Restaurant Revisited: Feathers Fly at Ducky's Family Restaurant

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Robert Irvine

Facing nearly $230,000 of debt, 33-year-old Ducky's Family Restaurant in Kokomo, Ind., desperately needed Robert Irvine's help if the business was to have any chance at future success. Not long after Robert arrived, he realized that poor-quality canned food was among the largest issues plaguing Ducky's, as was its drab interior decor akin, which Robert's designer, Taniya Nayak, deemed "a cafeteria nightmare." Together with Taniya and the rest of his Restaurant: Impossible team, Robert re-launched Ducky's after two days of work on a $10,000 budget, and he helped owner Bill Duncan and Bill's family learn essential skills for managing their family-run eatery. FN Dish caught up with Bill to find out how his business is doing a few months since the show filmed.

"Since the shooting of our episode, we have doubled our weekly sales," Bill said. "Everyone loves the remodel."

Ducky's has brought on additional team members who "are doing a wonderful job," according to Bill, who added that "Amanda has stepped up to the plate, working longer hours and putting organization to the business in just about every area."

Once Robert left, Connie and Jason began to oversee "back of house" operations, according to Bill, who added, "This seems to be working very well." Additionally, the restaurant has established regular meetings with the staff, including "weekly manager meetings and monthly mandatory store meetings that give [Ducky's] grounds for improvement," Bill said.

Although Ducky's is now offering thicker-cut french fries, they are still serving the dishes that Robert created, Bill notes. "The biggest surprises are the blackened catfish and the turkey sliders …. The reviews are mostly favorable," he said, adding that they're no longer relying on canned or frozen goods.

More from Restaurant Revisited:

Aponte's Pizzeria (August 25)
Benner Street (July 28)
Kalico Kitchen (July 14)
Angelo's (June 23)
Bryan's Smokehouse (May 26)
Smitty's Restaurant (April 28)
Soup to Nuts Diner (March 17)
Caseyville Cafe (March 13)
Dinner Bell Restaurant (February 27)
Sapori D'Italia (January 23)
Windseeker Restaurant (January 16)

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