What Happened to Finn McCool's After Kitchen Nightmares?
Current status
As of September 2026, Finn McCool's has closed — confirmed via newsweek.com, February 18, 2026.
Last verified
What the source shows: Newsweek's February 2026 roundup lists Finn McCool's among Season 1 closures; a tracker site last checked July 2026 dates the sale and closure to 2009, with no reason given.
- Season / episode Season 1, Episode 7
- Original air date
- Address 101 Old Riverhead Rd, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978
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What happened after Kitchen Nightmares?
Finn McCool's was an Irish pub in the Westhampton area of Long Island, bought by retired police detective Buddy using his savings, with his son Brian installed as chef despite cooking skills that, as shown on air, did not match his confidence. Buddy told Ramsay he hoped the visit would humble his son. The food mostly did that on its own: Ramsay disliked the spring roll, rejected a salmon dish that did not taste like salmon, and left mid-meal to be sick after tasting a greasy shepherd's pie. During a service stacked with local firefighters as guests, sous chef Francis dropped a chicken wing on the floor and moved to refry it, reasoning aloud that the fryer's heat would sterilize anything that touched it, a claim Ramsay repeated back to a visibly unsettled Buddy. Ramsay also found frozen vegetables and clams that were not fresh, despite the restaurant's Long Island, seaside location. For the relaunch, Ramsay taught Brian his own version of shepherd's pie, which the dining room preferred to Brian's original, an outcome the young chef found embarrassing on camera. Buddy, for his part, admitted he could not afford to pay himself a salary. Ramsay's changes focused on tightening the menu around dishes the kitchen could reliably execute and forcing a frank conversation between father and son about the pub's finances. Newsweek's February 18, 2026 report on Kitchen Nightmares restaurants lists Finn McCool's among the Season 1 businesses reported to have closed. A tracker site researching the address (rescueshowguide.com; unverified beyond its own research) reports that the pub, located on County Road 31 (known locally as Old Riverhead Road) in Westhampton Beach, was sold and shut down in 2009, about two years after the November 2007 broadcast, with no successor business named. No later reporting on Buddy or Brian was located during this review.
Featured on Kitchen Nightmares
- Show
- Kitchen Nightmares
- Original air date
- Episode title
- Finn McCool's
- What was featured
- Underfunded Irish pub with a novice chef son and unsafe food handling
- Role
- Featured restaurant
- Name on the broadcast
- Finn McCool's
Frequently asked questions
Is Finn McCool's still open in 2026?
As of September 2026, Finn McCool's has closed — confirmed via newsweek.com, February 18, 2026.
What happened to Finn McCool's after Kitchen Nightmares?
Finn McCool's was an Irish pub in the Westhampton area of Long Island, bought by retired police detective Buddy using his savings, with his son Brian installed as chef despite cooking skills that, as shown on air, did not match his confidence. As of September 2026, Finn McCool's has closed — confirmed via newsweek.com, February 18, 2026.
Is Finn McCool's permanently closed?
As of September 2026, Finn McCool's has closed — confirmed via newsweek.com, February 18, 2026. We publish a closure only with a dated source behind it, and we say plainly when it has not been independently confirmed.
Where is Finn McCool's located?
101 Old Riverhead Rd, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.
What season and episode of Kitchen Nightmares featured Finn McCool's?
Season 1, Episode 7 of Kitchen Nightmares, first aired November 14, 2007. The episode is titled “Finn McCool's”.
Did the makeover last at Finn McCool's?
The episode first aired November 14, 2007. Our most recent check was September 7, 2026 — 19 years later —: As of September 2026, Finn McCool's has closed — confirmed via newsweek.com, February 18, 2026.
What do reviews say since Kitchen Nightmares?
No later reporting on Buddy or Brian was located during this review. We summarise what dated sources report; we do not publish our own rating.
Is Finn McCool's still using the Kitchen Nightmares menu or branding?
Ramsay's changes focused on tightening the menu around dishes the kitchen could reliably execute and forcing a frank conversation between father and son about the pub's finances. Anything newer than our last check on September 7, 2026 may not be reflected here.
Every status on this site carries a confidence label and a date, and names the source it rests on. Read the Editorial & Corrections Policy for what each label means and how quickly we act on corrections. The questions above are generated from this record's own published fields — we never publish a question we cannot answer from the data.
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Visit info
- Address
- 101 Old Riverhead Rd, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978
- Venue type
- bar
- Official website
- None found
- State hub
- TV restaurants in New York
Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.
Sources
- newsweek.com — https://www.newsweek.com/entertainment/list-restaurants-bust-after-gordon-ramsay-kitchen-nightmares-11541556
- rescueshowguide.com — https://rescueshowguide.com/kitchen-nightmares-us/finn-mccools-westhampton
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Record kn-007 · last verified .