Twin Lakes restaurant to be featured on "Restaurant Impossible"

TWIN LAKES (WITI) -- A Twin Lakes restaurant is getting some national attention -- not because of amazing food, but because of poor performance. Food Network's "Restaurant Impossible" is visiting the Pier West restaurant -- hoping some negative attention will bring about positive change.

"Restaurant Impossible" is a show with the sole purpose of turning around failing restaurants. Pier West is a small town, family-owned restaurant in a village of not quite 6,000.

On Tuesday, April 9th, the "Restaurant Impossible" crew showed up to start their shoot and locals were excited for the national attention in their small town.

"Everyone's been chattering about it and we all just can't wait," Rachel Moore said.

"For Twin Lakes I think this is big.  It's putting Twin Lakes on the map," Joy Janas, who loves Pier West said.

Janas has lived in Twin Lakes for more than two decades and calls the restaurant one of her favorites.

"We have nothing but good experiences at Pier West," Janas said.

Apparently Janas is not alone.

"Hearing that it was Pier West, we were surprised because everybody loves it in town," Moore said.

Yet the online world of restaurant review sites paints a different picture of the waterfront grill: "the food was terrible," "very rude staff and management," "the service is the worst I've ever encountered," "items were overcooked, cold, wrong or missing."

Whatever the issue, owners of the restaurant say sales have fallen by 25% over the past two years. They're hoping the ensuing transformation and national publicity will boost business and village-wide tourism.

"Maybe we feel like everything's been great and excellent but it can be even more so and we just didn't even realize that it had that potential," Moore said.

In three days, people will be able to form a new opinion of Pier West.

Due to the contract with the Food Network, owners were not allowed to speak with FOX6 News about the project, nor was FOX6 allowed inside the restaurant. Producers say the proposed air date for the episode is June 16th -- but that could change.