''Restaurant Stakeout'' is a scripted American

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...

series on the

Food Network Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery, who manages and operates it as a division of the Warner Bros. Discovery U.S. Networks Group. The channel airs both televi ...

. The series debuted on March 12, 2012, with the second season premiering on August 29, 2012. It is one of the first non-studio shows attempted on Food Network.

Plot

The series follows William Jack "Willie" Degel, the owner of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

restaurant A restaurant is an establishment that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and Delivery (commerce), food delivery services. Restaurants ...

Uncle Jack's Steakhouse, who goes behind the scenes of various restaurants across the country at the request of their owner(s). He takes the keys and installs

hidden camera A hidden camera or spy camera is a camera used to photograph or record subjects, often people, without their knowledge. The camera may be considered "hidden" because it is not visible to the subject being filmed, or is disguised as another obje ...

s to examine their service problems. Willie and the owner(s) observe the restaurant's operation from a control room, and Willie comments about what he sees. Once Willie has assembled a list of key issues, the owner(s) calls a staff meeting. Willie appears at the meeting and confronts the staff with his findings. After that takes place, Willie returns the next day to help correct the problems. Some time later, Willie returns (now dressed in casual clothes) to get a status report. The show differs from other similar shows in that its primary focus is on identifying ways to provide better customer service. Unlike ''

Kitchen Nightmares ''Kitchen Nightmares'', known in the UK as ''Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA'', is an American reality television series originally broadcast on Fox, in which chef Gordon Ramsay is invited by the owners to spend a week with a failing restaurant ...

'' and '' Restaurant: Impossible'', there is rarely a problem with the cuisine, restaurant cleanliness, menu, or decor. The owner's main fault is being much too easy on the staff. '' Mystery Diners'' is also scripted, but usually about determining who is actively undermining the restaurant and getting them fired (although occasionally, a few employees have been fired on this show).

Episodes

Series overview

Season 1 (2012)

Season 2 (2012)

Season 3 (2013)

Season 4 (2013–14)

Season 5 (2014)

References

External links

* * {{Food Network series 2010s American reality television series 2012 American television series debuts 2014 American television series endings Food Network original programming