lynnerself
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Post by lynnerself on May 22, 2013 14:25:01 GMT -5
So... any news on the grand re-opening? It was last night right? This: In Arizona, Amy and Samy Bouzaglo had planned a grand reopening ceremony and news conference for Tuesday, but the news conference was canceled late Monday after legal threats from Fox.
Fewer than a dozen people were waiting when the restaurant reopened Tuesday. Four guards blocked the door and turned reporters away. Inside, a smiling Samy Bouzaglo posed for pictures and told customers that the tension captured in the episode was staged. That was a disappointment for some.
"I wanted it to be dramatic and people yelling," said Ricky Potts, a 29-year-old blogger who ate at the restaurant for the first time Tuesday only to declare the food good and the service routine. "Basically, I wanted it to be the circus that the TV episode was."
www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/22/amys-baking-company-reopens_n_3318720.html
And this: The mood was tense -- probably due to the half-dozen security guards and police officers that spent the evening shooing away news crews, photographers, rubberneckers, and crowds of rowdy teens.
But for better or worse, things inside the restaurant appeared to carry on relatively calmly for the dinner service, which began shortly after 5 p.m.
Prior to the doors' opening, a handful of guests gathered in the plaza outside the restaurant. Hostesses and security guards informed those without reservations that walk-ins would not be accepted for the evening but gave out business cards and invited people to e-mail the restaurant to set up a reservation for later in the week.
Through the tinted restaurant windows and line of security guards, guests could be seen enjoying their meals in the partially full restaurant as Samy Bouzaglo smiled and conversed -- even posed for photos -- with guests.
Rick Potts and Sheryl Hugill were some of the first people seated for the dinner service and had nothing but good things to say when they left the restaurant about 90 minutes later.
"I can't complain," said Potts, who also live-tweeted the experience. "The food was awesome."
The couple said they ate the meatball pizza, a panini, and the hummus appetizer, all of which they enjoyed. Though they said the servers were obviously nervous, their experience was good and Samy was "obviously working the room."
They said they asked to meet Amy, but were told she was too busy to leave the kitchen.
"I 100 percent think it's a publicity stunt," Potts said of the whole fiasco. "And it's working."
"I wanted it to be crazy," he added. But also said that for about $30 a couple, he would definitely come back to Amy's Baking Company.
blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bella/2013/05/amys_baking_company_grand_re-o.php?ref=trending&page=2
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Sum Dum Gai
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Post by Sum Dum Gai on May 22, 2013 14:41:46 GMT -5
So, how long do you think you'll have to wait before their forced good behavior by the PR firm wears off and they revert back to being nutjobs? Obviously Thyme needs to wait that long before checking the place out for us. I'm going to say give it a month, tops.
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Wisconsin Beth
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No, we don't walk away. But when we're holding on to something precious, we run.
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on May 22, 2013 14:48:41 GMT -5
a month seems reasonable.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jun 5, 2013 8:40:25 GMT -5
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jun 5, 2013 8:42:20 GMT -5
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HoneyBBQ
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Post by HoneyBBQ on Jun 5, 2013 10:34:11 GMT -5
LOL! I'm sure in Samy's defense that he thought they were planting the flies... but honestly - wouldn't you check someone's drink before you put in front of them the SECOND time they complained about flies?
I like in the comment section how a bartender explains how they actually get in there. I don't drink hard alcohol (hardly) so I wouldn't know this is something to care about.
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lynnerself
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Post by lynnerself on Jun 5, 2013 10:57:44 GMT -5
You knew it was only a matter of time before this: reality show?It seems that the Bouzaglos' 15 minutes aren't up yet.
Entertainment news website RadarOnline.com reported Thursday that Amy and Salomon "Samy" Bouzaglo, husband-and-wife owners of Amy's Baking Company in Scottsdale, Ariz., are considering offers from several production companies to appear on their own reality show.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jun 5, 2013 11:02:28 GMT -5
I will probably watch it for about 10 minutes, and then it will seem all fake and stupid like the rest of those shows.
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mrsdutt
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Post by mrsdutt on Jun 5, 2013 11:16:54 GMT -5
I saw the episode on HULU. I don't blame him for walking off.
Her posts talk about God, then she swears like a trooper on all 3 sites. If I were a professional, I'd recommend seeking help.
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milee
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Post by milee on Jun 5, 2013 11:45:29 GMT -5
I'm thinking there may be something about that general area that makes restauranteurs crazy. Not far from there was the location of one of my most unpleasant experiences ever - happened around 15 years ago and I still remember it. Not sure if Thyme remembers Sushi on Shea, but it was popular for a while and my sister, my husband and I went for dinner one night. Even though we had a reservation, we waited almost an hour for our table. Not the end of the world, but not very timely either. Although we ordered quickly, the food took a long, long time to arrive, with my sister's and my sushi arriving about 30-40 minutes after we ordered and my husband's curry dish arriving over an hour after we ordered. By the time my husband's food arrived, the sushi had been eaten and cleared away a long time before and poor DH was very hungry. Anyway, within 2 minutes of his food arriving - he had taken maybe 3 bites - the hostess/owner comes over and asks us to hurry up and leave since she needs the table. There was a vacant table beside us that she wanted to combine with ours to seat a large party that had been waiting a long time. (Wait, you're running an hour late to seat us and then taking another hour to serve the food and we're the slowpokes because we haven't scarfed it down in 5 minutes? Way to rub salt in it, lady!) I explained that he just got his food and she huffed off. She immediately went and brought over a party of 10 people, stood them awkwardly around our table and explained that the reason she couldn't seat them was because we wouldn't leave. Fun times. Not awkward at all... If that owner/hostess hadn't been Asian, I might have guessed that she was Amy from Amy's Baking Company.
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swamp
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THEY’RE EATING THE DOGS!!!!!!!
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Post by swamp on Jun 5, 2013 11:47:42 GMT -5
Amy appears to have had enough plastic surgery, so for all we know, she might actually be Asian.........
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Rocky Mtn Saver
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Post by Rocky Mtn Saver on Jun 5, 2013 11:50:11 GMT -5
I explained that he just got his food and she huffed off. She immediately went and brought over a party of 10 people, stood them awkwardly around our table and explained that the reason she couldn't seat them was because we wouldn't leave.
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mrsdutt
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Post by mrsdutt on Jun 5, 2013 11:51:55 GMT -5
I saw the episode on HULU. I don't blame him for walking off.
Her posts talk about God, then she swears like a trooper on all 3 sites. If I were a professional, I'd recommend seeking help.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jun 5, 2013 11:54:37 GMT -5
I remember Sushi on Shea, and I remember it being "the place." I rarely go to anyplace that has been open less than 6 months (a year is even better) - especially in Scottsdale. Everyone and their brother wants to be "cool" and say they have eaten at THE place, so there are a billion people there, and usually the new restaurant isn't ready to take on a crowd like that. I have missed entire places, because they opened and were so bad they failed before I could get in there. Fine by me.
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mrsdutt
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Post by mrsdutt on Jun 5, 2013 12:03:19 GMT -5
There goes Amy's champagne she was bragging about in a FB post.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jun 5, 2013 12:21:15 GMT -5
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HoneyBBQ
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Post by HoneyBBQ on Jun 5, 2013 12:28:15 GMT -5
That is brilliant!! I was expecting 3-4 stolen photos, but 20 In her defense.... it doesn't mean she didn't bake them. She maybe has sucky photography skillz.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jun 5, 2013 12:34:10 GMT -5
Marketing/advertising photos of food are quite difficult to get, so I wouldn't be surprised that any place would take a few short-cuts. Especially of the croissants, bear claws, key lime pie, etc. So what - pie looks like pie. But, if they were willing to put a million in to open the door, you would think another $5 grand to get a professional photographer wouldn't be the end of the world. The wedding cakes, and specially decorated cakes - you really shouldn't be stealing pictures of other people's work. Because I don't buy a pie because it looks beautiful, but I might buy a wedding cake because of a certain "look."
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Rocky Mtn Saver
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Post by Rocky Mtn Saver on Jun 5, 2013 12:39:22 GMT -5
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lexxy703
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Post by lexxy703 on Jun 5, 2013 12:52:15 GMT -5
OMG, I hope they aren't trying to pass off Chef Boyardee canned ravioli as homemade.
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mollyanna58
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Post by mollyanna58 on Jun 5, 2013 14:43:11 GMT -5
Those pictures inspire two thoughts:
1) I wonder if someone put a lot of effort into tracking down the photos, or if it was just so blatant that it was easy.
2) I really want to stop at my favorite bakery on the way home today.
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