(keep reading to learn what happened)
Season: 17 | View All Season 17 Episodes
Original Episode Air Date: June 11, 2020
Ginger Monkey Address: 135 W Ocotillo Rd Chandler, AZ 85248
Episode Recap
Ginger Monkey was a Chandler, Arizona restaurant that was featured on Season 17 of Restaurant Impossible.
Though the Ginger Monkey Restaurant Impossible episode aired in June 2020, the actual filming and visit from Robert Irvine took place a few months before that right at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It was Season 17 Episode 3 and the episode name was “The Ginger Monkey is Going Under”.
In this episode, Robert Irvine heads to Chandler, Arizona to visit the Ginger Monkey Gastropub.
The restaurant is owned by Jackson Armstrong, who does double-duty as the Ginger Monkey chef.
There was another co-owner named Doug, but he’s no longer involved in the restaurant.
However, he can’t keep up with the demands of the restaurant and things are looking bleak.
The restaurant has posted three straight years of losses, which is a big part of why Jackson asked for the Ginger Monkey Restaurant Impossible episode to happen.
As part of the changes on the show, Robert Irvine tweaked the restaurant’s name, renaming it from Ginger Monkey Tavern to Ginger Monkey Gastropub.
The episode also featured another neat even – Jackson proposed to his girlfriend, Monique Hughes.
In addition to being his fiancé, she’s also a partner and Director of Beverage at Ginger Monkey.
So was the Ginger Monkey Restaurant Impossible episode successful? Keep reading our update to learn what happened next and how the restaurant is doing in 2024.
Ginger Monkey Update - What Happened Next?
Now that we’ve recapped the Ginger Monkey Restaurant Impossible episode, let’s talk about what happened to the restaurant after Robert Irvine and his crew left Chandler, AZ.
Unfortunately, the visit from Robert Irvine happened at the worst possible time.
Only a couple of weeks after he left, Covid-19 health restrictions forced the restaurant to close its dine-in service. Remember, the actual visit happened in March 2020.
The restaurant did stay open for takeout, but they weren’t able to reopen for dine-in until May.
They also got creative and served food out of a food truck during the health restrictions.
Despite that, the restaurant seems to generally be doing well.
They’ve kept most of Robert Irvine’s changes, though they did bring back some of the old menu items in addition to the new dishes from the show.
Is Ginger Monkey from Restaurant Impossible still open?
As of 2022, Ginger Monkey Gastropub is still open and serving customers in Chandler, AZ.
Reviews for the restaurant seem positive and the business seems to be doing well.
The restaurant was listed for sale for a time with an asking price of $2.6 million, so it appears like the owners might’ve been tempted to sell.
However, it seems like that didn’t happen and the listing has been withdrawn.
Robert Irvine later revisited the restaurant in 2022 and things seem to be going great.
In fact, Jackson Armstrong is even expanding his holdings, having acquired another restaurant in the area named BLD Chandler (short for Breakfast, Lunch, Drinx).
Did Jackson and Monique get married?
In the original Ginger Monkey Restaurant Impossible episode, Jackson Armstrong, the owner, proposed to his girlfriend Monique Hughes.
The couple got married in April 2022 and – here’s the crazy part – the wedding officiant was Robert Irvine!
Pretty wild, right? Congratulations to Jackson and Monique.
Overall, this one seems like a real Restaurant Impossible success story so far.
If you’re in the Chandler, AZ area and you want to check it out, you can learn more and see the menu at the official Ginger Monkey website.
More Information
https://www.yelp.com/biz/ginger-monkey-gastropub-chandler-4https://www.facebook.com/gingermonkeyaz/
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Last updated: 2022-05-27 07:02
Thank you for the very nice article. We are doing great and we were very blessed to have Robert come and help us
Congratulations on your success, Jackson! I’m glad you’re still doing well.
I will drive by Ft Morgan on I-76 six times this year & now will stop to see your city personally. Need to eat at Zazzy Cafe but not sure I like swings as I wouldn’t sit on them. Loved what you did for high school football coach’s family. Good luck!