Kitchen Nightmares returns because these mom-and-pop restaurants deserve help

After almost a decade off the air, Kitchen Nightmares returns at a time where the restaurant industry is starting to get its footing once again. While the food industry constantly evolves, the harsh reality of being a successful business is more than just hype or good word of mouth. The heart of any successful business is the people who run the day to day operations. As the Gordon Ramsay led FOX show hits the fall food television schedule, executive producer David De Angelis offers insight on why now the time is the time to return to the kitchen.

FOX and the Gordon Ramsay team have built a successful partnership over the years. From iconic shows like Hell’s Kitchen and MasterChef to newer offerings like Next Level Chef and Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars, the food television fans watch each and every episode for more than just stunning plates of food and fiery quips. In the end, there is a feel-good story in every episode. It might take someone hitting bottom to rise, but the final result is positive.

As Kitchen Nightmares returns, that story of redemption is woven into every episode. Even if there are moments that make viewer cringe, the heart of the episode is a group of people who want to serve their community.

During an interview with Kitchen Nightmares executive producer David De Angelis, he shared some insight on the upcoming season. Given that the restaurant industry is still rebuilding after struggling over the past several years, it is a curious time for the restaurant recovery show to return to FOX programming.

Speaking why now is the right time for its return, De Angelis commented, “That was the question that we all had to ask ourselves and that’s the question that Gordon asked. We all are coming out of the hardest possible couple of years. Restaurants, more than most businesses, really struggled during the pandemic to get back to a place where they can service customers again. Gordon is not immune to that struggle, and he had to learn to pivot as well. That scenario triggered something in him that made him want to come back and see if he could help some restaurants that were lucky enough to make it through, but they are on their last chance.”

While the Ramsay production team has had other versions of restaurant redemption shows, Kitchen Nightmares is different. The concept might have brought the celebrated chef to the small screen, but the restaurant and food television landscape has changed in the past 10 years.

De Angelis understands that the show as well as the restaurants have to adapt. He said, “For Gordon, it was really important to come back now more than ever because of the changing diner habit. The way that people use social media now is much different than it was 10 years ago. If you don’t have a great social media page, most diners aren’t even going to walk in the door. For Gordon, it was a matter of looking at the landscape, looking at where the restaurants are now, where they came from, and where they can go. There is a desire to help these mom and pop restaurants try to survive.”

While each episode is unique, this season features many mom and pop restaurants. As Kitchen Nightmares returns, De Angelis appreciates that there is a give and take between the restaurant and the community.

Speaking to the relationship between the restaurant and the community, he said, “we see that idea in one of the episodes where new owners went in a changed the entire vibe of the restaurant. They changed the menu, and the community rejected it. You can’t have a restaurant without the diners and the diners need the restaurant. It is a 50/50 operation.”

“Gordon reaches out to the community. He talks to them about why people go to the restaurant and why they stopped. He takes a holistic approach to all these restaurants. From reaching out to diners to understand why they had a bad experience to how the restaurant deals with those scenarios, it is finding the cracks and fixing them. The community is a huge driver. Our philosophy behind this show is what can we do to get people back in the door.”

While there is redemption to be served as Kitchen Nightmares returns, the commercials do not shy away from those shock and awe moments. Like any food television program, there needs to be a moment to draw people to the screen. But, those clips cannot overshadow the real purpose.

As De Angelis shared, “Gordon is very sensitive about these moments, and he is not there to destroy these restaurants. He is going to be brutally honest, and that honesty comes out when we walk in the door.”

Looking at the episodes, many of the scenarios show an owner who has lost passion and focus. While there are plenty of excuses why a walk-in hasn’t been cleaned in months or a hood has become a bio-hazard, people still have to learn those lessons. Running a restaurant is never easy.

But, De Angelis thinks that those “shock and awe” moments are vital to the show. As he said, “it helps to visualize the before and after. It is a wakeup call for the owners who have been negligent.”

Even though some of the moments are hard to watch and even harder to hear, De Angelis admitted that “tough love is important because sometimes that’s the only thing that can pull some of these people out of the rut that they’ve been in and remove the blinders a little bit from what they’ve been ignoring. No one delivers tough love quite like Gordon Ramsay.”

As Kitchen Nightmares returns for a new season of redemption, viewers might want to look beyond the first 15 minutes and focus on the journey across the hour-long show. Even for those people not in the restaurant industry, there is something to learn from the process. Complacency does not bring a fulfilled life.

The new season of Kitchen Nightmares premieres on September 25 at 8 p.m. on FOX. New episodes air on Monday nights and can be streamed the next day on Hulu.