Racetrack Impossible

Published: September 16, 2011 11:28 am EDT

It’s easy to compare racetracks with restaurants, especially since most racetracks have dining facilities, and a food critic would have a field day in many of them.

I worked in restaurants for many years, and I have also often told people the best company I ever worked for was The Keg, top to bottom. Needless to say, The Keg franchise flourishes today.

The other night I stumbled on my new favorite show, Restaurant Impossible on the Food Network, and my new hero is the host, Chef Robert Irvine.

Harness racing desperately needs a Robert Irvine. The muscular, imposing Irvine is decisive, creative, intimidating and demanding. He fearlessly confronts problems with a no-nonsense approach. You can’t argue with him because he knows what he’s talking about. He is a leader, and you either follow him or get out of the way.

 

 

Artistic license aside, it works, and makes for compelling television. For those of you unfamiliar with the one-hour show’s premise, Irvine revamps failing restaurants, given just two days with only $10,000. Basically, Irvine swoops in like a drill sergeant, assesses the business, ruthlessly attacks and remedies the most serious issues, renovates using his talented design team, updates the menu, retrains staff and markets to the community. The result is a packed restaurant and a recipe for continued success.

Although, initially reluctant, the restauranteurs eventually see the light, surrender and buy into Irvine’s ambitious plan for each place. It’s a team effort and everybody has to be on board.

 

 

Irvine always starts by putting himself in the role of the customer to get first-hand experience of what works and what fails. Each restaurant’s transformation is dramatic, and that’s what Irvine is all about. Again, he dives in head first, kicks ass, ruffles feathers, then blows you away.

While it might not be conceivable for racing to get a Robert Irvine, the way he fixes money-losing restaurants can be an inspiration for not only racetrack eateries, but for racetracks themselves. Like Irvine, we can constantly listen to individual patrons, cater to their needs, dazzle them with exceptional product and service, in clean, comfortable surroundings, and consistently promote.

Sounds like a new series to me.

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