- April 24, 2024
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PALM COAST — About a year ago, Grace and Ed Tutak, owners of Grace’s Place, which opened in 2012 after some struggles, put in an application to Food Network’s Restaurant Impossible.
“It was really a time of desperation,” Grace Tutak said. “The restaurant was not doing well at all, mostly because of my lack of experience, and the crew was a hindrance, not a help.”
The crew of previous employees from Best Bagels & Deli, which was in the space before Tutak took it over, took Tutak for a ride, she says.
Food was being wasted and equipment was breaking.
“It seemed like money was being thrown out the doors,” Tutak said. “There’s a tremendous amount of stress and tension, especially if you’re not making money.”
Now, business is picking up, but with so much to catch up on, paying employees and food expenses, the business itself has not made money, Tutak said.
But two weeks ago, well after Tutak forgot about the application, she got a call from the scouting company who handles potential stories for the Food Network show. After an hour Skype interview, a virtual tour of the eatery, another six hour in-person tour and interview a week later, and a videotaped interview, the Tutaks got the call: They are going to be featured on the show.
“I’m still a little bit in shock,” Tutak said.
Three days of filming will begin March 25.
“There’s a lot of little things that I need somebody to come in and help me with,” Tutak said. “It is such a blessing that they chose me and they’re gonna come and straighten everything out.”
Galactic Freeze reopens beachside
Galactic Freeze, which closed its doors at Palm Coast's St. Joe Plaza Nov. 30, will re-open this week at a new Flagler Beach location.
The new location, 105 N. Oceanshore Blvd., Flagler Beach, is the old Mort’s Beachside Liquors.
The beachside location is something owner Don Stevens said he has been looking for since he closed shop in St. Joes Plaza. His wife Kelly is taking the lead on the new location.
Hours of operation will be noon to 9 p.m. daily.
Flagler Beach Publix wins pie-selling contest
The Flagler Beach Publix recently participated in an in-house contest put on by Publix to see which store could sell the most pies. The State Road 100 store won the top prize by selling 617 pies.
“It’s a few ‘ata-boys,’” said Store Manager Clark Jones. “There wasn’t really a prize awarded, just notoriety.”
But Jones said one cashier/demo clerk really went above and beyond. Cindy McClean gives out samples of pies and talks to customers about the product, and Jones said the sales really came from what McClean does.
“She is the best sales clerk that I have ever seen,” he said.
