Emeril Lagasse
For a while, it seemed like Emeril Lagasse was everywhere. He was on the Food Network for years, and he is the one who helped put the network on the map. As one of the most popular TV chefs of all time, he has his own line of cookware and even his own spice blends. He had so much momentum going that people found it strange that suddenly he disappeared. His absence made everyone wonder why Emeril Lagasse has disappeared.
Legal Issues With His Show In Florida
Emeril’s show was based in Florida, and there was a significant upheaval involving the state tourist board Visit Florida, the state government, and the US House of Representatives. In 2017, it was reported that his show was at the center of a debate over whether or not public funds should go to private businesses. The House got involved in November 2017, and they called for a complete disclosure of how much money the publicly funded tourism board paid Lagasse and the show. According to Visit Florida, it was around $10 million over the course of five years. According to an attorney representing the show’s producer, the show was created with the goal of promoting tourism to Florida, so the funds were legally allocated. Emeril’s Florida was canceled in 2017.
He Suffered Major Losses
Over the last few years, the celebrity chef suffered some devastating losses. In 2011, his mentor, Ines De Costa, died. De Costa owned a restaurant where Emeril would go as a child to watch her cook. She taught him her cooking secrets and recipes. He put many of her recipes in his cookbook, and she was a second mother to him. A few years later, he lost his birth mother, Hilda Lagasse. Losing the two most important women in his life hit him really hard.
The Recessions Hit His Restaurants Pretty Hard
Emeril’s restaurants were very successful for a while. When Emeril Live was canceled, the US economy took a huge hit. This hit his restaurants hard, and he had trouble keeping them afloat. He blamed Obama and the government for his business problems and said that had he kept going; he would have been broke. In 2016, things turned around, and he opened another restaurant.
Martha Stewart Bought His Brand
When Emeril’s show was canceled in 2007, he was looking for other ways to cash in on his fame. He still had his restaurants but decided to sell the rest of his brand to Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in 2008. She bought the brand for $45 million in cash, and he was given an additional $5 million in stocks.
He’s Closing Restaurants
Emeril struggled to get his restaurants out of the red, and he had to close many of them. In October 2017, he ended his lease with Table 10 after it had been open for ten years. He says that the end of the lease was cordial and said that it had something to do with the recent renovations and that the escalators going from the casino floor were being removed. Shortly after, he announced that he would be closing Tchoup Chop, his restaurant at Universal Orlando’s Royal Pacific Resort. The official statement on the closing that it was cordial.
The Cancellation Of Emeril Live Was the Beginning Of the End
When Emeril Live was canceled in 2007, it marked the end of his television career. Soon after, his other Food Network show, Essence of Emeril was canceled. When his shows ended, he fell from the public eye.
Getting Back To His Roots
According to Emeril, his first love has always been his restaurants, and television came second. He had decided to get back to his roots and focus on making his restaurants great. When he isn’t on TV every day, it’s hard not to notice that he has disappeared from the public eye.
He’s Busy Working On NOLA
Emeril opened NOLA in 1992, and it is one of his most famous restaurants. In July 2017, he closed the restaurant for a complete overhaul, which has taken up a lot of his time.
He’s Not Out Of the Game
We might not see Emeril every time we turn on our TVs, but it doesn’t mean that he is out of the game. He still very much loves food and cooking, and he has just taken his passion in another direction. He calls his restaurants his babies, and he has been putting all of his time and energy into making them as great as they can be. And he says that maybe one day he will end up back on television, but for now, his main focus is on feeding the public.
