- November 19, 2024
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Grace’s Place held its grand re-opening tonight, Thursday, March 27, after a two-day makeover by Chef Robert Irvine and the crew of Food Network’s “Restaurant Impossible.”
Moments after the updated eatery was revealed to owners Grace and Ed Tutak, they welcomed a dining room full of patrons to try the new menu.
The series, which is in its fourth year, picks failing restaurants all over the country and within two days, and on a budget of $10,000, Irvine and his team renovate them with the goal of helping to restore it to profitability and prominence.
The Tutaks applied for the show about a year ago, and found out last month they would be featured.
“It was really a time of desperation,” Grace Tutak told the Observer in February, after finding out her eatery had been chosen for the show. “The restaurant was not doing well at all, mostly because of my lack of experience, and the crew was a hindrance, not a help.”
When the news of Grace’s Place getting chosen for the show came out, some patrons were surprised to know that they were in trouble.
Palm Coast residents Michael and Cindy D'Ascheberg said they were always satisfied with the Tutak’s food, in fact, they had catered several family holidays including their son’s wedding.
“They are good friends of ours and pillars of our community,” Michael D’Ascheberg said while waiting in line for their Thursday evening reservation. “We just believe in patronizing local businesses.”
Other customers who came out for the re-opening said they had the opposite experience; coming to Grace’s Place twice, but never actually eating because of bad service.
The two-day overhaul by the “Restaurant Impossible” team and a host of community volunteers yielded a not only the new menu, but also a new décor; everything from color scheme to dining room set up.
When the TV crews clear out later tonight, Grace’s Place, its new décor and new menu will be open to the general public starting 5 p.m. Friday, March 28. New hours starting Saturday, March 29 will be 7 a.m to 3 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with the couonter closing at 3 p.m. daily. Although reservations aren't required, they are preferred this weekend. Call 283-5686.
The airdate for Grace’s Place’s episode off “Restaurant Impossible” is tentatively scheduled for June 4, on Food Network.
