Gordon Ramsay at a restaurant.
FOOD NEWS
Whatever Happened To Blackberry's From Kitchen Nightmares?
By Stacie Adams
Various soul food dishes on a table.
Like many restaurants featured on Chef Gordon Ramsay's "Kitchen Nightmares," Blackberry's, a family-owned soul food establishment, was plagued with internal conflict.
The entrance to Blackberry's restaurant.
Owner Shelly Withers' tyrannical operational style and unpalatable food failed to draw customers, which led Ramsay to develop a brand-new menu.
Gordon Ramsay talking at a public event.
However, Withers was extremely reluctant to heed Ramsay's advice, and it eventually led to her restaurant's demise, which had an average customer rating of 2.5.
A server checking on patrons.
The majority of the reviews for Blackberry's were negative, but there were some positive reviews, indicating it had potential if its owner was open to change.
Gordon Ramsay at a public event.
However, Ramsay couldn't rescue the establishment from its owner, and according to the restaurant's Facebook page, it closed down in 2013.
A college dining cafeteria run by Aramark.
Today, according to Withers' LinkedIn page, she is employed by Aramark, which supplies food services, uniforms, and other items to businesses.
Mateen Booker, the former Blackberry's sous chef.
However, Mateen Booker, the former sous chef at Blackberry's, is now an executive chef at OTG Management, a hospitality business operating in numerous airports, per his LinkedIn.