ORLANDO, Fla. – Chef Robert Irvine is known for rescuing struggling restaurants. But he's now dealing with a whole new kind of “impossible” during the Coronavirus pandemic. Entertainment reporter Allison Walker Torres has just spoken with him for a one-on-one virtual chat.

What You Need To Know

  • New season of Restaurant Impossible arrives May 14

  • Chef Robert Irvine talks about new season, new challenges

  • Many restaurants struggling because of the coronavirus pandemic

"I will tell you that since March 12, the amount of emails and calls – I've never seen this fear," Chef Robert Irvine tells us. “Restaurant Impossible is really "Restaurant Revival," you know, because that's what it's going to be. I think we are going to lose 30-40 percent of our restaurants."

While Robert is checking in on the hundreds of rescued restaurants, he's also looking forward to Food Network's new season of Restaurant Impossible.

"I will tell you, and I'm not going to give it away, this will be the most explosive Restaurant Impossible ever," Irvine said. He's referring to Lloyd Have Mercy, a Titusville soul food diner.

Pastor Andrew is the owner of Lloyd Have Mercy. His "lack of self-confidence" leads to unprecedented exchanges between him and the brutally honest yet beloved chef. You can see the drama unfold at Lloyd Have Mercy in the 2020 season premiere of Restaurant Impossible May 14 on Food Network.

But there's more! Robert now surprises some of the most memorable places and people with a visit to see how things have changed with new episodes of Restaurant Impossible: Revisited, premiering Thursday, June 18 at 9 p.m.

And catch special episodes of Restaurant: Impossible starting on Thursday, June 25 at 9 p.m., as Robert counts down some of his favorite episodes, including the biggest restaurant transformations in RI history, the worst bites, best meals and most touching reveals, and a special look at the most memorable Restaurant: Impossible relationships though the years.