Suvechha Sarkar
Fox’s ‘Kitchen Nightmares’ has always delivered drama, chaos, and jaw-dropping transformation for one failing restaurant at a time. Episode 7 of Season 9, titled ‘Verdict,’ has put the stakes higher than ever and has aptly highlighted that it is finally time for the chef Gordon Ramsay to step in and put forth his verdict. This episode will follow a family establishment that mainly specializes in traditional New Orleans cuisine with a modern twist. However, with dire challenges ahead, it will be a whirlwind of a journey maintaining the legacy.
Internal Conflicts Are Escalating the Downfall of The Verdict
Located in the very heart of New Orleans East, Melika Honoré opened The Verdict in 2022. From the beginning, it has been more than just a business for her; it is a legacy for her children. She wanted to create the essence of the restaurant where the customers would come for a nice environment in which to perfectly enjoy delicious food. As the episode starts, it is clear that all hands of her family are on deck for this venture, but it becomes very visible that owner Melika possesses just the title. This is because she has lost every ounce of control to her mother, Michiko Honoré, who is also the chef. Her mother completely refuses to accept her authority and loves to run things on her own accord.
Every time, Michiko makes it very clear that she is the true boss of the kitchen. Anyone who challenges her, including her own daughter, is met with hostility. However, the tensions do not stop there. Keesha, AKA “Mama K,” Melika’s best friend, is responsible for running the front of the house and ensuring that the food is served to the customers on time. However, Michiko often ends up butting heads with her by refusing to listen to whatever she has to say regarding their work. Moreover, she admittedly does not trust Keesha at all. Even minor issues like the placement of paper towels often escalate into disagreements between them. Ultimately, this toxic family dynamic spills over into the business, causing orders to pile up and customers to wait indecently long for their meals. Michiko further makes things difficult by being stubborn about working at her own pace.
In some instances, the wait times even stretch to nearly 2 hours, causing patrons to walk out of the restaurant without even having their ordered food. For Melika, every week is a month’s worth of effort to keep the restaurant running. To put more effort in, she has not even drawn any salary for herself in the past two years. Malik Honoré, her son, tries to help his mother as much as he can, but he struggles to find the answer as to how all her worries will go away for good. Similarly, Tashika Honoré, her sister, also helps by acting as the establishment’s hostess, a role she has actively taken on. While each one of them is tired of Michiko’s controlling nature, Melika fails to take the rein of her own business, leading to potential financial ruin.
Gordon Ramsay Quickly Finds That the Dysfunctional Kitchen is the Root of the Problem
As Gordon steps into the restaurant, his arrival is met with tension from Michiko, who does not feel at all welcoming of his arrival. Tashika reveals to him that The Verdict was once a strip club and now has theme rooms like the Vault, where the atmosphere is unique and the customers enjoy the vibe. As he takes a seat, he soon realizes that apart from the financial struggles, the deep-rooted family conflict is the issue. Melika explains to him how her mother is a good soul, but she often turns evil in the kitchen. She further reveals that she spends thousands of dollars in a month to no avail, and without wasting any time, Gordon gets into business.
Gordon finally sits down at the table to get a taste of the best dishes in the restaurant and calls for Malik to take the order. He soon discovers that the owner’s son is back from college for only one week and is actually a student-athlete on a full scholarship. He is impressed and, finally, orders a few dishes to find out how they taste. As Gordon waits for his order to arrive for one hour, he tries the Gumbo Egg Roll from one of the customers and spits it out instantly, appalled by its taste. The ice-cold and raw meat in the middle of the burger he ordered and the disaster of the tough ribeye steak, having been served to him with plastic cutlery, seals the deal for him. As he breaks the plastic fork while trying to dig in the steak, Gordon is baffled. He states that he has never sent food back because he is physically unable to cut into it.
To make matters worse, the kitchen turns into complete disarray. As Michiko continues to work at her own pace, Keesha becomes impatient since she has to keep answering the customers and stop them from leaving the restaurant. Frustrated, she dashes out the door in tears, venting to Melika’s sister about how chaotic it gets every time due to Michiko. With the emotions running high and the future of the restaurant hanging by just a thread, Gordon finally zeros in on the main problem. He asserts the place is a complete mess and dysfunctional, but to him, the good news is that all of the staff members possess passion within themselves.
Gordon Ramsay Makes It Clear That The Verdict Needs an Efficient Kitchen and Strong Leadership
With the issues of the restaurant clear before his eyes, Gordon realizes that minor changes will not do the truck, but he needs to do a complete overhaul. He calls all the staff for a meeting, and Melika breaks down, revealing that they are $1 million in debt. This leaves Malik shocked that he had no idea how bad the condition was. On the other hand, Michiko finally seems to realize that she has to embrace her daughter’s leadership with an open heart to make it work. Amid all these challenges, Gordon does not forget to remind Malik to focus on his athletic career since the road to the NFL will require his undivided attention and hard work. As the dinner service starts for the night, the chef stays in the kitchen to oversee and understand how everything works out there.
Gordon is quite shocked to see that there is no order and further gets baffled when he finds an ingredient that is over a week old. As he mingles with the customers and asks them how long their wait time has been, he soon finds out that no customer is eating their food at the same time due to huge delays. With waiting time going beyond an hour, he asks the staff to apologize and send the customers back home immediately. He announces that they cannot continue like this and is shocked when he finds meat in the refrigerator, which is sitting on blood and has started smelling. However, this does not sit right with Michiko, who, in the heat of the moment, ends up flipping him off.
As Michiko expresses her frustration, Gordon reassures her that he is not questioning her effort but rather wants her to work smarter because she is the very foundation of the kitchen. Gradually, she becomes emotional and accepts his help because she is willing to get out of her stubborn ways for the sake of her daughter. As he and Melika set out for their one-on-one time, he motivates her to be the boss and take the lead. Meanwhile, he brings his team in, and they get to work on revamping the kitchen layout alongside the decor. Furthermore, they replace the fridge with fresh ingredients. With a clearer and more focused selection of menu items, the services in Melika’s restaurant are now faster, more efficient, and consistently high-quality. Not only does this keep the customers happy, but it also makes sure that profits do not stop coming.
With Melika Settling in as The Verdict’s Head, The Establishment is Flourishing
With the re-launch after the 2024 transformation by Gordon and his team, The Verdict has been thriving with its efficient kitchen and a better and stronger team dynamic. Melika reflects on the transformation of how she has stepped into the role of the owner and stands tall as the true leader, just like how the chef advised her. Two months after their intervention, the restaurant has now become a face that is not just about the aesthetics of food and ambiance but also about fixing the family struggles. With the new POS system to streamline operations smoothly and a menu that is both delicious and efficient to attract a steady stream of customers, they are now bustling with business.
Whether it be hosting events, live music, or enhancing the experience with the beautiful lounge, the restaurant is thriving with flying colors with every passing day. Both Keesha and Michiko are now working side-by-side to ensure a smooth workflow in their kitchen. Additionally, the chef has been able to run things smoothly without any overwhelming feeling on her shoulders. On the other hand, Malik is no longer involved in the restaurant’s struggles. He has completely focused on his aspirations. After his meeting with the Super Bowl champion, Justin Renfrow, he received a huge boost of determination. Just like he dreamt, he is currently training at the gym with him, completely immersing himself in his career.
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