Spin A Yarn Kitchen Nightmares Update – Still Open in 2023?

Episode Recap

Spin A Yarn Steakhouse, AKA Saki’s Spin A Yarn Restaurant, was a Fremont, California restaurant featured on Season 5 of Kitchen Nightmares.

Though the Spin A Yarn Kitchen Nightmares episode aired in February 2012, the actual filming and visit from Gordon Ramsay took place much earlier in October 2011.

It was Kitchen Nightmares Season 5 Episode 13.

In this episode of Kitchen Nightmares Chef Gordon Ramsay takes us to Spin A Yarn Restaurant in Fremont, California.

Note – the restaurant is “Spin a Yarn”, not “Spinning Yarn” or “Spin and Yarn” as some people say.

Soon after his arrival, we meet the owner, Saki Kavouniaris (a Greek immigrant) and his wife, Jennifer Kavouniaris, nee Miller.

When business started declining, Jennifer spent an extra $650,000 of Saki’s initial $300,000 budget to remodel the restaurant.

Unfortunately, remodeling the restaurant did not change the restaurant’s downward trajectory, and now the couple constantly fights, putting a huge strain on their relationship.

These issues are a big part of why they reached out to Gordon Ramsay and why the Spin a Yarn Kitchen Nightmares episode exists.

Saki takes Gordon on a tour of the restaurant to view the renovations, the bathroom has expensive tiles on the walls, and Saki reveals that the bathroom alone cost $80,000 to renovate.

It certainly was a nice bathroom, but maybe the money could’ve been better spent elsewhere?

There is also a new fireplace, a marble bar top, and many more extravagant updates on a building they don’t even own, but lease.

Gordon asks what the theme of the restaurant is and Saki responds that they serve seafood, pasta, continental cuisine, and they are a steakhouse.

Gordon then sits down to order and he is served by Mary, who informs Gordon that she believes the food is outdated.

He then orders a Greek sampler, a crab Louie, and a filet mignon.

When the Greek sampler arrives, Gordon finds it ghastly, stating that most of the ingredients were from a can.

The crab Louie arrives and Gordon states that it does not smell fresh, and he was shocked to learn that the crab meat also came straight from a can.

The last dish is the filet mignon and Gordon states that it is chewy, rubbery, and tastes like cough medicine.

The cough medicine bit is one of Gordon’s weirder food criticisms, but it certainly doesn’t sound appealing.

After the meal Gordon meets with the owners and the staff in the kitchen to give feedback.

We meet Victor, who is the head chef and has eight years of experience cooking.

When Gordon asked Victor why the food was so poor, Victor replied that he was just following the recipes that were given to him.

Gordon then returns to observe the restaurant during a dinner rush and finds that the kitchen is seriously understaffed.

There is no expediter, sous chef, and Victor is washing the dishes.

The entrées are leaving the kitchen, but they are also being returned just as quickly with complaints and most of the food is thrown away.

Gordon observes that Saki is just watching, while the cooks are struggling and the head chef is washing dishes.

Gordon smells something funky and walks back to the walk-in to discover raw meat sitting next to cooked meat.

He also discovers moldy strawberries and produce, unlabeled and rotten chicken, and raw meat in congealed blood.

After showing the owners his discovery in the walk-in and freezer, he goes outback to have a discussion with the owners, who are both very embarrassed.

Gordon states that he would not have even allowed the restaurant to be open that night had he seen the freezer first.

The next day, Gordon tells the owners that they need to focus on a single cuisine, and changes the name of the restaurant to Spin A Yarn Steakhouse.

Gordon also slims down the menu making it less complicated and easier to read. Everyone samples the new menu and loves every dish.

The night of relaunch and the restaurant is packed.

The prime rib is a huge hit with the customers, such a hit that they almost run out during the middle of the dinner service.

Thankfully, Victor reveals that he ordered extra to make sure that that didn’t happen, avoiding a crisis.

Good job, Victor!

The night ends and Gordon Ramsay is very pleased with how everything went.

So was the Kitchen Nightmares Spin a Yarn restaurant episode a long-term success? Keep reading our update to learn what happened next and if it’s still open in 2023 and beyond.