Food Network show renovating Columbia restaurant

The Food Network show “Restaurant: Impossible” is in Columbia this week to try to save McLanks Family Restaurant off Paris Road.

Host Robert Irvine and his team arrived Sunday morning at 8 a.m. and plan to do renovations until Monday.

The show is utilizing local volunteers from the Mid-Missouri area to do everything from painting and crafting to cleaning and decorating.

They’re also utilizing skilled contractors like electricians and plumbers.

Irvine spoke to ABC 17 News on Sunday afternoon and said the family that runs the restaurant lost $75,000 last year.

He said the goal is to renovate the restaurant and give the community something new. The show focuses on saving restaurants from impending failure in just two days with a budget of $10,000.

Irvine said they’ve gotten a warm welcome from Columbia.

“I love Columbia!” he said.”It’s great when you have a lot of volunteers because we don’t get that many folks sometimes, and hey, it’s their community. They’re doing the work, they’re getting involved and changing other people’s lives.”

There will be a grand opening, but there was no word on the date.

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