In this Help My Yelp episode, Monti Carlo visits Pearl Restaurant and Lounge in Castleberry Hill, Atlanta.
Pearl Restaurant and Lounge is owned by Dishema.
Castleberry Hill is a neighborhood full of boutiques, art galleries, trendy restaurants and a vibrant nightlife.
It’s got close to a thousand hotspots.
With hit or miss food and shoddy service, it is getting blasted with two and one star Yelp ratings.
The Pearl needs Monti’s help.
Monti meets with owner Dishema.
Dishema has been there for ten years.
Their signature dishes are their snow crabs, macaroni and cheese, kale and candied yams.
Their menu is full of comfort food staples.
They added a lounge space to try and draw in a different crowd.
Dishema says that the area has turned into a busy nightlife spot.
Monti thinks that the restaurant has an identity crisis.
Dishema has to get back in the game to make the restaurant more successful on Yelp.
Dishema introduces Monti to the staff.
Monti asks them to make her some food to eat so she can see if the food is an issue.
Monti says that the fried shrimp is a delight and is very impressed with the dish.
Dishema has invested over $300,000 into the restaurant at this point.
Dishema reads the Yelp reviews.
Monti tells Dishema that they have set up surveillance cameras in the restaurant.
She also tells them that there are Yelp reviewers in the restaurant to give it a review.
The Yelp reviewers order their food.
The shrimp are microwaved.
They are not impressed as the shrimp are tough.
The table does not have any silverware on for them to use with their food.
The staff are helping themselves to the liquor during the service.
The food is bad, the service is terrible and the whole staff is having a party.
Monti says that you can’t watch that surveillance footage and not think that everything needs to change.
Monti tells Dishema about the Yelpers that have been in the restaurant.
Dishema says she takes negative reviews very personally.
She is confident in her food.
The Yelpers tell her that the scallops had no flavor.
Dishema says that she has lost control over the restaurant.
Overall, the reviewers give the restaurant an average of just two stars.
Dishema says that the most shocking thing about the Yelp reviews was the fact that people’s food wasn’t cooked properly.
The next day, Monti says she is going to help Dishema reenergize.
They will update the Pearl so it can work both as a restaurant and a nightspot.
Her first stop and first place that needs changes is the kitchen.
Monti shows Dishema and Derek the right way to cook the shrimp.
Monti wants to change things up just a little bit and give the customers a new flavor profile to enjoy.
Monti shows Dishema how to make a new sauce.
She shows Dishema some finger food that would work well on the menu.
Monti says that change isn’t going to happen overnight but the most important step is that first step.
The Pearl started out as a neighborhood restaurant but now that neighborhood is all about nightlife.
Some small-plate options will give her lounge customers a whole new experience.
Monti says that tonight’s dinner service will have three more tables of Yelpers in to review the service.
However, this time their reviews will be posted on Yelp and will count towards their score.
Dishema has a pre-service meeting with her staff before the Yelpers arrive.
The Yelpers arrive, are seated and order their food.
Derek is prepping an order of the steak small-plate for their first two Yelpers.
The food has a lot of flavor.
The staff is still taking shots of liquor on the clock.
Monti heads down into the restaurant to address this with Dishema.
Dishema says that this is something she is not okay with.
Monti tells her that she needs her to address this during the service.
Dishema confronts the employee about their drinking during the service.
The food is flavorful and the diners are impressed.
The servers are really caring about the service now and are much improved.
Monti tells Dishema the ratings that the diners have given them.
Dishema’s overall Yelp rating went from 2 stars on the first service to 2.5 stars on the second.
What Happened Next at Pearl Restaurant and Lounge?
Six weeks later, Dishema has added several new small plate specials to the menu.
The staff has pride in their work.
The lounge traffic is picking up.
Pearl Restaurant and Lounge is closed.
They closed in late 2020.
Their Yelp rating was a 3 star average at the time of closure.
Reviews seemed to be a solid 4/5 star in the 6 months leading to their closure.
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