Pappas will be featured on ‘Restaurant: Impossible’
File photo
By Donna Beth Weilenman
Staff Reporter
A longtime Benicia restaurant is about to get the “Restaurant: Impossible” treatment.
But don’t ask the owner of Pappas Restaurant for details until the work is done this week.
Mike Anestasios, who owns the restaurant at 1654 East Second St., has signed a confidentiality agreement.
“I can’t talk about it,” he said.
In fact, he said he won’t be at the restaurant during the makeover, which officially starts Tuesday and wraps up Wednesday.
“They kick me out for a day and a half. The chef will ask me for the key and kick me out!” Anestasios joked.
The chef is Robert Irvine, whose prime-time Food Network series is starting its third season.
For “Restaurant: Impossible,” Irvine goes into restaurants, analyzes their business practices, observes staff members and kitchen operations and assesses the eateries’ weak points, according to information from the network’s website.
Irvine has spent 25 years in the culinary profession, preparing meals for the British royal family aboard the royal yacht Brittania and in the White House kitchens for high-ranking officials. He also has planned menus for Academy Awards after-parties.
In the series Irvine may update a restaurant’s menu, retrain its staff and redesign its interior, doing it all on a $10,000 budget.
What he plans to do at Pappas Restaurant is supposed to remain a secret until it’s done.
The two-day renovation will be completed while the restaurant is closed; the changes are showcased in a grand re-opening at the end of the second day.
For the changes planned for Pappas, the restaurant will close Tuesday and have its grand re-opening at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Those wanting a first look at the renovation will need reservations, made by calling the restaurant at 707-745-0314.
Often, the restaurant picked for a “Restaurant: Impossible” episode is in danger of failure. A network spokesperson declined to say until later this year what led to the selection of Pappas Restaurant, which has been operating in Benicia for 20 years.
The episode that will feature the makeover of the local Greek and American restaurant is expected to be broadcast on the Food Network some time later this year, during the third season that starts Feb. 8.
An air date hasn’t been set, the spokesperson said.
Anestasios may not be able to comment on what will happen the first part of the week, but said he’s looking forward to the changes.
“It’ll be good for the restaurant and the community,” he said.
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YEAH!! for Benicia and Pappas! My dad and brother eat Breakfast there after church. They eat there so often that the waitresses know their order without asking!
Good for Pappas!
I wish I was in town on Wednesday I would make a reservation.
This is much needed, as Pappas (other then Greek night) does not have anything that makes me want to eat there.
Not to say the food is not bad, it just seems bland.
It’s Tuesday morning, restaurant already down, so no one to answer calls for reservations. Is there and alternate number for making reservations? Would love to bring the ex-food editor of the Benicia Herald to the re-grand opening. Any suggestions?
Our understanding is that they’re already booked through to Thursday. You might try calling Wednesday. Ed.
This is exciting for Mike and the family! We are looking forward to a visit and wish them much success! Supporting our local businesses is important and we are anticipating a wonderful transformation that is as beautiful as the heart of the prioritor.
Nice comment Julia! Hope you and family are well.
Dennis
🙂
A guy named Angel mentioned on Yelp he was going to submit Pappas to Restaurant Makeover back in March. Maybe that got the ball rolling?
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pappas-restaurant-benicia#hrid:A9h7O5H6UOntaS7v6zO8hQ
I wish they would answer the phone# !!!! Rings off the hook…. Not a professional way to handle this transition. No machine, no answer. Are they really that overwhelmed? Not encouraging.
Maybe the phone rings off the hook because they are BOOKED! If you are a “benician” drive over there! Can you imagine how OVERWHELMED these owners/staff are? Help them out by helping yourself by understanding they are experiencing buisness like never before, my father & brother are weekly regulars and they could not even get through so they drove there only to see Success for Mike and the staff by being over run by new found fame. Give them a break!
Drove over to Pappas at noon (Thursday) and they were closed ! Loked in the window and there has been a lot of good- looking changes !
Anyone know the result of the makeover? Drove by Thursday, looked through the front door window, could only see a new divider put up just past the cashier desk. No advertising on the window anywhere i.e., business hours, open/close sign. It was closed.