It looks like love has bitten the dust in the Kitchen Nightmares season 8 episode "Love Bites." We wanted to know is Love Bites Café still open after appearing in the November 13 episode of Kitchen Nightmares? Was Gordon Ramsay able to turn things around at the struggling Love Bites Café, owned and operated by a couple in trouble?
Here's the episode description in case you missed it:
"Love Bites is a small restaurant in Saugerties, N.Y., run by childhood sweethearts who have trouble separating their work and personal lives. Gordon Ramsay steps in to save both the cafe and the couple's engagement after the business breaks down their relationship in the all-new 'Love Bites' episode of Kitchen Nightmares airing Monday, November 13."
So far this season, Ramsay has been able to rescue several establishments on Kitchen Nightmares including Bel Aire Diner, Bask 46, In The Drink, Da Mimmo and The Juicy Box. Does he do it again with Love Bites?
We're sad to report that according to business listings, the Love Bites Café is permanently closed after six years in business. At the end of the episode, it was noted that owners Tess and Chris sold the business to focus on repairing their relationship.
Love Bites Café featured a 4.6 rating from 338 Google reviews. The vast majority of clients who dined there prior to Ramsay's visit enjoyed the quaint decor and delicious breakfast menu, but there were some issues with the service staff.
Ramsay visited Love Bites Café in June 2023, stepping in with his famous brand of tough love to help turn the struggling business around. After a refresh of the interior, advice for the staff and a few key changes in the menu, Love Bites had an updated toolkit that could help steer things in the right direction.
Interestingly, Google reviewer M Block noted that they'd been to Love Bites prior to the Kitchen Nightmares taping and returned after Ramsay's intervention. They were "really saddened by what [Ramsay] did to Love Bites" after beloved menu items disappeared, including the eggs benedict with pork belly that was a café staple. The wait staff hinted that the original menu would be returning and sure enough, upon returning to the café a few days later many of the former menu items had returned.
Based on a news report, it looks like the owners sought to change owners in July 2023. "This has been a hard post to think about, type and even post," Chris and Tess posted on social media. "We will miss you all and even though Chris and I will no longer be part of the business at 69 partition street our recipes and imprint will live through the new café! We will be transitioning ownership in the near future."
In a follow-up post, the owners indicated that one of the main reasons they parted with the business was due to some health challenges, which were noted in the episode.
We don't know if new owners ever took over the restaurant or when Love Bites Café officially closed its doors but this is the first restaurant was unable to rescue in Kitchen Nightmares season 8.
Kitchen Nightmares season 8 airs Mondays at 8 pm ET/PT on Fox, with new episodes available to stream the following day on Hulu.
