Downers Grove grocery store, Lemon Tree Grocer, participated in an episode of the Food Network television show, “Restaurant: Impossible,” on Feb 11-12. The show, hosted by celebrity chef Robert Irvine, helps struggling restaurants to improve food, service, and business.
The episode which aired on April 8, focused mainly on improving Zest Bistro, the restaurant located inside the grocery store of Lemon Tree. As part of the show, Irvine used $10,000 to renovate both the restaurant and the grocery store. The process includes reorganizing the grocery story, renovating the interior design of the bistro, and creating a more inviting atmosphere in both the grocery and the restaurant.
During filming, traffic was slowed around the area, as the streets around the restaurant, including Burlington Avenue, Washington Street, and the commuter parking lot near the Main Street train station closed until filming concluded.
While Irvine and his team spent time renovating the restaurant, he made few additions and to the menu. One item such is the Robert Irvine Pot Roast. Others, such as Zest head chef and Lemontree co-owner Tim Canning, noticed that Irvine was pleased with the food.
“He was impressed with menu. Our restaurant was one of the very few on the show that did not need to have its menu completely redesigned,” Canning said.
After filming wrapped, server and house manager John Skonie received many questions from customers on the restaurant’s experience filming the show and working with Irvine.
“There have been a lot of wandering eyes; people have stopped in to see the new changes with curiosity over the obvious changes. I think what stood out the most was people’s interest in Robert Irvine and what the experience was like [working] with him,” Skonie said.
According to Skonie, the episode’s taping helped drive more business and new customers to Zest and the grocery store.
“We had overbookings of reservations the week after filming ended,” Skonie said. “It was exciting for new Downers Grove residents that never really checked us out and older customers who wanted to see the direction we were going with the remodeling.”
The show’s arrival in Downers Grove prompted many community members to volunteer in preparation for the event. Lemon Tree Grocer co-owner Shaun Black appreciated the overwhelming support from local residents.
“We had over 600 people who wanted to volunteer for the event,” Black said. “We were absolutely thrilled with the outpour [of support] from the community.”
In addition to the community support, Lemon Tree Grocer co-owner Jessica Canning was amazed by how quickly Irvine’s team worked together in remodeling the grocery store and restaurant in a short period of time.
“I had no idea that the “Restaurant: Impossible” team was able to do such a high quality job in less than three days. I’ve seen the show so I know what the viewers see and it’s ridiculous to watch them with your own eyes,” Canning said.
From an owner’s perspective, Canning believes that Lemon Tree Grocer’s experience with the show gave her and her staff the opportunity to be honest and work more closely with one another going forward.
“The highlight for me was watching our team work so closely with the “Restaurant: Impossible” team and the volunteers to make something impossible a reality,” Canning said.
Nicole Williams | Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
