, he just folds.
The rest of the staff agrees.
Robyn says that Tasso needs a backbone.
Philip says he would love to help his dad in any way he can.
Robert tells him to go to the kitchen and prepare four desserts for tomorrow night.
With his sons focused on the future, Robert needs Tasso to move forward from the past.
Robert can only hope that Tasso is beginning to feel that this is a fresh, new start.
The next day, Robert is going to meet with the family.
Tasso and Kathy went out to dinner for the first time in a while.
Tasso tells Yianna he will give him a percentage of the business if he would come back home.
Yianni turns it down because he feels like he is not ready to return.
Tasso gives Philip a chance to show him what he can do.
Kathy says she definitely sees a change in her husband.
Tasso opened up, which was nice to see.
Robert wants to give closure to Tasso about saying goodbye to his dad and for Yianni to feel like he has let him go.
With their renewed spirit, Tasso is ready to learn a new menu.
With the kitchen turned around, Robert has one more thing to straighten out.
He takes Tasso into the back room for a meeting with his staff.
Robert wants him to take control of the situation.
Tasso tells his staff what they need to do better.
Tasso says that yesterday he was a broken person and now he has so much more confidence in himself.
Robert shows the family their new restaurant.
They love the new look and all of the new space they have.
Tasso says that he is overwhelmed with gratitude, joy, and pride.
Kathy says this is a place she can be proud of.
They reopen the restaurant.
Philip says he is very excited for all of them.
On relaunch, Tasso is impressed with how everyone is working.
The customers love the new look and the food.
They are now also proud of the restaurant and promise to return.
What Happened Next at Broad Street Bistro?
Two months later, Tasso and Philip are getting into a good workflow.
They are hoping Yianni will join them soon.
Broad Street Bistro is open.
Reviews since Restaurant Impossible are mostly positive with a few complaints on long waits for food.
Broad Street Bistro was Restaurant Impossible season 13 episode 8 and aired on 4th May 2016.
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