24 Hours to Hell and Back (2018) s01e02 Episode Script
The Old Coffeepot Restaurant
1 GORDON: I'm Gordon Ramsay, and I'm hitting the road.
[blues rock music.]
[horn honks.]
I'm heading to restaurants all across America.
WOMAN: Oh, my God, no, no.
GORDON: On the brink-- MAN: [bleep.]
you! GORDON: Of collapse.
They're sat in blood.
What are you waiting for, a [bleep.]
tip? But having endured so many kitchen disasters over the years There's a [bleep.]
mouse in here.
I know that I need to do something I've never, ever done before.
I must try to save each of these restaurants In just 24 hours.
MAN: That's not a lot of time.
WOMAN: I'm scared we're not gonna finish.
[snoring.]
GORDON: Because in this age of social media, where every customer is a critic If you want fast service and good drinks, don't go here.
Next one, one star, "The food looks gross when it comes out of the kitchen.
" Oh, my God.
GORDON: Your business can succeed or fail overnight.
But when people know I'm coming, they tend to hide what's really going on.
So, this time, I'll need to be covert.
Hiding cameras in the restaurants and myself in plain sight Catch of the day, hepatitis B.
To catch them all red-handed.
I had to stop you from eating in there, -and this is the reason why.
-Oh, my God, no! GORDON: If I have any hope of saving them Bless thy soul, may I come out in one piece.
I'll have to go to hell and back.
Oh, my God.
In 24 hours.
[coughs.]
[beeping.]
[foghorn blares.]
[groovy rock music.]
This week, I'm in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Now, this city is known for its rich history, incredible jazz music, and, of course, its delicious Cajun cuisine.
Now, though this city's nickname, we know, is "The Big Easy," it's been anything but easy for the Old Coffee Pot restaurant.
This century-old bistro is in the middle of the busy French Quarter, but they can't get customers through the door.
[laid-back music.]
My name's Dustin Palmisano, and I'm the owner of the Old Coffee Pot.
It's been open since 1894.
I started working at the Old Coffee Pot as the chef.
When I first purchased the restaurant, it was doing really, really well.
One of the best breakfast restaurants in the French Quarter.
GAYNELL: We used to make big money, but it's not there anymore.
Two years ago, Dustin really started having family problems.
DUSTIN: Me and my ex-wife definitely started having some issues, and we had to file for divorce.
It definitely threw my world completely out of whack.
SHIRLEY: I mean, she just up and gone, and, you know, left him with all the kids.
I have the kids on my own 24/7.
He's a father and a mother to those boys, so it was impossible for him to be here.
And we saw the business drifting down, down, down.
DUSTIN: It's been a constant struggle.
When I'm not at the restaurant, Dawn is the one that is in charge.
I'll drink it if you don't believe me.
-Throw it away.
-[spits.]
Nah, it's bad.
Dawn's biggest issue, honestly, is she is very manipulative.
-[scatting.]
-Dustin is too lenient.
Dawn doesn't do anything.
[tense music.]
DUSTIN: I feel Dawn is doing the best she can -as a manager.
-I feel lost.
Maybe there is things I need to learn about being a manager We need a banana.
Son of a bitch.
But I will do anything for Dustin.
DUSTIN: I think once I leave, it's like a switch.
They turn it on, and they do whatever they want.
-Oh, hell no! -Ohhh, that's right.
DUSTIN: I don't know how to fix it.
I lose about $10,000 a month.
This place won't be here much longer.
I need to be able to take care of them, and without the restaurant, I don't know how I'm gonna do that.
I love you, Daddy.
If that don't work, we won't have a home for the kids.
With only 24 hours to try and save the Old Coffee Pot, I need to find out what exactly were they doing wrong.
So, my team told the restaurant that they were trying out for a traditional renovation show, but while they're being interviewed, we installed hidden cameras throughout the restaurant, and I've been secretly recording surveillance footage since we left.
[rock music.]
Without help, trust me, the Old Coffee Pot will be closed in a matter of months, maybe weeks.
Now, this time, we're doing things a little differently, and I mean differently.
Time to get changed.
Now, when people know I'm coming, they all tend to be on their best bloody behavior, so I'm going undercover to catch all of them off guard.
In order to blend in, I've invited four local musicians to camouflage me going undercover.
Sounds amazing.
Ready for lunch? BOTH: Yeah.
-Let's go.
[solemn music.]
-Hi.
-How y'all doing? -Hi.
-How many? -Five of us.
-Five? -You can put him in there.
-Uh-huh.
Over here.
Excuse me, hello, guys.
How are you? Hello, how are you doing? Let me get you a server.
Will you look how busy that street is out there? How can the restaurant fail so miserably with so many customers on their doorstep? Businesses on either side of this are packed.
Yeah.
Have you decided? May I have the Fleur de Lis Chicken, please? GORDON: We're ordering classic New Orleans dishes -The Eggs Jonathan.
-Crawfish Po' Boy.
GORDON: That any restaurant in The Big Easy -should be able to perfect.
-Thank you, gentlemen.
Wow.
Band-Aids? I just cut the [bleep.]
out of my finger.
DUSTIN: Redfish eggs, and the Crawfish Po' Boy.
You want the redfish? [dynamic percussive music.]
It's funny how all three waitresses -are standing at the bar.
-[laughs.]
Go ahead, oh, Gaynell, go ahead.
[both laugh.]
-You got it, girl.
-Yeah, baby.
Weird.
It's frozen, but it don't smell bad.
[solemn music.]
[tense music.]
It's been a minute, huh? Excuse me? -Ma'am? -I don't think she can hear me.
[bleep.]
too busy.
Ma'am? Ooh, throwing [bleep.]
on the floor.
Agh, screwed it up.
-Thank you.
-I had the redfish.
-Redfish Couvillion.
-Thank you.
-Ma'am? -Toast looks pretty burnt.
When a restaurant can't get a [bleep.]
toast right, -uh, you know it's [bleep.]
.
-Mm-hmm.
How do you like your eggs, man? Uh, I'm not sure yet.
The poached egg was rock-hard in the center.
Uh, no good.
Not good.
-All right, enjoy.
-Thank you so much.
You're welcome.
So, I've got rotten fries.
Let's sort the little chicken.
Thank you.
Hm.
I didn't even, like, consciously do that.
-[both laugh.]
-The chicken smells funny.
I don't know what they've done to it.
Meat, don't eat anymore.
I've discovered the kitchen, and it's pretty gross, and what I'm about to show you in a couple of minutes, is shocking.
I've seen enough.
Excuse me.
No problem.
[solemn rock music.]
GORDON: I've never seen anything that bad ever, and the atmosphere was terrible.
It smells in there.
It's like the restaurant has given up, and no one gives a [bleep.]
.
About time to go tell them.
[intense guitar music.]
MAN: Oh, my God.
WOMAN: Is that Gordon Ramsay? -How are you? -Yeah, I've had better days.
Can you get me Dustin, please? -Dustin? -Oh, Lord, what's this? GORDON: Ladies and gentlemen, forks down.
The restaurant is closed.
Thank you.
Sorry I just stopped your lunch.
This is crazy.
Ladies, that was me who sat down there with a beard.
Right there? Yes.
GORDON: Right there, yes.
[solemn music.]
I had to tell my guests to stop eating.
The food was that bad.
What happened, Dustin? -Just now or -You don't know? Who poached the eggs? I poached a few.
I don't know if that was the one.
-You poached a few? -Yeah.
Kay, well, Matthew's eggs were like bullets.
When a restaurant can't even poach an egg, that's not a good sign.
When was that chicken cooked? Do you re-heat that in the microwave? -Yes.
GORDON: Yeah? This restaurant needs help.
Ladies and gentlemen, I need all of you to follow me.
-Let's go, everybody.
-Okay.
[intense rock music.]
I would like to introduce you to something close to my heart.
This is Hell on Wheels.
That's my engine room.
State-of-the-art kitchen, travels all over the country with me 24/7, and more importantly, every individual behind there are serious experts.
But, listen up, all of you, this will be a shock for you all.
Recently, I've had my top team inside your restaurant, Dustin, undercover, filming surveillance for weeks.
I had to stop you from eating in there, and this is the reason why.
[music intensifies.]
Take a look.
[tense music.]
-No, I don't.
-What's wrong with you? Oh, man.
WOMAN: Oh, God, disgusting.
Oh, my Lord.
Oh, man.
You didn't just lick the plate.
What is wrong with you? -Oh, man.
-Horrible.
GORDON: [bleep.]
six--"Stuart Little.
" Them rats.
Oh, Lord.
WOMAN: Oh, my God.
WOMAN: This is crazy.
[gasps.]
Oh, my God, no, no, no.
GORDON: Oh, my Lord.
Wow.
[tense music.]
Oh, man.
WOMAN: Oh, Lord.
Oh, my God, no, no.
Ugh.
Disgusting.
I don't go again.
Never again in this place.
Never.
Do you understand why I asked you to stop eating? [solemn music.]
I've been to thousands of restaurants.
I've never seen anything as shambolic and disgusting as that.
You've lost your passion.
It shows in the service.
Licking food off the side of the plate.
DAWN: I am incredibly embarrassed.
I'm horrified.
Most I can't even say.
I'm just totally humiliated.
Anyone wanna speak up? Dustin, give me something, young man.
I'm ashamed of it.
Bloody right you should be.
Dustin, I'm willing to help, but I'm not here for six months.
I've only got 24 hours.
[dramatic tone.]
[people exclaiming.]
-That's not a lot of time.
-That's right.
There's not a lot of time.
If you can't commit to 24 hours, unconditionally, then it's never gonna work.
In these next 24 hours, I'm gonna commit everything I've got, learned, understood, my team, and put everything into it, but I can't do it unless you're prepared to give everything you've got.
-Are you sure you want my help? -Yes.
-I am.
-I can't hear you.
-Yes! DUSTIN: Yes.
MARIE: To be honest, I don't think it's possible.
In 24 hour? You cannot do that.
Get on your cell phones and ring home and tell them you're not gonna be seeing them for the next 24 hours, because the clock starts now.
[beeping.]
Customers, lunch is on me.
I've taken care of that.
My apologies.
But what I would like to see you, is to return and give us one more chance at 24 hours from now, and help relaunch this restaurant.
Would you do that for me? -Return? Please? -Yes.
Thank you, I appreciate that.
Everybody else I'll meet you back in the restaurant in five minutes.
-I'm [bleep.]
disgusted.
-[indistinct murmuring.]
That hurt.
That hurt really bad.
I'm sorry, Dustin You? I was just as bad.
I have no idea what's gonna happen in the next 24 hours.
I think it's gonna be hard.
You're fighting for one of your kids.
-That's what it should be like.
-Yeah.
That's my name on that video.
I need help.
Everything's at stake.
I just wanted to let you know, I'ma be over here all night.
24 hours damn near they gonna keep us here.
GORDON: With the reopening in less than 24 hours, my team have installed clocks throughout the restaurant to track our impending deadline.
Oh, shoot, we got a counting clock in here.
Tick, tick, tick.
[sighs.]
Okay, let me read you some recent reviews, if that wakes you up and just gets you in the zone a little bit.
"A decade ago, no question, "this place had the best breakfast in New Orleans, "but after the last time I went, "I'll never go back there again.
My eggs were badly overcooked.
" Eggs! Eggs! Badly overcooked.
Hold on, listen, this is breaking news, this one.
"I came here to eat with my boyfriend.
"I was shocked.
"The wait staff was standing around, "doing nothing all night.
The people working were so slow and so rude.
" That's exactly what I witnessed a couple of hours ago.
Wow.
Who's the weak links in the chain? I need to fix this urgently.
Look at the time.
One problem is, uh me.
You? I respect your honesty.
Why are you the problem? I wasn't trained the way I probably should've been trained.
Dustin, you're losing money rapidly.
Why? We've gotten complacent.
We've gotten sloppy.
We just act like we don't care and given up.
Okay, who's in charge? -Of the dining room? -Yes.
Dawn is.
Hold on a minute, Dawn's the chef.
So, you manage the dining room and cook in the kitchen? Yes, sir.
And you've just said you've got no experience? What I'm smelling now is absolute utter bull[bleep.]
.
How long do you think the business has got left now? It doesn't look good at all.
-No, no, we know that.
WILHELMENIA: Yes.
Ask him how long do you think it's got to stay open? How long, Dustin? A few more months, maybe.
GORDON: Unbelievable.
When was the last time this place was cleaned? Why is it so sticky here? Well, we had a cleaning schedule that I haven't been posting, -but they usually-- -Wait, hold on a minute.
So, you have a cleaning schedule, but you haven't posted it yet? I put--everybody knows what they're supposed to do.
What is this in here? What the [bleep.]
is in-- what is this, a [bleep.]
aquarium? -What-- -The water.
GORDON: Why is all this water down here? It leaks like that overnight.
GORDON: Unbelievable.
Look at the [bleep.]
mess.
Chocolate syrup, that's where we store that, behind this box.
Moldy.
Even the apron's moldy.
-Full of mold.
-[bleep.]
.
"New Orleans Roast.
" Are you telling me that we don't even own our own coffee pots? -We rent them.
GORDON: What's it called? Old Coffee Pot.
And we're renting coffee pots? Who cleans this? This Oh, [bleep.]
! [tense music.]
No! You are kidding me.
There's a [bleep.]
mouse in here.
A mouse? Oh, my God.
No.
No.
Thatis [bleep.]
toast.
[tense music.]
Oh, [bleep.]
! There's a [bleep.]
mouse in here.
-A mouse? -A mouse? Oh, my God.
No.
[bleep.]
.
My guests were served toast today.
What are you waiting for, a [bleep.]
tip? I'm gonna wash my hands.
[bleep.]
.
I've worked in countless kitchens around the world, but with an infestation like this, I don't know if it's even possible to fix a problem this big in so little time.
We're here to help, but I need all of you waking up quickly.
Please, go ahead, get started.
Dustin, Donald, Dawn, follow me.
Okay, we gotta get this place cleaned up.
We are going to take all of the furniture outside, and then we're gonna start the renovation.
-Let's get started.
-Quick, quick, quick, quick.
Kay, come on, Wicked Witch of the West.
Grab your room.
Let's sweep.
DONALD: It's gonna be a long day.
GORDON: We only have 22 hours left to transform this broken and run-down restaurant into the gem that it once was.
We'll remove and update the drab décor, light fixtures, and furniture, then open up the restaurant to embrace the vibrant and authentic feel The Big Easy has to offer.
Just stand in there for me.
What I've seen so far has been horrifying, so I'm scared to death of what I'm gonna find in this kitchen.
What's that there? [bleep.]
, almighty.
That is just slime.
[bleep.]
hell.
What does that mean when it's slime? -Bad? -Yeah, that's right.
It's sticky, [bleep.]
disgusting.
One, two, three, four, five freezers.
And this is what you call fresh food, right? Bloody hell.
What are we actually cooking here? What is that? Look at it, feel it, hold it.
It's freezer-burned, it's dry, it's gone.
Here.
There's another [bleep.]
loofa for your back.
There's the bacon.
Oh, my Lord.
You are [bleep.]
kidding me.
Jambalaya.
Are we really in New Orleans? Come on! Garbage.
I just need five minutes with this guy.
You two start clearing down.
[bleep.]
.
In the last 20 minutes, you've said nothing to me.
You just stood there and nodded your head.
What has happened? What has happened with me or this or both? Let's start off with you.
When you bought this place, you were not running it like this.
No.
I wasn't.
I studied the figures, and you're in already for over $300,000 loss.
But that's not the reason to give up.
The only thing that's gonna keep a roof over your head at that moment for you and your three [bleep.]
kids is this restaurant.
Why are we in this [bleep.]
mess? I wouldn't say I work as much as I would like to, -or as much as I need to.
-Why? -Divorce.
-A divorce? -When did this happen? -Year and a half.
And what happened? Wife cheated on me with the next-door neighbor.
He was 19.
19 years of age? -How old was your wife? [bleep.]
.
And how did you find out? We had three kids together.
After our last, I had a vasectomy.
I can't have kids anymore.
Means my wife was pregnant by him.
Oh, my Lord.
This I didn't know.
I have full custody, because of her behavior with him.
I mean, I wasn't expecting to raise three kids by myself.
I had nowhere to bring my kids, so when I would come to work, I had to actually cook everything for the whole week, 'cause I didn't know when I was coming back.
That's a tough blow.
But you cannot disappear and sink to oblivion.
[soft guitar music.]
Good.
It's obvious that Dustin's divorce has absolutely been the catalyst for every issue.
He needs to get a grip on this restaurant quick, before it's too [bleep.]
late.
And with time running low, I know the first place we need to start.
-Kevin? How are you, sir? -Oh, good.
How are you doing? -Thank you so much for coming.
-Yes, my pleasure.
GORDON: I've never seen anything quite this bad.
KEVIN: That's just disgusting.
[rock music.]
GORDON: Look at the size of that hole there.
So, they can easily come through there.
You think we can control this? You gotta be very thorough, very thorough.
GORDON: This place needs to be exterminated from top to bottom.
Let me know if you can do anything else -Okay, all right, I sure will.
-Yeah.
Please.
Thanks, Kevin.
While half my team is rushing to transform the restaurant, my culinary team has been at Hell on Wheels, whipping up an exciting new menu.
Uh, gents and Dawn, I need to show all of you something really important.
Let's go, please.
All right, he's coming, guys.
I hate having short legs.
Like, sprint to catch up with him.
GORDON: The clock is ticking away.
All right, listen up, take a look at these, because we have a lot of ground to cover.
This is a hallmark of classic dishes that scream New Orleans, cooked to order fresh, and not cooked in bulk and frozen.
Bananas Foster French Toast: caramelized bananas.
That looks great.
I like it.
Next to that, Eggs Benedict and a beautiful cake with sweet potato hash brown.
Crawfish Po' Boy.
Crispy bread, toasted, -inviting, fresh.
-Looks good.
We've got a shrimp remoulade salad.
Mixed greens, heirloom tomato, and a nice creole dressing.
A chicken and andouille sausage with gumbo, pickled okra.
Buttermilk fried chicken.
Classic, right? Let's cook together, okay? Eggs Benedict.
Hot pan.
Three slices of that caramelized ham.
Absolutely beautiful.
Get it nice and crispy on the edge.
Out.
Keep the pan as it is, piping hot.
Absorb all that fat on the bun.
Now, the flavor's incredible.
Eggs to a rolling boil for one minute.
The art is in the preparation.
A beautifully flavored Tabasco Hollandaise, glazed over the eggs.
Look what happens when I put that knife in there.
It just oozes out.
That is a classic Eggs Benedict.
Let me tell you what's gonna happen throughout the night.
Each and every one of these amazing chefs are gonna teach you one on one, and you're gonna absolutely nail this menu.
Come around, get familiar with them, and get frickin' busy.
-Dawn? -Yes.
Nice to meet you.
All right, we're gonna be friends now, okay? Right now is make or break for Dustin.
This is definitely an opportunity.
GORDON: If he doesn't step up, find his voice, and start cooking, we've got no chance.
Not only that, but his team behind him needs to learn this menu quickly.
-Dawn? -Yes? Can you do me a favor and poach me a couple of eggs? [chuckles.]
[rock music.]
Agh! -Oh, let's start over.
-What are you doing? Oh, crap, I'm already frickin' breaking the egg wrong.
Oh [tense music.]
I popped it wrong, 'cause it ain't doing right.
WOMAN: Still not cutting it.
All right, what are you doing next? Hollandaise is made in a double boiler.
You whisk, whisk, whisk.
Ooh, hot.
That was hot.
Ooh, shoot.
Careful to not get scrambled eggs, which is what's happening.
-It's getting too hot.
-Uh-oh.
-Let's go.
-Let's see those eggs.
-Looks beautiful.
-Yay.
-I messed up.
-Yes, you did.
Ooh! -Not good? -No.
Unbelievable.
[solemn music.]
Oh, my gosh.
Inedible.
GORDON: Uh, Dustin? -Yes, sir? -Two seconds, please? -All right.
GORDON: Oh, man.
There's a problem in there: Dawn.
Almost, almost getting there.
Yay, I'm finally getting there I think.
This is a girl that's, in your mind, a general manager, masters the kitchen in your absence.
She couldn't even poach an egg.
Oh, God.
[sighs.]
-Dustin -That's bad.
-That's--that's-- -Why is she employed? Is there a feel-sorry factor? What is it? Well, probably partly that.
And why do you feel sorry for her? Yeah, but she's bringing you down.
[solemn music.]
That clock is ticking away.
When are you gonna take the reins? You can't go forward in that business carrying excess baggage.
I can't believe she can't poach an egg, or know what hollandaise sauce is when we use it every day.
Make some substantial changes.
I am not good at this at all.
[dramatic tone.]
That clock is ticking away.
[solemn music.]
You can't go forward in that business carrying excess baggage.
DUSTIN: I can't believe she can't poach an egg, or know what hollandaise sauce is, when we use it every day.
I am not good at this at all.
Make some substantial changes.
-Dawn, we need to speak.
-Huh? We need to talk.
You have to go home.
It's not gonna work.
Yes.
-You're just throwing me out? -This has to be done.
-Nothing you-- -What did I do wrong? Honestly? Can you look at me and tell me what did I do wrong? You're not equipped to be in the kitchen.
This has to be done.
For me to succeed I have to be in the kitchen, I have to run the place, I have to get my [bleep.]
together, or it's gone.
This is what I need.
-Okay.
-Okay? [soft music.]
Okay? Sorry.
-Go home and get some rest.
-[sobs.]
I'm sorry.
Don't be sorry.
No, I let myself down.
I let the restaurant down.
That ain't on nobody else but me.
Okay? Can I go hug her? As a friend, yes, it does hurt, but with three kids, it's my responsibility to make some difficult decisions.
That sucks.
DUSTIN: At this point, I'm at the last straw.
Either I'm gonna do what I have to do, put everything into it, succeed, or I'm gonna-- the doors will be closed.
-Who's working in the kitchen? -Us three.
Whatever we gotta do to get it done.
A little bit.
Dustin's starting to finally understand what it's like to be back in control, but if you haven't got discipline in your business -on a daily basis -No, no, no, no, no Ooh, yeah, she just-- may I grab that one? Your reputation will fall down quicker than you built it.
You dump that, you have to re-plate the whole thing.
GORDON: He needs to find that inner strength; he needs to dig deep and wake up and get a grip -before it's too late.
-That's what you want.
-You want this color.
DONALD: Yeah, that's perfect.
GORDON: The tables are beginning to turn for Dustin.
But with limited time remaining, the Old Coffee Pot is not yet out of the woods.
[dramatic tone.]
-Do you think we hit something? -We hit a wire.
Uh, let me find a panel box.
Nail, went through a piece of MC cable.
Oh, my God.
I've never seen anything like that before.
Yes! [upbeat music.]
-Okay.
-All right, we're moving.
-We're grooving.
-Very good.
Good, good, good.
The chandelier, the big chandelier's coming out.
Where should we put it? Right in that van.
Get me the NOLA letters that are in the back of the truck.
I'm scared on this one.
I'm scared we're not gonna finish.
This place is in really bad shape.
[groovy bass music.]
-How's that coming, John? -Good.
DUSTIN: I'm exhausted, I'm tired, working all night, but to have Jonathan and my dad in the kitchen, on my side, it's amazing.
These are completed.
All right, just bring 'em straight to the table.
Okay.
Rise and shine.
Can't nobody walk as fast as you.
Let's go.
Chefs, ladies, welcome.
Just take a look at that food on the table.
WILHELMENIA: Presentation is very good.
The food looks very appetizing.
GORDON: Well, those chefs standing behind you have worked throughout the night, and they've worked bloody hard.
You can see the change here.
But there's an even bigger change, and that is in the man behind you.
Dustin, do you have something to tell your staff? DUSTIN: Um definitely realized that a lot of things -that needed to be changed -Yes.
So I had to make a difficult decision.
Oh, Lord, what's this? Dawn is no longer with us.
WOMAN: [gasps.]
[tense music.]
Um, Dawn is no longer with us.
[tense music.]
I had to make that difficult decision, because I needed to be able to step up, run my kitchen, run my restaurant the way it needs to be ran.
Is that Dustin that's doing all the talking? Change, change, like, overnight.
Dustin, a great move that you made, and I think all of us appreciate you making that great move.
Yes.
Yes.
It felt amazing to have the staff behind me after the difficult decisions that were made.
Thank you.
Thanks for everything.
DUSTIN: Today, for the first time, I will admit that I think I got my staff's attention.
To have them fully committed with me, never felt that with them before.
You're ready for more, aren't you? -Yes.
GORDON: Good.
The journey hasn't even started yet.
Two very important things: This is the staple of a menu that we'll be launching tonight.
Small menu, but it's a fresh, powerful menu.
Now, we are on one of the busiest quarters anywhere in New Orleans.
This is one of the biggest missed opportunities: the Old Coffee Pot grab-and-go.
What is that saying on that bag? ALL: "Old Coffee Pot.
" -The Old Coffee Pot.
It is a marketing tool.
It is a way of selling that business.
Coffee to go, beignets to go.
I want all of you to dig in and start tasting this menu.
-Mmm.
-Mmm-mmm.
SHIRLEY: This is very good.
JONATHAN: It tastes completely different.
Very good.
-Chicken's good, huh? -Yeah, it's one of the best.
Matter of fact, everything is good.
[laughter.]
The new menu, I'm super excited about it.
That's what we needed.
We needed some sort of guideline, like, "This is what you do," and it's a great start.
GORDON: With only four hours until the relaunch, the team is racing to finish the renovation, but signs of fatigue are showing.
Oh, this is great out here.
[snoring.]
[chuckles.]
Wilhelmenia.
[upbeat music.]
[snoring.]
Really good job.
Bright, vibrant, authentic.
You got it, you got it.
That's gonna hang there, is that right? Uh, Dustin, I need you in the kitchen now.
Let's go.
Just come in here.
How does this feel? How does it look? DUSTIN: It definitely does not look like the same restaurant.
[laughs.]
GORDON: This place has been gutted top to bottom.
It has been steamed clean.
It is immaculate.
And an exterminator has gotten rid of all those rats.
It's up to you to continue that, yes? -Yes.
-Now, a gift: an amazing array of professional equipment from Breville.
We've gotten some utensils as well: weight and measures, microplanes, spatulas, spoons.
And last but not least, your new coffee machines! Yay! [all cheer.]
-It's your own machine! -Yes.
GORDON: All right.
You, get them going.
You get organized.
We're 46 minutes away from opening those doors.
Yeah? GAYNELL: I need to go get our uniform shirts.
Girl, we gotta get ready.
Re-butter all of these for me.
Coming through.
Finishing the project.
We're good.
I think we're totally good.
GORDON: [bleep.]
come on.
Let's go! [tense music.]
Final meeting.
Oh, no, we're leaning at the bar.
-No leaning at the bar.
-[laughs.]
[overlapping chatter.]
Um, just turn around, and have a look at this gorgeous room.
WILHELMENIA: The looks of it is so beautiful.
GORDON: Yes.
WILHELMENIA: Oh, my God.
GAYNELL: It make you wanna do a little bit more, -just a little bit more -Oh, no, no, no Just a lot.
A lot.
[laughs.]
No, no, we're selling, we're not dancing.
90 seconds before we go.
Final words: Young man, how are you feeling? Feeling good.
It's been a tough 24 hours, right? -[chuckles.]
-You've been to hell and back.
That's putting it lightly.
Anything you'd like to say to the team? I thank y'all for standing behind me and rallying, and now it's time that we have to put it to work.
Damn right.
That's right.
-Yeah.
-[applause.]
-Right.
-Yes, well done.
Remember what's at stake.
ALL: Five, four, three, two, one.
-Let's go.
Come on.
-[applause.]
It's the new Coffee Pot.
Oh, it's adorable.
Such a cute place.
GORDON: In only 24 hours, my team has completely renovated the Old Coffee Pot from top to bottom.
MATTHEW: It's really come together.
It really looks completely different.
GORDON: We have replaced the dated décor with a fresh and modern look.
Isn't it beautiful? MAN: It is beautiful.
GAYNELL: Oh, I feel good.
I feel good.
It's just a pleasure to walk into something like this.
GORDON: Customers will no longer walk past an abandoned and dirty restaurant -We're ready, right? -Got this.
GORDON: They'll see a revived eatery that has been serving the Big Easy for over 100 years, and a menu that brings old-world charm into every bite.
It's warm outside.
Do you fancy a nice cold brew? It's--[chuckles.]
--warm outside.
How about a nice cold brew? I love this place.
We just like to make the customers smile.
You got gray hairs coming.
Oh, yeah.
You're giving them to me.
I think it's all gonna work out.
On the menu, we have-- Fried chicken First order on, Dustin, yes? Shrimp Remoulade, Gumbo, Crawfish Po' Boy.
Crawfish Po' Boy.
Got it.
Good.
Get that pan nice and hot first, yeah? -You, use your voice tonight -Yes, Chef.
Do as you're told and listen, yes? -Yes, Chef.
-Good.
-Is this your appetizer? -Yeah.
DUSTIN: Order coming in.
JONATHAN: Two Banana Fosters, two minutes.
Good, nice timing.
DUSTIN: Order up for table five.
Coming up now, order, Gaynell.
Order up.
Ooh, nice.
-[speaks indistinctly.]
-Lots of fresh crème.
-Hi.
That's beautiful.
-Awesome.
Oh, my God.
-Thank you so much.
-All right.
This is the cutest.
-Mmm.
-Wow, that's good.
We got one chicken, right? DONALD: Chicken.
DUSTIN: Two chickens.
-Two chickens.
-All right.
What's going next, please? Two--two fried--I have four.
Two chickens, one, uh No, you have two right now.
DONALD: Two fried-- two fried chickens.
Come on, please, guys, this is not [bleep.]
difficult.
-Two fried chickens up.
-Thank you.
Thank you.
Chickens for the gentlemen, and I'll be back with your gumbo.
[tense music.]
MAN: Excuse me Okay.
-What's wrong? -I'm sorry.
-[mumbles.]
-It's raw.
What happened? Oh, [bleep.]
.
No, no, no, [bleep.]
hell.
Hey, hey, all of you! This is [bleep.]
undercooked.
It's [bleep.]
raw, both of them.
[dramatic tone.]
[tense music.]
This is [bleep.]
undercooked.
It's [bleep.]
raw, both of them.
That's not 30 seconds away, okay? Now when they're that thick, how long do they need? About eight minutes? Hey, we got off to a great start.
I know it's a mistake, but don't drop your head now.
You can't give up.
Now, I know it's your dad, but you still gotta tell him it's [bleep.]
undercooked.
[bleep.]
.
-They're raw.
-The chickens? Chickens.
You [bleep.]
should've cooked.
And look, Dustin, don't go quiet on me, okay? -Yes, sir.
-We're re-firing them.
Let's get over it and bounce back, yes? What's the ETA on another chicken? One minute.
[rock music.]
All right.
Concentrate, concentrate.
You got this.
Don't buckle.
Two chickens, right there.
DUSTIN: Order up! Lovely color, Donald, on the chicken.
-Nice and crispy.
Good.
-Thank you.
Follow to table six, please, thank you.
Good job.
Thank you.
Good, that's how we work as a team.
Keep it going, yes? With the kitchen running together Two fried chickens, one Benedict.
GORDON: And Dustin's passion reignited -We got this.
-Behind you, Chef.
-Hey, it's ready.
-Yeah.
-Thank you.
-You got it.
GORDON: I'm finally starting to see the charm of the Old Coffee Pot again And so are the customers.
Ladies, nice to see you.
Good evening.
Hi.
Are you, uh, picking up some coffee? -To grab and go.
-Grab and go, how nice.
I wanna try the Caribbean.
That sounds good.
And then the beignets.
WOMAN: This place is cute.
WILHELMENIA: There you are.
-Thank you so much.
WILHELMENIA: All right, thank you.
GORDON: With a logo stamped on every grab-and-go bag, the Old Coffee Pot will be seen throughout all the French Quarter.
Dustin, VIP table.
-This time they're not critics.
-Okay.
I think you'll recognize them.
Look at those dudes over there.
-Oh, man -Hi, Daddy! Look at--[chuckles.]
Look at--[chuckles.]
-Hey, Dad! -Look--[chuckles.]
Hey, how cool are they? Man.
First of all, congratulations, uh, not just on an amazing family, the help you got with that family.
DUSTIN: My kids are the most important to me.
Everything I've done regardless of what I've been through, this is the reason I do it.
I do this for them.
That's what it's all about, right? This and securing their future.
You know Daddy's lucky, right? He's excited.
I'm happy.
I believe I have so much more confidence now than I had 24 hours ago.
Love you.
All right, see you in a little while.
I'm very proud of how it came together, but I think it started with me.
I had to make decisions.
I had to get myself together.
My time is done.
Good luck.
Thank you.
And wear that jacket with pride.
I'm the one that bought this restaurant.
I'm the one that is gonna put it back on the map.
Follow me.
A present for all of you.
[soft music.]
[laughter.]
Oh, thank you! It's for bread, not a hamster wheel, okay? [laughter.]
Right.
Good night.
Good night.
Thank you so much.
Thank you so much.
These last 24 hours, honestly, I've truly gone to hell and back, but tonight, the Old Coffee Pot heartbeat is beating strongly again.
It's returning to its former glory days.
Man, I'm toast.
Not as much as that [bleep.]
mouse.
What the [bleep.]
was all that about? Good evening.
Nice to see you.
Watch out for the mice.
Hey Chef Gordon, this is Dustin from the Old Coffee Pot and I was just giving y'all an update on everything.
The restaurant's been doing pretty good.
We had our ups and downs Banana Foster all day, one yogurt, one gumbo.
But the menu's doing really well.
Everybody seems to love the items.
French toast.
DUSTIN: The kids are awesome Daddy, you super rad.
But they're not liking me working all my nights.
WILHELMENIA: Gordon Ramsay, all the ladies at the Coffee Pot are doing very well.
And thank you so much for everything that you did for us.
And I thought maybe you might want an order of toast.
GORDON: Next week, I head to the heart of Los Angeles, where I meet an owner so broken by tragedy I never saw when they pulled that trigger, but I heard it all over the place.
GORDON: That he has lost control of his business I quit.
GORDON: And the staff that runs it.
What a disgusting way to behave in front of your boss.
-You should be ashamed.
-I'm not.
GORDON: The only chance I have to save this restaurant Where's the guy with 37 years' experience gone? Will be to save him first.
What's more important to you, family or a restaurant?
[blues rock music.]
[horn honks.]
I'm heading to restaurants all across America.
WOMAN: Oh, my God, no, no.
GORDON: On the brink-- MAN: [bleep.]
you! GORDON: Of collapse.
They're sat in blood.
What are you waiting for, a [bleep.]
tip? But having endured so many kitchen disasters over the years There's a [bleep.]
mouse in here.
I know that I need to do something I've never, ever done before.
I must try to save each of these restaurants In just 24 hours.
MAN: That's not a lot of time.
WOMAN: I'm scared we're not gonna finish.
[snoring.]
GORDON: Because in this age of social media, where every customer is a critic If you want fast service and good drinks, don't go here.
Next one, one star, "The food looks gross when it comes out of the kitchen.
" Oh, my God.
GORDON: Your business can succeed or fail overnight.
But when people know I'm coming, they tend to hide what's really going on.
So, this time, I'll need to be covert.
Hiding cameras in the restaurants and myself in plain sight Catch of the day, hepatitis B.
To catch them all red-handed.
I had to stop you from eating in there, -and this is the reason why.
-Oh, my God, no! GORDON: If I have any hope of saving them Bless thy soul, may I come out in one piece.
I'll have to go to hell and back.
Oh, my God.
In 24 hours.
[coughs.]
[beeping.]
[foghorn blares.]
[groovy rock music.]
This week, I'm in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Now, this city is known for its rich history, incredible jazz music, and, of course, its delicious Cajun cuisine.
Now, though this city's nickname, we know, is "The Big Easy," it's been anything but easy for the Old Coffee Pot restaurant.
This century-old bistro is in the middle of the busy French Quarter, but they can't get customers through the door.
[laid-back music.]
My name's Dustin Palmisano, and I'm the owner of the Old Coffee Pot.
It's been open since 1894.
I started working at the Old Coffee Pot as the chef.
When I first purchased the restaurant, it was doing really, really well.
One of the best breakfast restaurants in the French Quarter.
GAYNELL: We used to make big money, but it's not there anymore.
Two years ago, Dustin really started having family problems.
DUSTIN: Me and my ex-wife definitely started having some issues, and we had to file for divorce.
It definitely threw my world completely out of whack.
SHIRLEY: I mean, she just up and gone, and, you know, left him with all the kids.
I have the kids on my own 24/7.
He's a father and a mother to those boys, so it was impossible for him to be here.
And we saw the business drifting down, down, down.
DUSTIN: It's been a constant struggle.
When I'm not at the restaurant, Dawn is the one that is in charge.
I'll drink it if you don't believe me.
-Throw it away.
-[spits.]
Nah, it's bad.
Dawn's biggest issue, honestly, is she is very manipulative.
-[scatting.]
-Dustin is too lenient.
Dawn doesn't do anything.
[tense music.]
DUSTIN: I feel Dawn is doing the best she can -as a manager.
-I feel lost.
Maybe there is things I need to learn about being a manager We need a banana.
Son of a bitch.
But I will do anything for Dustin.
DUSTIN: I think once I leave, it's like a switch.
They turn it on, and they do whatever they want.
-Oh, hell no! -Ohhh, that's right.
DUSTIN: I don't know how to fix it.
I lose about $10,000 a month.
This place won't be here much longer.
I need to be able to take care of them, and without the restaurant, I don't know how I'm gonna do that.
I love you, Daddy.
If that don't work, we won't have a home for the kids.
With only 24 hours to try and save the Old Coffee Pot, I need to find out what exactly were they doing wrong.
So, my team told the restaurant that they were trying out for a traditional renovation show, but while they're being interviewed, we installed hidden cameras throughout the restaurant, and I've been secretly recording surveillance footage since we left.
[rock music.]
Without help, trust me, the Old Coffee Pot will be closed in a matter of months, maybe weeks.
Now, this time, we're doing things a little differently, and I mean differently.
Time to get changed.
Now, when people know I'm coming, they all tend to be on their best bloody behavior, so I'm going undercover to catch all of them off guard.
In order to blend in, I've invited four local musicians to camouflage me going undercover.
Sounds amazing.
Ready for lunch? BOTH: Yeah.
-Let's go.
[solemn music.]
-Hi.
-How y'all doing? -Hi.
-How many? -Five of us.
-Five? -You can put him in there.
-Uh-huh.
Over here.
Excuse me, hello, guys.
How are you? Hello, how are you doing? Let me get you a server.
Will you look how busy that street is out there? How can the restaurant fail so miserably with so many customers on their doorstep? Businesses on either side of this are packed.
Yeah.
Have you decided? May I have the Fleur de Lis Chicken, please? GORDON: We're ordering classic New Orleans dishes -The Eggs Jonathan.
-Crawfish Po' Boy.
GORDON: That any restaurant in The Big Easy -should be able to perfect.
-Thank you, gentlemen.
Wow.
Band-Aids? I just cut the [bleep.]
out of my finger.
DUSTIN: Redfish eggs, and the Crawfish Po' Boy.
You want the redfish? [dynamic percussive music.]
It's funny how all three waitresses -are standing at the bar.
-[laughs.]
Go ahead, oh, Gaynell, go ahead.
[both laugh.]
-You got it, girl.
-Yeah, baby.
Weird.
It's frozen, but it don't smell bad.
[solemn music.]
[tense music.]
It's been a minute, huh? Excuse me? -Ma'am? -I don't think she can hear me.
[bleep.]
too busy.
Ma'am? Ooh, throwing [bleep.]
on the floor.
Agh, screwed it up.
-Thank you.
-I had the redfish.
-Redfish Couvillion.
-Thank you.
-Ma'am? -Toast looks pretty burnt.
When a restaurant can't get a [bleep.]
toast right, -uh, you know it's [bleep.]
.
-Mm-hmm.
How do you like your eggs, man? Uh, I'm not sure yet.
The poached egg was rock-hard in the center.
Uh, no good.
Not good.
-All right, enjoy.
-Thank you so much.
You're welcome.
So, I've got rotten fries.
Let's sort the little chicken.
Thank you.
Hm.
I didn't even, like, consciously do that.
-[both laugh.]
-The chicken smells funny.
I don't know what they've done to it.
Meat, don't eat anymore.
I've discovered the kitchen, and it's pretty gross, and what I'm about to show you in a couple of minutes, is shocking.
I've seen enough.
Excuse me.
No problem.
[solemn rock music.]
GORDON: I've never seen anything that bad ever, and the atmosphere was terrible.
It smells in there.
It's like the restaurant has given up, and no one gives a [bleep.]
.
About time to go tell them.
[intense guitar music.]
MAN: Oh, my God.
WOMAN: Is that Gordon Ramsay? -How are you? -Yeah, I've had better days.
Can you get me Dustin, please? -Dustin? -Oh, Lord, what's this? GORDON: Ladies and gentlemen, forks down.
The restaurant is closed.
Thank you.
Sorry I just stopped your lunch.
This is crazy.
Ladies, that was me who sat down there with a beard.
Right there? Yes.
GORDON: Right there, yes.
[solemn music.]
I had to tell my guests to stop eating.
The food was that bad.
What happened, Dustin? -Just now or -You don't know? Who poached the eggs? I poached a few.
I don't know if that was the one.
-You poached a few? -Yeah.
Kay, well, Matthew's eggs were like bullets.
When a restaurant can't even poach an egg, that's not a good sign.
When was that chicken cooked? Do you re-heat that in the microwave? -Yes.
GORDON: Yeah? This restaurant needs help.
Ladies and gentlemen, I need all of you to follow me.
-Let's go, everybody.
-Okay.
[intense rock music.]
I would like to introduce you to something close to my heart.
This is Hell on Wheels.
That's my engine room.
State-of-the-art kitchen, travels all over the country with me 24/7, and more importantly, every individual behind there are serious experts.
But, listen up, all of you, this will be a shock for you all.
Recently, I've had my top team inside your restaurant, Dustin, undercover, filming surveillance for weeks.
I had to stop you from eating in there, and this is the reason why.
[music intensifies.]
Take a look.
[tense music.]
-No, I don't.
-What's wrong with you? Oh, man.
WOMAN: Oh, God, disgusting.
Oh, my Lord.
Oh, man.
You didn't just lick the plate.
What is wrong with you? -Oh, man.
-Horrible.
GORDON: [bleep.]
six--"Stuart Little.
" Them rats.
Oh, Lord.
WOMAN: Oh, my God.
WOMAN: This is crazy.
[gasps.]
Oh, my God, no, no, no.
GORDON: Oh, my Lord.
Wow.
[tense music.]
Oh, man.
WOMAN: Oh, Lord.
Oh, my God, no, no.
Ugh.
Disgusting.
I don't go again.
Never again in this place.
Never.
Do you understand why I asked you to stop eating? [solemn music.]
I've been to thousands of restaurants.
I've never seen anything as shambolic and disgusting as that.
You've lost your passion.
It shows in the service.
Licking food off the side of the plate.
DAWN: I am incredibly embarrassed.
I'm horrified.
Most I can't even say.
I'm just totally humiliated.
Anyone wanna speak up? Dustin, give me something, young man.
I'm ashamed of it.
Bloody right you should be.
Dustin, I'm willing to help, but I'm not here for six months.
I've only got 24 hours.
[dramatic tone.]
[people exclaiming.]
-That's not a lot of time.
-That's right.
There's not a lot of time.
If you can't commit to 24 hours, unconditionally, then it's never gonna work.
In these next 24 hours, I'm gonna commit everything I've got, learned, understood, my team, and put everything into it, but I can't do it unless you're prepared to give everything you've got.
-Are you sure you want my help? -Yes.
-I am.
-I can't hear you.
-Yes! DUSTIN: Yes.
MARIE: To be honest, I don't think it's possible.
In 24 hour? You cannot do that.
Get on your cell phones and ring home and tell them you're not gonna be seeing them for the next 24 hours, because the clock starts now.
[beeping.]
Customers, lunch is on me.
I've taken care of that.
My apologies.
But what I would like to see you, is to return and give us one more chance at 24 hours from now, and help relaunch this restaurant.
Would you do that for me? -Return? Please? -Yes.
Thank you, I appreciate that.
Everybody else I'll meet you back in the restaurant in five minutes.
-I'm [bleep.]
disgusted.
-[indistinct murmuring.]
That hurt.
That hurt really bad.
I'm sorry, Dustin You? I was just as bad.
I have no idea what's gonna happen in the next 24 hours.
I think it's gonna be hard.
You're fighting for one of your kids.
-That's what it should be like.
-Yeah.
That's my name on that video.
I need help.
Everything's at stake.
I just wanted to let you know, I'ma be over here all night.
24 hours damn near they gonna keep us here.
GORDON: With the reopening in less than 24 hours, my team have installed clocks throughout the restaurant to track our impending deadline.
Oh, shoot, we got a counting clock in here.
Tick, tick, tick.
[sighs.]
Okay, let me read you some recent reviews, if that wakes you up and just gets you in the zone a little bit.
"A decade ago, no question, "this place had the best breakfast in New Orleans, "but after the last time I went, "I'll never go back there again.
My eggs were badly overcooked.
" Eggs! Eggs! Badly overcooked.
Hold on, listen, this is breaking news, this one.
"I came here to eat with my boyfriend.
"I was shocked.
"The wait staff was standing around, "doing nothing all night.
The people working were so slow and so rude.
" That's exactly what I witnessed a couple of hours ago.
Wow.
Who's the weak links in the chain? I need to fix this urgently.
Look at the time.
One problem is, uh me.
You? I respect your honesty.
Why are you the problem? I wasn't trained the way I probably should've been trained.
Dustin, you're losing money rapidly.
Why? We've gotten complacent.
We've gotten sloppy.
We just act like we don't care and given up.
Okay, who's in charge? -Of the dining room? -Yes.
Dawn is.
Hold on a minute, Dawn's the chef.
So, you manage the dining room and cook in the kitchen? Yes, sir.
And you've just said you've got no experience? What I'm smelling now is absolute utter bull[bleep.]
.
How long do you think the business has got left now? It doesn't look good at all.
-No, no, we know that.
WILHELMENIA: Yes.
Ask him how long do you think it's got to stay open? How long, Dustin? A few more months, maybe.
GORDON: Unbelievable.
When was the last time this place was cleaned? Why is it so sticky here? Well, we had a cleaning schedule that I haven't been posting, -but they usually-- -Wait, hold on a minute.
So, you have a cleaning schedule, but you haven't posted it yet? I put--everybody knows what they're supposed to do.
What is this in here? What the [bleep.]
is in-- what is this, a [bleep.]
aquarium? -What-- -The water.
GORDON: Why is all this water down here? It leaks like that overnight.
GORDON: Unbelievable.
Look at the [bleep.]
mess.
Chocolate syrup, that's where we store that, behind this box.
Moldy.
Even the apron's moldy.
-Full of mold.
-[bleep.]
.
"New Orleans Roast.
" Are you telling me that we don't even own our own coffee pots? -We rent them.
GORDON: What's it called? Old Coffee Pot.
And we're renting coffee pots? Who cleans this? This Oh, [bleep.]
! [tense music.]
No! You are kidding me.
There's a [bleep.]
mouse in here.
A mouse? Oh, my God.
No.
No.
Thatis [bleep.]
toast.
[tense music.]
Oh, [bleep.]
! There's a [bleep.]
mouse in here.
-A mouse? -A mouse? Oh, my God.
No.
[bleep.]
.
My guests were served toast today.
What are you waiting for, a [bleep.]
tip? I'm gonna wash my hands.
[bleep.]
.
I've worked in countless kitchens around the world, but with an infestation like this, I don't know if it's even possible to fix a problem this big in so little time.
We're here to help, but I need all of you waking up quickly.
Please, go ahead, get started.
Dustin, Donald, Dawn, follow me.
Okay, we gotta get this place cleaned up.
We are going to take all of the furniture outside, and then we're gonna start the renovation.
-Let's get started.
-Quick, quick, quick, quick.
Kay, come on, Wicked Witch of the West.
Grab your room.
Let's sweep.
DONALD: It's gonna be a long day.
GORDON: We only have 22 hours left to transform this broken and run-down restaurant into the gem that it once was.
We'll remove and update the drab décor, light fixtures, and furniture, then open up the restaurant to embrace the vibrant and authentic feel The Big Easy has to offer.
Just stand in there for me.
What I've seen so far has been horrifying, so I'm scared to death of what I'm gonna find in this kitchen.
What's that there? [bleep.]
, almighty.
That is just slime.
[bleep.]
hell.
What does that mean when it's slime? -Bad? -Yeah, that's right.
It's sticky, [bleep.]
disgusting.
One, two, three, four, five freezers.
And this is what you call fresh food, right? Bloody hell.
What are we actually cooking here? What is that? Look at it, feel it, hold it.
It's freezer-burned, it's dry, it's gone.
Here.
There's another [bleep.]
loofa for your back.
There's the bacon.
Oh, my Lord.
You are [bleep.]
kidding me.
Jambalaya.
Are we really in New Orleans? Come on! Garbage.
I just need five minutes with this guy.
You two start clearing down.
[bleep.]
.
In the last 20 minutes, you've said nothing to me.
You just stood there and nodded your head.
What has happened? What has happened with me or this or both? Let's start off with you.
When you bought this place, you were not running it like this.
No.
I wasn't.
I studied the figures, and you're in already for over $300,000 loss.
But that's not the reason to give up.
The only thing that's gonna keep a roof over your head at that moment for you and your three [bleep.]
kids is this restaurant.
Why are we in this [bleep.]
mess? I wouldn't say I work as much as I would like to, -or as much as I need to.
-Why? -Divorce.
-A divorce? -When did this happen? -Year and a half.
And what happened? Wife cheated on me with the next-door neighbor.
He was 19.
19 years of age? -How old was your wife? [bleep.]
.
And how did you find out? We had three kids together.
After our last, I had a vasectomy.
I can't have kids anymore.
Means my wife was pregnant by him.
Oh, my Lord.
This I didn't know.
I have full custody, because of her behavior with him.
I mean, I wasn't expecting to raise three kids by myself.
I had nowhere to bring my kids, so when I would come to work, I had to actually cook everything for the whole week, 'cause I didn't know when I was coming back.
That's a tough blow.
But you cannot disappear and sink to oblivion.
[soft guitar music.]
Good.
It's obvious that Dustin's divorce has absolutely been the catalyst for every issue.
He needs to get a grip on this restaurant quick, before it's too [bleep.]
late.
And with time running low, I know the first place we need to start.
-Kevin? How are you, sir? -Oh, good.
How are you doing? -Thank you so much for coming.
-Yes, my pleasure.
GORDON: I've never seen anything quite this bad.
KEVIN: That's just disgusting.
[rock music.]
GORDON: Look at the size of that hole there.
So, they can easily come through there.
You think we can control this? You gotta be very thorough, very thorough.
GORDON: This place needs to be exterminated from top to bottom.
Let me know if you can do anything else -Okay, all right, I sure will.
-Yeah.
Please.
Thanks, Kevin.
While half my team is rushing to transform the restaurant, my culinary team has been at Hell on Wheels, whipping up an exciting new menu.
Uh, gents and Dawn, I need to show all of you something really important.
Let's go, please.
All right, he's coming, guys.
I hate having short legs.
Like, sprint to catch up with him.
GORDON: The clock is ticking away.
All right, listen up, take a look at these, because we have a lot of ground to cover.
This is a hallmark of classic dishes that scream New Orleans, cooked to order fresh, and not cooked in bulk and frozen.
Bananas Foster French Toast: caramelized bananas.
That looks great.
I like it.
Next to that, Eggs Benedict and a beautiful cake with sweet potato hash brown.
Crawfish Po' Boy.
Crispy bread, toasted, -inviting, fresh.
-Looks good.
We've got a shrimp remoulade salad.
Mixed greens, heirloom tomato, and a nice creole dressing.
A chicken and andouille sausage with gumbo, pickled okra.
Buttermilk fried chicken.
Classic, right? Let's cook together, okay? Eggs Benedict.
Hot pan.
Three slices of that caramelized ham.
Absolutely beautiful.
Get it nice and crispy on the edge.
Out.
Keep the pan as it is, piping hot.
Absorb all that fat on the bun.
Now, the flavor's incredible.
Eggs to a rolling boil for one minute.
The art is in the preparation.
A beautifully flavored Tabasco Hollandaise, glazed over the eggs.
Look what happens when I put that knife in there.
It just oozes out.
That is a classic Eggs Benedict.
Let me tell you what's gonna happen throughout the night.
Each and every one of these amazing chefs are gonna teach you one on one, and you're gonna absolutely nail this menu.
Come around, get familiar with them, and get frickin' busy.
-Dawn? -Yes.
Nice to meet you.
All right, we're gonna be friends now, okay? Right now is make or break for Dustin.
This is definitely an opportunity.
GORDON: If he doesn't step up, find his voice, and start cooking, we've got no chance.
Not only that, but his team behind him needs to learn this menu quickly.
-Dawn? -Yes? Can you do me a favor and poach me a couple of eggs? [chuckles.]
[rock music.]
Agh! -Oh, let's start over.
-What are you doing? Oh, crap, I'm already frickin' breaking the egg wrong.
Oh [tense music.]
I popped it wrong, 'cause it ain't doing right.
WOMAN: Still not cutting it.
All right, what are you doing next? Hollandaise is made in a double boiler.
You whisk, whisk, whisk.
Ooh, hot.
That was hot.
Ooh, shoot.
Careful to not get scrambled eggs, which is what's happening.
-It's getting too hot.
-Uh-oh.
-Let's go.
-Let's see those eggs.
-Looks beautiful.
-Yay.
-I messed up.
-Yes, you did.
Ooh! -Not good? -No.
Unbelievable.
[solemn music.]
Oh, my gosh.
Inedible.
GORDON: Uh, Dustin? -Yes, sir? -Two seconds, please? -All right.
GORDON: Oh, man.
There's a problem in there: Dawn.
Almost, almost getting there.
Yay, I'm finally getting there I think.
This is a girl that's, in your mind, a general manager, masters the kitchen in your absence.
She couldn't even poach an egg.
Oh, God.
[sighs.]
-Dustin -That's bad.
-That's--that's-- -Why is she employed? Is there a feel-sorry factor? What is it? Well, probably partly that.
And why do you feel sorry for her? Yeah, but she's bringing you down.
[solemn music.]
That clock is ticking away.
When are you gonna take the reins? You can't go forward in that business carrying excess baggage.
I can't believe she can't poach an egg, or know what hollandaise sauce is when we use it every day.
Make some substantial changes.
I am not good at this at all.
[dramatic tone.]
That clock is ticking away.
[solemn music.]
You can't go forward in that business carrying excess baggage.
DUSTIN: I can't believe she can't poach an egg, or know what hollandaise sauce is, when we use it every day.
I am not good at this at all.
Make some substantial changes.
-Dawn, we need to speak.
-Huh? We need to talk.
You have to go home.
It's not gonna work.
Yes.
-You're just throwing me out? -This has to be done.
-Nothing you-- -What did I do wrong? Honestly? Can you look at me and tell me what did I do wrong? You're not equipped to be in the kitchen.
This has to be done.
For me to succeed I have to be in the kitchen, I have to run the place, I have to get my [bleep.]
together, or it's gone.
This is what I need.
-Okay.
-Okay? [soft music.]
Okay? Sorry.
-Go home and get some rest.
-[sobs.]
I'm sorry.
Don't be sorry.
No, I let myself down.
I let the restaurant down.
That ain't on nobody else but me.
Okay? Can I go hug her? As a friend, yes, it does hurt, but with three kids, it's my responsibility to make some difficult decisions.
That sucks.
DUSTIN: At this point, I'm at the last straw.
Either I'm gonna do what I have to do, put everything into it, succeed, or I'm gonna-- the doors will be closed.
-Who's working in the kitchen? -Us three.
Whatever we gotta do to get it done.
A little bit.
Dustin's starting to finally understand what it's like to be back in control, but if you haven't got discipline in your business -on a daily basis -No, no, no, no, no Ooh, yeah, she just-- may I grab that one? Your reputation will fall down quicker than you built it.
You dump that, you have to re-plate the whole thing.
GORDON: He needs to find that inner strength; he needs to dig deep and wake up and get a grip -before it's too late.
-That's what you want.
-You want this color.
DONALD: Yeah, that's perfect.
GORDON: The tables are beginning to turn for Dustin.
But with limited time remaining, the Old Coffee Pot is not yet out of the woods.
[dramatic tone.]
-Do you think we hit something? -We hit a wire.
Uh, let me find a panel box.
Nail, went through a piece of MC cable.
Oh, my God.
I've never seen anything like that before.
Yes! [upbeat music.]
-Okay.
-All right, we're moving.
-We're grooving.
-Very good.
Good, good, good.
The chandelier, the big chandelier's coming out.
Where should we put it? Right in that van.
Get me the NOLA letters that are in the back of the truck.
I'm scared on this one.
I'm scared we're not gonna finish.
This place is in really bad shape.
[groovy bass music.]
-How's that coming, John? -Good.
DUSTIN: I'm exhausted, I'm tired, working all night, but to have Jonathan and my dad in the kitchen, on my side, it's amazing.
These are completed.
All right, just bring 'em straight to the table.
Okay.
Rise and shine.
Can't nobody walk as fast as you.
Let's go.
Chefs, ladies, welcome.
Just take a look at that food on the table.
WILHELMENIA: Presentation is very good.
The food looks very appetizing.
GORDON: Well, those chefs standing behind you have worked throughout the night, and they've worked bloody hard.
You can see the change here.
But there's an even bigger change, and that is in the man behind you.
Dustin, do you have something to tell your staff? DUSTIN: Um definitely realized that a lot of things -that needed to be changed -Yes.
So I had to make a difficult decision.
Oh, Lord, what's this? Dawn is no longer with us.
WOMAN: [gasps.]
[tense music.]
Um, Dawn is no longer with us.
[tense music.]
I had to make that difficult decision, because I needed to be able to step up, run my kitchen, run my restaurant the way it needs to be ran.
Is that Dustin that's doing all the talking? Change, change, like, overnight.
Dustin, a great move that you made, and I think all of us appreciate you making that great move.
Yes.
Yes.
It felt amazing to have the staff behind me after the difficult decisions that were made.
Thank you.
Thanks for everything.
DUSTIN: Today, for the first time, I will admit that I think I got my staff's attention.
To have them fully committed with me, never felt that with them before.
You're ready for more, aren't you? -Yes.
GORDON: Good.
The journey hasn't even started yet.
Two very important things: This is the staple of a menu that we'll be launching tonight.
Small menu, but it's a fresh, powerful menu.
Now, we are on one of the busiest quarters anywhere in New Orleans.
This is one of the biggest missed opportunities: the Old Coffee Pot grab-and-go.
What is that saying on that bag? ALL: "Old Coffee Pot.
" -The Old Coffee Pot.
It is a marketing tool.
It is a way of selling that business.
Coffee to go, beignets to go.
I want all of you to dig in and start tasting this menu.
-Mmm.
-Mmm-mmm.
SHIRLEY: This is very good.
JONATHAN: It tastes completely different.
Very good.
-Chicken's good, huh? -Yeah, it's one of the best.
Matter of fact, everything is good.
[laughter.]
The new menu, I'm super excited about it.
That's what we needed.
We needed some sort of guideline, like, "This is what you do," and it's a great start.
GORDON: With only four hours until the relaunch, the team is racing to finish the renovation, but signs of fatigue are showing.
Oh, this is great out here.
[snoring.]
[chuckles.]
Wilhelmenia.
[upbeat music.]
[snoring.]
Really good job.
Bright, vibrant, authentic.
You got it, you got it.
That's gonna hang there, is that right? Uh, Dustin, I need you in the kitchen now.
Let's go.
Just come in here.
How does this feel? How does it look? DUSTIN: It definitely does not look like the same restaurant.
[laughs.]
GORDON: This place has been gutted top to bottom.
It has been steamed clean.
It is immaculate.
And an exterminator has gotten rid of all those rats.
It's up to you to continue that, yes? -Yes.
-Now, a gift: an amazing array of professional equipment from Breville.
We've gotten some utensils as well: weight and measures, microplanes, spatulas, spoons.
And last but not least, your new coffee machines! Yay! [all cheer.]
-It's your own machine! -Yes.
GORDON: All right.
You, get them going.
You get organized.
We're 46 minutes away from opening those doors.
Yeah? GAYNELL: I need to go get our uniform shirts.
Girl, we gotta get ready.
Re-butter all of these for me.
Coming through.
Finishing the project.
We're good.
I think we're totally good.
GORDON: [bleep.]
come on.
Let's go! [tense music.]
Final meeting.
Oh, no, we're leaning at the bar.
-No leaning at the bar.
-[laughs.]
[overlapping chatter.]
Um, just turn around, and have a look at this gorgeous room.
WILHELMENIA: The looks of it is so beautiful.
GORDON: Yes.
WILHELMENIA: Oh, my God.
GAYNELL: It make you wanna do a little bit more, -just a little bit more -Oh, no, no, no Just a lot.
A lot.
[laughs.]
No, no, we're selling, we're not dancing.
90 seconds before we go.
Final words: Young man, how are you feeling? Feeling good.
It's been a tough 24 hours, right? -[chuckles.]
-You've been to hell and back.
That's putting it lightly.
Anything you'd like to say to the team? I thank y'all for standing behind me and rallying, and now it's time that we have to put it to work.
Damn right.
That's right.
-Yeah.
-[applause.]
-Right.
-Yes, well done.
Remember what's at stake.
ALL: Five, four, three, two, one.
-Let's go.
Come on.
-[applause.]
It's the new Coffee Pot.
Oh, it's adorable.
Such a cute place.
GORDON: In only 24 hours, my team has completely renovated the Old Coffee Pot from top to bottom.
MATTHEW: It's really come together.
It really looks completely different.
GORDON: We have replaced the dated décor with a fresh and modern look.
Isn't it beautiful? MAN: It is beautiful.
GAYNELL: Oh, I feel good.
I feel good.
It's just a pleasure to walk into something like this.
GORDON: Customers will no longer walk past an abandoned and dirty restaurant -We're ready, right? -Got this.
GORDON: They'll see a revived eatery that has been serving the Big Easy for over 100 years, and a menu that brings old-world charm into every bite.
It's warm outside.
Do you fancy a nice cold brew? It's--[chuckles.]
--warm outside.
How about a nice cold brew? I love this place.
We just like to make the customers smile.
You got gray hairs coming.
Oh, yeah.
You're giving them to me.
I think it's all gonna work out.
On the menu, we have-- Fried chicken First order on, Dustin, yes? Shrimp Remoulade, Gumbo, Crawfish Po' Boy.
Crawfish Po' Boy.
Got it.
Good.
Get that pan nice and hot first, yeah? -You, use your voice tonight -Yes, Chef.
Do as you're told and listen, yes? -Yes, Chef.
-Good.
-Is this your appetizer? -Yeah.
DUSTIN: Order coming in.
JONATHAN: Two Banana Fosters, two minutes.
Good, nice timing.
DUSTIN: Order up for table five.
Coming up now, order, Gaynell.
Order up.
Ooh, nice.
-[speaks indistinctly.]
-Lots of fresh crème.
-Hi.
That's beautiful.
-Awesome.
Oh, my God.
-Thank you so much.
-All right.
This is the cutest.
-Mmm.
-Wow, that's good.
We got one chicken, right? DONALD: Chicken.
DUSTIN: Two chickens.
-Two chickens.
-All right.
What's going next, please? Two--two fried--I have four.
Two chickens, one, uh No, you have two right now.
DONALD: Two fried-- two fried chickens.
Come on, please, guys, this is not [bleep.]
difficult.
-Two fried chickens up.
-Thank you.
Thank you.
Chickens for the gentlemen, and I'll be back with your gumbo.
[tense music.]
MAN: Excuse me Okay.
-What's wrong? -I'm sorry.
-[mumbles.]
-It's raw.
What happened? Oh, [bleep.]
.
No, no, no, [bleep.]
hell.
Hey, hey, all of you! This is [bleep.]
undercooked.
It's [bleep.]
raw, both of them.
[dramatic tone.]
[tense music.]
This is [bleep.]
undercooked.
It's [bleep.]
raw, both of them.
That's not 30 seconds away, okay? Now when they're that thick, how long do they need? About eight minutes? Hey, we got off to a great start.
I know it's a mistake, but don't drop your head now.
You can't give up.
Now, I know it's your dad, but you still gotta tell him it's [bleep.]
undercooked.
[bleep.]
.
-They're raw.
-The chickens? Chickens.
You [bleep.]
should've cooked.
And look, Dustin, don't go quiet on me, okay? -Yes, sir.
-We're re-firing them.
Let's get over it and bounce back, yes? What's the ETA on another chicken? One minute.
[rock music.]
All right.
Concentrate, concentrate.
You got this.
Don't buckle.
Two chickens, right there.
DUSTIN: Order up! Lovely color, Donald, on the chicken.
-Nice and crispy.
Good.
-Thank you.
Follow to table six, please, thank you.
Good job.
Thank you.
Good, that's how we work as a team.
Keep it going, yes? With the kitchen running together Two fried chickens, one Benedict.
GORDON: And Dustin's passion reignited -We got this.
-Behind you, Chef.
-Hey, it's ready.
-Yeah.
-Thank you.
-You got it.
GORDON: I'm finally starting to see the charm of the Old Coffee Pot again And so are the customers.
Ladies, nice to see you.
Good evening.
Hi.
Are you, uh, picking up some coffee? -To grab and go.
-Grab and go, how nice.
I wanna try the Caribbean.
That sounds good.
And then the beignets.
WOMAN: This place is cute.
WILHELMENIA: There you are.
-Thank you so much.
WILHELMENIA: All right, thank you.
GORDON: With a logo stamped on every grab-and-go bag, the Old Coffee Pot will be seen throughout all the French Quarter.
Dustin, VIP table.
-This time they're not critics.
-Okay.
I think you'll recognize them.
Look at those dudes over there.
-Oh, man -Hi, Daddy! Look at--[chuckles.]
Look at--[chuckles.]
-Hey, Dad! -Look--[chuckles.]
Hey, how cool are they? Man.
First of all, congratulations, uh, not just on an amazing family, the help you got with that family.
DUSTIN: My kids are the most important to me.
Everything I've done regardless of what I've been through, this is the reason I do it.
I do this for them.
That's what it's all about, right? This and securing their future.
You know Daddy's lucky, right? He's excited.
I'm happy.
I believe I have so much more confidence now than I had 24 hours ago.
Love you.
All right, see you in a little while.
I'm very proud of how it came together, but I think it started with me.
I had to make decisions.
I had to get myself together.
My time is done.
Good luck.
Thank you.
And wear that jacket with pride.
I'm the one that bought this restaurant.
I'm the one that is gonna put it back on the map.
Follow me.
A present for all of you.
[soft music.]
[laughter.]
Oh, thank you! It's for bread, not a hamster wheel, okay? [laughter.]
Right.
Good night.
Good night.
Thank you so much.
Thank you so much.
These last 24 hours, honestly, I've truly gone to hell and back, but tonight, the Old Coffee Pot heartbeat is beating strongly again.
It's returning to its former glory days.
Man, I'm toast.
Not as much as that [bleep.]
mouse.
What the [bleep.]
was all that about? Good evening.
Nice to see you.
Watch out for the mice.
Hey Chef Gordon, this is Dustin from the Old Coffee Pot and I was just giving y'all an update on everything.
The restaurant's been doing pretty good.
We had our ups and downs Banana Foster all day, one yogurt, one gumbo.
But the menu's doing really well.
Everybody seems to love the items.
French toast.
DUSTIN: The kids are awesome Daddy, you super rad.
But they're not liking me working all my nights.
WILHELMENIA: Gordon Ramsay, all the ladies at the Coffee Pot are doing very well.
And thank you so much for everything that you did for us.
And I thought maybe you might want an order of toast.
GORDON: Next week, I head to the heart of Los Angeles, where I meet an owner so broken by tragedy I never saw when they pulled that trigger, but I heard it all over the place.
GORDON: That he has lost control of his business I quit.
GORDON: And the staff that runs it.
What a disgusting way to behave in front of your boss.
-You should be ashamed.
-I'm not.
GORDON: The only chance I have to save this restaurant Where's the guy with 37 years' experience gone? Will be to save him first.
What's more important to you, family or a restaurant?