For a non-yelp and non-Reddit feedback on Amy;s Baking Company, check out PHXFoodNerds.com, an LTHforum type website in Phoenix, AZ.

A blog report when it was filmed in December: http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bella/ ... taping.php (check out the comments)

Baking 2: Electric Bouzaglo?

Just watched the Amy's episode. Wow. That's all I've got. Incredible.

While I am more interested in food and cooking, Kitchen Nighmares and the other restaurant-saving shows have nothing on Hotel Impossible (featuring that likeable impish NY tough guy who wears pinstripes in Alaska) or Bar Rescue, featuring that not-so-likeable but effective bellicose nightclub heavy. The bar show especially comes up with remarkable lost cause places that resonate.

Hi- Gordon Ramsey also does a hotel show on Fox too. It might be called Hotel Hell. That makes four shows that he has on Fox. Hell's Kitchen is my least favorite of all his shows. I just don't like the way he is disrespectful to the contestants.

BTW- I looked at some of the links that people provided about Amy's, and apparently Amy has a criminal background. I viewed part of the program last night, and it seems that she has many more problems than the husband. It seemed like the husband was much more willing to listen to what Gordon had to say, than the wife was. I just think that the husband is afraid to speak up to the wife.

On their website they post glowing reviews of their restaurant, but most of them are from 2008. I wonder how this couple has been able to stay in business that long. They have no business running a restaurant.

Hi- Now Amy and her husband claim that their facebook page was hacked, and that they did not say all those nasty things on there. Apparently the FBI is investigating this. Here is the link.

http://eater.com/archives/2013/05/15/cr ... hacked.php

I just don't understand how these people have been able to stay in business so long.

The claim that they were hacked is just part of their delusion it seems - they did remove a lot of content as well as a lot of comments and now they have hired a PR firm and are announcing some kind of charity dinner at which they will tell their side or whatever.

I was reading comments and their posts on FB earlier today and loved the fact that they, in one of their many bizarre arguments with the folks going after them, admitted that even the pastries are all bought elsewhere ... something they managed to hide on the Ramsay episode.

Glad to see them get their comeuppance given how they treated their staff.


Edited to add - apparently all their food photos on FB etc are also photos that belong to other folks - people are trying to make them take them down with little success.

Hi- Apparently they were reviewed on the Phoenix version of check please in February, and all three guests on the show liked the restaurant. I read that about their grand reopening on May 21, with part of the proceeds for the day going to charity. Apparently business has picked up since Kitchen Nightmares aired.

Here is a link to the show. I could not get the volume to work on it though. I hope somebody else has better luck.

http://www.azpbs.org/checkplease/segmen ... hp?id=5510

NFriday wrote:Hi- Now Amy and her husband claim that their facebook page was hacked, and that they did not say all those nasty things on there. Apparently the FBI is investigating this. Here is the link.

http://eater.com/archives/2013/05/15/cr ... hacked.php

I just don't understand how these people have been able to stay in business so long.

Well, they claim the FBI is investigating it, I haven't seen any corroboration of their side of the story. Claiming that the FBI is investigating a case that they aren't investigating can get you into some serious trouble. I think they may be digging themselves into a hole that is much deeper than they realize. And from what I can tell Amy still has a 14 month sentence to serve at some point, so I can't imagine that this will end well.

NFriday wrote:I read that about their grand reopening on May 21, with part of the proceeds for the day going to charity.

...orchestrated by a local PR agent who, not 12 hours earlier, did an interview on the radio saying he didn't believe a word they said and that it was a total lost cause, even for somebody like him. And the charity is to combat... wait for it... cyber bullying.

This has been going on here for three years, and I suspect we're only just starting to get into the meat of the crazy.

Attrill wrote:And from what I can tell Amy still has a 14 month sentence to serve at some point, so I can't imagine that this will end well.

Oh... incidentally, she already served her sentence. I believe they actually shut down the restaurant for a year while she was in prison.

Dmnkly wrote:

NFriday wrote:I read that about their grand reopening on May 21, with part of the proceeds for the day going to charity.

...orchestrated by a local PR agent who, not 12 hours earlier, did an interview on the radio saying he didn't believe a word they said and that it was a total lost cause, even for somebody like him. And the charity is to combat... wait for it... cyber bullying.

This has been going on here for three years, and I suspect we're only just starting to get into the meat of the crazy.

Amy's Baking Company MELTDOWN - this is a link to the radio station's website with a link to the interview. There are two interviews one before this PR guy was hired and after.

"I think the only way Amy's Baking Company can save face is to run their restaurant like The Weiner Circle in Chicago, where the customers go for the abuse!"

Regards,

Hi- The new PR firm explains why stuff has been removed from their facebook page. I noticed that quit a bit was removed yesterday, and they removed the post where Amy said that she purchased most of her bake goods. Apparently the first day of the grand reopening is sold out. There are still some spaces for reservations for May 22. I do kind of feel sorry for the couple. They have had a lot dumped on them. Apparently all their problems started when somebody gave them a one star review on yelp, and Amy went ballistic.

NFriday wrote:Apparently all their problems started when somebody gave them a one star review on yelp, and Amy went ballistic.

One of my best friends out here. A really good guy who promptly made a classy exit from the controversy and has refused to participate in the media circus ever since. And yes, she went totally ballistic.

Actually I think their problems are due more to their behavior than Yelp - taking your server's tips, claiming all food is made on premises when none is, using photos of other folks' food without credit, etc.

Siun wrote:Actually I think their problems are due more to their behavior than Yelp - taking your server's tips, claiming all food is made on premises when none is, using photos of other folks' food without credit, etc.

I saw a blog on the Washington Post website yesterday that totally agreed with you. Summarized briefly: It's not the internet, it is you!

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:

Siun wrote:Actually I think their problems are due more to their behavior than Yelp - taking your server's tips, claiming all food is made on premises when none is, using photos of other folks' food without credit, etc.

I saw a blog on the Washington Post website yesterday that totally agreed with you. Summarized briefly: It's not the internet, it is you!

Regards,

The internet is merely the conduit, not the source of the issues.

=R=

I love this from the Amy's Baking Company (ABC) website

All of our pasta dishes are topped with lots of Parmesan cheese before leaving the kitchen, if you need more it will be $2~

Thank you& Enjoy!!

Hi- According to their website Amy's is looking for waitresses, line cooks, prep cooks, and dishwashers. I also noticed that there is a space on their website where you can leave comments. I looked at their Yelp reviews last night, and over 2,000 reviews had been deleted.

Apparently the restaurant closed the day after the show aired, and hence the grand reopening on May 21. On their website they advertise the fact that all of their desserts and pastas are home made, which I have my doubts about.

Apparently they pay their waitresses more than the going rate, and that is why they feel justified to help themselves to the tips. The waitress that was fired while they were filming was paid $8 an hour, and I know that restaurants do not pay that much, but they let you keep your tips.

I've been offline lately and only caught a bit of the recent Amy's saga, but I do like and respect Gordon Ramsey, and agree with Chris (Attril)'s assessment. It's clear from his various shows that he places great emphasis on customer satisfaction above all, and good business practices. (Another one that I really liked, but can't remember the name of, was based in a restaurant of his, and the premise involved diners scoring the three submissions: starters, mains, desserts.) I'm not distracted by or concerned with his actual or producer-enhanced hothhead nature. If we evaluate people in terms of their personalities, rather than their talents and accomplishments, who shall scape whipping?

Katie wrote:Another one that I really liked, but can't remember the name of, was based in a restaurant of his, and the premise involved diners scoring the three submissions: starters, mains, desserts.

Sounds like The F Word, I really liked that one as well. Not as much of the reality show drama and he has some really great regular contributors (Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall has been on almost every one that I've seen).

Hi- Here is the latest news in the Amy's saga. Their new PR person states that he is dropping them as a client after the regrand opening takes place tomorrow evening. 1,000 people have made reservations for this week, and they held a job fair yesterday, and hired 10 new employees. Apparently there was a difference of opinion on how the PR campaign for the restaurant should be run. Here is the link,

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news ... -amys.html

Apparently the restaurant has become a local tourist attraction, and the local Fox station is taking the owners to court. This saga seems to never end.

Lovely animated take on the situation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfD8L1euBuk

Samy is also now facing possible deportation, reportedly unrelated to exposure from the show.

Hi- It's interesting that Samy is 23 years older than Amy, and that he is originally from Morocco. If Samy does get deported I am sure that the restaurant will get closed.

Funny marketing from a neighboring restaurant:

http://www.happyplace.com/24067/restaur ... g-campaign

Santander wrote:Samy is also now facing possible deportation, reportedly unrelated to exposure from the show.

I will guestimate Samy having been to jail prior to arriving to the United States may be a cause for his immigration problems.

On Tuesday, Samy and Amy talked about their past records and indicated Samy had served time in prison before immigrating to the United States 13 years ago. Reached by phone as they drove to their restaurant Tuesday morning, Amy and Samy each tried to talk over the other -- interrupting, yelling and even cursing one another as the conversation continued.

“We both made mistakes in the past. We have done our time,” Amy said. “We can’t comment. We know God is with us.”

Samy said he could not talk about any past records but added he has not had any problems since immigrating to the U.S.

Regards,

Attrill, yes, the F Word! Thanks for posting the link. That was a good show. I didn't know it was on BBC America still. I'll have to keep an eye out for it. I also like the variety of guests, such as Hugh FW and others, who'd come on the show to discuss special topics such as camel milk, detox drinks, donner kebabs, etc., and the food-related projects Ramsey would take on at home with his kids (raising turkeys, etc.). He also takes on new food-related experiences himself; I particularly remember the episode in which he goes out deer hunting for the first time.

F-Word episodes can be found on youtube, too.

Hi- Here is a link to more information about Samy's deportation problems.

http://www.azcentral.com/video/2400243186001

Apparently Samy did not disclose his past criminal record when he entered this country, According to the video, he is banned in Germany and France.

Apparently not disclosing his past criminal history is a bag no no with the INS

Cathy2 wrote:F-Word episodes can be found on youtube, too.

Thanks, that's good to know.