Controversy Surrounding “Restaurant Stakeout”: A Complete Fakeout?

Earlier this year, the Food Network debuted a new reality television show, “Restaurant Stakeout”.  The premise of this show is to take a look at failing restaurants.  The difference between this new show and Food Network’s established and popular show, “Restaurant Impossible” with Robert Irvine, is that they take a look at the restaurant with a focus on the staff using hidden cameras to catch unprofessional  or undesirable behavior.

The host and expert of the show, Willie Degel owns a number of successful restaurants and is known for his no-nonsense approach to the food service industry; primarily, his use of surveillance cameras in his own restaurants.  The majority of the show is spent watching the servers and catching behavior that, in many cases, is not only shocking, but over the top.  There is the occasional firing, but for the most part, the staff is guided during a staff meeting followed by an individual meeting with Degel himself and the restaurant is then declared “fixed” after a follow up a few weeks later. 

The controversy has arisen over the rumors that the show is, in fact, faked for entertainment values: everything from producers guiding the behavior of the staff members to the hiring of actors to behave poorly only to be fired later on in the show.   Even with these allegations and corroborating interviews with the restaurant staff members, the Food Network is not taking the show off the air for the remainder of the season.

Even with the falsification of the show, Willie Degel is still a well known restauranteur and offers a lot of knowledge about the necessity for leadership in the restaurant business. Another thing to keep in mind when running a restaurant is the appearance and impression that potential customers walk away with.  The fastest way to create a clean and professional appearance in the minds of customers is to make sure that your staff is dressed uniformly and professionally in fashionable culinary apparel. 

When your staff looks sharp, customers are more inclined to trust your establishment and what you have to offer.  That’s why Fiumara Apparel has made it their mission to provide the absolute latest in professional culinary apparel.  With brands like Bragard and Chef Works, Fiumara Apparel is committed to bringing you stylish, comfortable and professional culinary uniforms at reasonable prices.

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