tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post854991892591533442..comments2023-09-19T11:55:33.528-04:00Comments on Food Network Gossip: Restaurant Impossible - Spunky Monkey Bar & Grill UpdateMatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08917581663732710258noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post-32046071070211135592015-05-27T23:14:04.848-04:002015-05-27T23:14:04.848-04:00Almost 2 hours from Chicago !!!! Almost 2 hours from Chicago !!!! rebeccanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post-63177571778547250972015-04-17T22:35:44.622-04:002015-04-17T22:35:44.622-04:00Too bad, Tom did such a great job! Those simple, ...Too bad, Tom did such a great job! Those simple, elegant lamps even cast a pretty pattern on the ceiling. Good for resale. Jackynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post-8000471383606444752015-03-30T16:23:04.773-04:002015-03-30T16:23:04.773-04:00Sad to learn that they didn't learn from and u...Sad to learn that they didn't learn from and utilize all that RI gave them. Very sad.Jeannenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post-34362107685208239192015-01-08T23:16:58.003-05:002015-01-08T23:16:58.003-05:00Poor Chef TPoor Chef Tholly wood doodnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post-59776617127334579202015-01-01T11:09:41.663-05:002015-01-01T11:09:41.663-05:00What you say is true (that they revert back), but ...What you say is true (that they revert back), but it is ALSO true that RI doesn't really give sound business advice anymore. At least, if he does, we don't see it anymore.Andreanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post-17639840158962978982014-12-31T21:06:00.728-05:002014-12-31T21:06:00.728-05:00Yep.Yep.davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post-69329425200498792312014-12-31T21:05:23.135-05:002014-12-31T21:05:23.135-05:00Well said.Well said.davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post-66848144528428113982014-12-31T21:03:04.795-05:002014-12-31T21:03:04.795-05:00Well said.Well said.davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post-35163205950627476912014-12-31T21:02:19.054-05:002014-12-31T21:02:19.054-05:00Seems the mother was fed up with the son. Looks li...Seems the mother was fed up with the son. Looks like she was right all long. He couldn't hack it.davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post-6160678278431859162014-12-31T21:01:33.965-05:002014-12-31T21:01:33.965-05:00You expect a lot out of a reality show. They spruc...You expect a lot out of a reality show. They spruce up the restaurant, give them advice and guidance. They are not babysitters beyond the two days. It is the OWNERS responsibility to ENACT the changes. Most simply go back to their old ways of running the place. That is not RI's fault.davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post-88075465592914043672014-12-19T18:38:36.353-05:002014-12-19T18:38:36.353-05:00It's not R.I.'s fault these restaurants fa...It's not R.I.'s fault these restaurants fail. Most of the people should never have started these restaurants in the first place.Everyone loves the blame game.twells330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post-1671628016763174482014-11-22T22:54:41.194-05:002014-11-22T22:54:41.194-05:00That's so sad...they were shown a better way f...That's so sad...they were shown a better way for their diner by the show and yet decided to go back to doing what did not work in the first placeShaynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post-17263541078603486102014-11-22T00:07:31.271-05:002014-11-22T00:07:31.271-05:00I went there with my family, (including my dad who...I went there with my family, (including my dad who used to own a restaurant), shortly after the episode aired. Food was very good, service was passable; A for effort, and decor and view were very nice. According to our waitress, Chip was out and his brother took over ("Thank God.") He was there, was very personable, and thanked us for coming. However, it was clear from the episode that he did not want to be there permanently. If he found a decent manager, maybe he could have run it from out of town. But that may be wishful thinking.PlasticMannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post-83781493512797296192014-11-21T20:02:52.665-05:002014-11-21T20:02:52.665-05:00Probably sniffing something, he sure acted like it...Probably sniffing something, he sure acted like ithinspectnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post-82773299805528105322014-08-21T02:33:49.096-04:002014-08-21T02:33:49.096-04:00I think bringing the pool tables back was a good m...I think bringing the pool tables back was a good move. Skunk Monkey is indeed more of a bar, and pool is a key to a good bar. I have a friend who works there. In fact, I will go visit it in the next few weeks, and share my experience.Facebook Usernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post-22021032799071282232014-08-13T08:03:01.994-04:002014-08-13T08:03:01.994-04:00We drove 180 mi to eat on the 2nd night after the ...We drove 180 mi to eat on the 2nd night after the remake, and the food was excellent. Decor was nice, the view awesome.<br /><br />Service was pretty good, even with the server dealing with the new menu.<br /><br />We noticed 2 things that spelled future disaster.<br />Our waitress said that Robert was a total jerk, and was unprofessional. That told us she had no respect for authority, nor willingness to improve herself or her job skills. It absolutely told of the staff attitude.<br />The other apparent sign of future disaster, was that Chip was a total Dick! <br />The "chip" on Chip's shoulder was unbelievable, unappreciative of not only his staff, but customers. We explained our long drive to support the new Pier West, and he seemed too busy to care. Being busy is understandable, not caring, is not. That man is not a people person, and should have been yanked from his duties as manager.<br />I feel remorse for the cook staff now without a job that they excelled at, and remorse for the good times that won't be had there, by countless friends and families. <br />That's the sad part.<br />As for RI neglecting followup as one commenter suggested, I think that's laughable. Possibly the best view of any restaurant I've been in, a beautiful building, and great food shouldn't need a followup...ifor one can't make that situation successful, then that person is a dope.<br /><br />I'd like to see Robert give Chip a tune-up, but a true business person re-opening Pier West with Robert's model would suffice:)Dereknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post-44795008790097329952014-06-25T23:03:51.173-04:002014-06-25T23:03:51.173-04:00Nut bag. You are a nut bagNut bag. You are a nut bagastoundednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post-43983607377878761332014-05-21T07:00:02.129-04:002014-05-21T07:00:02.129-04:00I looked at their facebook page and the food pics ...I looked at their facebook page and the food pics look disgusting...plain french toast sprinkled with icing sugar served with 2 steel medicine cups of peanut butter and maple syrup and a side of what looks like dog turds. Also a gyro that looks like the 'spunky monkey' spunked all over it. Anyway, their facebook page appears to be advertising karaoke nights, trivia nights and art classes, and it looks like they've gone full-force into the dive bar theme. Their website (which features very loud music) states: "With a <br />2013 remodel courtesy of Food Network's "Restaurant Impossible", rumors <br />rapidly spread that everyone's beloved "Monkey" had become a <br />restaurant. On the contrary, we reinstalled the karaoke set up, and <br />host karaoke that's bigger and better than ever!". I'm sure RI was happy to "remodel" their bar. What a waste of time when actual restauranteurs could really use the help.Carolnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post-80928766955503221712014-05-10T02:17:51.564-04:002014-05-10T02:17:51.564-04:00This is in a high-traffic area of Wisconsin close ...This is in a high-traffic area of Wisconsin close to Chicago & a big destination location for tourists, no in "rural Montana".guestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post-13283111062361222922014-03-28T02:17:30.161-04:002014-03-28T02:17:30.161-04:00Dude, you don't attempt to make a joint in fuc...Dude, you don't attempt to make a joint in fucking AUBURN into a hipster hangout-it just don't work.ColinSherrittnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post-15891432834974007602014-03-23T00:24:24.874-04:002014-03-23T00:24:24.874-04:00Chippie Boy should of had that smirk removed along...Chippie Boy should of had that smirk removed along with the bad food. Too bad Robert didn't do that , too.zignoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post-28162586468024532342014-03-21T13:41:30.606-04:002014-03-21T13:41:30.606-04:00So sad. I think this restaurant's problems wen...So sad. I think this restaurant's problems went much deeper than poor management. Family issues seemed to run deep. When a mother cannot hug her own son, something is terribly terribly wrong. The whole enabling thing denied by the father is something that he should have a better <br />look at. Take some time to study what enabled children behave like. <br /><br />It means, "to make possible or easy." <br /><br />In a negative sense, enabling is also used to describe dysfunctional behavior approaches that are intended to help resolve a specific problem but in fact may perpetuate or exacerbate the problem.<br /> A common theme of enabling in this latter sense is that third parties take responsibility, blame, or make accommodations for a person's harmful conduct (often with the best of intentions, or from fear or insecurity which inhibits action). The practical effect is that the person himself or herself does not have to do so, and is shielded from awareness of theharm it may do, and the need or pressure to change. Enabling in this sense is a major environmental cause of addiction or other major issues.<br /><br />A common example of enabling can be observed in the relationship between the alcoholic/addict and a codependent spouse. The spouse (or parent) who attempts to shield the addict from the negative consequences (failure) of their behavior by calling in sick to work for them, making excuses that prevent others from holding them accountable, and generally cleaning up the mess that occurs in the wake of their impaired judgment. In reality, what the spouse (parent) is doing is hurting, not helping. Enabling can tend to prevent psychological growth in the person being <br />enabled, and can contribute to negative symptoms in the enabler.<br /><br />If a child is not allowed to fall flat on their face, they'll never learn how to get up on their own and try again. Never. The failure of this restaurant (depending on how the parents handled the son and are now handling him), may be the best thing that ever happened to the son. He needs to find his own way without any intervention from parents. Love, yes. Money, no.Mindy L.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post-28180409574935075072014-03-18T08:00:27.431-04:002014-03-18T08:00:27.431-04:00Very efficiently written information. It will be p...Very efficiently written information. It will be priceless to anybody who uses it, together with myself. Sustain the good work – for positive i will try extra posts.pradeepnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post-57216642024375612562014-03-16T11:45:44.544-04:002014-03-16T11:45:44.544-04:00To Chip, the enabled son, you mean. I agree and I...To Chip, the enabled son, you mean. I agree and I would have put big money down against him because you knew he wasn't going to change. This wasn't his "second" chance either; his mother was clear about that, but the dad was in denial and couldn't stop flushing money for his son. How bad do you have to be at business to fail with this refined restaurant, what his mother called a "gold platter" opportunity? Let's hope that someone else is teaching his son how to grow up and be a productive citizen.Reviewernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808060991534955915.post-32276500468509100512014-03-16T00:05:11.583-04:002014-03-16T00:05:11.583-04:00Good riddance Party boy.Good riddance Party boy.George Ralphnoreply@blogger.com