Here's What Happened To Giovanni's Italian Restaurant After Restaurant: Impossible

What can "Restaurant: Impossible" start Robert Irvine do with a budget of just $10,000 and a two-day window? Just look at the restaurateurs who've appeared on his show. Irvine saves restaurants from imminent doom, AKA closing down, by helping turn things around. It's certainly a job for a pro! And he may have saved the day in two days for an eatery whose owner was beset by personal and professional hardship.

In a Season 21 episode, Irvine set out to help Giovanni's Italian Restaurant located in Sylacauga, Alabama. Per Food Network Gossip, when Irvine reaches the restaurant, he finds the owner, Chrissy, tired and disenchanted with running the restaurant after her sister passed away. Chrissy and her daughter Sophie are overwhelmed with the restaurant, which is about $120,000 in debt. "I feel suffocated with everything on my lap, but it's not an option for me to just put the key in the door and walk away," Chrissy said. Irvine notices the filth, disrepair, and mismatched decor of the restaurant upon first walking in, stating, "[This is] a poor excuse for a restaurant" (via Food Network).

By the end of the "Restaurant: Impossible" episode when Chrissy sees her remodeled restaurant, she is overcome with joy. "You took who I was, you brought that fire in here," she tells Irvine, pointing to her heart (via Food Network). According to Facebook, Giovanni's Italian Restaurant is still open today. The eatery has 12,000 followers on the social media site and a 4.3-star rating. The new 2023 menu contains items like wings, pizza, calzones, subs, and entrees like chicken parmesan and Giovanni's own lasagna recipe. Per Sylacauga News, the restaurant held a murder mystery dinner theater soon after reopening.

As far as reviews go, although reactions have been mixed, they are mostly positive. Yelp user Staci D. commented, "My husband and I met a friend here for lunch. It was absolutely delicious. ... The restaurant atmosphere is super cool. The staff were very friendly." User David H., on the other hand, wasn't so happy with their meal. "Very disappointed with the quality of the food given the hype of the tv show makeover. Hope next visit will show improvement," they wrote.