SOUTH PORTLAND – An aging building, a culture that now considers breakfast to be a grab-and-go meal and less passing traffic have all led the owners of Uncle Andy’s Diner in South Portland to turn to the show “Restaurant Impossible” for a makeover.

A crew from the show, including chef Robert Irvine, will take over the diner for three days in early June and with a budget of $10,000 will attempt to transform this struggling family enterprise, which has been a staple of the Knightville neighborhood for more than 60 years.

Owner Dennis Fogg often watches “Restaurant Impossible,” a popular show on the Food Network, with his family. At the end of the show producers give contact information for restaurants that would like to be featured.

Unbeknownst to Fogg and his wife, Tina, the couple’s four children, who all have a hand in diner operations, contacted the show about coming to South Portland and doing an episode on their family’s diner.

In an ironic twist, none of the children knew the others had also contacted the show. That fact, along with the news that both Dennis and Tina have other full-time jobs, led the show’s producers to pick Uncle Andy’s as a location.

Dennis Fogg is a comedian who does shows at the Big Easy and The Gold Room in Portland, as well as in Boston. His wife is a nurse who works with Alzheimer’s patients.

Last week Dennis Fogg told the Current that he’s “thrilled, but a little apprehensive, too,” about being selected to appear on “Restaurant Impossible.”

The Fogg family has owned Uncle Andy’s for about 10 years. When Dennis and his brother, Robert, purchased the former Uncle Andy’s Bakery on Ocean Street, the goal was for Robert to run the diner at night, while Dennis worked the morning shift.

However, Robert Fogg was diagnosed with cancer and passed away about eight months into the joint enterprise. Since then, the diner has only been open between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day.

It’s one of Dennis Fogg’s hopes that with the help of Irvine, the family can figure out how to add a dinner menu and stay open into the evening hours going forward.

Fogg said producers at “Restaurant Impossible” have asked him and Tina lots of questions about what they’d like to see at the diner, as well as things they don’t want to change, such as the horseshoe seating near the grill.

But, Fogg said, he and his wife ultimately have very little say in what Irvine decides to do. The show not only does a makeover of the physical space, but also of the menu. Fogg said he knows that Irvine is a fan of local, fresh produce, but also said his own goal is to keep meal prices down.

He’s also warned the show’s producers that what’s viable in Maine is not the same as would be workable in California, New York or other more cosmopolitan areas of the country.

On the other hand, after suffering through four years of road reconstruction and other upgrades in Knightville, Fogg said he’s ready for Uncle Andy’s to become the go-to spot for the neighborhood.

Before purchasing Uncle Andy’s, Fogg was a corporate chef at Liberty Mutual for more than 20 years. Initially he had no intention of going back into cooking, but when the opportunity came up to purchase the bakery, he decided, “Who needs vacations and sick time?”

The bakery also held fond memories of when his mother used to bring Fogg into South Portland to buy pastries. But, he said, “It’s not always been easy to stay open.” In fact, he just hired his first non-family employee in six years. Cook Joe Coreau will now be on the grill, Fogg said.

All the Fogg children, who range in age from 21 to 37, have a hand in running the diner and even Fogg’s 5-year-old grand- daughter can take orders and run the register, he said.

The diner is probably best known for Fogg’s mastery of pancakes. He can make pancakes in any shape a customer desires. Some of his most recent creations include a monkey riding a giraffe. “Once we get your kids, we’ve got you,” Fogg said with a grin.

As of now, the busiest time for the diner is on weekends. Fogg said it’s difficult these days to attract people for a sit-down breakfast during the week. The sign on the door says it all, “Customers wanted, apply within.”

“Uncle Andy’s is the type of place that people used to come in and talk about the local news, read the paper and chat with their friends; now breakfast is grab and go,” Fogg said. That’s one reason he’s hoping Irvine will have suggestions for a dinner menu.

The Uncle Andy’s episode represents a number of firsts for “Restaurant Impossible.” It’s the first restaurant from Maine to be featured on the show, as well as the first breakfast place.

Fogg said since news broke that Uncle Andy’s will be appearing on the show, “lots of people have stopped by and been interested. They want to see what it looks like before the change. Hopefully they’ll come back after the makeover.”

In all, Fogg said, “it should be pretty exciting” to be part of the show. “I want change, not too much change, but change.”

In terms of what Irvine might tell him, Fogg said he’s prepared. “It’s his job to be brutally honest. I invited him and as my mother used to say, ‘if you don’t want to know, don’t ask.’”

A closer look

Uncle Andy’s Diner in South Portland will be the focus of an episode of the Food Network show, “Restaurant Impossible.” Filming will take place on June 9, 10 and 11 when the team from the show has two days and $10,000 to transform the historic diner. “Restaurant Impossible” airs Sundays at 10 p.m.

Dennis Fogg, left, owner of Uncle Andy’s Diner in South Portland, poses with his new cook, Joe Coreau, last week. Staff photo by Kate Irish Collins