August M
A Brighton restaurant once thrust into the spotlight saw demand explode within minutes of appearing on television.
The sudden surge came after Momma Cherri’s Soul Food Shack featured on Channel 4’s Kitchen Nightmares, according to its former owner Charita Jones.
Speaking to CasinoHawks, as reported by UNILAD, Jones said bookings flooded in almost instantly after the episode aired, leaving the restaurant packed for months and forcing her to turn away large numbers of customers.
Overnight success
Jones said the response was so intense that the restaurant’s answering system failed shortly after broadcast.
The restaurant, which opened in 2001, had been selected for the show after she responded to a casting note seeking newer businesses.
According to UNILAD, she contacted producers after learning the programme was looking for restaurants operating for fewer than five years.
Facing Ramsay
Looking back, Jones said working with Gordon Ramsay was not what viewers might expect from his on-screen persona.
“He was very nice,” she said, describing their early interactions during filming in 2005.
She also recalled challenging him over his language in the kitchen, telling him: “‘Gordon, do you talk like that to your mama?'” to which he replied, “‘No, Mama.'”
Setting boundaries
Jones said that moment helped establish mutual respect between them.
“I don’t mind it when it’s talking around someone’s actions, but swearing directly at someone I didn’t like,” she said, adding that she treated Ramsay “like my little brother.”
She said she made her expectations clear, telling him: “‘I have so much respect for you. I expect the same.'”
Momma Cherri’s Soul Food Shack later closed in 2009 following financial pressures linked to the stock market crash, UNILAD reported.
Jones has since moved into online content creation, building a YouTube audience of more than 200,000 subscribers.
Sources: UNILAD, Channel 4
