Saving One Diner at a Time: Ty Pennington and Amanda Freitag Revive Old Diners in a New Series

Ty Pennington and Amanda Freitag are on a mission to help classic American diners across the country in American Diner Revival, premiering Friday, May 22 at 10:30|9:30c. Over six episodes, Amanda and Ty travel the country empowering towns to lend a hand in saving their struggling diners, using a combination of Ty’s design and carpentry skills and Amanda’s culinary expertise. This duo has only a few days to transform — with the help of local residents — a cherished establishment in desperate need of a physical and menu makeover, and will use a good old-fashioned barn raising to ambush unsuspecting and deserving owners with the surprise of a lifetime.

In one episode, Amanda and Ty visit George’s Place in Carmel, New York. This diner has been an iconic establishment in the community since the ’70s, known for classic American food, cheap prices and charitable owners who constantly give away free food for those in need. But since founder George died a few years ago and left the place to his son Gus and wife Karen, the diner has struggled. The owners desperately need to keep George’s legacy alive, but the diner is losing money and the food reviews are getting more negative by the day. The decor needs a makeover, and the low food prices need an upgrade, but first the menu needs food options that can deliver. That’s where Ty and Amanda come in to lend their expertise in the diner’s transformation.

And in Norman, Oklahoma, Amanda and Ty visit The Diner, which has been run by the same family for 15 years and has been heavily involved in the community, sponsoring local high school debate and softball teams and helping the local homeless shelter. But when owner Mark passed away, leaving the restaurant to wife Claire and daughter Bonnie, The Diner started falling on hard times. Now Ty and Amanda need to fix the rapidly deteriorating building and help the owners keep up with the increased competition from chain restaurants popping up in the area.

Upcoming episodes will also feature diner renovations in Highland Park, Michigan; Monroe, Michigan; Nyack, New York; and Farmville, Virginia.

Go behind the scenes of American Diner Revival at http://ift.tt/1DeTzwk. Join the conversation on Twitter using #DinerRevival.

from FN Dish – Food Network Blog http://ift.tt/1DeTBUW

Posted in FN Dish – Food Network Blog