In a new episode of Farmhouse Fixer: Camp Revamp, Jonathan Knight faces the harsh realities of starting a business.
The New Kids on the Block star’s HGTV home renovation spinoff series follows his journey as he transforms an abandoned 12-acre campground in New Hampshire into a vacation destination in just six months. In an exclusive first look at Tuesday’s episode (above), Jonathan, 55, meets with his brother Jordan Knight for some business advice after a tree falls on one of the cabins on the property.
“It would probably cost about $20,000 more to fix this than it would cost to build a new one,” Jonathan told Jordan, 54, over coffee at his brother’s Italian restaurant, Novara, in Milton, Mass. “It breaks my heart.”
Jonathan tells his brother, his NKOTB bandmate, that he’d rather restore the old shed than demolish it, even if it means extra expenses, but it’s not a smart business decision, and Jordan isn’t shy about letting his brother know.
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“What I’ve learned through business is that you have to make the hard decision to not spend as much money as possible. I would say stop doing that,” Jordan says.
Jonathan says with anguish that demolishing the old building would “defeat me,” but Jordan reminds him that all the expenses of running a business add up, whether it’s a restaurant, live music tours or a future vacation resort.
After giving his honest opinion, Jordan asked Jonathan if he’d done any projections on potential costs or revenue, to which his older brother responded, “No, I just know in my heart that it’s going to work and that people will come.”
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Jordan listed off several other aspects of the business, including recruiting employees, researching competitors, designing a logo, etc. Jonathan then confessed, “Wow, I feel so stupid right now. I don’t know what I’ve spent my money on, I don’t know who I’m going to hire, I don’t know what demographic is going to be here. I feel like this is out of control.”
He added with a laugh: “I don’t even have a computer.”
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In an exclusive interview in May, Jonathan told People magazine that he’d always dreamed of running a hospitality business, whether it be a bed and breakfast or a boutique hotel.
“I saw it and fell in love [the campground] “So I jumped at the chance to make that dream a reality. It was certainly a lot to take on, but I knew it was a great opportunity and I had to do it,” he said.
Jonathan and Jordan, along with fellow NKOTB members Danny Wood, Donnie Wahlberg and Joey McIntyre, are currently performing across the country on their 2024 Magic Summer Tour. In May, the band also released Still Kids, their first full-length studio album in 11 years.
The next episode of “Farmhouse Fixer: Camp Revamp” will air on Tuesday, July 2 at 9pm ET/PT on HGTV.