As of 2022, an estimated 80% of the restaurants (62 out of 77) featured on "Kitchen Nightmares" are no longer in business. The recent survival rates of these eateries are listed below by season:
Season One - 1 out of 10
Season Two - 0 out of 11
Season Three - 2 out of 11
Season Four - 2 out of 12
Season Five - 4 out of 14
Season Six - 4 out of 13
Season Seven - 2 out of 6
Five of the restaurants closed before their "Kitchen Nightmares" episodes even aired, and 25 more survived for less than a year (in some cases only weeks) after appearing on the show.
Season One - 1 out of 10
Season Two - 0 out of 11
Season Three - 2 out of 11
Season Four - 2 out of 12
Season Five - 4 out of 14
Season Six - 4 out of 13
Season Seven - 2 out of 6
Five of the restaurants closed before their "Kitchen Nightmares" episodes even aired, and 25 more survived for less than a year (in some cases only weeks) after appearing on the show.
Gordon Ramsay truly suffered while this show was in production, suffering from food poisoning, ulcers, and constant indigestion due to all the bad (occasionally lethal) food he was being served. He would force himself to eat at least some of everything presented to him so that he could best understand what was going wrong in the kitchen.
Gordon once ate enough raw meat by accident to get food poisoning for a month.
Contrary to popular belief, not all of the failed eateries on "Kitchen Nightmares" closed because of backsliding on the part of the owners. The restaurant industry is volatile, with high staff turnover and low profit margins. In a number of cases the proprietors were already too deep in debt (including unpaid taxes) to remain solvent, despite Ramsay's efforts. Other restaurateurs on the show lost their leases and could not reopen elsewhere, or sold out due to health or other personal issues. One committed suicide. In the end only a few blamed "Kitchen Nightmares" for ruining their businesses.
Season 5 of "Kitchen Nightmares" was its most ambitious, with 17 episodes and 14 restaurant makeovers. Four of the featured restaurants are still operating in 2022.