Kitchen Nightmares, one of the world's most successful reality shows, aimed to rehabilitate wayward restaurateurs with help from world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay. One such restaurant featured on Kitchen Nightmares was Sebastian's, owned by actor Sebastian Di Modica who lived near Los Angeles but struggled with managing his restaurant business. But did Sebastian's make it through?
Sebastian's is an amusing little restaurant run by its eccentric namesake owner who seems more concerned with being original than in knowing how his crazy "concept" and overstuffed menu are turning people off. Furthermore, turnover rates (Sebastian claims he's fired 49 people!) remain high while wood-burning ovens lie idle while microwaves stack to the ceiling - all signs that Sebastian is not being honest about what makes his business work well for people.
Gordon arrives to observe dinner service and finds his staff completely overwhelmed by its complex menu. Waitresses take fifteen to twenty minutes just explaining all of the various combinations; many don't make sense!
As expected, the food at Sebastian's is less than stellar; just one bite of his supposed fresh calamari is enough to cause Gordon to ask for a sick bag, while his "Popeye Pizza" is watery and his New York strip steak looks more like dog food than human.
Things seem to be progressing smoothly until Sebastian attempts to take control of the relaunch by bringing back his old menu. He claims his parents taught him how to cook but can't do much on his own without his team members helping out; additionally, Sebastian won't let Lou-Bertha assume control of front of house operations which leaves Lou-Bertha struggling to step in as front of house manager.
