Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay may have found a Nashville-area restaurant for a new television project after he and reality TV casting company JS Casting issued a casting call for "struggling" local eateries in July 2026.
According to an Oct. 12 social media post, the British chef and a production crew were recently spotted at Vuocolo's Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar in Ashland City, about 17 miles northwest of downtown Nashville.
The untitled project strongly resembles the chef's previous restaurant-rescue formats, as the casting call sought struggling restaurants looking to turn things around with professional guidance from Ramsay.
Known for shows such as "Kitchen Nightmares" and "Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell and Back," Ramsay has made a highly
successful television career out of revitalizing floundering restaurants, and it seems that part of his next project is located in Middle Tennessee.
Does Vuocolo's have good reviews?
Vuocolo's Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar is a family-owned restaurant that serves Italian dishes, pasta and pizza and operates a full bar.
According to Yelp, the Italian restaurant has a four-star rating, with reviewers lauding its family atmosphere, good service, great food and affordability. Reviewers called Vuocolo's "a charming small-town Italian restaurant" and "by far the best restaurant around."
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Some reviewers, however, criticized aspects of the restaurant's food and dining experience, saying the "food has zero flavor" and is "mediocre at best with it being watery and bland."
On Tripadvisor, Vuocolo's has a 4.1-star rating, with reviewers again frequently praising its kid-friendly atmosphere, friendly staff and quality food.
Is Vuocolo's closed?
When The Tennessean reached out for comment, a voicemail greeting Vuocolo's Italian Restaurant said the restaurant would be closed from Oct. 9 through Oct. 13.
"Thank you for calling Vuocolo's Italian Restaurant. Just wanted to give you guys a heads up, to our Vuocolo's family, that we will be closed Oct. 9-Oct. 13, but don't worry, it's only temporary. Thank you for your understanding and continued support. Thank you," the voicemail states.
The restaurant also posted on Facebook announcing its temporary and unexpected closure.
"A Message to Our Wonderful Customers. We want to thank everyone for your patience and understanding while Vuocolo’s is temporarily closed. We will remain closed until Thursday, October 15th, as we take this time for some training, improvements, and upgrades to better serve you," the post states.
"We know you may be missing your favorite Italian dishes, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone back! Thank you for sticking with us, supporting us, and being part of our Vuocolo’s family," the post concluded.
What show is being filmed at Vuocolo's Italian Restaurant?
Neither Ramsay nor his team has publicly announced which show, if any, is being filmed at Vuocolo's. However, that didn't stop TikTok users from speculating in the comments about which show Ramsay might be filming.
"Lol I bet it's a 'Kitchen Nightmare' episode. That place is nasty," one user wrote.
"I live a few minutes down the road...it is not 'Kitchen Nightmares.' It is Gordon Ramsay's 'Secret service.' It's basically a makeover for a struggling restaurant," another added.
"On today's episode of 'Kitchen Nightmares,'" another posted.
Gordon Ramsay casting call
TheJuly casting callposted by JS Casting sought applications from restaurants located within 40 miles of Nashville, Minneapolis and Kansas City.
"Ready to turn things around? Gordon Ramsay could change your life," the casting call reads.
The casting call did not identify the Ramsay project, calling it the "Untitled Gordon Ramsay Project (Working Title)" on the application.
JS Casting has worked on the popular kitchen reality TV shows "Is It Cake?," "Beat Bobby Flay," and "Chopped."
Gordon Ramsay's full lineup of TV shows
Here's a look at some of the projects Ramsay has starred in and worked on:
- Hell's Kitchen
- MasterChef USA
- MasterChef Junior
- Boiling Point
- Culinary Genius
- Gordon Behind Bars
- Gordon, Gino and Fred: Road Trip
- Gordon Ramsay On Cocaine
- Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours To Hell and Back
- Gordon Ramsay's Bank Balance
- Gordon Ramsay's Future Food Stars
- Gordon Ramsay's Home Cooking
- Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course
- Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted
- Gordon's Great Escape
- Hotel GB
- Hotel Hell
- Kitchen Nightmares
- Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch
- Next Level Chef
- Ramsay's Best Restaurant
- Soccer Aid
- The F Word
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com.
Peter Burditt covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact him at PBurditt@nashvill.gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Gordon Ramsay spotted at Nashville-area restaurant for new TV project
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