Kitchen Nightmares participant regrets participating, says it “ruined” his business

Gordon Ramsay only has the best intentions when he tries to revamp restaurants on Kitchen Nightmares. Sometimes, his efforts aren’t well-received.

Having your restaurant featured in an episode of Kitchen Nightmares can go one of two ways… Either your restaurant rises like a phoenix from the ashes, or it crashes and burns into tragic flames.

Gordon Ramsay takes time to provide solid feedback to restaurant owners in need of an intervention, but he usually does it in the most brutally honest manner.

Some restaurant owners accept his help with open arms while others reject his insight by going the other way. One restaurant owner, in particular, has been very vocal about how much he regrets his involvement with Kitchen Nightmares.

Why John Chapman regrets Kitchen Nightmares

John Chapman is the man who once ran a restaurant called Chappy’s. It used to be known for its New Orlean’s-style Cajun menu before it closed down for good.

John agreed to have Gordon and the rest of the Kitchen Nightmares camera crew inside his place of business because he thought it would bring positive change and financial benefits.

Instead, things went downhill for Chappy’s not long after the episode was filmed and released for viewers to scrutinize.

According to the National Enquirer via Daily Mail, John said, “It was truly a kitchen nightmare for me. Gordon Ramsay destroyed my business. It was a confrontation from the get-go.”

John further complained about Gordon’s influences with Fox 17 Nashville via Eater. He explained that his menu was full of relevant items to his chosen theme like jambalaya and gumbo… before Gordon entered the scene.

He went on to say, “I couldn’t believe that [was] the menu that he wants to put in. Hush puppies, fried chicken, hamburgers – give me a break.”

In the end, John didn’t appreciate any of the changes Gordon wanted to make and his restaurant didn’t survive. Chappy’s certainly isn’t alone when it comes to closing down after being featured on Kitchen Nightmares. Several other restaurants are also shuttered as of 2023.