Status: CLOSED (May 2015)
Villari’s was a 60-year-old family restaurant in Palmyra, New Jersey that holds a special place in television history as the very first episode of Restaurant Impossible. Despite Robert Irvine’s intervention in January 2011, the restaurant eventually closed after four more years of operation.
A Family Legacy in Decline
Villari’s Milmarian Bar & Restaurant was opened by Paul Villari’s grandfather in 1948, making it a true institution in the Palmyra community. The restaurant was later passed to Paul’s father, who also enjoyed great success. Paul Villari III took over from his father 15 years before the show and watched helplessly as the customer base literally died off.
At its peak, Villari’s served over a thousand customers a week. By the time Restaurant Impossible arrived, they were lucky to see a few hundred. The restaurant hadn’t made a profit in two years, and Paul could no longer pay himself a salary. Three generations of family history were on the verge of ending.
The Episode (Season 1, Episode 1)
Air Date: January 19, 2011
Designer: Fadi Riscala
Contractor: Tom Bury
As the pilot episode, Villari’s set the template for everything that would follow. In 2011, as Robert Irvine rewatched the footage years later, he admitted: “I was scared to death… we didn’t know what the show was.”
What Robert Irvine Found
First impressions were terrible. The walls, carpets, and ceiling were filthy. There was a foul smell throughout the building, and nothing about the dated interior would attract younger diners who could replace the aging customer base.
In the kitchen, Robert discovered there was no Executive Chef despite having a large menu. He told the staff there was no way they could serve consistent food without proper kitchen leadership. The extensive menu was impossible to execute well without organization.
Drama During Filming
The very first Restaurant Impossible episode featured drama that would become a recurring theme throughout the series. Part of the restaurant team quit mid-show. As Irvine revealed, “Christine quit that night. She actually walked out in the middle.”
The Transformation
Working with his signature $10,000 budget and two-day timeline, Irvine and his team modernized the tired interior while overhauling the menu. The renovation addressed the filthy conditions and created a space that could potentially attract new generations of diners.
After the Show
The changes didn’t stick. Villari’s kept Robert’s new menu for just 60 days before returning to their previous offerings. The owners claimed the show didn’t bring enough customers from the publicity, and that regulars wanted the old menu back.
The restaurant was eventually renamed to Jerseys Pub 73, though it remained under the same ownership. This rebranding attempted to escape both the Restaurant Impossible association and the declining Villari’s brand.
The End of an Era
Villari’s/Jerseys Pub 73 finally closed in May 2015, ending a 67-year run in Palmyra. While the Restaurant Impossible intervention extended its life by four years, the underlying challenges of running a small family restaurant in a changing market ultimately proved insurmountable.
As the first Restaurant Impossible subject, Villari’s holds a unique place in the show’s history. The episode’s outcome – initial hope followed by eventual closure – would prove to be the fate of roughly 60% of the restaurants Robert Irvine visited.
Last verified: January 2026
Leave a Reply