Ty Pennington and Amanda Freitag host “American Diner Revival”

Whew! That was a rough few years, wasn't it?

The economy may be on the upswing now (at least that's what the papers have been saying), but the recession of the past few years sure did a number on a lot of businesses, and it's no secret that restaurants were particularly hit hard. After all, when times are tough, it's just so much more affordable to eat at home!

Perhaps that's why shows like Robert Irvine's "Restaurant Impossible" and Gordon Ramsay's "Kitchen Nightmares" have become so popular. A restaurant with dated decor and below-average cuisine might be able to limp by during the good times, but when money gets tight for potential customers, who really wants to waste a rare night out?

Enter "American Diner Revival," which premiered last week on Food Network and is currently airing Friday nights. Together, an acclaimed chef and an immediately recognizable designer are traveling to towns across the country, where they're helping save the diners that so often serve as homes away from home.

While similar to the other restaurant improvement shows out there, "Revival" has a few aces up its sleeve that makes it its own unique and entertaining take on the genre.

For one thing, its two hosts certainly come with their own fans already preloaded. Ty Pennington hosted "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" on ABC, in which he rallied communities together to completely renovate the homes of their less fortunate neighbors. Amanda Freitag, on the other hand, is an acclaimed New York chef who frequently appears as a judge on "Chopped."

Together, the two are on a mission to save the diners that are the keystones of so many American towns. In each episode, Pennington does what he does best: rallying the diner's friends, neighbors and customers to revitalize the tired design and decor, while Freitag works with the business's chef to spruce up the menu.

Is it formulaic? Of course it is. But it's also a lot of fun and, most importantly, real. Real businesses are being helped out, and real lives are being changed. "American Diner Revival" is currently airing Friday nights on Food Network.