Amy's Baking Company

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"Amy's Baking Company"
Kitchen Nightmares episode
Episode no.Season 6
Episode 16
Directed byJay Hunter
Production code515
Original air dateMay 10, 2013 (2013-05-10)
Running time43 minutes
Episode chronology
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"Chappy's"
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"Return to Amy's Baking Company"
List of episodes

"Amy's Baking Company" is the 16th episode of the sixth season of Kitchen Nightmares , and the 82nd episode of the series. [1] The episode first aired on May 10, 2013, and centered on Gordon Ramsay attempting to help Amy and Samy Bouzaglo, owners of Amy's Baking Company in Scottsdale, Arizona. [2]

Contents

The episode marked the only time in the history of both the British and the American versions of Kitchen Nightmares that Ramsay was unable to complete the restaurant's transformation due to conflict with the owners. [3] The owners' violent behaviors received negative attention on social media, and the manner in which they responded to this critical reception further fueled the controversy, prompting Forbes to refer to this as an example of how a business should not react to comments posted on social media. [4]

A follow-up episode, "Return to Amy's Baking Company", aired as the season-seven premiere on April 11, 2014. [5]

Synopsis

Amy's Baking Company
Amy's Baking Company front door.jpg
Entrance of the restaurant in 2013
Restaurant information
Established2006;19 years ago (2006)
ClosedSeptember 1, 2015;10 years ago (2015-09-01)
Previous owner(s)Amy Bouzaglo
Samy Bouzaglo
Head chefAmy Bouzaglo
Food type Baked foods
Street address7366 E Shea Blvd Ste 112
City Scottsdale
State Arizona
Postal/ZIP Code85260
CountryUnited States
Website www.facebook.com/AmysBakingCom/

Amanda "Amy" (née Bossingham) [6] [7] and Salomon "Samy" Bouzaglo, the husband-and-wife owners, explain that Samy invested over a million dollars to build the restaurant in 2006 to "fulfill Amy's dreams". About two years prior to the episode's filming, food bloggers began complaining about the restaurant's food and the owners' behavior. Amy claims the reviews are "lies" and states that they cost the restaurant a "tremendous amount of business". [8] [9]

The camera crew arrives the night before Ramsay's arrival and witnesses an argument between Samy and a customer so intense that Amy threatens to call the police. A cameraman has to step in to prevent violence. He accompanies the customers out of the restaurant and Amy then berates and insults the other customers.

Upon his arrival, Ramsay is initially impressed with the kitchen's good hygiene and organization and by Amy's desserts, but becomes more wary when Amy admits that she closes the restaurant if either of the owners are not there. After the initial discussion, Ramsay samples lunch dishes and responds rather negatively to several of them, one of which he discovers is a mass-produced frozen product despite being advertised on the menu as freshly made. Samy reveals to Ramsay that Amy does not deal well with criticism. Ramsey witnesses unethical and unkind treatment of waitstaff by the owners, who try several times to justify it. [10]

Throughout the dinner service, customers complain about long waiting periods and several send back dishes they dislike. Amy intentionally makes dishes unpalatable for customers she disapproves of and Samy tells dissatisfied customers not to come back. [11] Amy responds defensively to Ramsey's criticism and shows extremely poor social skills dealing with the waitstaff. [10] Ramsay witnesses further unethical treatment of waitstaff, such as the owners taking their tips. [12]

While interviewing former employees, Ramsay discovers that at least fifty people were fired during an eighteen month period. When Ramsay offers constructive criticism of Amy's and Samy's management style, Amy becomes extremely defensive and Samy reveals that that the number of fired employees is closer to 100. Finally, Ramsay learns that Amy had lied to him about making the desserts herself. Ramsay concludes they are not open to making any changes and gives up. In a concluding monologue, he states that this is the first time he has met restaurant owners that he could not help; the restaurant has gone through a hundred staff members and Amy and Samy have infuriated the local community. They seem incapable of accepting criticism and he believes that they would not have adhered to any changes he would have implemented to improve the restaurant. [13]

Production

The episode was shot in December 2012. On December 10, a local media interview with a diner described his altercation with Samy during taping. The diner saw what he thought was an act for the purposes of the show, but a producer told him "what was happening was real". The diner went on to explain that police were on the scene by the time he left the restaurant. The diner reported that the police were responding to a "911 hang-up call" from the restaurant, and that they left after "concluding everything was fine". [14]

Reception and reaction

One of the verandas of the restaurant Amy's Baking Company Veranda.jpg
One of the verandas of the restaurant

The episode premiered on May 10, 2013, and was viewed by about 3.34 million people. It was seen by 1.2% of all 18- to 49-year-olds in the United States and 5% of all 18- to 49-year-olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. [15] The episode met with praise from reviewers, with one critic writing, "The episode is nothing short of amazing." [16]

After the show aired, the restaurant, which was located in a shopping center at Scottsdale Road and Shea Boulevard, [17] became a tourist attraction. [18] The restaurant received extensive negative feedback on their official Facebook page. When owners Amy and Samy responded by denouncing people who posted negative comments, they provoked more of the same, not only on Facebook, but also on Yelp and Reddit. [19] Forbes used the reactions as a poster example of how a business should not react to comments on social media. [4] [20] The owners later stated that they were hacked, and that they had not posted any of the comments. [21] [22] The couple later claimed that the unsatisfied customers seen in the episode were "actors" during their appearance on Dr. Phil. [23] This prompted more negative responses and the original comments and responses were eventually removed. [21] As a result of the Kitchen Nightmares episode and Facebook posts, awareness of the incident caused the "meltdown" to go viral. [4]

External videos
Amy's Baking Company
YouTube full-color icon (2017).svg
via YouTube
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg – Full episode
External videos
Return to Amy's Baking Company
YouTube full-color icon (2017).svg
via YouTube
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg – Season 6 special including an interview with Amy and Sammy at the end. Uncensored version by FilmRise.

The company hired a local public relations firm, and a second Facebook page was eventually taken down as well, while another one called "I support Amy's Baking Company Bakery Boutique & Bistro 100 percent" appeared on May 15. [24] A press release announced that they would be holding a "Grand Reopening" on May 21, 2013. [25] On April 11, 2014, Kitchen Nightmares aired a special episode revolving around the events at Amy's Baking Company during and after the episode aired with a new, specially recorded interview with the owners conducted by local reporter Ana Garcia. [26]

Amy's Baking Company permanently closed on September 1, 2015. Amy Bouzaglo explained that the development stemmed from problems with the building's former landlord, and not the TV series. She also indicated her future career plans included making desserts for a Phoenix-area restaurant group and producing online instructional cooking videos. [17] [27] The owners moved to California in 2016, and later to Israel in 2018 following Samy's deportation, [28] which USA Today and 12 News reported had occurred because of Samy's failure to disclose that he had served time in prison for extortion and drug charges overseas. In April 2022, Amy returned to the United States and filed for divorce, while Samy remained in Israel. She continues to post baking content on social media. Amy began an Instagram account with the name Amy's Baking Company, on which she posts videos of herself making desserts. As of August 2024, she had over 30,000 followers. [29]

In 2021, Amy Bouzaglo gave an interview to the New York Post discussing her experience on the show. She stated that production staff had "rearranged" ingredients in the kitchen and "sabotaged" their POS system. The customers recruited by the producers were also allegedly the "same ones who had left negative reviews" beforehand. Bouzaglo also defended taking waiters' tips, saying that they were paid $8 to $14/hour. She also stated the decision to have production end after one day was hers, not Ramsay's or the producers', and she asked that the episode not air. [28]

References

  1. "Kitchen Nightmares". Amazon Prime Video. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  2. Gordon, Claire. "Amy's Baking Company Has Epic Facebook Fail". AOL. Archived from the original on June 8, 2013. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
  3. Martin, Sami K. (May 15, 2013). "Amy's Baking Company Under Fire for 'Kitchen Nightmares' Appearance (VIDEO)". The Christian Post . Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 "Lessons From Amy's Baking Company: Six Things You Should Never Do On Social Media". Forbes . Retrieved May 16, 2013.
  5. McClellan, Jennifer (March 28, 2014). "4/11: Amy's Baking Co. returns on 'Kitchen Nightmares'". The Arizona Republic . Archived from the original on April 2, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  6. Corbett, Robert Anglen and Peter. "Co-owner of 'Nightmares' eatery might be deported". USA TODAY. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  7. McClellan, Jennifer. "Timeline of Amy's Baking Company in Scottsdale". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  8. Hahnefeld, Laura (May 23, 2013). "Chasing Amy: Overcooked Reality and the Decline of Western Civility" Archived July 16, 2021, at the Wayback Machine . Phoenix New Times .
  9. Laudig, Michelle (August 20, 2010). "Ouch! Today's Hard Lesson on Yelp". Phoenix New Times. Archived from the original on May 18, 2013. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
  10. 1 2 "Return to Amy's Baking Company". Kitchen Nightmares. Season 7. Episode 1. April 11, 2014. Fox Broadcasting Company.
  11. Kitchen Nightmares (February 4, 2022). AMY'S BAKING COMPANY THE FULL EPISODE | Kitchen Nightmares . Retrieved September 17, 2025 via YouTube.
  12. "Lessons From Amy's Baking Company: Six Things You Should Never Do On Social Media". Forbes . Retrieved May 16, 2013.
  13. Martin, Sami K. (May 15, 2013). "Amy's Baking Company Under Fire for 'Kitchen Nightmares' Appearance (VIDEO)". The Christian Post . Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
  14. Hahnefeld, Laura (December 10, 2012). "Screaming, Expletives, and, Eventually, Police: All in the First Night of Kitchen Nightmares Taping at Amy's Baking Company". Phoenix New Times. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  15. "Friday Final TV Ratings:'Kitchen Nightmares' Adjusted Up; No Adjustment for 'Nikita', 'Vegas' or 'Touch'". TV By The Numbers. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  16. Archived June 15, 2013, at archive.today Archived from the original. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  17. 1 2 McClellan, Jennifer (September 5, 2015). "Amy's Baking Company in Scottsdale has closed". The Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on July 24, 2017. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  18. Ringle, Hayley (May 15, 2013). "Amy's Baking Company turning into Scottsdale tourist attraction; see photos (Video)". Phoenix Business Journal . Archived from the original on June 28, 2013. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  19. Canavan, Hillary Dixler (May 21, 2013). "Watch Amy's Baking Company Boldly Speak Out Against Reddit, Yelpers, and Online 'Bullies'". Eater . Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  20. "Restaurant owners' ranting goes viral". Today . May 15, 2013. Archived from the original on January 8, 2014. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  21. 1 2 Boone, John (May 14, 2013). "Kitchen Nightmares: Amy's Baking Company Goes Nuts on Facebook, Claim They Were Hacked". E!. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
  22. Erwin, Elizabeth (May 14, 2013). "Restaurant owners slammed on national TV speak out". KPHO-TV. CBS 5.
  23. Vultaggio, Maria (April 10, 2014). "Amy's Baking Company On 'Dr. Phil': 'We Are Not Cartoon Characters'". International Business Times. Archived from the original on October 27, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  24. Rachel Tepper (May 16, 2013). Amy's Baking Company Freaks Out Online After Epic Meltdown On Gordon Ramsay's 'Kitchen Nightmares' [UPDATED] Archived May 17, 2013, at the Wayback Machine . Huffington Post .
  25. "Kitchen Nightmares: Amy's Baking Company plans grand re-opening to address social media meltdown". ABC 15. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
  26. McClellan, Jennifer (April 12, 2014). "Scottsdale's Bouzaglos return to 'Kitchen Nightmares'". The Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on October 21, 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
  27. "Scottsdale 'Kitchen Nightmares' restaurant to close". Fox 10 Phoenix . July 10, 2015. Archived from the original on July 11, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  28. 1 2 Diaz, Adriana; Beltempo, Anthony (May 20, 2021). "Amy's Baking Company owner: How I survived Gordon Ramsay's 'Nightmare'". New York Post . Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  29. Anooshahr, Bahar. "Amy's Baking Company: Where are 'Kitchen Nightmares' stars now? How to watch their episode". The Arizona Republic . Retrieved October 12, 2024.