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Here are some more details about the new FYI show Say It to My Face, which gives chefs a chance to interact with their "toughest online critics" in person. The show, which premiered over the weekend, was originally supposed to star Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow — the owners of popular NYC chainlet The Meatball Shop — as co-hosts. However, Zap2It writes that restaurateurs Andrew Gruel and Anthony Dispensa, both of whom work for Slapfish Restaurant Group, have taken over as hosts.
In each episode of the show, Gruel and Dispensa host a "town hall" session between a restaurant owner and some of the people that have criticized the restaurant online on sites like Yelp. The owners listen to the criticism and then with the mentorship of Gruel and Dispensa, make-over their restaurant based on the feedback. Gruel notes that the duo outlines a strategy for turning around the restaurant "for as little money as possible, because these restaurant owners are usually on their last legs."
The show focuses on changing the food, the ambiance, and a restaurant's customer service. "Those seem to be the three main pillars in all online reviews," notes Gruel. He adds that the show wants to teach restaurant owners there is value in these online reviews: "It's up to you to listen to what they say, find the truth in it and use it turn your restaurant around. You can use online reviews for your success and, if you don't, it could lead to your failure."
While Michael Chernow is not on Say It to My Face, he is hosting another FYI show. Called Food Porn, it will follow Chernow as he travels across the country to meet the Instagram users that use the hashtag #foodporn and will "discover what made the meal so distinctive and worthy to share online." Real Housewives star Bethenny Frankel is the show's executive producer. Check out a clip from Say It to My Face, below:
