On the October 9 episode of Kitchen Nightmares season 8, Gordon Ramsay went to New Jersey to help In the Drink Bar and Restaurant, an establishment located on a busy golf course. While the location is beautiful, the food simply isn't up to par. Is In the Drink still open after appearing on Kitchen Nightmares?
Taking a look at In the Drink's Google reviews, prior to filming Kitchen Nightmares earlier this year the restaurant consistently received mixed reviews from customers.
Owners George and Solange took over In the Drink in 2017. While it has an idyllic location on the busy Preakness Valley Golf Course, the often-empty restaurant has always been a challenge for the owners and was losing money faster than it could bring it in. The dining room closely resembled a school cafeteria and didn't reflect the beautiful golf course outside, nor did it live up to the customers' expectations.
On the plus side, the serving staff has always been very loyal and efficient, working hard to make the most of the challenges they're faced with. Ramsay immediately connected with the servers, praising their loyalty after learning they'd all been with In the Drink for several years. If not for the friendly front-of-house staff, Ramsay guessed the place would have closed already.
After spending a short period of time at In the Drink, Ramsay discovered the staff wasn't getting support from the owners; the line cook was exhausted and hadn't had a day off in weeks. The restaurant was in dire financial circumstances. It didn't help that food was being wasted at an alarming rate because of how much food was being sent back.
Ramsay gave the restaurant a makeover, introducing a cohesive design that welcomes customers and invites them to stick around — and to return. The menu also got an overhaul with fresh ingredients that can be turned around quickly.
In the past few months the reviews have improved and range from three to five stars, with many customers complimenting the food and service.
In the Drink Bar and Restaurant is still open for business after Ramsay's intervention and it looks like things are going well.
Kitchen Nightmares airs Mondays at 8 pm ET/PT on Fox, with new episodes available the following day on Hulu.
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