Once 'dysfunctional' Dumont restaurant now thriving after 'Kitchen Nightmares' episode

A Dumont restaurant in need of fresh ingredients and fresh new attitudes from two sons in the family business was the latest eatery rescued on celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay's show "Kitchen Nightmares."

Da Mimmo, an Italian restaurant on Veterans Plaza owned by the Gigante family, hosted a viewing party with about 120 people for the episode Monday night. The restaurant gave away prizes throughout the night via raffles and various games, including one asking customers to predict who the notoriously fiery Ramsay would yell at first in the episode.

Despite the often critical nature of the show, owner Melissa Gigante told NorthJersey.com she felt the episode also highlighted the family's positive traits.

"I think that it put us in a good light," said Gigante, a retired Hoboken police officer and mother of five boys. "We are just a normal family trying to make it work."

Da Mimmo was in desperate need of Ramsay's help when he visited in early June, having accumulated nearly $500,000 in debt just six months after opening. Gigante had begun paying the staff out of her own pocket, while her husband, Vito Sr., took double shifts as a police detective to cover expenses.

The couple's oldest son Antonio, 22, was overwhelmed as he tried to juggle his roles as manager and pizza maker of Da Mimmo. His mother described him at the start of the episode as "the person that's keeping this business afloat."

Brothers Vito and Vincent, meanwhile, admitted that they did very little for the restaurant. They frequently stayed away from the business to focus on their social media accounts, which have nearly 3.5 million followers combined.

Related:From subpar food to vibrant menu, how 'Kitchen Nightmares' turned around Wayne restaurant

"They literally just come in to cause chaos," Melissa Gigante said on the show. "Everything is like pulling teeth to get them to come in here and help."

During his first visit to Da Mimmo, Ramsay sampled pizza with cheese that tasted "synthetic," ice cold meatballs and a burnt bread bowl. He also waited a long time for his food and, upon inspecting the kitchen, noticed rotting ingredients that had been left in the refrigerator for weeks.

"I honestly have never seen a new business so dysfunctional so early," he told the staff.

Ramsay brought Antonio and Tyler, an assistant pizza maker at Da Mimmo, to an expert chef to learn the proper technique for cooking brick oven pizza with fresh ingredients. He also urged Vito and Vincent to use their social media prowess to help the family business.

"All this restaurant needs is 5% of your followers and this place is full for the next six months," Ramsay told the brothers.

The celebrity chef then remodeled the restaurant's interior and introduced new dishes such as arancini and chicken caprese for the relaunch. With Vito and Vincent's outreach, the line was out the door the first night.

As Ramsay completed his overhaul, Antonio Gigante said the experience helped his own personal growth and provided the necessary guidance for Melissa.

"My head's clear, I'm thinking straight," Antonio said. "Having Gordon here definitely helped my mother a lot, and she's feeling good again."

Melissa Gigante told NorthJersey.com she learned more about running a restaurant during Ramsay's short visit than she ever knew before. She also noted that his often abrasive on-screen persona is a stark contrast to his true character.

"He really is a genuine guy. He plays this tough guy on television … but he wants to see people succeed," she said. "He actually cares about how he can help us."

Da Mimmo is continuing in the right direction four months after the filming of "Kitchen Nightmares." Gigante said the restaurant even had reservations booked the night after the episode's premiere, a rare occurrence for a Tuesday night at the once-floundering business.

"We see a lot more positivity. We are getting a lot of new faces," she said. "We're still not where we need to be, but it's definitely a great start."

Da Mimmo was the third consecutive North Jersey restaurant featured on the newest season of "Kitchen Nightmares," following Bask46 in Woodland Park Oct. 2 and In the Drink Bar and Restaurant Oct. 9 in Wayne. The show was revived this year after originally airing for seven seasons between 2007 and 2014.