Gordon Ramsay has been filming Kitchen Nightmares at The Lake Cafe in Big Lake, Minnesota, drawing crowds of curious residents and devoted fans to the small town.
The restaurant closed for several days to accommodate the television production, while cameras and crew worked on the latest episode of the long-running series.
Gordon Ramsay filming draws crowds in Big Lake
Josiah Melodzik, from neighbouring Ember Coffee Company, said the visit had created a noticeable buzz in the community.
“There’s been just a stir in our community,” he said. “People are talking about him.”
The Lake Cafe is expected to reopen on Wednesday. The episode filmed at the restaurant is due to air in the coming months, although an exact date has not been announced.
Among those waiting outside was Brianna Lund, who described herself as a lifelong Ramsay fan. She spent three days near the restaurant with her three children in the hope of meeting the chef.
“I almost pulled the kids from school. We got here at 7am,” she said.
Her persistence paid off when Ramsay came out to meet the family twice. He signed an apron belonging to Lund’s daughter and a T-shirt for her son.
“He actually came out, and he was like, oh, you girls are so beautiful,” Lund said. “And then he said, I’m so sorry to keep you waiting.”
She said the chef was “very personable” and matched her expectations of him as a television celebrity.
Lund and her family regularly watch Ramsay’s programmes, including MasterChef and Kitchen Nightmares. She had previously joked with her husband about travelling to London to meet him.
“I told my husband when his documentary came out that we wanted to fly to London so I could meet him,” she said. “But I didn’t know he would fly all the way here to me.”
The circumstances surrounding the Big Lake restaurant’s appearance on Kitchen Nightmares have not been revealed. Viewers will have to wait for the episode to see what changes, if any, Ramsay recommends.
