Former waitress Katy Cipriano from Amy's Baking Company; ft. on Kitchen Nightmares

I'd ask a question, but your title had too much attitude in it. So rude. Why don't you just leave.

haha

Did Amy or Samy ever see an episode of the show before? How could they not have anticipated what was about to happen?

honestly i have no idea why they wanted to be on the show. maybe they thought theyd get great publicity from it??? ....

what's your favorite dish at Amy's Baking Company?

what's your least favorite dish at Amy's Baking Company?

they never let me try their food and i never felt like paying for it out of my own pocket so i have actually never tasted anything from there

I see you still work in a restaurant, is it common in the industry to not feed the waiting staff?

I mean, "what do you recommend me" must be a frequently asked question.

the restaurant i work at now feeds me daily and lets me try just about all of their dishes. that way, i feel i am able to better connect to my customers when talking about the food. not sure why Amy's didn't let me try their food [without paying.]

Where did you eat lunch (or other meal relevant to your hours)?

i wouldnt eat or i would eat something on my way home or at home

How long were your shifts? I hope you weren't starving the whole time you were working :(

maybe like 5 or 6 hours, it varied on the day

Do you know if miranda still works there?

was she ever treated as bad as you?

she quit i think like 2 or 3 days after i did. and yes she was

Any idea how much Gordon tipped her at the end of that first meeting?

twenty dollars

Hi Katy ... your interviews look as if they were shot after the production left the restaurant. Were you interviewed on greenscreen?

Also, Gordon looked like was following after to make sure you were okay. Did he say anything to you afterwards?

my interview was done after yes and haha he didn't say anything really to me, other than asking if i needed a cab ride home. -__-

Was the kitchen as clean as it was shown on the show or did they clean it up like the day before he got there?

it was always spotless. same with the dining room. we cleaned a lot.

Seems like it's a good way to pass the time when there's never any customers.

and thats exactly what we did!

On a regular day, how many people complained about the food? Were you guys instructed to just throw away food that was sent to the back? And lastly, three words in the form of a question: "Are you sure?"

1. well just imagine if you got mediocre food. just because you werent completely satisfied, doesnt mean you go complain to the managers and demand a refund or money back. most people just let it slide, i feel like. except, on this show, no one let it slide, i guess.

2. yes.

3. she messed up a table's order numerous times in a row so when she told me to deliver the dish to that table AGAIN, i simply just asked her if she was sure. didn't mean for her to get so offended!

Was what happened at the start of the episode the worst thing that you ever saw happen there or was there worse?

Edit - for everyone sending me messages about what happened on the show PLEASE watch it. It is beyond hilarious/cringeworthy/rage inducing. I have written a small description of what happened below but it simply refers to the first 5 minutes BEFORE Gordon even showed up. Link to first part - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6LY7TJ16pg

that was definitely the worse. even the producers were flabbergasted

How long ago was this episode shot? Was a lot of staged or do they really act like this?

the episode was shot in december so quite a while ago and none of amy or samy's actions were staged. people may have purposely sent back their food or falsely complained for a chance to be on tv, but that's about it. everything else was 100% real.

For Katy if you haven't seen it

oh my gosh thats HILARIOUS!!!

How long did you work there? How much did you make/hr, if you don't mind me asking. Did Samy/Amy have any redeeming qualities?

i didn't even last a month! may like 3 or 3 1/2 weeks. and i think i got paid 8 an hour i believe. and Samy can actually be pretty genuine. he referred to miranda and i as being "like his own daughters". though it was kind of creepy! haha

So what you're telling us is that he called you both cats...

hahahaha

When you started working there, how soon did you learn that you forfeit your tips? Did you consider this to be reasonable?

i honestly didnt see it as a big problem because i got paid hourly at least. and this was my first job working in this type of restaurant so i was kind of clueless, persay

Was what happened on the show the craziest thing you've ever seen them do? Either way, stories!

by far yes! they cut it off short but the first night, after samy brutally yelled at and laid his hands on that one customer, the cops did end up being called and everyone had to leave the restaurant and the producers had to pay for everyone's meals. crazzzyyy

The producers had to pay? Why?

becasue all of the custoers were escorted out during the middle of their dinners.

Did you participate in any of the "hating" on their Facebook page?

i liked like 3 funny comments but that's about it.

Were the desserts store bought? I feel like they were. They looked to...perfect for homemade.

people keep asking me this and i have no clue! im lead to believe that they were yes, but im not certain.

Is Gordon the MAN?

he's definitely super chill!!

Was it a relief to get off there? Have you worked in any other restaurants after that?

i was working at another restaurant during the same time as Amy's, and i am still employed there currently

Was it legal for them to keep all your tips? And did they tell you they did that before you were hired?

i have no idea if it is legal or not, so if someone could tell me the answer to that, that'd be great! and sammy did say, upon hiring me, that i would be paid hourly but that he pays extremely well. personally i don't count $8/hr as extremely well though...

It's not even that. The fact that customers thought the waitresses were getting the tips was the most deceiving part of it all. I doubt many would leave a tip if they knew it was going to the owner.

i agree! especially since some people would leave juicy tips even though the food was bad or took too long because of how well the waitresses accompanied them.

Did you ever keep any cash tips? I would have kept the cash ones. Screw them.

no. still have never gotten a single tip from working there

You should look into the legal side of things then. Those pricks deserve it.

i wish i had someone to help me! and i think i signed a contract for the show prohibiting me from certain legal actions.

I think that if you make minimum wage (7.25 or higher) then I don't think you qualify for tips, and maybe that is how your boss got away with stealing your tips. And the scumbags knew that they could scam money off you by doing it that way. If you waited on 20 tables a day with 10 tip each table you'll make 200 meanwhile with that 8 hour salary you make only 64 in an 8 hour workday.

EXACTLY!!!

That is not entirely correct Katy. The owner was charging tips on the check. People were giving you tips on their credit cards. Those tips were yours and they are recoverable likely with additional damages. The owners will tell you otherwise because you are young and (respectfully) naive - as were we all once.

Please contact a lawyer as I suggested above

ahhhh seee i never even knew that!!!!!

I'm relatively close to the place, I almost want to go there and send back food just to see what would happen.

i am tempted to go there too and see how they react haha

Without going into too much detail about your new job (don't want to compromise you), what do your current bosses/employers think about Amy's Baking Company and about the episode on Kitchen Nightmares?

they have a lot of sympathy for me as they didn't even really know how bad i was treated.

So I have to ask: were you really being sassy when you asked "are you sure?" If you were, I don't blame you in the least.

my intentions were good. i may have portrayed myself as being sassy but i did not mean to come off as that.

Are you afraid Amy and/or Samy may try to take some sort of legal action against you as a result of your speaking out?

if they do then that just shows how low they are going. prosecuting a teenager.

How did you get the job there? How were they when you first met them?

i applied just like anyone else and they were relatively nice and presentable when i first met them

How accurate was the way that Amy was reacting on the show?

Is she always like that, and that bad?

Are there really THAT many people that like this place, like she claims?

i didnt work there that long to justify a statement for this but i do think the show brought out the worse in them. and no it is never packed. i went there 2 weeks ago to the Pita Jungle next door and they had only 3 small patio tables while Pita Jungle was packed, inside and outside. and all tables seen on the show were people who had requested to eat there BECAUSE of the show

Pita Jungle must love them right? Seems like anyone with the slightest complaint gets told to go there instead.

What's your favorite Pita Jungle offering?

ill eat anything from there i love that place!

I was really confused about the whole POS system thing with Samy being the only person to use it. Were you never allowed to enter in your own orders?? I don't see the reasoning behind that.. I'm a cook and never have seen that done at any restaurant.

Edit: Got it, it's to cover up their shady money laundering. Was looking at it from the standpoint of how inefficient it would be, especially if the restaurant was jammin'.

nope me nor miranda could touch it. the most we could do was take orders. and i never even got to do that.

How has your life changed over the last few days? Is your phone ringing off the hook and do you have any upcoming interviews?

i don't think anyone really knows my full name or who i am haha but i have definitely gotten a lot of facebook/twitter action lately.

Were there rumors about that place that you knew of before you started? Why did you apply in the first place? (Genuinely curious! I worked for people like them in high school-- God complex and all-- I hope you do well and work at much better places in the future!)

well im new to scottsdale this year and decided to go job hunting one day around where I lived and somehow ended up with getting two jobs! one at Amy's and one at another restaurant. i did not see a reason to say no to their request for the job offer because, hey it's money! and also they seemed very polite during my interview. and I had no clue of their reputation until i googled her to read the infamous blogs.

Fascinating. Did they give you any lowdown prior to Ramsey's visit to the restaurant? Coaching, what to say, etc.?

just to do my job and not look into the cameras basically

What was your experience like prior to the show were they just as bad? can you tell us more stories?

what was your worst experience with them?

did gordon ramsay say anything to you afterwards? or once you left that was it?

i think the show just brought out Amy's inner demonic soul. and i never really had the chance to talk to gordon after i left.

So was she usually normal?

define normal

was the kitchen always that clean or did they go all out getting everything prepped when they knew they had gotten the show?

for as chaotic and mismanaged as that place seemed, I can't imagine the kitchen and storage is kept that orderly.

gordon even said it was the CLEANEST kitchen he has ever seen! and it's true! i remember talking to samy when picking up my paycheck and he noted how "food can taste differently from me to you, but everything

Was Sammy really a playboy in Vegas?

samy? you mean amy?

On the show they said Samy was a playboy, like a big player in Vegas, with all the ladies, you know?

thats a little too hard to believe.

Is it really a surprise when Gordon arrives like they make it seem sometimes, or did you guys know well in advance that he was going to be there? Also, how did you survive there for more than a day or two with those owners??!

it's kind of a dead giveaway that he is coming when there are camera men everywhere. but we didn't know the exact time of his arrival no! and i feel/felt that everyone has less-than-swell bosses in their lifetime. you just have to suck it up and be professional

Have any of the wait staff ever gotten physical with Amy or Sami? It's hard to imagine going through over 100 staff with those attitudes, and not getting clocked.

i actually don't know! i wouldnt be surprised if samy may have tried to start something though.

Are you really a viper?

i don't see any traits about me that could justify me being one, no

Was there anything good about working there?

the customers were nice

Did the owners ever threaten harm to any of the customers or the staff? When the customers were walking out because they never received there food it looked like Sammy went after them and was pushing on them. I am surprised with that being on camera that no legal action has occurred from that indecent.

honestly i just dont get how or why they still have a business.

It was tragic to watch what you and the other employees endured. Glad you escaped that horrible place.

So my question is Have people been reaching out to you with better job offers?

this happened almost 6 months ago so no! and i had another job at the same time, whom im still working for today. and they're great

How long did you work there before you knew something was wrong? Did the employees talk about how the job sucked? (making that assumption)

the other waitress and i casually talked about our disliking towards the restaurant i guess. but not much. mostly just stayed quiet. and honestly not until the show is when everything blew up

How do you feel about your AMA being much more popular than PSY's?

some old man came up to me today and filmed me on his phone and said the exact same thing. trippy

A little personal, but how much did they really pay you?

8 per hour

Isn't that just around minimum in Arizona? Also, I find it hard to believe that anyone was with the company to make up to 14/hour as they claim.

i think they just said that to make themselves look, seem, or feel better.

Did the restaurant have regulars?

i'm sure they do. not sure who though

How do you feel watching the show back now?

How was the relationship between Amy and Samy? were they happy together or what? (if you feel like you can answer?)

Are you glad they're getting this attention (do you think they deserve it?) and dug their grave pretty deep?

How are you today?

watching the show made me pretty upset watching it the first go around. but now i find it relatively humorous

What I didn't get, among several other things, is she told you to leave and that you were fired and then said to look at her when she was talking and not run away? Make up your mind, crazy cat bitch!

i am still hung up on that too!

Is Amy's Baking Co a money laundering operation?

i don't know with certainty

Did you submit your social security number to them? if so are you worried about there past?

i don't remember if they did and they don't scare me nonetheless. assholes.

Could you please contact Miranda and see if she would come do an AMA here with us? I would love to hear from her as well.

Thanks for the AMA!

i've talked to her she does not want to come forward

Other than the two douchebags...I mean owners, what was the longest and shortest someone's been employed thast you've witnessed?

that i have witnessed, me. or miranda. haha

I think Amy is Bipolar.

How often would she blow up? How often did you just completely cringe at her actions?

Thanks for doing this.

it was an everyday thing with her pretty much. and i don't fully remember but i will say she had less honorable/good actions than compared to her delusional ones.

Guys, uh, on their Facebook post announcing their Grand Re-Opening they say:

Seating is limited. Reservations may be made by emailing sjones[at]rosemoserallynpr.com.

Rose... mose... rally? NPR? To the Google!

...Why would anyone email someone at a PR firm to make restaurant reservations?

Edit: I guess it's not going to be a normal night. Still really weird.

no clue but get me a reservation i wanna make a guest appearance

0. Sorry you had to deal with those two. How much money do you think you lost in tips there?

miranda would know more than i would. but i would say a decent amount

Have you considered getting them busted for the money they stole from you and others?

yes but i don't know how or what to do!! and my parents arent the most helpful

No question, just wanted to say you're fucking hot.

i look weird as nuts in that episode though i'm not sure where my eye brows went!

Oh man! If you're legit, thanks for doing this. As the bot said, please provide some proof for us.
As to your "former" status; did you rage-quit in frustration, or were you fired for some petty and arbitrary reason?
I realize now that this is the waitress who appeared in the show, I retract my question.

the only reason she had against me for firing me was my attitude when she was giving me the appetizer. which, they did not show the events leading up to that scene as to 'why' i asked if she was sure. so to answer, i quit in frustration.

What were the events that made you ask why she was sure? Just out of curiosity.

she had messed up a certain table's appetizer dish 3 or 4 times IN A ROW. and it made me look like an idiot because i was their server and the table was getting increasingly agitated. so when she told me to deliver the appetizer yet again, i asked "are you sure?" - not meaning to sound bratty or mean or anything.

i don't know how to provide 'proof'! i posted it on my twitter but that's about it.

How old are you?

i was 17 in the episode and now im 18