Whoever said there’s no such thing as bad publicity may want to revisit that concept, especially after the internet witnessed one of the most legendary and public meltdowns in recent online history. No, it’s not one Lindsay Lohan’s semiannual, self-inflicted disasters, but it comes close. The owners of Amy’s Baking Company Bakery Boutique & Bistro -Amy and Samy Bouzaglo – gained notoriety after they were featured on Gordon Ramsey’s “Kitchen Nightmares.” Turns out their behavior was so terrible and the couple such a “nightmare” to work with, Gordon Ramsey fired them himself, making it the first time in the history of the show the steely Ramsey walked off the set and said: “I can’t help these people.”
“Kitchen Nightmares” stars seasoned and ever salty Gordon Ramsay, a wildly successful chef and restaurateur whose restaurants hold more than a dozen Michelin stars, a mark of respected critical acclaim. The format of the show is that Ramsay parachutes into a troubled operation, at the request of the owner, gets into the middle of conflict, and persuades the owner to take his advice, after which the restaurant is expected to catapult into great success.
However, Gordon Ramsey has clearly met his match as the dynamic duo not only pushed him beyond the breaking point but their customers as well, who witnessed awkward scene after awkward as the couple yelled and swore at each other, took tips from the waiting staff and harassed customer customer after customer – berating them as they delivered constructive criticism of service. As the couple’s unusual and belligerent behavior progressively worsened customers took to social media on Reddit, Yelp and Facebook to post negative comments which incensed the two owners.
Despite claims of being open to constructive criticism, the couple loses any and all self-control and restraint as they begin to receive wave after wave of unfavorable reviews on social media, particularly Reddit – Amy’s Baking Company Bakery Boutique & Bistro came under fire after Reddit discovered the episode of Amy’s on Kitchen Nightmares and began to lash out at the bakery, which eventually escalated to the restaurant’s Facebook page where customers were unrelenting in their scathing criticisms of the couple, the food and treatment of staff.
The Bouzaglo’s quickly jumped on Reddit, making fake accounts to reply to nearly every comment about their restaurant. Not only were their responses incredibly defensive, in all caps, but to top it all off – they directly insulted customers who posted unflattering reviews, thus facilitating even more discussion and backlash. Amy and Samy attempted to retract their comments and responses on Reddit and Facebook claiming their corporate social media accounts were hacked and they were coordinating with law enforcement officials to determine how it happened. However the blistering attacks continued as the “company” raised eyebrows again for an alleged blistering attack on someone who had written a poor review on Yelp, calling the person a moron and firing back, “Do US a favor and keep your ugly face and your ugly opinions to yourself and go back to the restaurant that you really work at!!”
Which begs the question: is there such a thing as bad publicity?
If you want to see how it all started, check out the episode here: Kitchen Nightmares Season 06 Episodes 15 Amy’s Baking Company. Enjoy!
References
Bleier, E. (2015). Amy’s baking company is no more: Notorious kitchen nightmares restaurant closes after owners threatened to stab customer, stole from staff and broke iron-willed Gordon Ramsey. Daily Mail. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3225193/Amy-s-Baking-Company-closes-Arizona-Kitchen-Nightmares-appearance-continues-live-infamy.html
Clay, K. (2015). Lessons from amy’s baking company: Six things you should never do on social media. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyclay/2013/05/14/lessons-from-amys-baking-company-six-things-you-should-never-do-on-social-media/#91f06812f1d6
McClellan, J. (2015). Amy’s baking company in scottsdale has closed. The Arizona Republic. Retrieved from http://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/dining/2015/12/29/amys-baking-company-scottsdale-has-closed/71722292/
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