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In January 2020, Irvine and his “Restaurant Impossible” crew visited the Orange County eatery the Chianti Cow in Port Jervis in an effort to help prevent the struggling eatery from going out of business.
During the episode, “Out With The Old, Into The New,” which initially aired on Jan. 30, 2020, Irvine's production crew, and a host of community volunteers, had two days and a $10,000 budget to help completely renovate, remodel and transform the restaurant once known as “Carmines.”
During the initial visit, the crews gutted Chianti Cow, removing all furnishings and fixtures before completing renovating the building.
Irvine was just back in Orange County to film one of the show’s “Revisited” episodes, where the esteemed chef goes back to check in on his salvage projects to see how the business owners held up once he and his team left them to their own devices.
“Revisited” episodes can go either way, with some restaurants falling into old trappings and finding themselves in further debt, while others heeded Irvine’s advice and found themselves back in the black.
Much to the relief of Irvine and the longtime owners of Chianti Cow, their story had a happy ending, and despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the business was able to erase approximately $500,000 in debt as they continue to follow the advice given to them by the chef and evolve their business.
During the latest visit from Irvine, the owners showed off their spotless, newly renovated kitchen, complete with brand new equipment, as well as new dishes, some of which were advised by the chef and expanded on from his initial trip to Chianti Cow.
“Thank you once again to Chef Robert Irvine and his excellent crew for our AWESOME revisit episode!,” the restauranteurs posted on Facebook. “We are grateful beyond words!!!”
Chianti Cow recently updated its hours, and is now open from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The restaurant remains closed on Mondays, which are reserved for private parties.
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