Is J Willy's Barbecue House still open?
Actual condition:>>Cerrado<<
(Read on to find out what happened)
Train station:2 |Watch all episodes of season 2
Original episode air date:30. October 2008
Address of J Willy's Steakhouse:52885 SR 933 N South Bend, Indiana 46637
Summary of the episode
J Willy's Barbecue House was a South Bend, Indiana restaurant featured in the second season of Kitchen Nightmares.
Although the episode of J Willys Kitchen Nightmares aired in October 2008, Gordon Ramsay's actual visit was earlier in the year, in February 2008.
It was episode 6 of the second season of Kitchen Nightmares.
In the episode Kitchen Nightmares, Gordon Ramsay visits J Willy's Grille and Bar.
The restaurant is located in South Bend, Indiana, best known for being the home of the University of Notre Dame.
However, the restaurant is infestDebt - $1.2 million to be exact.
I'm not sure how you're going to get out of this hole, but Gordon Ramsay will certainly try!
The owners turned to Chef Gordon Ramsay to rescue them and give them a fresh start with things that can help improve their place's reputation.
The place is owned by John Williams, namesake J Willy.
In addition to John, it is also owned by a married couple, Rick and Tricia.
That means there are three owners in total.
The couple lives three hours from the site, so John usually takes care of everything when they're away.
However, Rick and Tricia blame John for many of the problems.
In such a situation, crises often arise (hence Gordon's visit).
With falling productivity and fewer customers, the site is drowning in $1.2 million in debt and is under pressure to close.
Gordon arrives at the scene, orders pizza, and sits down with John to talk.
Also, be aware that the pizza comes with a pulled pork sandwich with cheese and ranch dressing.
Surprisingly, Gordon Ramsay said ranch pizza was his favorite dish.Hahaha, not exactly: Pizza Ranch sucks, and Gordon Ramsay made that clear.
The barbecue sauce comes in a large plastic container and the food is canned and frozen.
After seeing this, Gordon went into the kitchen and found that there was no chef and all the kitchen staff thought they were chefs.
The food was reheated to prevent it going to waste and Gordon wasn't surprised to see that the kitchen was terribly dirty.
He immediately asked all staff to clean up the kitchen before proceeding with the rescue.
Gordon brought fresh veggies and ingredients the next day and taught the team a new burger recipe using fresh ingredients.
This burger recipe was meant to be a late night meal.
With the right ingredients, you can kill almost anything.
Gordon's team renovated overnight and made some major changes to the kitchen.
He challenged her to make and sell her own barbecue sauce.
The menu has been pared down to ensure the kitchen focuses on the food and uses fresh ingredients.
As part of the move, Gordon Ramsay changed the name from J Willy's Bar and Grille to J Willy's Barbecue House.
John also seems more motivated and willing to run the restaurant.
Overall it was good for a fresh start.
So was the Kitchen Nightmares episode "J Willy's Barbecue House" a hit? Read on to find out what happened next and if this South Bend, Indiana restaurant is still open in 2023.
J Willy's Grill House Update - What Happened Next?
Now that we've wrapped up the episode of J Willys Kitchen Nightmares, let's talk about what happened to the restaurant after Gordon Ramsay and his crew left South Bend, Indiana.
While the initial reset went well, things quickly went downhill.
After a few weeks, they kept up with the changes Gordon brought to the place and won the Best Barbecue Sauce contest.
However, improving the quality of the food would not be enough to save the restaurant.
Is J Willy's still open after Kitchen Nightmares?
J Willy's BBQ ended on February 4, 2009, less than a year after J Willy's Kitchen Nightmares aired on television (and almost exactly a year after Gordon Ramsay's royal visit).
Unfortunately, Gordon Ramsay's changes weren't enough to save the restaurant.
I think Gordon Ramsay knew the odds were against him because he only said that the restaurant had a "glimmer of hope" by the end of the episode.
That's not exactly an endorsement from Gordon Ramsay for the company's future prospects!
Honestly, no matter what Gordon Ramsay did, I don't think J Willy's BBQ House ever stood a chance of getting out of his massive debt.
As of 2022, the former location of J Willy in South Bend, Indiana is occupied by vacant land from former propertyit was the center of the city in 2015.
Heua July 2022 listingto market the former J Willy's property in Indiana, with a build-to-order opportunity for anyone wishing to open a business there.
Here is the location of J Willys South Bend in the latest Google Maps Street View image:
J Willy Rezensionen After Kitchen Nightmares
When J Willy's BBQ House closed, its Yelp page had only two reviews: one positive (5 stars) and one negative (1 star).
Here are excerpts from both reviews:
December 2008 Yelp 5 Star Rating:
I have some advice for anyone who eats at J Willys; ASK J. WILLY.
Owner John J Willy has been a great host all three times we have visited J WIlly's Barbecue House. Seems to go out for dinner every time we go.
The good points:
(Video) Kitchen Nightmares | Are They Still Open?Great food hot and tasty and you can tell it's fresh.
The owner took us on a tour and told us some fun stories about Gordon and Kitchen Nightmares.
The apple pie is a dream!!!
The BBQ sauce is the best my wife has ever had!
The kitchen is clean and all workers seemed to be wearing gloves and maintaining hygiene.
I tried the draft beer and according to the owner it's the coldest draft beer in town and it was nice and cold. They have about 20 options on tap and loads of imports so beer snobs will like the place.
The service was good and everyone was friendly.
They make the sauce from scratch on the premises and J Willy let us try some that they freshly made.
THE EVIL
PLEASE fix the outside lights
Roof tiles could be replaced
My wife says the spicy barbecue is too spicy for her liking.
1 star rating on Yelp November 2008:
That's right, the Barbacue House that brought Kitchen Nightmares to South Bend...
After seeing the show I have to admit I was intrigued. I'm not a fan of camera tricks and precise editing to add drama to a TV show, but this place looked like a mess on TV.
No one would think that having your job on TV for a show like Kitchen Nightmare wouldn't be the best advertisement... and it wasn't.
I showed up around 7:30am and the place was empty.
There was another table in the whole place and we were both told that the entire bar was out of draft beer. "Every draft is over, it's an ND home game weekend," they tell us...
Moments later more customers arrived and were served draft beers while seated at the bar.
That should have been my first cue to hit the road...
(Video) Eating At Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares Restaurant (1 STAR)…[I shortened this part because it is too long]
When we left we told the hostess that we were not satisfied with the service, the food or the beer. our food/beer.
Not that it matters but they certainly lost 4 customers and got a one star rating.
Their sauce might be great, but if they can't even serve an appetizer and draft beer, I'm not sure they'll make it to the main course.
The only other table in the restaurant left immediately after us and went to the LaSalle Grill (see my earlier comment...).
Why is J Willy's closed?
The owner revealed in a note that food prices had risen too high and there were fewer customers visiting the place.
Also, the owner didn't want to offer customers low-quality food, nor did they want to close the shop.
He had the option to close the shop or sell substandard food.
He refused to sell substandard food to people and decided to close it down.
I suspect the restaurant's massive debt also played a role in the closure.
In addition, Rick and Tricia also closed their other restaurant, Damon's Grill, due to negative reviews.
What happened to the owners of J Willy?
According to the latest news we could find, Rick is now busy selling, finding, and restoring classic cars.
We're not sure what Tricia or John are doing. If you know anything please let us know in the comments section.
Final thoughts on J Willy's BBQ House
Overall, J Willys Barbecue House was definitely not a Kitchen Nightmares success story as it closed just a year after J Willys Gordon Ramsay visited.
The property was later demolished in 2015 and to this day appears to be unoccupied, although there is a listing for new build.
J Willy's was the only episode of Kitchen Nightmares Indiana, but if you want to check out another restaurant nearby, you can check it out.my upgrade to Cafe 36 in Chicago IL.
Thank you for reading!
More information
https://www.yelp.com/biz/j-willys-barbacoa-casa-south-bend-2
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Last update:03.12.2022 06:16
FAQs
Is J Willys still open? ›
The building was demolished in 2015. Rick and Tricia also closed their restaurant Damon's Grill and Rick is now working in restoring and selling classic cars. J Willy's aired on October 30 2008, the episode was filmed in February 2008 and is Kitchen Nightmares season 2 episode 5. What is this?
Who owned J Willy's? ›Rick & Tricia owned the restaurant alongside their friend John, but they gave responsibility of J Willy's to John since they lived 3 hours away and owned another restaurant.
How many restaurants still open from Kitchen Nightmares? ›The intention of the series might have been to help turn around poorly performing restaurants, but it was not achieved by the final result of the series, considering that from the estimated 77 restaurants that were profiled throughout its seasons, only 16 restaurants are still open in 2022. What was Kitchen Nightmares?
Will Kitchen Nightmares return? ›The TV host on Monday announced that he's decided to stop making new episodes of his reality series Kitchen Nightmares, which has become an international hit since debuting in the UK in 2004.
Is Barefoot Bob's still open? ›Barefoot Bob's closed in December 2016 and no reason was given as to why they closed. Barefoot Bob's dropped a lot of Gordon Ramsay's suggestions and changes after he left and they went back to their tiki theme. Despite this, the restaurant still lasted for more than four years after the Kitchen Nightmares makeover.
Who owns Armadillo Willy's? ›John Berwald, founder of Armadillo Willy's sits in the dining room of the Los Altos location on September 4, 2013.
Who owns Gordon Ramsay Steakhouse? ›Founded in 1997, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants comprises the restaurant business of acclaimed chef, restaurateur, TV personality and author Gordon Ramsay.
What is the success rate of Kitchen Nightmares? ›The Kitchen Nightmares Success Rate stands at 20%
There are 21 Kitchen Nightmares restaurants still open and 84 Kitchen Nightmares restaurants that have closed.
But the restaurant probably wasn't saved. In fact, a recent report found that a whopping 60 percent of the restaurants Ramsay tried to help failed after his visit.
What business are still open from Kitchen Nightmares? ›...
10 Kitchen Nightmares Restaurants That Are Still Open
- 1 Café Hon.
- 2 Spin-A-Yarn Steakhouse. ...
- 3 Luigi's D'Italia. ...
- 4 Leone's. ...
- 5 Yanni's Greek Cuisine. ...
- 6 Olde Hitching Post Restaurant & Tavern. ...
- 7 Ms. ...
- 8 Mama Maria's. ...
What happens in Hell's Kitchen when a team is kicked out? ›
Each contestant eliminated from "Hell's Kitchen" is immediately taken for a psychiatric evaluation to make sure contestants don't want to kill themselves - or someone else. The diners have to sign that they are not guaranteed a meal but are guaranteed all the free beer and wine and bread they want.
Is Downtown still open Kitchen Nightmares? ›A few months after the airing of the episode, DownCity closed and a new restaurant opened in its place.
Is the old neighborhood still open? ›The Old Neighborhood Restaurant was up for sale when this episode was filmed in July 2013. After the episode aired, the owners increased the asking price too $775,000. The owners eventually sold the restaurant and closed their doors on 1 May 2016.
Who owns Barefoot Bobs? ›Barefoot Bobs is owned by husband and wife Marc and Lisa, who bought the restaurant in 2007 as they had always worked in the industry.
When did PJ's Steakhouse close? ›PJ's Grill closed in May 2009 a few weeks after filming the episode, and was closed before the episode aired.
Where is Armadillo Willy's headquarters? ›Armadillo Willy's BBQ's headquarters are located at 4480 Tassajara Rd Ste C, Dublin, California, 94568, United States What is Armadillo Willy's BBQ's phone number? Armadillo Willy's BBQ's phone number is (925) 833-0400 What is Armadillo Willy's BBQ's official website?
Is the Texas Roadhouse mascot an armadillo? ›Andy Armadillo is the beloved Texas Roadhouse mascot. The armadillo mascot has been creating smiles since the establishment of the first Texas Roadhouse restaurant in February of 1993.
What is Gordon Ramsay's signature dish? ›The Beef Wellington would enjoy a firm place in the English culinary scene, even making waves abroad (it was reportedly one of Richard Nixon's favourites!) But would gain the most popularity when Gordon Ramsay picked it up as his favourite, signature dish.
Who trained Gordon Ramsay? ›After earning a vocational diploma in hotel management from North Oxon Technical College in 1987, he moved to London and began honing his culinary skills under chef Marco Pierre White at the restaurant Harvey's and under chef Albert Roux at La Gavroche.
Which chef owns the most restaurants? ›#1: Alain Ducasse
Throughout his career, he has operated over 30 restaurants, his most famous being Ducasse in Paris.
Are Kitchen Nightmares customers paid? ›
Some of that entertainment comes because of producer manipulation, and surprisingly, that manipulation is disclosed at the end of each episode for about one second. The show has been accused of hiring actors as diners, and this disclaimer essentially admits that diners are, on some level, paid.
Has Gordon Ramsay hired any chefs from Kitchen Nightmares? ›It's noted that a few members in the kitchen team have changed; in particular, two of them have been hired by Ramsay himself to work at his restaurants.
How does Kitchen Nightmares pay for renovations? ›Originally Answered: Who is financing or paying for the resturant renovation in the chef Ramsey's kitchen nightmare shows? It's the production company that pays for it all. But it also acts as a commercial for the brands being bought and as a form of advertising for the restaurant.
Why did Gordon Ramsay lost his Michelin stars? ›The Real Reason Behind His Lost Michelin Stars
Michael Ellis, the director of Michelin's Guide, explained the reason behind chef Ramsay's loss of his Michelin Stars is inconsistency. What is this? “The inspectors were disappointed with the consistency of the food,” he said.
...
| Restaurant Gordon Ramsay | |
|---|---|
| Owner(s) | Gordon Ramsay |
| Head chef | Matt Abé |
| Food type | French cuisine |
| Dress code | Business smart |
- #1 Dabiz Muñoz. Spain.
- #2 Rene Redzepi. Denmark.
- #3 Joan Roca. Spain.
- #4 Massimo Bottura. Italy.
- #5 Andoni Luis Aduriz. Spain.
- #6 Bjorn Frantzén. Sweden.
- #7 Disfrutar. Spain.
- #8 Alain Passard. France.
Ramsay has started so many restaurants that it shouldn't be a surprise that, yes, Gordon Ramsay has shut down his restaurants before. Considering the celebrity chef has opened more than 50 locations over the last 20 years, it would be asinine if Ramsay had managed to never fail.
Did Amy's Baking Company shut down? ›On April 11, 2014, Kitchen Nightmares aired a special episode revolving around the events at Amy's Baking Company during and after the episode aired with a new, specially recorded interview with the owners conducted by local reporter Ana Garcia. Amy's Baking Company permanently closed on September 1, 2015.
When did Kitchen Nightmares end? › Was the F word Cancelled? ›As of March 12, 2023, The F Word has not been cancelled or renewed for a second season. Stay tuned for further updates. Want to automatically receive updates about this TV show?
What celebrity chef was on Kitchen Nightmares? ›
Kitchen Nightmares first debuted in the UK in 2004, making a star of its mouthy, no-holds-barred chef Gordon Ramsay, with an American version following in 2007. Since then, the show has won countless awards, including BAFTA Awards in 2005 and 2008, and an Emmy in 2006 for best non-scripted entertainment.
Is down city still open? ›DownCity closed in 2011. Abby is a personal trainer now. Rico still works in finance.
What restaurant sued Kitchen Nightmares? ›The Lawsuit In Question
In 2018, Oceana Grill, a restaurant based out in New Orleans, came after Gordon Ramsay and the show after the way that they were portrayed on Kitchen Nightmares.
Diners didn't have to pay for their meals, however — which makes sense, since a lot of times, they never see the food they ordered. In fact, as compensation for their time, each diner was paid $50. They weren't paid to act or react in any way, however.
Is Hell's Kitchen still filming? ›A chain of Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen restaurants have been opened, inspired by the show. On February 1, 2022, the series was renewed for a twenty-first and twenty-second season. The twenty-first season, subtitled Battle of the Ages, aired September 2022–February 2023.
Are phones allowed in Hell's Kitchen? ›You're Cut Off from the Rest of the World While Filming.
You can't have any contact with the outside world—you can't even have your cell phone with you to mindlessly scroll Instagram during your downtime—throughout the six-week filming process.
Leftover Meat Gets Tossed
Produce from some pantry sets and any ingredients that are unused in the shots regularly get donated to local charities and food banks. The extra food also goes toward feeding the crew.
As a contestant you live in the "dorm" and share a bedroom with three or four other contestants. The cameras are on around the clock, except, of course, when contestants are using the facilities. But there are still cameras in the bathroom. So if you land on this show, get ready to be seen with your bedhead.
How real are Kitchen Nightmares? ›Like with any reality show, however, not all aspects of the restaurant makeover show are entirely true (note, however, that the drama at Amy's Baking Company was reportedly all real.) Clever editing, fudging details, and even hamming things up for the camera are all par for the course with reality shows.
Why did DownCity restaurant close? ›Many regulars were not happy with the changes made to the restaurant during the makeover. Downcity closed on 10th December 2011, after struggling with the declining local economy and Abby posted the below on their website, "I want to thank everyone and anyone that has ever walked through the doors of DOWNCITY.
Is Zeke's still open Kitchen Nightmares? ›
In October, 2012, Zeke's Restaurant closed.
Who owns Neighborhood San Diego? ›When the craft beer and burger-focused Neighborhood eatery opened in East Village 14 years ago, it was the first foray into restaurant ownership for the now prolific Arsalun Tafazoli, whose hospitality group boasts such high-profile venues as Born & Raised, Craft & Commerce, and Raised by Wolves.
How old is Gordon Ramsay? › Where is the Old Neighborhood Restaurant located? ›Kitchen Nightmares - Old Neighborhood Restaurant Update - Open or Closed? In this Kitchen Nightmares episode, Gordon Ramsay visits Old Neighborhood Restaurant in Arvada, Colorado.
Did Michael Wray open a restaurant? ›Michael, who was on Hell's Kitchen like Chef Declan Horgan, quickly became head chef at The Standards restaurant in Los Angeles. Soon after that, he went on to open his own restaurant, now known as Tatou.
When did down City Kitchen Nightmares close? ›Downcity closed on 10th December 2011, after struggling with the declining local economy and Abby posted the below on their website, "I want to thank everyone and anyone that has ever walked through the doors of DOWNCITY.
Is Hannah and Mason's restaurant still open? ›Hannah and Mason's closed in 2010. Chris changed back to his old menu, and claimed that Gordon's menu alienated their customer base.
Who did Gordon Ramsay throw out of his restaurant? ›Critic AA Gill and his companion Joan Collins were thrown out of Ramsay's self-titled restaurant in Chelsea in 1998. The chef was reportedly angry over Gill's description of him in a review as a failed sportsman who acts like an 11-year-old.
Does Michael still work with Chef Ramsay? ›Michael Wray
Michael initially chose to learn under Chef Ramsay, but then changed his mind because he thought the move would be too stressful on his family. Currently Michael owns a custom knives company called Skull and Cleavers and he works as executive head chef at The Standard in Los Angeles, California.
She is the third winner to turn down their head chef position, following Michael (Season 1) and Ariel (Season 18).
What 22 restaurants are still open from Kitchen Nightmares? ›
- 1 Café Hon.
- 2 Spin-A-Yarn Steakhouse. ...
- 3 Luigi's D'Italia. ...
- 4 Leone's. ...
- 5 Yanni's Greek Cuisine. ...
- 6 Olde Hitching Post Restaurant & Tavern. ...
- 7 Ms. ...
- 8 Mama Maria's. ...
Trenton Garvey, who was the winner in season 20, is currently working as the head chef at Gordon Ramsay Steak in Paris Las Vegas.
Where is Sous chef Andi now? ›After the show wrapped, Gordon Ramsay offered Chef Andi a life-changing role as his trusted Executive Group Chef for the United States. She would now be opening restaurants for Gordon Ramsay nationally, and overseeing all U.S. culinary operations under his brand.