Tonight, redemption was on the menu for Sunshine Coast restaurant Guru Life, as owners Katie and Jonny sought help from Colin Fassnidge in Kitchen Nightmares Australia
With a big garden and an even bigger menu, Colin didn’t have to look too far to find out why this happy-go-lucky couple’s restaurant kept coming up in the red.
Jonny’s menu read like a travel guide, with Katie acknowledging: “It doesn’t give people what they really want.”
After learning that Jonny overruled his highly qualified head chef Sharon, Colin pulled him up: “If you’ve got a strong member of staff in the kitchen, and you don’t utilise that member of staff, you’re an idiot.”
A secret shopper enlisted by Colin revealed that Jonny’s carefree attitude lead to the staff “arsing around behind the counter and not being arsed to take orders”.
If that wasn’t lazy enough, the staff gave customers an “RSL-style buzzer” to retrieve their own meals from the kitchen.
Uncovering their “famous” Curry Nights were a money pit, Colin crunched the numbers with Jonny and Katie to realise that the couple were on the verge of losing their house.
Then, Colin and Sharon teamed-up to rework the menu, making it clear and concise before wowing the Guru Life staff with their new creations.
Colin also taught the front of house staff how to wait tables; with everyone except Jonny taking to it swimmingly.
When Guru Life reopened to a full house, Colin was forced to don his chef whites and give out a helping hand in the kitchen. With positive reviews and feedback, Guru Life was back in business.
Following a successful relaunch, an elated Jonny and Katie said: “Thank you, this means so much to us.”
