Jessica Marotta was one of the waitresses on the “Campania” episode of Kitchen Nightmares but she has now moved on from the restaurant and its owner.
The “Campania” episode from the first season of Kitchen Nightmares has turned out to be one of the most dramatic episodes on the entire show.
Jessica Marotta was featured in this episode as one of the young waitresses in the restaurant, but it was later revealed that she was having an affair with the owner.
The drama surrounding the “Campania” episode of Kitchen Nightmares
Kitchen Nightmares fans regularly tune in to watch the Scottish chef and restaurateur, Gordon Ramsay, use his signature brash personality to help the restaurant owners turn their businesses around.
They also expect to find a whole lot of drama with each episode of the show.
However, the “Campania” episode of the reality series has now been shrouded in allegations of wild parties, cocaine busts, and even scandalous affairs that have had all of the tabloids buzzing.
This episode has been the cause of a Twitter feud between Ramsay and Eric Ripert, who is another celebrity chef who appeared as a judge on “Top Chef”.
Was Jessica Marotta on Kitchen Nightmares?
The “Campania” episode of Kitchen Nightmares is now known for just about everything except the failing restaurant and its bland food. But when the episode originally aired, it started out just like any other episode in the series.
Joseph “Joe” Cerniglia, the owner of Campania at the time, had originally bought the restaurant because it was already an established and successful Italian eatery.
However, Joe was running this restaurant more like a frat party than a business and by allowing the young staff members to do whatever they wanted to, he was causing the business to fail and was racking up thousands of dollars of debt.
The “Campania” episode played out pretty much like any other Kitchen Nightmares episode.
Ramsay tasted the food and observed the service, and then got to intervene with remodelling the restaurant and improving the menu. The restaurant had a particularly successful re-launch.
However, Jessica Marotta, as well as all of the other beautiful young waitresses at Campania, are the ones who really managed to attract the attention of fans watching the series.
Jessica stood out as one of the most energetic and bubbly personalities at the restaurant and was eventually even promoted to co-owner.
Unfortunately, although the restaurant remained relatively successful after Ramsay’s visit, Joe Cerniglia committed suicide in 2010.
In the aftermath of his death, it was also revealed that he and Jessica had been having an affair while he was separated from his wife, Melissa.
Jessica reportedly had a difficult time dealing with his death, but she has since moved on and has started working for a catering company.
When did the “Campania” episode of Kitchen Nightmares air?
Ramsay visited Campania in the first season of the American version of Kitchen Nightmares, in episode nine. This episode first aired on 28 November 2007, though the episode was likely filmed a few months prior.
Joe originally agreed to do the show because he was struggling with personal and professional debt, and he believed that the “good PR” from Kitchen Nightmares would help the business become more successful.
The aftermath of Joe Cerniglia’s death
After Joe’s death, many fans who had watched the original “Campania” episode were concerned that Ramsay’s harsh critiques may have contributed to Joe’s downward spiral.
However, Ramsay issued a statement which read “Joe was a brilliant chef, and our thoughts go out to his family, friends and staff,” proving that there was no bad blood between them.
Jessica also wrote a heartfelt message to Joe on her Facebook page, where she lovingly stated that she would hold Joe in her heart forever.
What is Jessica Marotta doing now?
Joe had sold his restaurant to Campania Holding Corp just before he died, in September 2010. Unfortunately, the restaurant closed down permanently not long thereafter in 2011.
On a more positive note, Jessica Marotta did pick up a few tips and tricks from her time at Campania and on Kitchen Nightmares and she started a new job at the OOH LA LA Catering and Events Co. after she left the restaurant.
According to OOH LA LA’s website, the company offers full-service, drop-off, and hybrid catering services for different events. They also promote various other endeavours, competitions, and recipes on their Facebook page.
Jessica is one of the pastry chefs at OOH LA LA, and she has won several prizes at catering competitions since she joined the company. Jessica even competed on a Food Network competition show in 2012, called “Sweet Genius”.
