Updated throughout.

The owner of a local restaurant that was expecting a makeover as part of the Food Network series “Restaurant: Impossible” is upset that the show canceled plans for the episode just a week ahead of time. He says producers cited “production issues” for the cancellation.

LJ Goldstock, owner of LT’s Grill in Niskayuna, tells me, “I felt that from what I did for them to make this happen, … that I was just tossed without anything.” He opened the restaurant, located at 2305 Nott St. (St. James Square), 12 years ago. Goldstock says the show approached him about participating; he did not apply, he says.

“It wasn’t help at all. I spent a lot time working on this. I also spent endless time keeping my restaurant afloat,” Goldstock tells me. He continues:

This was a major letdown and from what I’ve read from your blog and many others there are a lot of haters. I’ve always tried my best to serve everyone I’ve given a lot to many organizations still you cant beat out the haters. So I just get up tomorrow and the next day and the next day to do a better job and keep it running.

The show’s production company sent an email Wednesday evening saying the episode has been canceled.

The series, in which tall and loud Food Network personality Robert Irvine makes over a restaurant in two days on a budget of $10,000, announced last month that would be shooting at LT’s Grill on July 10 and 11, with the reveal dinner on the evening of July 11. What raised my hackles was that the show was asking for volunteer labor from skilled tradespeople, which given that Food Network is a billion-dollar-a-year, for-profit company, is immoral. (Note: The responsibility lies with Food Network and the show’s production company, Levity Live, not LT’s Grill.)

Asking for volunteers may also be illegal. According to the Society of Human Resource Management, citing federal law, “Under FLSA regulations, an individual cannot volunteer services to a private, for-profit company.” Multiple other sources agree, as did two veteran labor lawyers with whom I spoke. (One usually represents management; the other is a workforce advocate in such issues.)

A publicist for the producers never returned email and phone messages from me seeking comment on the show’s position on the legality of it using volunteers. (A number of people disagreed with my position on this, reasoning that if someone wanted to volunteer, it was their right. If it’s illegal, I’d argue, it’s not.)