A year after Wilson’s Secret Sauce received a heavy-handed refurbishing from celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, the Upper Darby barbecue restaurant is closing its doors.
The husband-and-wife owners, Steve and Kelly Wilson, told Philadelphia magazine’s Victor Fiorillo that they have decided to transform their business model from a sit-down restaurant to a catering operation. The couple said they will use the restaurant’s kitchen space as a ghost kitchen, sharing it with a friend who wants to get into baking.
Steve Wilson told Fiorillo that the decision to get out of the restaurant business stems from family reasons, wanting to spend more time with the couple’s son, and the challenge of keeping waitstaff to manage tables.
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Kelly admitted that while the advice Ramsay gave the couple during their appearance on his show, Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service, was appreciated, “business actually slowed down a bit since he came in,” she said. “Gordon Ramsay changed the menu. I didn’t feel like his menu … We had a lot of customers coming in from day one of the new menu, begging us to bring the old menu back. We were getting lost with his menu, and our menu really worked a lot better.”
The Wilsons also reported feeling humiliated when they were shown leaving their restaurant as Ramsay arrived to film. They pointed to examples of discrepancies between the aired portrayal and their actual business operations.
“They show brisket in our walk-in, and they say, ‘Oh, my God. They are going to reheat that brisket.’ But that brisket was actually from that day, and it was supposed to go to Barnaby’s in Havertown and the Greeks in Narberth. I wholesale my brisket out to them, and they turn it into cheesesteak specials or quesadillas or tacos.”
Beyond the show, Kelly and Steve outlined the harsh realities of operating a restaurant business: rising costs, payroll and utilities expenses, and ingredient costs that pushed them to close their dining space and focus on catering.
The Wilsons have also carried a significant debt burden from two mortgages, one on their home and the other on the restaurant.
“Really look into it because there’s a lot more involved than you would think,” Kelly said. “Steve and I literally had to learn everything along the way.”