Restaurant Revisited: Recipe for Disaster at Papa C's Eastside Cafe
When Robert Irvine arrived at Papa C's Eastside Cafe, the family drama he discovered was unlike that at any other restaurant he's visited in nine seasons of Restaurant: Impossible. Owner Sal Cimino and his three sons, Sal Jr., Justin and Rick, work at the business together, though much of what they do involves yelling and arguing. It was up to Robert and his team to mend the frayed family dynamic at Papa C's and overhaul the menu and interior there to reflect a contemporary eatery. Read on below to hear from Sal and find out how his restaurant is doing today.
"The restaurant is doing much better," Sal reveals of Papa C's Eastside Cafe. "Revenue is up about 20 percent, and we are now closed on Mondays."
As for the menu at Papa C's, Sal says it's now a mix of Robert's dishes and the eatery's original offerings. "We have been adding some of the old items back as specials to try and make everyone happy," Sal explains.
"Over the last couple of weeks, Sal Jr. and I have begun to start to work on repairing our relationship, and Justin has come back to work part-time at the restaurant," says Sal of his sons. "We as a family feel we are doing much better the way things are now." Looking ahead, Sal adds, "My hope is in the future I will be able have my sons Sal, Justin and Rick take a debt-free, successful business over and bring it to the next level of success."
