Episode Reminder
Indian restaurants full of vermin, renamed Purnima during episode.
Trivia
At the start of the episode the restaurants signs show the name as ‘Dillons’, although on the new signs put up by Ramsay for the relaunch it’s spelt ‘Dillions’.
The Aftermath
April 2007, Dillions is inspected by the Department of Health and is temporarily shut down. Health Report
June 2007, the former manager of Dillions Martin Hyde sues Gordon Ramsay, attempting to stop the program from being aired. Mr Hyde claimed the episode will ruin his reputation and the good name of his (ex-)fellow employees. More Info
The official Lawsuit lodgment can be read here
June 2007, further claims by former manager Martin Hyde are publicized in the Herald Tribune, in which he claims that Ramsay falsely assumed the meat was spoiled, purposely used a defective chair and employed actors to pose as customers and make the restaurant appear busy. More Info
August 2007, Gordon Ramsay responds to the lawsuit saying “I would never-ever-ever dream of setting anything up”, and further saying “I want to sleep at night. We were issued a writ because, God bless America, if the toilet paper is not thick enough and you come out with a rash on your ass [you’ll get sued]”. More Info
26 September 2007, the episode airs in America
27 September 2007, TVweek reports the episode ended with an ending that would make viewers believe the makeover was successful, although the pending lawsuit claims the restaurant was shut down by the New York City Board of Health within a week after the recording. More Info
May 2008, Vikas Khanna who was initially hired as a consultant is now the executive chef (possibly owner as well). More Info
Status: Still Open
Extra
Dillions can be found on Google Streetview, although looking a bit poorly kept.
Restaurant Website
Reviews 1 2
On the TWOP forums a claimed former staff member discusses what has happened to the restaurant.
My favorite part from the official lawsuit lodgment, and yes as stupid as it sounds it’s actually in the offical legal documentation
“24. Plantiff was aware before getting involved with Ramsay and the other Defendants that Ramsay is physically coercive(about 6′3″ and 220 pounds; a Captain in the British Special Forces (23rd SAS unit); a skilled practitioner of martial arts; and quite capable of defending himself against physical attack.
Ramsay has a reputation in Britain for being the, or one of the, most feared persons in Britian.
Chef Ramsey [sic] is commonly regarded as the hardest man in Britian since he became the UK’s bare-knuckle champion last year, beating the current gypsy champion in a twenty two round marathon in a freight container yard in Hull.”
I think the lawyer may need to check his facts.
Ian:
September 7, 2008 at 10:59 pm
The restaurant still belongs to its owner. Reference “Season 2 Premiere: Gordon Returns”.
Jensenbull:
September 12, 2008 at 12:47 am
I was in Purnima restaurant recently.
The table next door spent some time with Vikas and the woman who knew him introduced him to her family as the owner of Purnima. His website and the Purnima website seemed to confirm this at the time but they’ve been updated since I checked and it’s not clear now.
The food was good but they were empty at 9 on a Saturday. Who knows if they’ll survive.
Rita:
December 5, 2008 at 4:05 pm
I enjoyed the restaurant very much on my recent visit to the restaurant and somehow the waiter knew that we were going to ask the million dollar question - Is Chef Vikas there? He got him from the kitchen and I have some great pictures with him. It was truly fun talking to him and he takes this whole episode (epic) in great spirit.
Andrew:
April 23, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Purnima is closed and vacated. I am a former employee who appeared in the KN show. I also know that writer from TWOP and can assure you that she is a former employee and her assessments are shrewd and accurate.
Geoffrey:
May 11, 2009 at 8:05 pm
Hello Andrew. From what I’ve seen in that episode, you seemed like a dedicated employee with very good care for your customers. I hope you’ve found / will find a nice new position someplace else.
Anna:
May 12, 2009 at 6:25 am
Disgusting Decor Staff and food conditions . They ALL should have been nailed by Gorden especially the Owner and not just the creepy manager.Im sure they all knew what and where the crap on plates were coming from.
Allyn:
May 30, 2009 at 4:41 am
I walked by the restaurant today and it is closed and vacant.
Rob:
June 27, 2009 at 1:32 am
Well, the website is still up.
http://www.purnimarestaurant.com
jake:
July 2, 2009 at 1:26 pm
How sleazy was the manager? You know that poor waitress ran her fingers through his hair only under threat of firing, as he was old and sleazy.
Stefan Ekström:
July 30, 2009 at 4:47 pm
wow Kayla is hot