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This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Food

Kitchen Nightmares Restaurant Sebastian's Reputedly Closing

Elise Thompson
Published Jan 13, 2008 11:00 PM

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According to WhatWouldRamsayDo.com, this email was sent out to everyone on the mailing list of Sebastian's, a Burbank restaurant that was featured on the TV show Kitchen Nightmares:

As of January 20th Sebastian's will be closing the doors. We are moving back to Boston for family reasons. We are grateful and appreciative of all of you for not only your business support but the lifetime friendships we have made with a lot of you. For those of you who know Nichole and I this is not an easy thing for us to do because this was our everything, but without family you've got nothing and they need us right now. We are keeping the same email address so if you need to contact us please do so at eatrelaxenjoy@aol.com . C'mon in and see us before it's too late! We'd love the privilege to say goodbye in person.

Truly from our hearts to all of yours, thank you.

/Sebastian Di Modica IV, Owner, Chef/
/Nichole Di Modica, Owner/
/Sebastiano Di Modica V, Future CEO/
Sebastian's Restaurant

At this time, the news of Sebastian's closing is unverified. But it would not be a surprise. Anyone can speculate as to the reason, although Sebastian told us himself last November that he was under contract to do a reality show:
"No. We're not interested in a review. We're interested in your experience with the show." ...He said, "I might not be able to say much because of my contract."

I asked, "Ramsay made you sign a contract?"

"Sort of, see, I'm gonna have my own show."

"Like Rocco DiSpirito?"

"No, well, like..."

"Like a cooking show at the cooking network?"

"Well, I can't say...the contract."

-Kiki Maraschino

All YouTube footage of Sebastian's show has mysteriously been taken down, although all of the other episodes of Kitchen Nightmares are still up. The videos have also been taken down from fox.com. The only clip I could find of Sebastian was in the montage above.

(Note: Lela's in Pomona, the other restaurant Ramsay attempted to save has also closed its doors.)

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