Status: CLOSED (August 2016)
Whiskey Creek Steakhouse in Keyport, Washington is a cautionary Restaurant Impossible tale about what happens when owners reject the changes that saved their business. Despite Robert Irvine’s successful intervention, the owners ultimately undid his work – and the restaurant paid the price.
From Success to Survival Mode
Pat and Karan Ziarnik bought Whiskey Creek Steakhouse 27 years before the show because they wanted to own their own restaurant. For the first 20 or so years, they were highly successful – in their glory days, they brought in $1.5 million a year in revenue.
Then everything changed. Starting four years before Restaurant Impossible arrived, the steakhouse began to struggle. Two years later, it went from bad to worse. Their income dropped 48% since 2007. To keep the doors open, they:
- Sold their cars
- Used their savings
- Cashed in life insurance
- Lost their house in the White Horse neighborhood
They had given everything to save their restaurant.
The Episode (Season 5, Episode 5)
Air Date: January 2, 2013
Filmed: September 27-28, 2012
Robert Irvine arrived to find serious problems beyond just décor and menu issues.
A Shocking Discovery
During his financial review, Robert uncovered something disturbing: the numbers didn’t add up. Whiskey Creek should have made $400,000 after selling 18,000 steaks at $24 each. Instead, they made less than $300,000. There was $100,000 missing from food and drink sales that couldn’t be accounted for.
On top of potential theft, Robert found:
- Poorly cooked, bland steaks
- Too many fried items on the menu
- A dreary design with stuffed deer and moose heads
- Food costs at an unsustainable 48%
- Monthly losses averaging $4,500
The Transformation
Robert’s changes were dramatic:
- Cut the menu from 44 items to 22
- Improved steak preparation and seasoning
- Removed the stuffed animal heads
- Created a “clean and crisp” contemporary look
Initially, the owners were happy with the changes. Pat and Karan praised the new design and improved operations.
The Reversal
But it didn’t last. Within months, business “fell off” according to the owners. Rather than working to attract new customers to the improved restaurant, they blamed the contemporary look for driving away regulars.
In November 2013, Whiskey Creek was sold to new owners. They moved to a location across the street and, remarkably, undid virtually all of the Restaurant Impossible changes. They re-created the “old” Whiskey Creek Steakhouse look that Robert had worked to modernize.
The Final Chapter
Whiskey Creek Steakhouse closed for good in August 2016. The owners announced the closure by posting a sign in the restaurant window.
The Whiskey Creek story illustrates a difficult truth about restaurant rescue shows: even the best intervention can’t save a business whose owners aren’t willing to embrace change long-term.
Last verified: January 2026
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