Positive Reviews:
- "One of the best places in Indiana for homecooking and family service. Say "hi" to Bill Ducky Duncan. He is a great host and the atmosphere and food are both excellent (and reasonably priced)."
- "Cute little diner. The outside was so much different than the inside. Definitely a big surprise. The decor was absolutely adorable."
- "There were 6 in our group and everyone enjoyed their food. Our waitress, in her pink ribbon shoes, was very good. If we get back to Kokomo we will revisit this restaurant."
- "My family had dinner here last night and we all loved it! Our server was very friendly and helpful! The food was so yummy and the bill didn't break the bank!"
- "We've always enjoyed their breakfast and lunch, but with the new floor, updated décor and slimdown menu items....whew! Winner, winner, chicken dinner!"
- "This place has it all, good atmosphere, really really good food and great servers!! You are only cheating yourself if you don't stop in"
Negative Reviews:
- "The decor is clearly from Restaurant Impossible. The service and food is clearly not.
- Nice clean place, service was fair and friendly. I liked the Catfish but the grits and red pepper was cold. The rest of my party were equally disappointed in their steak dishes."
- "We were so disappointed. There is not much to choose from on the menu. The salad bar was ok and I ordered a BLT which was not good. The bacon was almost raw. The staff is very friendly just wish the food had been better."
Other News:
Just months after the Restaurant Impossible makeover, it appears Ducky's Family Restaurant is already for sale. The listing price is $319,900 and the description states: "Great turn key opportunity! This 3,100 square foot restaurant has been recently remodeled and ready for new owners. High traffic location with a clean and fresh new look. Everything stays!"
Here is the listing on the ReMax real estate website and here is the flyer with pictures (Hopefully the 2nd link works, but you can put any name and email in if you want to view it).
Conclusion:
Despite being around for 33 years, Ducky's Family restaurant had 1 review on Yelp and 1 review on Tripadvisor before Restaurant Impossible visited. Since Restaurant Impossible visited in July, there have already been 14 additional reviews on Tripadvisor. Most of the reviews are positive and say that the food, atmosphere and service is great. Obviously the local people are excited about the restaurant makeover and there were also tons of volunteers that helped out during the makeover, which shows the amount of local support the restaurant has.
While the reviews are good and it seems business has picked up, the owners have decided to put their business up for sale. Hopefully they didn't use Restaurant Impossible as an opportunity to get a free makeover and then use the publicity to turn around and sell the restaurant.
UPDATE 12/2013 - Ducky's has closed due to unpaid taxes. More information on the closing.
*Visit Our Restaurant Impossible Update Page to see all Restaurant Impossible Updates, and which restaurants are open, closed, or have been sold. Also Like Us on Facebook and Follow Us on Twitter
Great info, thanks! All the places I see for sale after the show I always have the thought that that was the plan all along...sad and selfish
ReplyDeleteIt's especially sad how much of an act they put on with the importance of the "family business" and how the eldest daughter was gonna inherit it. Maybe the owner was the only one in on it.
ReplyDeleteNo, I thought during the whole program that, although I liked these people, they all seemed a bit too giddy to be in their situation. So, this doesn't surprise me at all. They were in a hole and they got someone else to dig them out. Now t's time for them to get while the gettin's good.
ReplyDeleteDucky's clearly used Restaurant Impossible to turn an ugly place into a pretty place, bad food to good food, all for the purpose of putting it up for sale and they invested nothing to get it "for sale ready"! Genius!!
ReplyDeleteI wonder why Food Network doesn't have a clause in their contracts stating they can't sell the restaurant for 6 months after or something like that? I don't even know if that's legal, but you would think they would have caught on by now. And yes!! Makes me sick to be watching this and see them go on and on about it being "home" and now it's for sale. Shameful.
ReplyDeleteIts been a known fact for many years that Ms. Amanda Duncan has for years worked for the family diner and has each time been fired for the same tricky stunts,she prays on others sympathy to feel sorry for her and her family and screams of single motherhood yet never has her children and speaks of a career that does not include the family diner yet will try to scam people out of money, my family stopped eating there because of her lies and efforts to get tips for doing a horrible job,for being a waitress all her life she is a sad excuse for one,as for the food we tried to give the diner and Amanda another go,but it was no better,new ways to cook bad food at higher prices and still whiny servers(worse a manager now that is rarely there). She lied so much on the show it upset so many true kokomo people,she does not believe in second,third,fourth or fifth chances unless she recieves those chances and reeps the rewards,just ask anyone Amanda has done anything to hurt. Part of that family tried hard to save the diner but their hearts are not their, only the money that they want to start their own families and do things with their lives that do not navigate around the family diner. This was clearly a huge ploy to get people to remodle the diner so they could sell and the Duncans should be forced to payback all monies spent to sell their grandfathers place. In conclusion the Duncan are at most good actresses and actors,they put on a good show to get what they want and $300k is a good cause for fraud.
ReplyDeleteI think we just found Amanda's ex. :)
ReplyDeleteU can just tell that Amanda chick is fake and 2 faced
ReplyDeletethat's exactly what they did. They made suckers of the RI people. Being shown on TV should make them a profit on the sale.
ReplyDeleteHa her babies daddy! Feel sorry for her kids
ReplyDeleteConsidering all the facts the Duncan's should be sued. That's funny that Amanda baby daddy feel bad for those kids,what kind of people do that to get attention though,it makes one wonder what kind of people they really are,is everyone in on the scam or just the father and daughter as she stated she just wants his approval,she must really be one messed up female. That's so sad that the grandmother cried and the grandchildren are using her to get paid. Just wrong.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe better yet they are forbidden to sell it for one year or more after they leave. If they sell it then they must repay FN and RI for the time the cast and crew spent there, money they payed the crew while there filming (after all they wasted their time there to help them to get the place back on it feet. Not a quick makeover to resale it.), and above ALL else the money that went into the renovations. This would deter a lot of people.
ReplyDeleteSince FN is so big into reality shows anymore maybe this should be their next big hit. Property Brothers has or maybe had (haven't seen it lately) a series called Buying and Selling. Maybe FN should try that. New catch phrase. 'These once successful restauranteurs want out and it's now up to us to help them renovate the place to get it ready to sell. Then help the owner find new owners.'
Since this is what RI seems to become for a lot of restaurants that go on the show might as well go for it.
good acting ...was it a prank show of some sort...which ex?a guy or girl she was BI and now full gay people say she was very open making out with her girlfriend infront of children in there,that cant help parents taking their children in there even if she does have her own kids,you dont make out on the clock,its not good managment. never been in there but have been to other places she worked,she likes to bash people but when she wasnt she seemed ok. i mean who doesnt,we r human,maybe its all misunderstood.
ReplyDeleteunbelievable!! there is a certain place in hell for people like this! whenever so many other people out there that really want to keep your family restaurants open.
ReplyDeleteIt's also possible that despite the RI show, they are just too far in debt to make it and simply have no choice. A couple of places that were on Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares did that.
ReplyDeleteDon't jump to conclusions.
It's possible. They tend to go for really desperate situations, sometimes I think they need to look for more feasibly able to be saved restaurants.
ReplyDeleteThis is hardly the first business to be sold after RI fixes them up. I think the first episode they sent people online to get the results for was for one that closed right after and was for sale.
Yeah there really wasn't enough resistance to make it seem real. Even the dad really didn't resist. There were tears, but there would be even if they planned on selling it. So back to back iffy episodes. Disappointing.
ReplyDeleteI think they just wanted their 5 min of fame to get out there..its well known around Kokomo that Amanda Duncan has been in the family diner and has had one of her so called "bad days" and let everyone know if it wasnt for her kids ruining her life she would be a famous singer,(she has it all over FB how much time she puts into her band and shows,she cant her kids to that stuff and being in a band doesnt have anything to do with saven the family diner)she spends more time out at the bars,or just out without her kids trying to make any relationship she is in at the time work rather than being with her kids and partner in the family diner being a manager.Amanda has never had the want or desire to be the manager she admits herself she can NOT work with well the staff. Using a show like that to save a family place but to not mean a thing everyone heard how in debt they said they where,i mean come on Amand go around and admits she gets food stamps and gov help but never has her kids and carries a $700 phone,come on,really people,its sick.
ReplyDeleteThey should be sued,it was a clear lie,thats so very sad,even my mom cried for them then we read all this...just horrible people.
ReplyDeleteThey where not mistreated or talked down to in any way on the show,the only few rude comments where from the Amanda girl being rude to her coworkers and mocking Ramsey when he ate their food,come on,there was clear as day cold fish on his plate he said,that can kill people,its sick,it was funny how he had frozen uncooked food them the girl said she had never sold uncooked or frozen food but it was right there frozen and uncooked..lLOL! All in all agreed,there was no loud rants anywhere or any fighting back so yea,it seemed a ploy to just get remodeled to sell. Sorry
ReplyDeleteYou can tell the Amanda likes to be in the spotlight thats for sure. horrible person
ReplyDeleteWe just watched the show and I kept telling my husband that something felt off a little fake it just didn't have the same feel of a normal RI episode and I guess I was right after reading some of these post. Sad to see Ducky's go if the rumors are true.
ReplyDeleteanyplace to watch this on the net? i missed the original
ReplyDeleteairing.
Like the other person said, that whole "wait for it...wait for him to blaaaaaaaaaaaah" exchange sent up the red flags.
ReplyDeleteWe might see more of this restaurant flipping in the next several episodes...and Restaurant Impossible is the mechanism for it....an unwitting partner.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everybody who said these clowns should be sued, and I also agree with "upsetwithactors", these clowns should have to pay for the renovations that RI made & also be held responsible to pay at least the minimum wage to all of the volunteers that devoted their time trying to help these ungrateful idiots. These people were as pathetic as the 3 witches at The Valley View restaurant in PA, who RI helped in an earlier episode. I hope these idiots aren't successful in any future endeavors, cuz they deserve to fail & it seems they're quite good at it anyway.
ReplyDeleteJust had breakfast there...didn't see Ms. Amanda,guess as the so called Manager she forgot to get up earlier as she said on the show.LOL! Bad manager,bad people,oh and I could have had a better breakfast at the run down "breakfast house"...Waffle house or IHOP for now on for our family and friends...won't help such liars and fakes,they should be sued.
ReplyDeleteMr.Duncan said they where in debt over $230k ,Ms. Amanda Duncan has never wanted to take over the family diner,she is to into herself,always has been,always will be,Connie was right,that girl may be 28 but is a liar,fake and cheat,she said all she wanted was for her dad to say she did it,that wont happen..Amanda only works there because she has been fired from every other job she has been at,she is the farthest from being onboard to be a selfless adult manager, now the place has been updated and listed for sale for$319.900k....are you serious! these people may have some people fooled but the facts are there,stop being so blind,the people telling the truth and seeing with their own eyes are not the bad ones,the bad ones are the fakers,the liars,the cheats...some people act like they are so perfect because the great acting...HELLO PEOPLE,they all are actors and actress and went to school to be good,look them up on kokomo civic theater ...born acting,will always act to get what they want....they have hurt people beyond belief ,im sure plenty of people Amanda used and hurt would openly say so,second chances she screams...lol! not if it doesnt do her any good.The duncan should pay for their actions,they stole from RI ,they stolepeoples heart and help to make over that place...its so sad it is just down right evil.
ReplyDeleteTotally shocked at the number of comments regarding this episode. I'm from a small town not far from Kokomo, but have never heard of or been to Ducky's. So glad I'm away from all the "small town" pettiness!
ReplyDeleteJust sad...I've been goin there since I was a kid. The salad bar, all u can eat fried chicken, & turkey manhattan just to say, r a few memories.
ReplyDeleteThere was an episode of Tabatha Takes Over where she showed up for her six-week visit to discover the salon had been sold. Tabatha was *pissed* (rightly so), because obviously "Meoww" - the original owner, and yes, that was what she went by - had been in the process of selling the salon during the production, with the makeover sealing the deal.
ReplyDeleteJust as well, though. Meoww's idea of a pedicure was having women put their feet in mixing bowls filled with tepid water.
But yeah, there should be some clause that allows the production company to pursue reimbursement for expenses on shows like this if the owner sells within x amount of time after the makeover.
You people need to wake up! FN makes money on these shows. They use people for their profits and gain. It's a tv show!!! Get real!!!! I am in no way associated with Duckys. Duckys is a business. RI is a business. FN is a business. Everyone has put emotion on the table here. Why? Were all if you hurt by this? No!!! Who cares if they sell. It doesn't affect me or any of you. BTW, everybody acts to the camera. The producers want that. A tv show isn't made on set. It's made in the editing room. Nothing is as it appears. That's the real funny thing about these posts. You all seem to believe what you c on tv!
ReplyDeletePaul lets settle down there buddy. A special place in hell?? Really?? That's a place reserved for pedophiles, rapists, etc.....who cares if they sold the business and what difference does it make if they profited immediately from the remodel or over the next 5 years.
ReplyDeleteIs Amanda manic? Her efforts all seemed forced.....not genuine at all. She was so phony and her speech so pressured that she was difficult to watch. She seems to have some issues.
ReplyDeleteDuckys should close like Laughners cafeteria to much family and other places to eat.
ReplyDeleteWe have been to Duckys Resturant 2 times and enjoyed the food. However, I am needing to use a walker, and there are no Handicap parking spaces and the they have only 2 bathrooms. one for the women and one for the men. No Handicap parking spaces and my walker, it has wheels and a seat, couldn't go through the bath room door. I had to take my purse out of the seat of my walker and leave it out side of the restroom door while I went in. I really thought this day and age all resturants had handicap restrooms as well as Handicap parking in front of the building. Also the restroom was not clean
ReplyDeleteSo if the restaurant was $230,000 in debt and they have to pay taxes and the real estate agent, doesn't $300,000 sound a little cheap to be considered a big profit for the family?
ReplyDeleteEven if they did "use" RI, it doesn't matter with the amount of money RI made off that one episode. RI spends maybe $50,000 on the whole production, minus saleries, and it must profit in the $100,000's from the episode.
Sorry but RI was taken for a ride. Entire family were quite the actors! They owe RI some $$$.
ReplyDeleteThere still up and running
ReplyDeleteStuff like this reminds of an Extreme Makeover home edition where the family went and got a $400,000 loan using the home that was built for them as collaterol to start a business and they lost the house because the business failed. Greed will get you everytime and once word gets out about these people having been on RI I doubt the place will sell.q
ReplyDeleteWow! I'm socked that some people use the show for the remodel and then put it up for sale. I wonder how many other restaurants were passed over who really wanted the help so that this people could get help/remodel and sell.
ReplyDeleteI agree they aren't anywhere near the evil status of pedophiles, but I can't go along with "who cares"?
ReplyDeleteI'll tell you who probably cares: the people that worked so hard thinking they were helping save a family business instead of remodeling a future real estate transaction, not to mention the other struggling restaurant owners that don't want to sell or give up, and could have been remodeled for their true second chance at success.
It's not worthy of a "special place in hell", but it's too fraudulent and affects too many people that weren't privy to the pending secret sale to just shrug your shoulders and say "who cares". I only care a little, as an unaffected viewer. But many others have the right to care a LOT about being duped, if that's what happened...
I agree we shouldn't jump to either conclusion. I also agree if they intentionally duped RI, that's not cool...
ReplyDeleteAnd you seem to believe all you read on message boards. Whether people believe these reality shows are true or fake, whether they have anything invested or not, they like to comment on the drama presented and give their opinions on what they would do or think the others should do. It doesn't mean they live by it like it's their Bible or anything. I'm sure most of them forget their comments as soon as they visit their next favorite website and type a comment about some other situation that doesn't involve them, whether they believe it or not. It's all entertainment, including YOUR comment...
ReplyDelete