Kitchen Nightmares Update: The Mixing Bowl Eatery: Bellmore, New York: S1E3

Positive PR

The Mixing Bowl Eatery in Bellmore, New York was featured on the tv show Kitchen Nightmares in 2007. It was the third episode of the series and followed married couple Billy and Lisa. The restaurant's manager was wasting money on silly signs and giving away meals for 50% off. Find out what happened to this restaurant and an update on the owners by the end of this video!

Transcript

00:00The third episode of the first season of Kitchen Nightmares followed a restaurant where the manager

00:04taking advantage of his position was more of an issue than the food coming out of the kitchen.

00:09Besides taking half of the server's tips and making bad investments in advertising,

00:14he lost his temper during filming when Gordon's special guests were left off the reservation list.

00:19I handed over the reservation list to Kim and then I'm not exactly sure what transpired since then.

00:25I've never been the one in charge of the reservation.

00:26I don't think that it's right to put blame on any one person.

00:30When he couldn't pass the buck, he lost it on the owner in the middle of dinner service.

00:34I wasn't told.

00:35Excuse me, do not talk to me like that.

00:37I was told 7 o'clock this morning.

00:39That's it.

00:39Seriously, I'm pissed off.

00:41Dragons on the paper.

00:42I'm pissed off.

00:44Not my fault.

00:45Dragons right over here.

00:46I put them on at 7 o'clock.

00:47Can we please move on?

00:49That's it.

00:50Embarrassing.

00:50Gordon steps in and sends him outside to cool off while he discusses options with the owners.

00:55Can you f*** off outside now?

00:57If I would go home right now, life goes on.

00:59I'd get another job.

01:00But my life would be different.

01:02You've got one problem here.

01:04If the restaurant dies, it'll be like a death in the family.

01:07It turns around.

01:08F***.

01:08Located at 2601 Merrick Road in Bellamore, New York, The Mixing Bowl was owned and operated

01:17by married couple Billy and Lisa.

01:19Billy is the chef and Lisa works in the dining room.

01:21After 10 years in the business, Lisa's passion has dwindled along with the customers.

01:26If it was up to Billy's wife, the restaurant would be closed next week.

01:29My hope is really gone for this place.

01:31I can't sacrifice myself and our children for the mixing bowl anymore.

01:36I would have shut the doors a year ago.

01:38They have a front of house manager known as...

01:40Everyone just knows he has mixing bowl Mike.

01:42According to staff, like Billy's sister Lynn, Mike acts more like a figurehead than a manager.

01:47He is the manager.

01:48You get five times more pay than the servers.

01:50What the hell is your problem?

01:52Shut up.

01:52People come in here and they think I'm the owner.

01:55They call me like the mayor of Bellamore.

01:57Gordon's first impression of the business...

01:59I'm nervous because this looks dreadful.

02:01His first impressions of the restaurant aren't great.

02:03And while trying the award-winning crab cakes, he spots a roach.

02:07May I ask what you think of the crab cakes?

02:09May I ask you not to stare at me?

02:10Absolutely.

02:10Makes me feel really uncomfortable.

02:12No problem.

02:12You know, I've got this cockroach on your back.

02:13You're trying to shake off.

02:14I'd like to just sit and enjoy my lunch.

02:16Now, back to the crab cakes.

02:17Award-winning, maybe not.

02:19In terms of freshness, yeah.

02:20I wouldn't expect to find something so fresh in such a dreary, dreadful dining room.

02:24The next dish he tried was zucchini pancakes.

02:27Stodgy, bland, and just pretty thick.

02:29It's like having a mouthful of glue.

02:31And the salmon?

02:32Oh my god, what's that on top?

02:33Tomato bits of balsamic sauce.

02:34Gordon asks Mike which item has garlic because he can smell it.

02:38Mike says...

02:38There's shallots.

02:39No garlic in any of the ingredients.

02:41On the beans?

02:41Looks like there's garlic on there.

02:43That looks like garlic.

02:44Why don't you just check with him?

02:45Turns out, mixing bowl Mike might not be as familiar with the dishes he serves as he would

02:49like to portray.

02:50You cook them in garlic?

02:51Yeah.

02:52Is there any shallots in there at all?

02:53No shallots.

02:54In the meantime, Gordon shares his thoughts on the dish.

02:57Salmon was very bland.

02:58And the sauce just heavy, soggy, and vinegary.

03:00Garlic everywhere.

03:01No one wants to come out to lunch and stink of garlic.

03:04That's for sure.

03:04It's time for the confrontation.

03:06The crab cakes were good.

03:07Thanks.

03:08Yes.

03:08That was the high point.

03:09Everything else, unfortunately for me, just bland.

03:12Look.

03:12Pancakes were soggy and fish was dry.

03:15The salmon just, it just looked old-fashioned.

03:17Either he's crazy or every customer that comes in here is lying to me.

03:21Gordon concludes his review of their current state.

03:24It's very average, very dreary, and it's very sad.

03:27End of story.

03:27Gordon returns later in the evening to observe dinner service, and he discovers why it's

03:32been impossible for the business to turn a profit, let alone cover costs.

03:3650% off my check.

03:37We hand somebody a check.

03:38You put this 50% off coupon in it.

03:4015.

03:4150.

03:41No, no.

03:4250.

03:43In here?

03:44Yeah.

03:4450% off.

03:45Holy smoke.

03:46So we give him more money away before we get money in the till.

03:49He asks Billy if he's aware of this practice, and he seems to have been allowing it for far

03:54too long.

03:54How long have you been doing it?

03:55Eight years.

03:56Eight years.

03:57Eight years.

03:58Gordon wants to make sure there aren't any other money pits on the property.

04:02Unfortunately.

04:03There is more.

04:04I have about 10 signs that I had made up.

04:06Go and get them.

04:07Mike makes his way through the kitchen and dining room to Gordon, who's waiting outside.

04:11Holy mackerel.

04:12I have a place.

04:13They make them up for me.

04:14It was expensive.

04:15I tried everything.

04:16Clearly.

04:16Which sign was the most successful?

04:19None.

04:20But wait.

04:21There's more.

04:22It would have still been up, but there was a bad windstorm a few months ago, and it ripped

04:26it down.

04:26Thank f*** for that.

04:28Yeah, he's, uh, he's out there, that one.

04:30Gordon orders a shredder for the signs, very symbolic of the money wasted on the advertisements.

04:35You're mad, man.

04:36Yeah, I am f***ing mad.

04:37Working with guys like you makes me f***ing mad.

04:39Something else Gordon's team highlights are the other 40 food establishments in the area,

04:45compared to the four when they first opened 10 years ago.

04:48They seemed unaware of their competition, but Gordon has an idea on how they can stand out.

04:52Healthy is something that's not even listed anywhere near here.

04:55We are going to build the best damn restaurant that ever existed, or at least in a 25 mile radius.

05:01Gordon's losing his patience with mixing bowl Mike.

05:04Don't point, don't point to customers.

05:06All he does is stand and talk and lean and pray.

05:08What the f*** is he doing?

05:09Turns out, Mike is awful with money.

05:11Every time you work with him, he takes half of your tip.

05:14I get very large tips, 20, 25%.

05:17Do you think you would have those tips if I wasn't here?

05:19When people come in here, everybody knows me.

05:22Billy has been allowing Mike to take control for far too long.

05:25Billy, you are too weak.

05:26Gordon has Mike and Lisa try a new way of advertising their business,

05:30by handing out flyers at the local salons, spas, and gyms.

05:34Yes, Gordon.

05:35Gordon offers a free meal to the local football players

05:38for word of mouth advertising of the new healthy menu items.

05:42Gordon has reached out to the New York Dragons Arena football team

05:46to create some buzz in the community.

05:48The show supplied a new menu for Billy to follow

05:50that included a lot of light and fresh dishes.

05:53Luckily, Billy's kitchen wasn't a biohazard,

05:55so the transition seemed to work nicely.

05:57All the new dishes, they looked beautiful.

06:00The renovations only included the dining area,

06:03so they didn't change the exterior of the business or the kitchen.

06:06The dining room consisted of green and brown furnishings

06:09and white paper tablecloths.

06:11The design team went to work, changing the chairs,

06:14adding pillows to the booths,

06:15setting the tables with white linen tablecloths and napkins,

06:19white drapes over the windows,

06:21and added candles and flowers to create a welcoming environment.

06:25It was an emotional moment.

06:27Gordon's final suggestion for the business.

06:29You've got to make that transition from a chef to a restaurateur.

06:33The show shared an update at the end of the episode two months after filming.

06:36The changes I've seen in our relationship is amazing.

06:40So for that, Gordon, I thank you.

06:42That means so much to me.

06:45One year later, the show returned for another update.

06:47When I left, things were much better.

06:49I hope they're still like that.

06:50Business has improved three, four times what it was.

06:54It's been unbelievable.

06:54We made top 20 best restaurants in Long Island for 2007.

06:57Really? That's great news.

06:58People drive by like, wow, Gordon Ramsay, you know?

07:01Remember the last time we were out here, you were showing me all your signs?

07:03I tried everything.

07:04The customers, they're the ones that are spreading the word,

07:07so we don't need any gimmicks anymore.

07:08Mike is completely different now.

07:10No one's yelling.

07:11It's very nice.

07:12Thankfully, everything's going great.

07:14Everything seemed to be falling into place perfectly.

07:16I mean, you've transformed.

07:18I mean, you've just, you've got this glow on you.

07:20I don't know whether or not you've got it.

07:21Yeah.

07:21I mean...

07:22They talk now.

07:22Yeah.

07:23Right.

07:23No, it's true.

07:24It's true.

07:26Everybody.

07:27Everyone.

07:27It's true, though.

07:29They even had Gordon's official approval.

07:31That is for you.

07:33The mixing bowl is awarded Gordon Ramsay's seal of approval

07:35for excellence in consistency, quality, and overall customer satisfaction.

07:40One year later, the restaurant closed in January 2009.

07:43According to Rumors Online, the restaurant was closed before the show began filming,

07:47and Mike had been fired prior to the closing.

07:50It could be possible that they sent in an audition tape before letting Mike go and calling it quits,

07:55but decided to give it another try when the show contacted them.

07:58Unfortunately, it didn't work out for the owners, Billy and Lisa, long term.

08:02Billy worked in food distribution, but it doesn't seem to be something he's still doing.

08:05According to their social media, the couple may not be together as of 2025,

08:09although it looks like they enjoyed the 2024 holidays together,

08:13as we see in this video, Billy putting his cooking skills to work with some helpers in the Galetti kitchen.

08:18You might be surprised to find out that Mike seems to be thriving as a chef in Plainsview, New York.

08:37As of 2025, he's working at the Jackson Hall American Bar and Grill.

08:41After his own experience with cancer,

08:43he now holds fundraisers and events for male breast cancer awareness

08:47and is on the board of directors for the Male Breast Cancer Global Alliance.

08:51He also found himself a lady and married her.

08:54The location where the mixing bowl once occupied has changed names and ownership since 2009.

08:59As of 2025, the restaurant is called Anthony's Kitchen and Cocktails,

09:03serving up a fresh creative menu in a stylish atmosphere.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended