The Staggering Number Of Restaurants That Failed After Appearing On Kitchen Nightmares

Fans of culinary reality shows know that when you're in the mood to watch a trainwreck with a happy ending, Gordon Ramsay's "Kitchen Nightmares" is right up your alley. Gordon Ramsay, who owns a staggering number of restaurants worldwide, shares his expertise regarding how to make an establishment succeed with restaurant owners struggling to keep their businesses open. He spends three days whipping the staff into shape, revamping the menu, and giving the establishment a facelift often while enduring explosive reactions from egotistical owners who become offended at the first sign of criticism. The idea is that, with Gordon Ramsay (who avoids McDonald's at all costs) sharing his extensive knowledge about being a restaurateur, the owners will have the tools they need to right the ship. Unfortunately, it usually doesn't work out that way.

"Kitchen Nightmares" began airing in 2007 and has released nine seasons to date. A total of 93 struggling restaurants have been featured over the years, but sadly only 27 of those are still in business. In fact, viewers have to fast forward to Season 3 before they catch a glimpse of an establishment that pulled itself from the jaws of defeat.

Given the state of some of these restaurants when Ramsay first walks through the doors, a 29% success rate is nothing to sneeze at. However, these numbers could use some context. Considering that the last two seasons of the show aired fairly recently, that 29% success rate could fall before long.

Although most of the restaurants Gordon Ramsay set out to save have now shuttered their doors, many witnessed a brief comeback that kept them going after their episode aired. That puts the success rate of the last two seasons of the show into question. Of the 20 restaurants given a helping hand in Seasons 8 and 9, 13 are still kicking. That could be a sign they are on the road to recovery, but given the overall success rate of Seasons 1-7, it makes one wonder if they will weather the test of time.

Some folks may find it baffling that so many of these establishments end up failing despite being assisted by a chef with multiple Michelin stars, but consider one of the most telling aspects of Ramsay's initial walkthrough: The dreaded trip to the walk-in cooler. All too often, it's the spot in the show that makes viewers gag and question whether eating there is worth the risk as the lack of concern about food quality and safety is laid bare for everyone to see.

Mismanagement like that is difficult to fix three days. Keeping a clean kitchen with fresh ingredients on hand is a fundamental aspect of operating a successful restaurant. As evidenced by the combative nature of many of the failed owners, Ramsay's directive to keep the back of the house tidy moving forward may be abandoned once he leaves, if not flat-out ignored. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. Ultimately, the prosperity of a restaurant falls squarely on the owner to take the little things seriously.