Married couple David Wilmott and Darnell Morgan, co-owners of the successful Kennesaw, GA restaurant “Forks & Flavors,” stepped onto the national stage during their television on an episode of “Restaurant Impossible” on the Food Network.
The Chef Robert Irvine-hosted reality show, now in its 19th season, works to turn around restaurants that are facing impending demise within 48 hours on a $10,000 budget. On day one, Irvine assesses the business by observing the staff and kitchen during a full service. He then updates the menu and makes aesthetic changes to the restaurant in preparation for the grand reopening the following day.
But there’s one thing that separates “Forks & Flavors” from the majority of restaurants in crisis that have appeared on the show: they are thriving.
The twice-married gay couple who first appeared in a feature story on The Reckoning in March 2021, says they experienced a significant increase in business after their story was published, with old and new customers clamoring to experience their cuisine or to get the tea on their unique relationship journey directly from the source. So when Morgan says the Food Network contacted them in August 2021, to apply to be on “Restaurant Impossible,” instead of the other way around, it’s not surprising.
“We filled out the application and then we didn’t send the video or any of the other paperwork they needed,” said Wilmott. “And we got busy. And then the holidays came. In early January, they reached back out, and we said, okay, we’re going to do it.”
Within three days of submitting their application at the network’s request, the couple says producers and designers from “Restaurant Impossible” were inside their restaurant planning the forthcoming renovation inside an app that will be featured on the show. Less than two weeks later, their appearance on the reality show was confirmed, and the staff was being interviewed.
“They were all excited to do it as well, too,” Morgan recalls of their staff. “But we also told them we won’t see your audition. Tell them the truth. Don’t try to talk us up just to try to get us on the show. If you tell the truth, we’ll get on the show. We’re not in crisis, but we’re not perfect,” he said.
They may not be perfect, but that hasn’t stopped Morgan, a former nurse and Georgia Army National Guard soldier, from expecting perfection from his staff. It becomes clear, after engaging Morgan in conversation about his management style, why producers named the episode “My Way Or The Highway.” His husband has a more explicit explanation.
“Sometimes, he just has no filter,” Wilmott says jokingly, with an underlying tone of seriousness. “But I think at times he’s a little overzealous with some of his responses and some of his actions. And then he has to regroup and think about it after the fact,” he adds. “I think the title of this show is fitting, but I do think it could come across as a bad taste in America’s mouth.”
Morgan doesn’t completely disagree with his husband’s assessment of his management style or why he’s the inspiration for the show’s title.
“It is very much so me. It is a reflection of what goes on here day to day. I’m very passionate about everything that I do, and I’m very confident in every decision that I make. And if I say something, it needs to be done,” Morgan said.
Wilmott admits that his husband is right 98% of the time, and although his delivery can be combative and unsustainable long-term, temporarily, it works.
“People can only take so much of that,” said Wilmott.
“I’ve never had anybody walk out,” Morgan pushed back. “You have to have thick skin, but a soft smile to work here. You have to be able to roll with the punches, but deliver the punches back as well.”
As seen on Food Network
Wilmott and Morgan tell The Reckoning that they were adamant about not participating in national media opportunities or restaurant renovations during their first year and a half of the operation. And as fate would have it, shortly after their self-imposed rule expired, the Food Network swooped in and provided the couple access to national media coverage and a new renovation at no cost to the owners during the two-day February shoot.
“We left the restaurant in the state that they renovated it to, and we love it,” Morgan said. “That’s the thing. We actually love it. We couldn’t have designed this better ourselves.”
Morgan says one of the major changes to the restaurant is a wall that once divided the dining room—separating customers—and restricting access to the full “Forks & Flavors” experience, especially during their packed weekend brunch where the couple is known to transform from owners and executive chef to full-blown entertainers.
“There used to be a wall that separated both sides of the restaurant, the bar side from the main dining [room], and people would complain—' We can’t see what’s happening on the other side,’” said Morgan.
Now, Chef Irvine and his team have resolved that issue, resulting in a sleek, modern, and industrial aesthetic that elevates the entire space for diners and the fairly new restaurateurs.
“We’re only in this for a year and a half,” said Morgan.
“Which was a little unconventional for the show, too. Most of the restaurants that they’ve featured on the show have been open for at least five to six years,” said Wilmott.
“Forks & Flavors” is one of three restaurants in Georgia featured on “Restaurant Impossible” this season. The couple says they were already in the process of hiring additional staff to ensure their customer service remains top-notch. But with the airing of their episode a month earlier than expected, they’re preparing for new attention and new customers from Georgia and beyond to enter through the doors of their establishment.
“Our goal was to double our staff in the kitchen and triple our staff up front,” said Morgan. “We were looking at late June, early July, and lo-and-behold, we got a call a week ago and they said, ‘Hey, your show is airing in a week.’ We just have to take what we have and roll with it.”
But Morgan says the team is prepared, thanks to him, of course.
“I believe the way that I’ve been over the last year has prepared them for what’s going to happen [after the show airs]. We’ve practiced [being a] restaurant for a year now. And now it’s time for us to actually play restaurant. And that’s the expectation,” he said. “Failure is not an option.”
Beyond Morgan’s made-for-TV personality, Wilmott, who is the duo’s secret weapon, is clear about why they thrive in business and love.
“Our faith and our commitment to each other has brought us this far,” Wilmott said. “It’s not all glitz and glam.”
But for one night (and episodic reruns), the couple will lean into the glitz and the narrative shift about who Black gay men are and can be while taking full advantage of the opportunities this national platform provides.
“We’re gonna have a big sticker on the window that says, As Seen on Food Network,” Morgan said. “Yes, we’re [going to be] extra.”
The “My Way or the Highway” episode of “Restaurant Impossible” aired Thursday, May 12, at 8 PM EST on Food Network. You can watch the trailer here.
Credit: CNP
Credit: CNP
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Today’s story comes from our partner, The Reckoning, a digital publication covering Atlanta’s Black LGBTQ+ community powered by the Counter Narrative Project. Visit them at thereckoningmag.com or on Twitter @cnptribe.
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