# Kitchen Nightmares - Amy's Baking Company - 05/10/2013



## Donbadabon (Mar 5, 2002)

To quote Chef Ramsay - Wow.

The owners were complete psycho's. Everyone was out to get them, everyone was wrong but them, no one would even let her talk.

And he was a gangster. Old school Vegas I guess.

First time ever that Gordon walked away without helping.

No way they can stay in business.

This is the owner's post on FB regarding the episode:




__ https://www.facebook.com/amysbakingco/posts/10151527646142900



Crazy Amy.

They are trying to defend the owner's taking the tips by saying the servers are paid hourly. Definitely not industry standard, but regardless it should be something the customers are aware of.


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## robojerk (Jun 13, 2006)

This was on Reddit with a youtube link yesterday (already aired in Canada I guess). I suggest watching this episode, won't dissapoint.

These people are crazy..

Their Yelp rating.


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## Jesda (Feb 12, 2005)

An interview with the customer who was told to F off:
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/be...s_gordon_ramsay_scottsdale_arizona_taping.php


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## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

it made for good dramatic television, but i feel really sad for the owners. they're delusional, have no idea what's going on around them, and never will. 

since they don't understand social media, they simply dismiss all of it unconditionally, instead of learning how to identify and use honest feedback as a tool. don't get me started on their paranoia - afraid of what they don't understand, and unwilling to listen to anyone.

how two business owners could invite one of the most successful counterparts in their industry, and respond with blanket dismissal, is beyond me. it was a golden opportunity for them to correct past mistakes and thrive as a reborn establishment, and they blew it.

i won't wish for their downfall, i only hope they finally learn a lesson from this, the most recent feedback. if they don't, the market will take care of them soon enough.


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## ncsercs (May 5, 2001)

A lot of these yelp 'reviews' came within the last several days. I wonder.....


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## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

ncsercs said:


> A lot of these yelp 'reviews' came within the last several days. I wonder.....


yeah, i wondered the same. if they thought dissing their own customers was bad, wait 'till they feel the wrath of dissing ramsey on national tv.


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## Azlen (Nov 25, 2002)

The owner must have a huge amount of money stashed away because I don't see how they stay in business for as long as they have been. The rent in that part of town isn't cheap and they couldn't be making any money.


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## inaka (Nov 26, 2001)

NorthAlabama said:


> it made for good dramatic television, but i feel really sad for the owners.


I don't feel sorry for them at all.
Karma.

That was a great episode.


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## FireMen2003 (Apr 1, 2004)

I just watched it and the owners were crazy. Whoa.

Then again, the wife was not much different from other KN owners who ignore Ramsey.


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## cwerdna (Feb 22, 2001)

ncsercs said:


> A lot of these yelp 'reviews' came within the last several days. I wonder.....


Yeah. I sorted by date and the a huge flood of them showed up after the ep aired. I glanced thru a few and some of those were definitely posted by people who'd never eaten there.

For ones that pre-date the show, they're all over the map. 


NorthAlabama said:


> it made for good dramatic television, but i feel really sad for the owners. they're delusional, have no idea what's going on around them, and never will.
> 
> since they don't understand social media, they simply dismiss all of it unconditionally, instead of learning how to identify and use honest feedback as a tool. don't get me started on their paranoia - afraid of what they don't understand, and unwilling to listen to anyone.


Totally agreed!

This was a great ep! It was total riot. Those owners are nuts and yeah their practice of keeping the tips is questionable, if not illegal. Someone commented in the FB post w/quotes from http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs15.htm.

It really is too bad that Amy just couldn't take any criticism. She just didn't want to listen to any of it.

One of the Yelp "reviews" says:


> Seems like tshe is planning on suing Ramsey for the failed business shes a scammer and seems this was all planned long ago that and getting husbands money too while she still can bag older men with $$
> 
> OH her Prison and Probation FILE
> http://www.findforms.com/pdf_files/azd/20255/86-1.pdf
> ...


(I've edited the URL to point directly at the PDF instead of using Yelp's redirector.)


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

ill add this to the 'they have to be acting, no one is like this' box i keep on my bureau.

when amy watches herself on tv, id love to hear what she thinks about how she is acting. there were moments at the table where she knew she was wrong and got the water from the far fridge. but the 50 vs 100 employees fired in a year pretty much tells it all. wouldnt word get around that if you work here you are stupid or are people that desperate? id do any fast food place vs this place!

i wonder if the other customers left after the pizza guy was kicked out. no way woudl i stay.and id be happy to call the cops. get in the newspaper, and get all the negative publicity out there. 

do you think how clean and organized it was was a setup by the producers. they never showed this before on tv like they did this time.


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## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

I finally watched it yesterday. I'm kind of thinking that the cleanliness thing was set up, but the vibe I got was that the owners were the ones who did that. As much as she cannot take criticism, there is no defending a filthy kitchen. It was just WAY too perfect, what with everything perfectly placed and labeled. Who knows.

I don't feel badly for them either. They are delusional by choice, IMO. 

Did the business go under? Somebody mentioned the failing of the business. I hope they get seriously called on pulling the tips from the servers. 

I would be interested in knowing what happened with the restaurant after this was over. I also get a weird feeling that she didn't make all those desserts. She had lied about having made some of the other things.


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## zordude (Sep 23, 2003)

I don't think they are doing anything illegal by keeping the tips if they are paying them at/above minimum wage.

Usually positions that are "tipped" have a lower minimum hourly wage.


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

if the male owner stated they have over 100 employees turned over in a year, wouldnt you think at least 1 would picket outside the store  

i would think a sign saying owner keeps all tips would be factually correct...and then he could indeed confirm that 'everyone' is out to get him


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## inaka (Nov 26, 2001)

Did they ever talk about the financials of the restaurant?
This was the first time I don't remember ever hearing, "We're losing $$$$$ a month" and so on. I could have missed it though.

It was also the first time I've ever seen Ramsay like the food (the baked goods) aside from one other BBC Nightmares where he also liked the dessert from some place, but hated the food. (Turns out the desserts were made by someone other than that owner.)

The solution is clear. 
Amy should close the restaurant and open a bakery. 

Problem solved.


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## FireMen2003 (Apr 1, 2004)

inaka said:


> Did they ever talk about the financials of the restaurant?
> This was the first time I don't remember ever hearing, "We're losing $$$$$ a month" and so on. I could have missed it though.
> 
> The solution is clear.
> ...


Nope besides the $1 million invested into the store.


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## Lee 2.0 (Jul 10, 2012)

inaka said:


> The solution is clear.
> Amy should close the restaurant and open a bakery.
> 
> Problem solved.


This.

Incidentally, these people are not abnormal for Scottsdale. I couldn't get out of that city fast enough.


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## Azlen (Nov 25, 2002)

newsposter said:


> ill add this to the 'they have to be acting, no one is like this' box i keep on my bureau.


This was going on long before Kitchen Nightmares. Here's a link to a story back in 2010 about how she reacted to a negative Yelp review.

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bella/2010/08/ouch_todays_hard_lesson_on_yel.php

It even made the local news back in 2010

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nexQhKIx39Q[/media]


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## Azlen (Nov 25, 2002)

Wow, their facebook page is in pure meltdown mode right now. Kinda sad

https://www.facebook.com/amysbakingco
Some examples. I'll skip over the more profane ones.

YOU DONT KNOW US!! WE WILL THRIVE! WE WILL OVERCOME! WE ARE STARTING OUR FAMILY, AND WE WILL TEACH OUR CHILD EXACTLY WHAT >>GOD<< WANTS IN THEIR PATH. WE WILL TEACH THEM HOW TO FIGHT AGAINST OPRESSORS LIKE YOU PEOPLE! WE WILL START A GENERATION OF TRUTHFULLNESS AND WE WILL FIGHT TO BRING PLACES LIKE, YELP AND REDDIT, AND HORRIBLE PEOPLE LIKE GORDON TO THE LIGHT

I AM WONDER WOMAN. I AM A GREAT CHEF, A GREAT WIFE, AND A GREAT MOM TO MY KIDS. AND WE WILL BE PARENTS TO A HUMAN KID, ONE DAY TO. WE WILL SHOW ALL OF YOU.

You are all little punks. Nothing. you are all nothing. We are laughing at you. All of you, just fools. We have God on our side, you just have your sites.

This is Samy. I am keeping note of all names here. We will be pursuing action against you legaly, and against reddit and yelp, for this plot you have come together on. you are all just punks.


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## DLL66 (Oct 21, 2002)

Meow...Meow...Meow


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## zordude (Sep 23, 2003)

I like this gem:



> TO REDDIT. I FORBID YOU FROM SPREADING YOUR HATE ON THAT SITE. THIS IS MY FACEBOOK, AND I AM NOT ALLOWING YOU TO USE MY COMPANY ON YOUR HATE FILLED PAGE.


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

i have to ask..who's letting them have a human kid? they need a robot with a paranoid chip


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## inaka (Nov 26, 2001)

Woah, woah, woah, based on their FB page, she doesn't even bake the cakes?! WTF? She blatantly lied on national TV about baking all the goods in the case.

Then on their FB page when people called them out about it, Amy goes on to talk about how they resell the cakes:



> WE DO NOT NEED THIS. YOU STUPID PEOPLE. AMERICA IS ABOUT RESSLING, IT IS NOT A BIG DEAL. THE CAKES WE OFFER ARE EXPENSIVE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO REPACKAGE AND SHIP. DO NOT BLAME US BECAUSE YOU CAN NOT AFFORD QUALITY. THE YELPERS, AND NOW THE REDDITS, NEED TO BACK OFF. YOURE NOT RIGHT JUST BECAUSE OF SOME TV SHOW.


Wow. She completely said she baked all the desserts. What a liar.


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## Azlen (Nov 25, 2002)

inaka said:


> Wow. She completely said she baked all the desserts. What a liar.


I think somewhere in that mess of a facebook page she mentioned that the reason that she lied to Ramsey about it was because he wasn't American and he wouldn't understand. She compared her shop to Walmart and said they didn't make what they sold either.

I can't fathom how they stay in business unless Samy is using this as a money laundering operation or something like that. But why would you bring all that publicity on yourself if you were up to no good.


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## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

Gadzooks, she is just as screamy and rude everywhere. Not surprising, I suppose.

Also not surprised that she doesn't make the baked goods (having mentioned the other day that I had a feeling she didn't make them), but kind of surprised she actually admits it, NOW. 

This woman is mental to the nth degree. If she had one iota of sanity she would be able to see how profoundly crazy she sounds at every turn. 

Don't even get me started on them having a kid. I don't even think they should have cats. 

I'm really curious how much business they are doing. Is this in, or near, a big retirement area of AZ where, perhaps, less people spend a lot of time online and probably don't watch Gordon Ramsay shows? That's the only way I can see anybody even patronizing the place.


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## jsmeeker (Apr 2, 2001)

lol..


serious meltdown. All captured for the world to see.


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

sharkster said:


> This woman is mental to the nth degree. If she had one iota of sanity she would be able to see how profoundly crazy she sounds at every turn.


if you study her eyes, there are tiny moments where she realizes what she is doing is wrong or embarrassing but she's one that literally cannot stand when she's wrong so she blames something/one instead.

also the male not trusting someone to enter every order is really really crazy. he admitted he cant even do the job when he's inundated.


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## inaka (Nov 26, 2001)

Reading the user comments to their FB meltdown posts is absolutely HILARIOUS!!
I can;'t stop laughing at some of the posts! hahaha


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## jsmeeker (Apr 2, 2001)

God is on her side! What do YOU have?? Just your sites.


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## Mr. Soze (Nov 2, 2002)

And boom goes the dynamite!


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## jilter (Oct 4, 2002)

So, the first night's taping was in December according g to a Phoenix paper.
Why is this just getting so much coverage now?


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## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)




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## inaka (Nov 26, 2001)

jilter said:


> So, the first night's taping was in December according g to a Phoenix paper.
> Why is this just getting so much coverage now?


Because the episode just aired.


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## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

jsmeeker said:


> God is on her side! What do YOU have?? Just your sites.


People like her make me proud to be a godless heathen.


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## cwerdna (Feb 22, 2001)

inaka said:


> Because the episode just aired.


Yep. It aired last Friday. Kitchen Nightmares airs nationally.

Since I don't live in the Phoenix area, I had no idea this was going over there.


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## inaka (Nov 26, 2001)

Made the front page of Yahoo. LOL


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## Ment (Mar 27, 2008)

zordude said:


> I like this gem:


Like the comments they don't know how reddit works. 

Just waiting them to disparage cats so 4chan can get involved.


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## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

netringer said:


>


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## Donbadabon (Mar 5, 2002)

Patton. That is too funny.


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## Azlen (Nov 25, 2002)

Now they are claiming that all of their accounts were hacked and they wouldn't have written such terrible things. Has anyone who has ever screwed up online that used the "I've been hacked" defense ever been telling the truth?


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## mrdazzo7 (Jan 8, 2006)

man, now I'm mad that I didn't record it this week. I never really set a SP for the show but if I remember it's on I usually record it. I saw an article on MSN today about these people losing their **** and reading this thread makes me want to watch it even more, lol. You never hear about these places after the show, aside from the little blurbs...I'm always wondering how they do down the road.



Azlen said:


> Now they are claiming that all of their accounts were hacked and they wouldn't have written such terrible things. Has anyone who has ever screwed up online that used the "I've been hacked" defense ever been telling the truth?


No clue if they were hacked or not BUT I will say that it's not impossible. I signed into facebook on a phone at the verizon store once to test it out and forgot to sign out. People took liberties. So it DOES happen, lol. But based on what I'm reading about these peeps, they probably wrote it... Them getting hacked would actually be more believable in this case because the idea that a business owner could be that blatantly stupid is too hard to accept.


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## cwerdna (Feb 22, 2001)

mrdazzo7 said:


> man, now I'm mad that I didn't record it this week. I never really set a SP for the show but if I remember it's on I usually record it. I saw an article on MSN today about these people losing their **** and reading this thread makes me want to watch it even more, lol. You never hear about these places after the show, aside from the little blurbs...I'm always wondering how they do down the road.


[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6LY7TJ16pg&feature=youtu.be[/media] and part 2 are still up, for now. I wonder how long before it gets yanked.

Re: how the places do, down the road. The other day I stumbled across https://sites.google.com/site/ramsayskitchennightmares/. I don't know how accurate it is.


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## Azlen (Nov 25, 2002)

mrdazzo7 said:


> No clue if they were hacked or not BUT I will say that it's not impossible. I signed into facebook on a phone at the verizon store once to test it out and forgot to sign out. People took liberties. So it DOES happen, lol. But based on what I'm reading about these peeps, they probably wrote it... Them getting hacked would actually be more believable in this case because the idea that a business owner could be that blatantly stupid is too hard to accept.


They are claiming that their twitter, facebook, yelp and website were all hacked. Possible yes but far from probable. Especially considering that they have previously been shown to respond that way when criticized.


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

in the yahoo pic shown above, she looks like she could be an alien in a sci fi series. 

i wonder who these people's friends are..who they go out with .things like that. can you imagine the interaction

you landed on my property, you pay me rent for boardwork now or i beat u face and if they lose it's a conspiracy between the other players


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## TonyTheTiger (Dec 22, 2006)

Finally got around to watching this last night and, while we know some things are embellished for TV, the producers HAD to be certain to paint as truthful a picture as possible.

The fact that Amy blatantly lied about making the cakes takes away all credibility she may have had and any lawyer would beat her down in a heartbeat.

I completely dismiss any posts on FB or any of the social media sites since the show aired. Some are completely obvious (including the ones from morons who seem to think it's funny to create an account with a similar name to the couple and lace it with obscenities and profanity) and other not so, but they siply can't be trusted. After examining the original 'Joel' blog and response, I can only come to the conclusion that they ARE delusional!


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## Big Deficit (Jul 8, 2003)

Was Amy on another cooking show like Chopped? She looked familiar, but I couldn't place it.


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

wow...that was some episode.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

I watched it this past weekend. It was very enjoyable but I would have hated to be an actual patron at that restuarant. Those owners were totally crazy. I know if they were located in the DC area, they would have closed down a long time ago with their attitude.


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## Jstkiddn (Oct 15, 2003)

There is a thread over in HH about this and someone posted a link over there showng Amy is a convicted felon.

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/99385847/MICHAEL-D


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

I really wish that Ramsey had said something like "there are hundreds/thousands of restraunts out there who actually WANT my help and would do anything I say".


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## Lee 2.0 (Jul 10, 2012)

sharkster said:


> I'm really curious how much business they are doing. Is this in, or near, a big retirement area of AZ where, perhaps, less people spend a lot of time online and probably don't watch Gordon Ramsay shows? That's the only way I can see anybody even patronizing the place.


It's a very high traffic area, across the street from where I went to high school. Probably the people who started hassling her were students, because they hassle everyone, but she overreacted and messing with her is probably the local pastime now. Pretty much anything could stay in business in that area, but she won't enjoy it...


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

Lee 2.0 said:


> It's a very high traffic area, across the street from where I went to high school. Probably the people who started hassling her were students, because they hassle everyone, but she overreacted and messing with her is probably the local pastime now. Pretty much anything could stay in business in that area, but she won't enjoy it...


so they really are out to get her then?


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## Philosofy (Feb 21, 2000)

I believe her when she says she is a Christian.  She's probably a member of the Wesboro Baptist Church.


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

Wouldn't it have been obvious to Ramsey or the producers that those baked goods weren't made there? I didn't see one piece of baking equipment the entire episode. I thought that would come out during the show that she was lying.


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## Ment (Mar 27, 2008)

pmyers said:


> Wouldn't it have been obvious to Ramsey or the producers that those baked goods weren't made there? I didn't see one piece of baking equipment the entire episode. I thought that would come out during the show that she was lying.


Amy made some argument that Walmart doesn't tell people that their branded products aren't made by them and she doesn't have to either. Customers are paying for her eye for good product apparently no matter the source. lol


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## TonyTheTiger (Dec 22, 2006)

I'm not sure that he had time to confront her on whether she really made the cakes. She'd already lied about it and was completely dilusional about her food. Was it necessary to add the liar tag when it was obvious she wasn't what she claimed to be?

I wonder if the producers knew about her past when they agreed to allow Gordon to film. After all, not disclosing stuff has cost reality contestants in other shows in the past.

I love the way he corrected Samy saying "It's not a 'show' to me".


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## murgatroyd (Jan 6, 2002)

pmyers said:


> Wouldn't it have been obvious to Ramsey or the producers that those baked goods weren't made there? I didn't see one piece of baking equipment the entire episode. I thought that would come out during the show that she was lying.


There's a funny thing about the food industry -- cooking and baking are like two completely different countries, although they sometimes co-exist in the same space. The Great Divide is often revealed on shows like Top Chef, The Taste, etc. when the chefs are asked to make a dessert and you find out they've never made one.

It probably would have been obvious to any pastry chef that the baked goods were made off-site, just as Ramsey can spot all the food that isn't cooked fresh. But I don't know how much experience Ramsey has himself, doing desserts or baking.


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

TonyTheTiger said:


> ...I love the way he corrected Samy saying "It's not a 'show' to me".


I did love that line.


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## Win Joy Jr (Oct 1, 2001)

I just watched it. 

What. Were. They. Thinking?

This has got to be some sort set-up. No way they could have stayed in business with only one cook working one ticket at a time. And the kitchen is not that big to service that large of a dining room.

I may need to go to Scottsdale in the fall. I may stop by in the fall if they are still open...


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## Lee 2.0 (Jul 10, 2012)

murgatroyd said:


> There's a funny thing about the food industry -- cooking and baking are like two completely different countries, although they sometimes co-exist in the same space. The Great Divide is often revealed on shows like Top Chef, The Taste, etc. when the chefs are asked to make a dessert and you find out they've never made one.
> 
> It probably would have been obvious to any pastry chef that the baked goods were made off-site, just as Ramsey can spot all the food that isn't cooked fresh. But I don't know how much experience Ramsey has himself, doing desserts or baking.


Definitely true.


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## cwerdna (Feb 22, 2001)

It's made it onto ZDNet now:
http://www.zdnet.com/amys-baking-co...ook-after-kitchen-nightmares-show-7000015434/.


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## Lee 2.0 (Jul 10, 2012)

The waitress's AMA has the top spot on Reddit right now.


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## heySkippy (Jul 2, 2001)




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## murgatroyd (Jan 6, 2002)

Lee 2.0 said:


> Definitely true.


The science involved in cooking and baking is quite different, so it's not surprising that people specialize in one thing or the other.

But a restaurant called "so-and-so's BAKING company" that doesn't make their own baked goods? Oy!

That's like the seafood restaurants at the seaside that don't buy from the fishermen bringing in fresh fish every day, but stock their walk-ins with frozen stuff shipped in from somewhere else. And we all know how Ramsay feels about that, right?


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

Ment said:


> Amy made some argument that Walmart doesn't tell people that their branded products aren't made by them and she doesn't have to either. Customers are paying for her eye for good product apparently no matter the source. lol


i was gonna say that wm doesnt make anything (that i know of), but then again i somehow doubt she's the only person that thinks wm actually makes products


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## TonyTheTiger (Dec 22, 2006)

I guess there's never been a more appropriate thread to say...


The cake is a lie!!


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## garyh (Jan 15, 2004)

newsposter said:


> i was gonna say that wm doesnt make anything (that i know of), but then again i somehow doubt she's the only person that thinks wm actually makes products


Actually, our Walmart does in fact bake and decorate cakes on site, and they are decent cakes for the price - but not the quality of a good stand alone bakery by any stretch of the imagination, so Walmart is better than Amy's for fresh cakes.


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## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

LMAO Skippy!


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## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

ok, this bunny keeps on going and going and going...

amy's have prepared a press release on their grand re-opening:

http://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2013/05/16/the-amys-baking-company-saga-is-only-going-to-get-weirder​
and have hired a questionable pr guy to help with the re-launch:

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bella/2013/05/amy_baking_company_jason_rose.php​


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

> The owners will likely be holding a press conference before the Grand Re-Opening and answer falsehoods depicted on a reality television show, including assertions that the restaurant confiscates tips from servers.
> 
> In fact, wait staff is paid $8-$14 per hour, two and half to nearly five times the standard hourly wage for servers.


How can they argue they confiscated tips? He admitted it. It doesn't matter that they pay more than minimum server wages, the fact remains that people left money as a tip for the server and he took every cent of it.


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## Ment (Mar 27, 2008)

pmyers said:


> How can they argue they confiscated tips? He admitted it. It doesn't matter that they pay more than minimum server wages, the fact remains that people left money as a tip for the server and he took every cent of it.


Guess they are saying the workers aren't getting shortchanged in wages. $8-$14 per hour = $Minimum AZ wage for tipped worker 4.80+tips . Given how poor their food/service is the workers probably weren't making huge tips anyway. Still don't think they are following the intent of the law but it may not be a federal offense.


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## JYoung (Jan 16, 2002)

Ment said:


> Guess they are saying the workers aren't getting shortchanged in wages. $8-$14 per hour = $Minimum AZ wage for tipped worker 4.80+tips . Given how poor their food/service is the workers probably weren't making huge tips anyway. Still don't think they are following the intent of the law but it may not be a federal offense.


Are they reporting that income on their taxes?


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## BradJW (Jun 9, 2008)

JYoung said:


> Are they reporting that income on their taxes?


That might be the million dollar question there. I'd bet they aren't. That'd suck to go through an audit for this.


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## Ment (Mar 27, 2008)

JYoung said:


> Are they reporting that income on their taxes?


Depends if it was income to them. It could just have normalized wages among the employees, ie weekend shift workers take home the same as weekday. But the way they were doing it doesn't fit into tip pooling methods sometimes used for wait staff so it may run afoul of some labor laws. I'm sure with all this attention they'll get reviewed by some agencies.


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## inaka (Nov 26, 2001)

JYoung said:


> Are they reporting that income on their taxes?


Let's see...judging by Amy lying on national TV and saying that she alone baked all of the desserts in the case, and judging by Amy being a felon, I'm going to have to guess that's a big a NO on that.


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## JYoung (Jan 16, 2002)

Ment said:


> Depends if it was income to them. It could just have normalized wages among the employees, ie weekend shift workers take home the same as weekday. But the way they were doing it doesn't fit into tip pooling methods sometimes used for wait staff so it may run afoul of some labor laws. I'm sure with all this attention they'll get reviewed by some agencies.


Yes, I've heard about a tip pool but as I understand it, here, the owners were pocketing the money, not redistributing it among the shift.

That makes it income either to the business or them personally.

(And I know that the IRS considers tips for Wait Staff, income.)


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## Bighouse (Sep 3, 2004)

TonyTheTiger said:


> I guess there's never been a more appropriate thread to say...
> 
> The cake is a lie!!


Omg. I loved portal!


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## VC25a (Apr 10, 2012)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...aking-company-vs-the-entire-internet/?hpid=z7


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## Jstkiddn (Oct 15, 2003)

I loved this!!


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

Ment said:


> Guess they are saying the workers aren't getting shortchanged in wages. $8-$14 per hour = $Minimum AZ wage for tipped worker 4.80+tips . Given how poor their food/service is the workers probably weren't making huge tips anyway. Still don't think they are following the intent of the law but it may not be a federal offense.


I understand their justification (they are paying a higher hourly wage in leu of tips, which of course no restraunt on the planet does that I've ever heard of), but they cannot deny they are taking tips from the servers. That's exactly what they showed and admitted to.


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## Langree (Apr 29, 2004)

murgatroyd said:


> There's a funny thing about the food industry -- cooking and baking are like two completely different countries, although they sometimes co-exist in the same space. The Great Divide is often revealed on shows like Top Chef, The Taste, etc. when the chefs are asked to make a dessert and you find out they've never made one.
> 
> It probably would have been obvious to any pastry chef that the baked goods were made off-site, just as Ramsey can spot all the food that isn't cooked fresh. But I don't know how much experience Ramsey has himself, doing desserts or baking.


I'm sure if he'd really gotten to spend time in the kitchen he'd notice the lack of any prep baking etc..


----------



## jsmeeker (Apr 2, 2001)

pmyers said:


> *I understand their justification (they are paying a higher hourly wage in leu of tips, which of course no restraunt on the planet does that I've ever heard of),* but they cannot deny they are taking tips from the servers. That's exactly what they showed and admitted to.


Well, there are certainly plenty of places not in the USA that do. The "tip 15-20% on a restaurant check" is NOT a global thing my any means.

But even within the USA, I know of some places where the meal price is service inclusive.


----------



## billboard_NE (May 18, 2005)

pmyers said:


> I understand their justification (they are paying a higher hourly wage in leu of tips, which of course no restraunt on the planet does that I've ever heard of), but they cannot deny they are taking tips from the servers. That's exactly what they showed and admitted to.


Very fishy, they are not servers, their title was food runner, or something like that, also there has to be a tie into Sammy entering all the orders into the POS, maybe "food runners" can't enter orders into the kitchen directly.

very slimy


----------



## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

billboard_NE said:


> very slimy


agreed. legal or not, i bet if abc disclosed up front "the person waiting on you gets none of the tip, the tip goes to the owners", there would be a big drop in tips.


----------



## zordude (Sep 23, 2003)

billboard_NE said:


> Very fishy, they are not servers, their title was food runner, or something like that, also there has to be a tie into Sammy entering all the orders into the POS, maybe "food runners" can't enter orders into the kitchen directly.
> 
> very slimy


I think there was 1 "food runner" and 1 "waitress/order taker"


----------



## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

NorthAlabama said:


> agreed. legal or not, i bet if abc disclosed up front "the person waiting on you gets none of the tip, the tip goes to the owners", there would be a big drop in tips.


Yeah, it seems like ethically it would only be right to have that fact posted for all to see. It's underhanded to allow customers to think they are tipping their servers (or whatever the abc bunch wants to CALL them) when that goes to the owners who were the ones who made the experience less than good.

Seems like the servers are working their butts off to take care of the customers (i.e. earning those tips) while the owners are a big clusterf*k (yet they GET the tips). So wrong.


----------



## jakerock (Dec 9, 2002)

Wow I just got a change.org email for a petition asking the US Department of Labor to investigate them.


----------



## Einselen (Apr 25, 2006)

She falls below the Vicky Mendoza Diagonal. I actually feel bad for Samy as I think he might be an ok guy without Amy. He was very passive and I think afraid of his own wife and when she got mad, he just agreed with her.


----------



## Boston Fan (Feb 8, 2006)

Einselen said:


> She falls below the Vicky Mendoza Diagonal. I actually feel bad for Samy as I think he might be an ok guy without Amy. He was very passive and I think afraid of his own wife and when she got mad, he just agreed with her.


But he's a gangster!


----------



## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

The tip thing is because tips are usually CASH, and payroll is on the books. Doh!

Samy wants the CASH.


----------



## Langree (Apr 29, 2004)

netringer said:


> The tip thing is because tips are usually CASH, and payroll is on the books. Doh!
> 
> Samy wants the CASH.


I bet that's it, he's not declaring any tips, therefore not getting taxed on any CASH tips collected.

His POS would track credit card tips, but the business doesn't get taxed on those. They "pass through", even though they get deposited in his acct. It's not declared as income by the business.

Since the servers don't collect/declare, no paper trail.


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## murgatroyd (Jan 6, 2002)

Langree said:


> I'm sure if he'd really gotten to spend time in the kitchen he'd notice the lack of any prep baking etc..


Oh, sure, and when looking at the pantry and freezers and so on, the lack of ingredients would make it evident, too. I was thinking of the scenes early in KN episodes where he is served food.

There was one episode recently repeated on BBC America, a soul food place, where Ramsay ordered red velvet cake (baked on site by the mother of the owner). It was the only food he sampled that was good.

That's the only baked dessert I've seen on KN so far, but I haven't seen very many episodes.


----------



## Ment (Mar 27, 2008)

netringer said:


> The tip thing is because tips are usually CASH, and payroll is on the books. Doh!
> 
> Samy wants the CASH.


Its been months since I've paid tips in actual cash instead of adding it on the CC receipt. So how do you takes those CC tips without leaving a paper trail.


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## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

it looks like abc has changed their mind, and decided to let servers keep their tips from now on.

and they are holding a job fair, in time for the re-launch:

http://ktar.com/22/1635415/Amys-Baking-Company-to-hold-job-fair​
my question - who's going to show up after the first night?

sure, it has a quriosity, entertainment value, but given the fact that it's the same food and chef, and owners, would you go?


----------



## Azlen (Nov 25, 2002)

Looks like Samy has some residency issues.

http://www.azcentral.com/thingstodo...521amys-baking-company-owner-deportation.html


----------



## robojerk (Jun 13, 2006)

funny
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfD8L1euBuk[/media]


----------



## Turtleboy (Mar 24, 2001)

Story on the reopening.

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bella/2013/05/amys_baking_company_grand_re-o.php?ref=trending


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## Waldorf (Oct 4, 2002)

Mr. Scrib's is a pizza place in Phoenix. Not really near ABC, but I guess they seized the opportunity for free publicity. :i


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## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

There's an 'e' in salads?

Love the pic. Fortunately for me, I've never had to work in food service but I wouldn't imagine that I would show up in hopes of being hired by these people - well, unless I've been living in a cave for the last six months.

From what I've seen, read, and heard, since the Ramsay episode, I just cannot possibly imagine that things would change with them. Glad they are going to cut loose the tips (assuming that's true - they aren't exactly known for being honest), but I don't see the other customer and employee abuses ending. They don't know better because they don't WANT to know better.


----------



## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

That picture is awesome!


----------



## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

sharkster said:


> There's an 'e' in salads?


there's one reference i found:

_salades composées - french regional specialities, mixed salads containing meat, fish, eggs, etc., for example, salade niçoise contains hard‐boiled egg, anchovy fillets, tuna and olives as well as lettuce and tomatoes.​_DAVID A. BENDER. "salades composées." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Retrieved May 22, 2013 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-saladescomposes.html​
don't think abc would be classified as a french bistro, though.


----------



## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

Waldorf said:


> Mr. Scrib's is a pizza place in Phoenix. Not really near ABC, but I guess they seized the opportunity for free publicity. :i


It looks like he's about to be tackled by the cops, who don't want their picture taken.

"Arrested for being in disguise in public."


----------



## Zevida (Nov 8, 2003)

netringer said:


> It looks like he's about to be tackled by the cops, who don't want their picture taken.


Those aren't cops - they are private security hired by the restaurant.


----------



## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

NorthAlabama said:


> there's one reference i found:
> 
> _salades composées - french regional specialities, mixed salads containing meat, fish, eggs, etc., for example, salade niçoise contains hard‐boiled egg, anchovy fillets, tuna and olives as well as lettuce and tomatoes.​_DAVID A. BENDER. "salades composées." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Retrieved May 22, 2013 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-saladescomposes.html​
> don't think abc would be classified as a french bistro, though.


Ah, thanks for the info.  I never went too far with French and haven't been there for decades. Maybe she was trying to class the joint up.


----------



## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

netringer said:


> It looks like he's about to be tackled by the cops, who don't want their picture taken.
> 
> "Arrested for being in disguise in public."


I wonder if they were able to make the guy/gal go away. It looks like s/he is out in the street and not on their property.


----------



## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

sharkster said:


> I wonder if they were able to make the guy/gal go away. It looks like s/he is out in the street and not on their property.


it would be really funny if mr. scrib's had gotten permission in advance to advertise at the site.

or course, having your mascot accosted on the evening news would also generate free publicity.


----------



## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

Ha! Yeah, I think it's a win-win for Mr Scrib's.


----------



## Jstkiddn (Oct 15, 2003)

The Mr. Scrib mascot in a small way reminds me of the recurring Justin Timberlake spot on SNL. Maybe the mascot should add some music and cool dance moves.


----------



## Azlen (Nov 25, 2002)

NorthAlabama said:


> don't think abc would be classified as a french bistro, though.


They used bistro in their name so I think that's one of the things they were shooting for.


----------



## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

Zevida said:


> Those aren't cops - they are private security hired by the restaurant.


Sami got one guy wit' da nose like dis....


----------



## jsmeeker (Apr 2, 2001)

Waldorf said:


> Mr. Scrib's is a pizza place in Phoenix. Not really near ABC, but I guess they seized the opportunity for free publicity. :i


LOLing at the security guards.

A lot of the talk about the "re-opening" of ABC revolved around security chasing people away.


----------



## Donbadabon (Mar 5, 2002)

Amy's Baking Company owners Amy and Samy Bouzaglo are making the best of their nasty and embarrassing appearance on Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares by capitalizing with their own reality TV show, RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned.

The off-the-wall and loud-mouthed couple is currently entertaining several offers from production companies for their own show - and an insider tells Radar that Amy and Samy hope to seal the deal.

http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2013/05/amys-baking-company-reality-tv-deal-kitchen-nightmares/

Meow Meow Meow


----------



## Ment (Mar 27, 2008)

Vanderpump Rules: Bastards Edition?


----------



## Langree (Apr 29, 2004)

From FB:



> And now our personal email has been hacked! To all of our friends and associates please do not click on the link! It may infect your computer! We are notifying the authorities.
> Amy & Samy


----------



## cwerdna (Feb 22, 2001)

^^^
Lol!


----------



## jsmeeker (Apr 2, 2001)

LMFAO

The comedy continues with these two.


----------



## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

Argh! Their own reality show? The sad thing is that people (not I!) will probably watch.


----------



## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

sharkster said:


> The sad thing is that people (not I!) will probably watch.


hackers might have planted a virus in the tv show, so i won't risk it.


----------



## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

NorthAlabama said:


> hackers might have planted a virus in the tv show, so i won't risk it.


Yeah. That's the ticket. Whenever they say the inevitable more stupid, it was the hackers.


----------



## Donbadabon (Mar 5, 2002)

The new employee contract is out. If you want to work for Amy's Baking Company (ABC), you have to sign:

http://amradaronline.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/amyskitchencontract.pdf

Some highlights:

5). Any type of attitude will result in immediate termination.

13). Any product such as food or plates that are broken or burned due to direct negligence will be taken from your pay check at ABC's cost.

16) Holidays and Weekends are Mandatory, by signing this contract you are accepting that you will be required to work all Holidays, and Weekends. Due to the nature of our Industry this is a necessity and any No-Show will be monetarily penalized with a fee of $250.00.

19) The wait staff understands that any and all "tips" are property of the "house."...

20) ...By signing this contract you are hereby accepting that you will be employed exclusively by ABC Amy's Baking Co. LLC. And shall not work for any competitor within a 50 mile radius of ABC within one year of temination or voluntary Resignation, without prior authorization from ABC. Nor shall you be allowed to open your own business of the same type, within the above mentioned radius.


----------



## Mikeyis4dcats (Oct 2, 2003)

Donbadabon said:


> The new employee contract is out. If you want to work for Amy's Baking Company (ABC), you have to sign:
> 
> http://amradaronline.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/amyskitchencontract.pdf
> 
> ...


LOL..what a joke. aside from all the other things, most states prohibit penalizing employees for damage, etc. A non-compete is also unenforcable for most non-technical or non-skilled positions.


----------



## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

Donbadabon said:


> The new employee contract is out. If you want to work for Amy's Baking Company (ABC), you have to sign:
> 
> Some highlights:
> 
> 5). Any type of attitude will result in immediate termination.


Oh. darn. I'd guess I'd be out of contention with my enthusiastic, submissive, customer focused, hard work attitude.


----------



## zordude (Sep 23, 2003)

netringer said:


> Oh. darn. I'd guess I'd be out of contention with my enthusiastic, submissive, *customer focused*, hard work attitude.


Definitely.


----------



## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

Donbadabon said:


> The new employee contract is out. If you want to work for Amy's Baking Company (ABC), you have to sign:
> 
> http://amradaronline.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/amyskitchencontract.pdf
> 
> ...


I understand their intent, but the way this is worded is confusing to me. It makes it sound like ABC will have to bear the cost of the broken/burned plate. Didn't they mean "taken from your pay check at your cost"?


----------



## Philosofy (Feb 21, 2000)

Well, it looks like national humiliation isn't a cure for mental illness.


----------



## zordude (Sep 23, 2003)

danterner said:


> I understand their intent, but the way this is worded is confusing to me. It makes it sound like ABC will have to bear the cost of the broken/burned plate. Didn't they mean "taken from your pay check at your cost"?


They said wait they meant, just poorly - ABC's cost is how much they need to pay to buy the plate, the employee has to reimburse that cost.


----------



## PotentiallyCoherent (Jul 25, 2002)

zordude said:


> They said wait they meant, just poorly - ABC's cost is how much they need to pay to buy the plate, the employee has to reimburse that cost.


I took at as any legal expenses needed to recoup the cost of what the employee destroyed would be covered by the company. I guess on rethinking that, I'm wrong. It seems to conflict with the attitude displayed that whatever ABC says goes, and damn the poor soul that applies for the job offered.


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## Langree (Apr 29, 2004)

50 mile radius?

Good luck with that.

Also, I don't think "tips are property of the house" is correct from a legal standpoint, both the state and IRS will red flag over that.


----------



## JYoung (Jan 16, 2002)

Donbadabon said:


> The new employee contract is out. If you want to work for Amy's Baking Company (ABC), you have to sign:
> 
> http://amradaronline.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/amyskitchencontract.pdf
> 
> ...





> No harassment or bulling of any type will be tolerated and will be cause for immediate termination. If such an event happens you must report the incident immediately to Samy or Amy Bouzaglo.


What if it's Samy or Amy doing the bulling (sic)?

I'm sure that no lawyer has looked at this contract.


----------



## cwerdna (Feb 22, 2001)

Mikeyis4dcats said:


> LOL..what a joke. aside from all the other things, most states prohibit penalizing employees for damage, etc. A non-compete is also unenforcable for most non-technical or non-skilled positions.


Crazy! Are they nuts?

Is #16 legal? I also do wonder about the legality of #20, as it relates to the restaurant industry. If it were legal, I'd imagine it's not standard practice and that nobody would agree to something like that. That's just plain ridiculous.


----------



## Langree (Apr 29, 2004)

cwerdna said:


> Crazy! Are they nuts?
> 
> Is #16 legal? I also do wonder about the legality of #20, as it relates to the restaurant industry. If it were legal, I'd imagine it's not standard practice and that nobody would agree to something like that. That's just plain ridiculous.


Nobody in a restaurant should expect weekends and holidays off, you should expect to be scheduled if the doors are open.


----------



## nataylor (Apr 26, 2000)

Langree said:


> Nobody in a restaurant should expect weekends and holidays off, you should expect to be scheduled if the doors are open.


Yup. But I doubt you can charge an employee who doesn't show up $250. Get fired or a temporary suspension? Sure. But not a monetary "fine."


----------



## Langree (Apr 29, 2004)

nataylor said:


> Yup. But I doubt you can charge an employee who doesn't show up $250. Get fired or a temporary suspension? Sure. But not a monetary "fine."


That one may simply fall under "you signed the contract" it equates to docking pay, not unheard of. $250 for a shift at a busy place is not unheard of for the tipped employees.

I doubt they every do that good at ABC.


----------



## BradJW (Jun 9, 2008)

I guess you'd REALLY need a job bad to work there.


----------



## Turtleboy (Mar 24, 2001)

Langree said:


> 50 mile radius?
> 
> Good luck with that.
> 
> Also, I don't think "tips are property of the house" is correct from a legal standpoint, both the state and IRS will red flag over that.


Why not? I think they can agree via contract that tips are taken by the house, as long as the servers are paid minimum wage.


----------



## nataylor (Apr 26, 2000)

Langree said:


> That one may simply fall under "you signed the contract" it equates to docking pay, not unheard of. $250 for a shift at a busy place is not unheard of for the tipped employees.
> 
> I doubt they every do that good at ABC.


Yeah, I doubt they can legally dock pay like that, either. Generally if you work the hours, you're required to be paid for them. At $8/hour, that $250 fine is almost four days of work without pay.


----------



## snowjay (Mar 27, 2007)

> 20) ...By signing this contract you are hereby accepting that you will be employed exclusively by ABC Amy's Baking Co. LLC. And shall not work for any competitor within a 50 mile radius of ABC within one year of temination or voluntary Resignation, without prior authorization from ABC. Nor shall you be allowed to open your own business of the same type, within the above mentioned radius.


Don't you need to be successful in order to have competitors?

No one is competing with those lunatics. lol


----------



## Langree (Apr 29, 2004)

Turtleboy said:


> Why not? I think they can agree via contract that tips are taken by the house, as long as the servers are paid minimum wage.


It was discussed earlier in the thread, I suppose it could, but taxes are NOT collected on tips at the time of the transaction by the venue. The business would need to show it as income derived outside of sales and pay taxes accordingly.

And if the house keeps it, it would be counted as income for them. Normally no tips are, they are counted toward the employees tips/income and they pay the state/fed income tax.

I get the feeling that's not happening.


----------



## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

so do the people that go into this place have no clue about what these people are about..or is that why they are going? 

sick people if they know what is going on and patronize this place.


----------



## d-dub (Mar 8, 2005)

Langree said:


> That one may simply fall under "you signed the contract" it equates to docking pay, not unheard of. $250 for a shift at a busy place is not unheard of for the tipped employees.
> 
> I doubt they every do that good at ABC.


First, they don't get tips 

Second, being fined $250 is totally different than not making $250 because you didn't work.


----------



## randyb359 (Jan 3, 2009)

Langree said:


> That one may simply fall under "you signed the contract" it equates to docking pay, not unheard of. $250 for a shift at a busy place is not unheard of for the tipped employees.
> 
> I doubt they every do that good at ABC.


There can be no deductions from pay that takes the employee's wage below the minimum wage. They can not even make the employee pay for their uniform if they have to buy it from the employer and it would bring the wage below minimum. That is why many restaurant uniforms are a plain polo shirt or dress shirt. Many restaurants break the law and make their employees buy them anyway.


----------



## Langree (Apr 29, 2004)

randyb359 said:


> There can be no deductions from pay that takes the employee's wage below the minimum wage. They can not even make the employee pay for their uniform if they have to buy it from the employer and it would bring the wage below minimum. That is why many restaurant uniforms are a plain polo shirt or dress shirt. Many restaurants break the law and make their employees buy them anyway.


<-- worked for a restaurant for 5 years.

There are ways within the law to have them purchase work shirts from the employer, it likely varies from state to state.

Other businesses besides restaurants do the same.


----------



## Langree (Apr 29, 2004)

d-dub said:


> First, they don't get tips
> 
> Second, being fined $250 is totally different than not making $250 because you didn't work.


I know the difference.

I would never sign that work agreement without first finding out what is enforceable and what isn't. Simply because it is a contract to work, by signing you "agree" to the terms set forth.


----------



## d-dub (Mar 8, 2005)

Langree said:


> I know the difference.
> 
> I would never sign that work agreement without first finding out what is enforceable and what isn't. Simply because it is a contract to work, by signing you "agree" to the terms set forth.


I haven't read the whole contract, but I wouldn't be surprised, if it ever got to court, if a judge tossed the whole thing out since it so totally favors the owners.


----------



## JYoung (Jan 16, 2002)

Turtleboy said:


> Why not? I think they can agree via contract that tips are taken by the house, as long as the servers are paid minimum wage.


Do you honestly think that income is being reported on the tax returns filed for the business or Samy and Amy?


----------



## Boston Fan (Feb 8, 2006)

JYoung said:


> Do you honestly think that income is being reported on the tax returns filed for the business or Samy and Amy?


Income probably is getting reported from the business if for no other reason than it's most likely a money laundering operation. I can't think of another reason it has stayed in business for all of these years.


----------



## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

newsposter said:


> so do the people that go into this place have no clue about what these people are about..or is that why they are going?
> 
> sick people if they know what is going on and patronize this place.


As a Phx resident...from what I hear it is the latter. People go there in hopes of seeing some drama.


----------



## JYoung (Jan 16, 2002)

Boston Fan said:


> Income probably is getting reported from the business if for no other reason than it's most likely a money laundering operation. I can't think of another reason it has stayed in business for all of these years.


My question was referring to those tips Samy is collecting.
I think it unlikely that he's reporting those as personal or business income.


----------



## Langree (Apr 29, 2004)

JYoung said:


> My question was referring to those tips Samy is collecting.
> I think it unlikely that he's reporting those as personal or business income.


Right, so let's say he does 1,000,000 in sales annually, even if it worked out that he averaged out to 10% tips above that, that is not counted toward his profit for tax purposes, and nobody is paying taxes on it.

It's not chump change.


----------



## heySkippy (Jul 2, 2001)

Why do you think he doesn't report the tips as income, particularly since he's made sure the whole world+dog knows he keeps them?


----------



## Langree (Apr 29, 2004)

heySkippy said:


> Why do you think he doesn't report the tips as income, particularly since he's made sure the whole world+dog knows he keeps them?


Things he does, including the fact that only he is allowed to use the POS system, he's hiding something, I can all but guarantee it.

Tips, especially cash, is real easy to hide.


----------



## Mr. Soze (Nov 2, 2002)

The IRS got Al Capone: They can get this tool too.


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

heySkippy said:


> Why do you think he doesn't report the tips as income, particularly since he's made sure the whole world+dog knows he keeps them?


Stupidity??

That would certainly explain many of their actions.


----------



## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

If I found myself in the abhorrent situation of having to be a food server at that restaurant, and knowing that all tips went to the owners, I would make absolute certain to tell every customer to NOT leave a tip. I'd tell them why, too.


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

sharkster said:


> If I found myself in the abhorrent situation of having to be a food server at that restaurant, and knowing that all tips went to the owners, I would make absolute certain to tell every customer to NOT leave a tip. I'd tell them why, too.


I'd keep a detailed account of every tip that was received from every table I worked on and would make sure the IRS got the info.


----------



## randyb359 (Jan 3, 2009)

An employer can not make any deduction from an employees paycheck that brings it below minimum wage. See below

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/paycheck-deductions-uniforms-cash-shortages-29554.html


----------



## Philosofy (Feb 21, 2000)

I think Sammy IS reporting the tips: plus adding some in on his own. That's how you money launder. He takes income from an illegal source, counts it as tips at the restaurant, pays taxes on it, and basically has free money. Doesn't everyone watch Breaking Bad?


----------



## Donbadabon (Mar 5, 2002)

Amy has a new line of t-shirts to sell, only $30.00.










Several more here:

http://amys-baking-company.myshopify.com/collections/all


----------



## veruca salt (Jun 30, 2007)

Hmmm...they accept Visa, MasterCard, and American Express (but they prefer cash!)

And as I'm checking out their menu again...it's the little things that I notice like inconsistently using the "$" sign and inconsistently placed tildes. (I think that's what they are called, right?) Sometimes they put it before the price, sometimes they don't. Amy...I would think you could do better.

Lemon Garlic Hummus 5~
~12&#8221; ~$15~ 18&#8221;~$22~
(Chefs Suggested Pairing) Add prosciutto for ~$3~
(Chefs Suggested Pairing) Add Fresh Avocado for $3.00


----------



## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

In the time it took me to read that, ABC just went through 2 more waitstaff! lol


----------



## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

Guess who's going to have a reality TV show?

http://www.azfamily.com/home/Amys-Baking-Company-announces-new-reality-series-227445591.html

I hope he can stay in the US and outta jail long enough.


----------



## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

netringer said:


> Guess who's going to have a reality TV show?


let's hope someone with common sense steps up, and this never makes it to air.


----------



## MickeS (Dec 26, 2002)

That these people are in any way measured as "successful" saddens me. If this universe was fair, they'd have nothing but maybe at most enough food and water to keep them from starving, and a comfortable body temperature.


----------



## Azlen (Nov 25, 2002)

IMHO, you don't have a reality show until you have a network that agrees to air it. Otherwise you just have home movies that cost a little bit more than normal to produce.


----------



## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

MickeS said:


> That these people are in any way measured as "successful" saddens me. If this universe was fair, they'd have nothing but maybe at most enough food and water to keep them from starving, and a comfortable body temperature.


This


----------



## Boston Fan (Feb 8, 2006)

netringer said:


> Guess who's going to have a reality TV show? http://www.azfamily.com/home/Amys-Baking-Company-announces-new-reality-series-227445591.html


There's a difference between wanting a reality show and having one. So far this is a whole bunch of the former and none of the latter.


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## jsmeeker (Apr 2, 2001)

I want a reality TV show to. I've got the perfect idea all thought up.


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## bsnelson (Oct 30, 1999)

jsmeeker said:


> I want a reality TV show to. I've got the perfect idea all thought up.


Smeeky, your life could be a reality show. All the cooking, dining, Vegasing etc...

...but you'd have to come up with something for secks. 

Brad


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## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

Boston Fan said:


> There's a difference between wanting a reality show and having one. So far this is a whole bunch of the former and none of the latter.


Maybe they can hire a reality TV pro, Richard Heinnee.


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## jsmeeker (Apr 2, 2001)

bsnelson said:


> Smeeky, your life could be a reality show. All the cooking, dining, Vegasing etc...
> 
> ...but you'd have to come up with something for secks.
> 
> Brad


THat;s the show!!

The thing is I get a bunch if hot chicks to vie for my attention!!


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## veruca salt (Jun 30, 2007)

WOW! I was just thinking about Samy and Amy this morning, wondering how they are doing.


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## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

The latest is she wants to shut down Reddit.


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## Turtleboy (Mar 24, 2001)

Let's chase someone out of our restaurant with a knife.






http://www.kpho.com/story/26648471/disturbance-at-amys-baking-company-draws-police


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## Generic (Dec 27, 2005)

More bat-%#[email protected] crazy.

http://www.azcentral.com/videos/news/local/scottsdale/2014/10/03/16680861/


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## Big Deficit (Jul 8, 2003)

The news media isn't paying enough attention anymore, so this.....


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## Ment (Mar 27, 2008)

I think Amy got bent out of shape when Gordon asked if he could pet her kitty...


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## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

Video wouldn't load for me. Is she accusing Ramsay?


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## cmgal (Oct 2, 2003)

Yes, she is.


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## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

WHY is any human that is not an employee crossing the threshold of that joint?


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## Numb And Number2 (Jan 13, 2009)

I can imagine GR said something like her husband needs balls of steel to put up with the chaos in the restaurant.


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## Donbadabon (Mar 5, 2002)

Amy has a new cookbook out if anyone has $40 burning a hole in their pocket:

http://amys-baking-company.myshopify.com/products/baking-with-amy-hard-cover-1

Samy is quoted as "Buy this book or I will cut you!"


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## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

Eww! I can't even believe these people have fans. 

So, you buying?


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## SueAnn (Oct 24, 2004)

Is she gonna teach us how to get baked ?


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## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

Amy will explain how to buy frozen baked goods.


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## Big Deficit (Jul 8, 2003)

Who would have thought back then that Amy's would outlast the show?


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## Philosofy (Feb 21, 2000)

Big Deficit said:


> Who would have thought back then that Amy's would outlast the show?


Its a money laundering restaurant. They have never made an actual profit. But they don't need to. The mob gives Sammy money, he reports it as customer paying tabs, and the money is legitimized. Kind of like the car wash in Breaking Bad.


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## Big Deficit (Jul 8, 2003)

Philosofy said:


> Its a money laundering restaurant. They have never made an actual profit. But they don't need to. The mob gives Sammy money, he reports it as customer paying tabs, and the money is legitimized. Kind of like the car wash in Breaking Bad.


Except the car wash served better food?


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## Numb And Number2 (Jan 13, 2009)

Philosofy said:


> Its a money laundering restaurant. They have never made an actual profit. But they don't need to. The mob gives Sammy money, he reports it as customer paying tabs, and the money is legitimized. Kind of like the car wash in Breaking Bad.


Do you know that or are you just saying that?


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

Big Deficit said:


> Who would have thought back then that Amy's would outlast the show?


Wait, do you mean Kitchen Nightmares itself was cancelled?


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## Donbadabon (Mar 5, 2002)

mattack said:


> Wait, do you mean Kitchen Nightmares itself was cancelled?


Yep.

Final episode date: September 12, 2014


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## pmyers (Jan 4, 2001)

I thought I had heard that Ramsey didn't want to do that particular show anymore, rather than it being cancelled for any other reason....who knows though.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

Heh, I was going to ask about Hotel Hell, but I didn't realize that was only 7 eps.. That was way worse than Kitchen Nightmares.. I was going to whine if that still was going but KN not!


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## Worf (Sep 15, 2000)

Ramsay has hinted that KN isn't cancelled, it's just on haitus - Ramsay wants to give KN a break - comparing KN to Top Gear, and how Top Gear returned much better after the break.

But I mean if you check out Ramsay's current projects, I'm guessing he just wants to take a break - between his dozens of restaurants worldwide and TV shows, I'm guessing he wants to refocus instead of spreading himself thin. Axe a few things here and there, and get back some personal free time, then resume KN when he can give it his proper attention.


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## Philosofy (Feb 21, 2000)

Numb And Number2 said:


> Do you know that or are you just saying that?


Its an educated guess. Sammy drops hints he's mobbed up, he won't let anyone touch the cash register, and they are still in business after serving ****ty food with ****ty service.


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## Numb And Number2 (Jan 13, 2009)

Philosofy said:


> Its an educated guess. Sammy drops hints he's mobbed up, he won't let anyone touch the cash register, and they are still in business after serving ****ty food with ****ty service.


What you wrote wasn't an educated guess, it was a declarative statement.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

Worf said:


> Ramsay has hinted that KN isn't cancelled, it's just on haitus - Ramsay wants to give KN a break - comparing KN to Top Gear, and how Top Gear returned much better after the break.


That sounds reasonable (though I don't think I've seen Top Gear before and after the break -- I've only seen various sporadic episodes of the original version)..

Heck, if Ramsay did only one of his shows a year, and rotated between them, that would be reasonable.


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## That Don Guy (Mar 13, 2003)

Worf said:


> Ramsay has hinted that KN isn't cancelled, it's just on haitus - Ramsay wants to give KN a break - comparing KN to Top Gear, and how Top Gear returned much better after the break.


Considering that he currently does MasterChef, MasterChef Junior, _and_ two seasons of Hell's Kitchen each year, I don't think there's going to be time for him to make any more KN (or Hotel Hell, for that matter) episodes any time soon.


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## Generic (Dec 27, 2005)

Kitchen Nightmares' Most Notorious Restaurant, Amy's Baking Company, to Close


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## Langree (Apr 29, 2004)

Generic said:


> Kitchen Nightmares' Most Notorious Restaurant, Amy's Baking Company, to Close


But, she didn't bake the deserts they served THERE, now she's baking for a local hotel.


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