PORT HADLOCK— Zoog’s Caveman Cookin’ will get a makeover from the Food Network’s “Restaurant Impossible,” with a visit scheduled next week.
The Port Hadlock barbecue restaurant opened in October 2012 with a 1,900-square-foot bar and restaurant at 141 Chimacum Road after serving out of a food cart at several local fairs and events.
“Restaurant Impossible,” a popular cable television show that seeks to turn around struggling businesses, will take over the restaurant Monday and Tuesday.
Chef Robert Irvine will arrive to implement his suggestions about the food and decor.
To aid in the transformation, the network is recruiting volunteers with various skills for painting, crafting, construction, remodeling, cleaning and decorating, as well as skilled contractors such as electricians, plumbers and painters.
Those interested in volunteering should send a query to rivolunteer@shootersinc.com by 11 a.m. Friday with a preferred shift or shifts, full name, email address, cell number and skill set or related profession.
Shifts are from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. and from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday and from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday.
All those accepted as volunteers will be contacted prior to the project.
Volunteers must be 18 or older and sign a release to appear on camera as well as nondisclosure agreements forbidding them to talk about the process until after the air date, which is expected to be in January or February.
Comfortable clothes and shoes are suggested, though anything with a logo is forbidden.
After two days of renovation and an opening celebration, the reconfigured Zoog’s will most likely reopen Thursday, according to owner Bret Forsberg.
Those who want a preview can make reservations for 7 p.m. Tuesday. Those interested should phone 360-385-3331.
Aside from that information, Forsberg and his staff of eight are forbidden to talk for publication or have their picture taken in connection with a story.
All questions are referred to Jayson Elmore, one of the show’s producers.
Elmore said Irvine will arrive Monday morning and immediately go to work,directing volunteers and a small crew to execute his plans, which could range from knocking down a wall to a new paint color.
“Robert comes in and does what he wants,” Elmore said of Irvine.
“He assesses the place, and if he needs something, someone will go get it for him.”
Elmore has not been to Port Hadlock, a town with a supermarket, a hardware store and a handful of merchants and small businesses, but he doesn’t perceive that as a drawback.
“We did a restaurant in the middle of Montana, so we know how to operate in an isolated place,” Elmore said.
Time and money are both limited.
Aside from the two-day window, the project must operate within a $10,000 budget, which is provided by the show.
Elmore said the show operates on a shoestring budget, recruiting local volunteer labor and not purchasing newspaper advertising while relying on the media to get the word out.
“We are on a strict $10,000 budget, so if we spend money on ads, that takes away from what we can do for the restaurant,” he said.
“Having volunteers work on the project builds a connection with the community,” Elmore added.
“It provides the new restaurant with a built-in customer base.”
Elmore said the show selects restaurants from detailed online applications that include answers to such questions as “how much money are you losing?” and “how long can you stay open if nothing changes?”
Elmore would not say how many applications the show receives or how they are selected — or what kind of research takes place prior to Irvine’s arrival.
“Restaurant Impossible” airs at 10 p.m. every Monday on the Food Network and has renovated more than 100 restaurants since 2010, according to Elmore.
________
Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
