The Spot Update - Help My Yelp Update - Open or Closed?

In this Help My Yelp episode, Monti Carlo visits The Spot in Montclair, New Jersey.

The Spot is owned by Cassie.

The restaurant is a failing comfort food restaurant.

Monti says that the area is what she calls foodie heaven.

Within a mile of this block alone, they have over 35 restaurants that have 4.5 stars on Yelp or higher.

The Spot only have 2.5 stars on Yelp.

Owner Cassie has some big-time problems with both the food and the service.

She wants Monti to help her start turning things around at the restaurant.

Cassie has done everything at the restaurant all by herself.

She sourced all the furniture, wrote all the recipes, and trained all the kitchen staff.

They serve American comfort foods from homemade soups and salads to mac and cheese and burgers.

They also serve breakfast all day.

Cassie is still putting in around $20,000 a month into the restaurant.

Cassie has around six months before she will have to close the doors.

She says that this will make her feel defeated.

Cassie does not have a formal chef in the kitchen.

Monti says that this is a huge red flag to her.

Ernesto said he does not know how to cook.

There is a language barrier between Cassie and Ernesto.

Monti says that she wants to see what Ernesto can do.

With the white truffle mac and cheese, they have an amazing foundation.

The Yelp reviewers come into the restaurant.

Cassie is busy decorating.

She is neglecting her responsibilities as an owner.

There is absolutely zero leadership in this kitchen.

The chicken that is served is overdone.

One of the Yelp reviewers says that he wouldn’t tell anyone about this place.

Another reviewer sends the mac and cheese back to the kitchen.

Monti thinks it is time for Cassie to meet some really unhappy Yelpers face-to-face.

The Yelpers give the restaurant an average of two stars.

Everything Cassie has worked for up until now and her vision for the future is at stake.

She doesn’t know what else she would do besides this.

The next morning, it’s time to start digging Cassie out of that 2.5-star hole.

Starting with the inconsistent white mac and cheese and the stiff fried chicken.

There is no leadership in the kitchen.

The result is an empty dining room that could be closed in the next six months.

The white truffle mac and cheese is a solid dish but Monti doesn’t want just solid dishes.

She wants it to be social media gold.

Monti shows Cassie a better way to make the mac and cheese.

Today, Monti will put Ernesto to the test.

She has Ernesto create three different versions of the mac and cheese.

The second dish was really lacking.

The third didn’t have much truffle oil at all.

Monti says she needs him to focus and follow the recipe.

Cassie’s cooks are completely out of control and the food is not good.

Monti brings in more Yelp reviewers.

Cassie is hanging out with her staff.

The chicken that is served is undercooked.

Cassie is FaceTiming someone instead of being present in the restaurant.

Monti heads into the restaurant and talks to Cassie.

She tells Cassie she needs to talk to the tables.

Cassie begins taking control of the kitchen.

Cassie is a young restaurateur so there are going to be mistakes.

At some point, you have to stop, and decide to make changes.

Monti reads the reviews of the second lot of Yelp reviewers to Cassie.

Their rating went up to 3.2 stars, much improved on the previous day.

Cassie is so grateful for Monti’s time.

What Happened Next at The Spot?

Two months later, Cassie has hired a full-time chef.

Cassie says that the kitchen has been much more consistent.

The Spot recorded its best weekend ever.

The Spot closed in 2018.

They had a 3 star Yelp score at the time of closure.

An improvement of half a star from before the show.

Reviews seem to suggest that the service was well below standard.

Click for more Help My Yelp episodes

Next episode - Delkwood Grill

Previous episode - Paco’s Tacos