Sam’s Mediterranean Kabob Room Before Kitchen Nightmares
A family owned and run restaurant in Monrovia, California, Sam’s Mediterranean Kabob Shop opened in 1997. At the start, it seemed like Sam’s Kabob Room would be a success, but due to economic downturns, customer traffic began faltering despite being less than a half-hour away from Downtown Los Angeles. Since that time, the owner Sam had to fire all of his staff aside from his wife and children. The children for their part feel hindered for having to work at the Kabob shop instead of pursuing their own interests and lives. Sadly, this shows in the décor, the food, the service, and the constant infighting which can be heard in the dining room. Can Chef Ramsay patch this family up before both their family ties and the Kabob shop itself is destroyed? Let’s find out.
Sam’s Mediterranean Kabob Room on Kitchen Nightmares
The episode starts out with Chef Ramsay just heading out of his lodgings to be met with the truck full of people that are Sam’s Children and is somewhat overwhelmed. He invites them inside, and they have a sitdown to discuss what’s wrong. This quickly turns into a free for all as all of the kids start talking at once. When organized, they all agree that Sam is the issue, and they all work 12-hour shifts, 7 days a week. Disturbingly, it’s claimed Sam stated “[he] didn’t want 7 kids so they could do their own thing. I want them all in the restaurant.” After given this info, Ramsay heads over and decides to keep this conversation between himself and the kids.
As Ramsay enters Sam’s Mediterranean Kabob room, he gets right to meeting the owner himself. In quick order, it is revealed that the 7 children he has working for him are not getting paid at all, and instead, are living with him and his wife in their house rent-free. Ramsay sarcastically says he’s shortlisted for “Dad of the Year”. When discussing food, Sam says his food is 9/10, but the décor is clearly closer to 1, with ripped chairs. When looking at the menu, it’s rife with misspellings, and he orders a vegetarian combo, a lamb shank, a gyro, and a steak and shrimp. While it’s being prepared, there’s family fighting in the kitchen which is clearly being heard by the customers.
When the veggie combo hits the table it looks a bit sad, and the eggplant is revealed to be canned. The Falafel is bland, and overall the plate is no good. The Gyros are up next and looks very dry. It turns out it’s manufactured and frozen, shipped to Sam’s Mediterranean Kabob Room, and then reheated. The New Zealand Lamb Shank is up next, which is preceded by yet another fight. The lamb again looks poor and is likely boiled. As a result of continued fighting, customers begin emptying the front room. When the steak comes out, it’s overcooked, as it was asked to be medium rare but comes out well done. The shrimp scampi is severely over buttered, looking like a cream soup with some tough shrimp thrown in. A full staff meeting is then held, asking about the conflict first. This creates another fight which is a headache inducing. Next, the food is discussed, and Ramsay bluntly asks if the crew has given up, and the head cook admits he no longer really cares. After the chef leaves, the children then fight again, and one of them who works the front is challenged to cook due to his criticism but appears to back down.
The next morning, Ramsay holds a family meeting with a focus on how they feel trapped. He states that the kids have to be blunt about why they want to leave Sam’s Mediterranean Kabob Room to Sam himself, to clear the air about being trapped. Sam doesn’t want to hear it, as he claims they are too young to make their own decisions, and Ramsay is befuddled. He interjects and states Sam cannot keep making his children feel guilty, and that the burden of the business is not theirs. The children have a tough time telling Sam the truth, and finally, he begins to break down, realizing that things cannot continue as they are. The children take him crying very hard, but are insistent they will remain there for him, but they need to live and want to do things such as to go to college. Ramsay states there needs to be a time to let go, and they all fall into a group hug as he leaves for some air.
After this meeting, Ramsay takes the family to the kitchen to teach them how to cook with fresh ingredients and some basic kitchen coordination. This turns out to work beautifully, and when sharing the results of the new cooking methods, Ramsay even manages to take a picture of the family smiling and enjoying each other’s company. This is followed by a full renovation of Sam’s Mediterranean Kabob Room, taking it from run down to chic, artistic and modern. A new menu is also presented, which does not include frozen ingredients. On relaunch, old and new customers are pleased with the changes, and the family themselves appear to be working as a more cohesive unit, with much less fighting and much more success. Has this wonderful trend been maintained into 2018? Let’s find out.
Sam’s Mediterranean Kabob Room in 2024– The After Kitchen Nightmares Update
Before appearing on Kitchen Nightmares, Sam’s Mediterranean Kabob Room struggled with dwindling customers, mounting debts and family conflicts. The dated decor and uninspiring menu were not helping either. Fortunately, Gordon Ramsay’s tough love approach was able to turn things around- and the transformation was nothing short of dramatic. Ramsay revamped the menu to showcase the authentic Mediterranean flavours that Sam’s Kabob Room could offer and also gave the decor a much-needed facelift to enhance the dining experience.
However, the most significant change was perhaps within the family itself. Ramsay helped bridge the gap between family members, encouraging them to communicate effectively and work as a team. These changes were welcomed by both the customers and critics, who appreciated the fresh look and flavours of Sam’s Mediterranean Kabob Room.
Fast forward to recent updates, and it seems that not everything went according to plan. Despite positive initial reactions, Sam’s Mediterranean Kabob Room could not sustain its momentum. Reports suggest that while some customers loved the changes, others found it hard to adapt to the new menu and atmosphere. This led to mixed reviews online.
Unfortunately, in 2014 it was reported that Sam’s Mediterranean Kabob Room had closed its doors for good. The reasons cited include family disputes and financial struggles which were too great to overcome. While it is disheartening news for fans of Sam’s Mediterranean Kabob Room, it serves as a reality check for many struggling establishments – a reminder that reviving a restaurant takes more than just a makeover.
As of 2024, their old location is occupied by a restaurant called Copper Still Grill.
In conclusion, Sam’s Mediterranean Kabob Room’s journey post-Kitchen Nightmares has been a mix of highs and lows. From being in the limelight to shutting down operations, their story is an example of the harsh realities of the restaurant business. Regardless of their current status, they will always be remembered for their courage to change and for bringing authentic Mediterranean flavors to their community.
