24 Hours to Hell and Back (2018) s01e05 Episode Script
La Serenata
1 GORDON: I'm Gordon Ramsay, and I'm hitting the road.
[blues rock music.]
[truck 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.]
death? 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.
[whispers.]
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.
-[laughs.]
GORDON: To catch them all red-handed.
I had to stop you from eating in there, and this is the reason why.
WOMAN: 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 GORDON: Oh, my God.
-[coughs.]
GORDON: In 24 hours.
[coughs.]
[beeping.]
[rock music.]
GORDON: This week is a big one.
I'm in the heart of Los Angeles, California, home to the once-renowned restaurant La Serenata.
With only 24 hours to turn this place around, I needed to know the issues before I even stepped foot inside.
So my team told the restaurant that they were casting for an upcoming renovation series.
While they're being interviewed, we installed hidden cameras throughout the restaurant and have been secretly recording surveillance footage since we left.
[rock music.]
Now, with several movie studios nearby, this is an incredible neighborhood for big celebrities and big businesses.
For any restaurateur, with all that on your doorstep, La Serenata should be thriving.
[Latin music.]
I'm Marco, and I manage the restaurant here at La Serenata.
My father, Jose, and my mother, Aurora, met 57 years ago in Mexico.
My first boyfriend.
Not another one, only him.
MARCO: They moved to Los Angeles.
He opened his first restaurant in 1984, and we got super popular.
So we opened two more locations.
[bell rings.]
You know, Don Jose, he was the man, you know? He was like a legend.
MARCO: My father, he had issues with his heart.
One day, my mother calls me on the phone, and she's hysterical.
She goes, "Your father's gonna die, your father's gonna die.
" [voice breaking.]
I took him down the stairs.
[somber music.]
I--I could tell he was scared.
And my father, he passed away.
It affected my family badly, by splitting us.
MARCO: I have tried to take the reins, but my mother, she does get in the way.
You're not running the restaurant the way you should be.
Okay? [speaking Spanish.]
You always say, "Yo soy la patrona.
" -Hey? -[speaks Spanish.]
You just show up, eat, drink coffee.
They always bicker and fight with each other.
They're both hotheads, and it just kind of puts everyone in a bad mood.
[speaks Spanish.]
The mom, she wants to control everything.
And Marco, he don't want to be controlled from his mom.
[dramatic music.]
Why--why are you waiting? [both speaking indistinctly.]
MARCO: We had to sell two restaurants in order to keep one restaurant which was here at Pico.
This final location, we are probably in our last few months.
[speaking Spanish.]
My mother had to sell her home.
Now she's living with me, my wife, and my three kids.
We live together, and then we work together.
It's not a great recipe.
[bleep.]
.
[speaking English.]
Never.
JUNIOR: We didn't fight when my grandfather was alive.
You know, it sucks, because it's not a loving feeling that we had.
I worked too much for this.
I don't want to lose him.
Now, the family know there's help on the way, but what they don't know is that help is me.
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.
[blues rock.]
You know what, Irma, you might have to man the post.
Oh, really, and you go wash the dishes? Time to go sightseeing.
Morning, guys, we good? Smile, please, everybody.
Madame, s'il vous plait.
-Whee! -[camera shutter clicks.]
GORDON: I'm posing as a French tourist so I can go deep undercover.
I lived in Paris for three years, deux ans, two years.
I learned to speak French whilst training as a chef in Paris in my early days.
So this was the perfect opportunity.
GUIDE: Also on your right, Fox Studios.
Home to The Simpsons, New Girl.
-And me.
-[bell tings.]
I have a pretty good idea where we'll go for lunch.
GUIDE: All right, well, look, it looks like one of my favorite restaurants, La Serenata.
Let's see if they'll let us join in the fun, guys.
WOMAN: All right, thank you.
GORDON: Hopefully, I won't be spotted.
All right, we got customers.
MARCO: Welcome to La Serenata, you guys.
GORDON: Bonjour.
MARCO: Great, great, thank you.
We got a nine top coming in.
[speaks French.]
Ay-yi-yi.
[Gordon speaking English.]
GORDON: Please.
Oh, merci.
GORDON: We are ordering dishes that any Mexican restaurant worth their margaritas in salt should be able to make.
-I'll have the ceviche.
-Two tortilla soup.
-Cochinita pibil MARCO: Pibil.
we'll have that.
I'll have a mahi mahi as well.
Okay, very good.
WOMAN: One more thing.
MARCO: Yeah.
we'll have the breakfast burrito.
Thank you.
GORDON: Having seen the practices in that kitchen -from my surveillance team -[sneezes.]
-Whoo.
-Look at this.
GORDON: I'm not expecting much.
Oh, [bleep.]
.
-Well, ceviche for madame.
-Yes, thank you.
Uh [both speaking French.]
-[all speaking French.]
GORDON: Ah His sweat came off his [bleep.]
nose into my soup.
I mean, look, look at it, it's spilling over like a volcano.
[beeping.]
[tense music.]
-What's it taste like? -That tastes disgusting.
Okay, a burrito.
WOMAN: Thank you so much.
[spits.]
-[laughing.]
-That is gross.
I'm not going to tell you what that reminds me of.
It's like the inside of my great granddad's underpants.
-[laughs.]
-Without the [bleep.]
.
[all laughing.]
Okay, the mahi with the garlic.
I think that you're the mahi lady.
-It's here.
-No, it's here.
MARCO: You don't like spicy, right? Oh, that's me, I'm the no spice lady.
Okay, I'm the one who ordered mahi mahi.
-Just put the plate down.
WOMAN: Okay.
MARCO: There you go.
WOMAN: So this is a salmon? -No, that's mahi mahi.
WOMAN: That's the mahi mahi.
I was about to say, it's the same thing.
Yours is more spicy.
Yours has the chili thingies -Wow.
-And mine is the mild one.
Oh, my lord.
They might as well [bleep.]
.
Rude, no composure.
It's just running around like a headless chicken.
GORDON: Right, I've seen enough.
Thank you.
I'll be back in a moment.
Okay, okay, see you later.
[tense music.]
Wow, so that was shocking.
The service is dreadful.
The food is embarrassing.
You can feel the panic in everyone that this place is sinking.
And more importantly, everyone's given up.
[upbeat rock music.]
-Please follow me, Junior.
-Oh, my-- Young man, can you ask Marco and everybody to come and join me right now, please? Young man, come and stand here, please.
-Oh, my God.
WOMAN: That's Gordon Ramsay.
Hello, Aurora.
Please, stand next to Junior.
Thank you.
I've had better days.
What I've just experienced was shocking.
I just want to say you can never, ever step inside this dining room again dripping of sweat from your nose, into customer's food.
W-we're trying, you know.
We're trying.
[bleep.]
.
You're worse than him, the way you shouted at my guests.
-Put the plate down.
-No, I didn't think -I screamed, but, no -Oh, okay.
-I apologize.
-That's the polite way -of acknowledging.
-I apologize, I apologize.
Aurora, I know how much this restaurant means to you and how long it's been in the family.
Truthfully, are you happy right now? No.
I'm not happy.
-Would you like my help? -Of course.
I need your help.
Ladies and gentleman, stop eating, forks down.
I'd like all of you, right now, and I mean all of you, to follow me.
Let's go.
GORDON: [exhales.]
What a [bleep.]
disaster.
[rock music.]
Just come and take a stand over here, please, thank you.
That's fine there.
This is Hell on Wheels, the engine room and the heart of my command center.
Listen carefully.
My team has been visiting your restaurant undercover for weeks to find out what truly is happening on a day-to-day basis.
What they uncovered Was shocking.
Have a look at this.
[dramatic music.]
MARCO: When I saw that screen going up, I went, "We're done.
We're done.
" [bleep.]
.
Hey, Jonny, smell this.
Look, smell this.
[speaks Spanish.]
[camera shutter clicks.]
Oh, [bleep.]
.
[beeping.]
[dramatic music.]
[indistinct chatter.]
WOMAN: Oh, my God.
-That was appalling.
Let me promise you one thing right now.
I am gonna help to turn this business around.
Not only I'm gonna turn it around, but I'm gonna turn it around in 24 hours.
If your family and your team doesn't have the passion and the commitment over these next 24 hours, you never will.
Understood? ALL: Yes, sir, yes Chef.
-I can't hear you.
ALL: Yes, sir! GORDON: Good.
Because the clock starts now.
[dramatic music.]
All our customers today, listen up.
I'm picking up your tab.
That [bleep.]
was on me.
But what I'd like to see is that you commit to returning in 24 hours.
Understood? Every member of staff here, get on your cell phones.
Ring home, and tell them that you're not coming home for at least 24 hours.
I'll see you all back inside that restaurant.
Get on the phone.
[tense music.]
STONE: This is gonna be a tough situation.
But I've worked at La Serenata for ten years.
And I don't feel like there's any other restaurant like this, so I really want the best for them.
Oh, my God.
This is crazy.
[tense music.]
Let's go back.
Established in 1985, you guys had three amazing, talk-of-the-town restaurants.
Marco, why have we given up? [stammers.]
It--I mean, I hear what you're saying.
We haven't given up.
[bleep.]
the excuse.
I'm done with excuses.
Why is this place going down the pan? -Marco? -Staff, service.
Staff, stop there.
What's the problem with the staff, Marco? People are just, uh, irresponsible.
GORDON: Irresponsible.
MARCO: Not taking it serious.
Not serious, irresponsible.
Who's in charge of the staff? IRMA: Nobody.
GORDON: Nobody's in charge of the staff.
MARCO: I'm supposed to be.
GORDON: You're supposed to be.
Uh, but I have issues with my mom, because she doesn't want to let me take the helm GORDON: So you're saying that your problem is your mother? Because she doesn't let you step up and run the business? -Right.
-I don't think so.
-I'm not the problem.
GORDON: You're not the problem? -No.
IRMA: Both is the problem.
-Both their problem.
-Both of them are the problem? Because one is the owner, and the other one -is the son of the owner.
-A family business -that's not on the same page.
-Yeah.
Marta.
Who's to blame? Marco.
-Who's to blame? -Marco and, uh, his mother.
GORDON: Who's to blame? -Marco.
GORDON: Marco.
-They might say it's my fault.
I'll take 75% of the blame.
You're full of [bleep.]
.
[tense rock music.]
Junior, you cook like a man that doesn't give a [bleep.]
.
It's hard to fix problems because I'll tell my dad, "Hey, we should do this like this, maybe change it.
" He'll say yeah, but then he won't, you know, back me up.
I'm done with excuses.
I'm here to help, but I'm not gonna listen to any more [bleep.]
.
Wake up and start thinking about change.
-Understood? ALL: Yes.
Okay, let's go.
[upbeat rock music.]
WOMAN: Okay, so we're gonna hand out T-shirts.
So let's get those on, and then let's get all the furniture out.
GORDON: We have less than 24 hours to turn La Seranata's sad song around.
[speaks Spanish.]
GORDON: We'll take out and update the dated décor, light fixtures, and furniture.
MAN: Ooh, gonna be tight.
GORDON: Then we'll bring the color scheme into the 21st century to appeal to the neighborhood's trendier locals.
JONNY: I'm still in shock.
It's just blood, sweat, and tears for the next 24 hours.
Look, used to go all the way over there, to the bar.
Who did that, then? GORDON: But I can tell that opening up the space She chopped the bar.
[bleep.]
.
GORDON: Is also opening up old wounds.
But now, I need to take a closer look at the heart of the restaurant, its kitchen.
Excuse me, please, guys, I need you here, thank you.
[clattering.]
GORDON: What in the [bleep.]
is that? MAN: A frozen [bleep.]
chicken? -[bleep.]
.
-What in the [bleep.]
? How the [bleep.]
do we eat that? Hold it.
It's not gonna [bleep.]
bite you; it's [bleep.]
dead.
Dead, frostbitten.
-Oh, my God.
MAN: What is that, Marco? That's kale, I didn't think we had that.
I didn't see it in there, I don't know why -they put it in the box.
-[coughing.]
[bleep.]
.
This is money being thrown down the [bleep.]
drain! -This is fresh kale.
-Oh, my God.
Smell the [bleep.]
thing! [grunts, retches.]
-[coughs.]
MAN: I'm gonna throw up, dude.
[coughs.]
GORDON: What's this fish for? -For all the sauces-- -Sorry? -Sauces and vegetables.
-Sauces and vegetables.
What sauce, Marco, are we making with this? [stammers.]
Our base sauce, but that, we would throw out.
We wouldn't use that.
They're all [bleep.]
, young man.
Your father built his legacy on sauces, right? Yeah.
Congratulations, you've just [bleep.]
it.
You guys get in there and get this [bleep.]
kitchen clean.
And I mean clean.
[blues rock.]
Start with this one.
Ah.
And look at that backsplash right there, man.
Aw, [bleep.]
.
GORDON: Running a kitchen like that, Marco's not only lost his way.
This restaurant's turned against him, 'cause they're fed up with his negativity.
And I feel like much of it stems from the poor relationship with his mother, Aurora.
Where's Aurora? Aurora.
Let's go in the kitchen.
Uh, guys, could you give me two minutes, please? -Right, first of all AURORA: Mm-hmm.
How are you feeling? Right.
Why has it gone this far down? How come it's so bad? Right.
Wow.
Why hasn't Marco turned out like his father? Why can't he be like his dad? Hey, come here, hey, hey.
It should never-- that should never happen.
Stay there two seconds, okay? -Okay.
-Wait there two seconds.
[tense music.]
That guy would never behave like that if his father was alive.
Marco, two seconds, please? Put that down.
And right now, Marco's father would be turning in his grave.
[tense music.]
When your father passed away, did you step up into his shoes? -Did you take over? -Not the way -he would have wanted me.
-What does that mean? My mom, you know, as far as delegating and power and control, she looks at me as if I'm still, you know, 15 years old.
When you go for your mum, and you humiliate her, if your father was in this business, -what would he do to you? -Throw me out.
And did your father ever talk like that to anybody? No, not like that, no.
He was just more to the point.
People respected him when he said something.
Sometimes they didn't like it, but they respected it.
-Do people respect you? -Probably not, no.
This can't go on.
We can't Work and live together like this.
This is not how a family business runs.
We are so far apart.
It's extraordinary.
Trying to fix a restaurant that is fragmented internally is hard enough, but trying to fix a family that have fallen out of love for each other? I'm not too sure if we can do this.
[music intensifying.]
[blues rock music.]
Are you guys taking those things down? MARCO: It would be awesome.
This is history.
GORDON: This is a family in turmoil, and I'm not sure I can do anything about Marco's appalling behavior.
GORDON: Jonny, I want two minutes with Junior, please.
Keep cleaning.
GORDON: But I do know one area where I can start to put this restaurant back on course if it's not too late.
-Do you want to be here? -I'm committed.
I'm ready.
I want to put this place back on the map.
So, tell me, what the [bleep.]
happened? Uh, I mean, I mean, I-I felt ambitious.
You know, I wanted to do it for my grandpa, but, uh, it's draining when you're putting effort in and, you know, it's not being used, -not being accepted.
-Yeah.
You know Grandma's run out of money, right? You, you--there's no more money in the pot.
Yeah, we don't want to lose this place, nor everything my-- m-my grandfather did.
[somber music.]
[sniffles.]
There needs to be a part of you, young man, that has to dig deeper.
-Yeah.
-And you, right now, are the sole survivor that could possibly step up.
I will show you what your grandfather couldn't pass on to you if you show me that you're committed to change and to stepping up.
-Are you? -I am, yeah.
I am.
I am.
[music swelling.]
-Get your team together -Okay.
And meet me outside.
Okay.
GORDON: Let's go.
All right, come around, come around.
This is the menu that we're gonna use to relaunch your restaurant.
But I'm talking about authentic, delicious Mexican cuisine.
That kitchen is tiny, so our menu needs to be small and dynamic.
Now, get some spoons, and start digging in.
Taste down here first.
That's the ceviche, dig in.
And when I say dig in, I want you to taste the sea bass, the shrimp, the fresh cilantro, the avocado crema.
Have a taste of delicious, fresh tortilla soup.
We've confited the leg.
We've shredded the chicken inside.
Dig in, dig in, let's have a look at some of the entrées.
Jump in the taco, come on.
Our barbacoa taco, the braised beef cheeks, finished with fresh pickled red onion.
Really good.
Now, the red snapper.
MAN: Good.
[clapping.]
-Classic, delicious.
MAN: Really good.
And then, the fresh mussels, finished with a chorizo, a classic Mexican beer, and given it some life.
-Cool.
-Good to see the smile on your face.
Right, you, come around this side.
You're gonna cook some mussels.
You guys, continue eating.
Step forward.
All three of you, please.
What's the exciting thing about mussels? -Uh, that they're alive? -They're alive.
They're cheap, and they taste -They taste delicious.
-Incredible.
Touch of olive oil in first.
Get that hot.
Okay, break that down.
From there, chorizo in.
All I've done is just minced that up a little bit, okay? From there, onions.
Gordon is becoming like a mentor that I lost.
Mussels go in.
JUNIOR: And it's pretty amazing that, you know, I had this opportunity because not many people get to have that opportunity.
Now have a taste.
What does that need? -A bit more salt? -A bit more salt.
JUNIOR: Yeah.
-You nailed it.
You're now gonna buddy up.
My team and you are gonna have the most intense training through the [bleep.]
night.
And they are gonna put you through your paces like never before.
-Hello, what's your name? -Hey.
Marco.
-Marco.
-Junior, Junior.
-Junior, you go by Junior? -Yeah.
Junior, yeah.
-That's okay.
-Okay.
And you can start to see Junior absorbing the chance of freedom.
And his freedom is change.
Give him that little bit of freedom, he could change his restaurant, big time.
[speaking Spanish.]
Are we staying through the night? Yup.
GORDON: With Junior in good hands, I need to get back inside and check the progress of the renovation.
-Meghan.
MEGHAN: Yes? The actual bones of this place is a great shell.
MEGHAN: Not bad.
The soffit's beautiful.
We're gonna accent it with some wood slots.
GORDON: But the openness of it, there's no awkward corners anywhere, you know, it's got that lovable -Yeah, yeah.
-Brightness, openness.
[hammer pounding, drill whirring.]
MARCO: Hey, Gordon? -Yes? D-do you have a minute to talk? -A minute to talk.
-Yeah.
Uh, yeah, well, that clock's ticking.
MARCO: Okay.
GORDON: Uh, yeah.
GORDON: Let's go, let's go, let's go.
[tense music.]
MARCO: I just feel-- I don't know.
I just--not feel right, you know? -I don't feel comfortable.
GORDON: You don't feel right.
Yeah, I don't feel comfortable with, you know, the way things kind of went.
Just think how your mother feels.
Jump in.
Don't get too [bleep.]
comfortable.
So let me get this-- let me get this right.
-You're not very happy.
-No.
-No, why not? -No, uh I mean, I--I-- I [bleep.]
up.
-Mm-hmm.
-Bad.
You're angry.
You are a man that is absolutely on the edge.
I just, you know, um, since my dad, you know, he passed away, um, it's the stress, it's the years of him being gone.
Were you not ready for the challenge? Were you No, I wasn't ready for the challenge, no.
And, um, and as he was going out, he goes, "I have to talk to you.
" [pensive music.]
And that--and those, those were the last words he said to me.
And I can almost bet everything that he was gonna tell me -like, to take care of Mom.
-But, you didn't respect his final wishes.
-No, mm-mm, I didn't.
-I can see the anger -in what you haven't done.
-Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
That you're pent up and you're so desperate, and you're absolutely taking it out on everybody close to you.
What's the final message that you've never got off your chest to say to your dad? Just, you know, tell him how much--how much I love him.
[voice breaking.]
Thank-- you know, thank you, Dad.
With what time your mother has left Mm-hmm.
-you need to make amends.
-Mm-hmm.
You need to make up -Mm-hmm.
-For lost time.
The last thing I want to see is that family torn apart.
-Mm-hmm, okay.
-If we get this family back together, you've got every chance of making that restaurant a success.
-Hey, it starts with you.
-Mm-hmm.
Okay.
All right, it starts with me.
Thank you, thank you very much.
It's time that I do things differently now.
I'm gonna change for the better and prove to everybody that we can all do this together and put La Serenata back to where it was.
[pounding, whirring.]
GORDON: While I'm happy that Marco is owning up to his mistakes, he's not the only one who has lost his way.
I have one more video I need to show all of them to wake them up.
GORDON: Junior? -Yeah? Jonny, let's go.
You know, it's early hours of the morning.
We're tired.
[tense music.]
And there's something missing.
Something that has been missing for a while.
I've got one more video that you all need to focus on.
Watch carefully.
[beeping.]
[dramatic music.]
There's something missing.
I need to give you a stern reminder of the key ingredient that not only is missing, but you've all forgotten.
Watch carefully.
[soft guitar music.]
In your fight to keep this place alive, you've all forgotten the foundation that that man brought each and every day.
The love, the kindness, and the respect -for each other.
-Even though he's not here right now, you know, I feel that he basically got you to help us and give us another chance to bring back the restaurant to what it used to be.
What do you want to say to your family? I want to apologize, you know, to you, Mom.
My son, Junior.
Irma, my wife, and my kids at home.
I'm gonna try to become a better man, and show some leadership, the way it should be.
Irma, come over here, darling, please.
Aurora, come here.
This is an amazing family.
-Yes.
-You guys have just forgotten the importance of being a strong family.
And may that man rest in peace, but we've got a job to do.
Your son apologized.
I know that's a long time coming.
But you need to let go And give them a chance.
I give a big chance, a big chance to my son.
-Because I love him.
GORDON: And he loves you.
-Yeah, of course.
-You guys, let's head back to the restaurant, let's go.
I'm gonna leave you guys -two minutes.
IRMA: Thank you.
Ah.
MARCO: I love you guys.
JUNIOR: I love you, too.
MARCO: I love you guys, okay, Mom? We're good, and Irma.
MARCO: All right? All right.
JUNIOR: All right.
Let's get this back together, okay, you guys? IRMA: Okay.
-All right, okay.
All right.
GORDON: I had a feeling that Don Jose could still help his family.
And now that they are back together, it's time to pull the rest of the restaurant together as well.
My team is working throughout the night to help rewrite the future of this restaurant.
MAN: I really want to have all this up tonight.
You know, we got a lot of touch-up.
GORDON: There'll be no rest for anyone until they make the spirit of Don Jose proud.
[yawning.]
I need to get some sleep.
I haven't slept.
[dramatic musical flourish.]
GORDON: How are the team doing? -They're good.
-Yeah.
I think if everyone kind of stays on task, we're gonna finish.
If not, we're gonna have some issues.
GORDON: But it's up to Junior and his newly inspired team to give everyone a taste of what's to come for La Serenata.
MAN: Looks really good, man.
JUNIOR: Good job, yeah.
JUNIOR: Because of what Gordon just taught us, I feel that we're back to how my grandfather would run his kitchen.
Clean, tight, everything perfect.
-I like everything.
-You like everything, yeah? It's exciting to finally be back.
[laughs.]
Whoo, here we go.
MAN: So you guys made this? MAN: Yes, sir.
WOMAN: Looks great.
MAN: It's the new menu, huh? -Beautiful.
GORDON: Tonight, we're gonna relaunch La Serenata, and we're gonna launch with a bang.
And this menu is gonna become the staple of the relaunch of this restaurant.
Margaritas, please.
Drop one down each side, please.
How can we not sell an amazing margarita? Aurora, have a little taste.
[speaks Spanish.]
-Yipee! -[all laugh.]
Excellent, all right, that's enough, that's enough.
-Yeah, that's enough, okay.
-[all laugh.]
Dig in, taste, and enjoy.
[upbeat rock music.]
MAN: Oh, man, this is so good.
[speaking Spanish.]
-Try the snapper.
-Yeah, this is so good.
-This snapper.
-I like the ceviche.
Oh, yeah, do you guys know how to make this stuff? -Yeah, we all do.
-[laughs.]
MARCO: I'm so proud of Junior that he's here and he's learning and he's absorbing, and Gordon is showing him.
He's teaching him.
It's a once in a lifetime experience for him.
-Salud.
MAN: To Don Jose.
BOTH: To Don Jose, and La Serenata.
GORDON: With a needed boost into their final six hours, I've got one more surprise for Junior and his crew.
Take a look at the state of this kitchen.
These tools are the correct equipment that this team needs.
It's the best of the best.
From mixers to tabletop fryers, stick mixers, blenders-- you name it, you've got it.
-Thank you so much.
-This is unbelievable.
-It's amazing, thank you.
GORDON: Junior, delegate.
Get organized and tell them what you want.
-We're resetting, let's go.
-Okay, gotcha.
Okay, okay, Jonny-- MEGHAN: Let's start setting the tables.
GORDON: While the physical renovation of La Serenata looks amazing, it means nothing if they don't have the staff to match it.
Uh, reservations.
Yeah, how do you greet customers? Stand here, stand here, we're walking in.
Let's go, let's go.
Yeah, so you scared the [bleep.]
out of me.
It's like you just escaped from prison and you're [bleep.]
stoned out of your mind.
First of all, give me an S-M-I-L-E.
Smile.
Let's go, one more time.
MARCO: Hi.
-Welcome.
This is La Serenata.
[bleep.]
me.
Rome wasn't built in a day, I get that.
Do you want that reservation list, yes or no? MAN: Yes, yes! -Oh, my God.
He doesn't want it.
All right, Stone, head up.
We're gonna now sort out the dining room? JUAN CARLOS: Stone is definitely one of a kind.
His name says it all, pretty much.
Welcome us.
And I don't want you to sit down.
I'd like you to recommend some of the menu.
W-- Should we look at the menus first? -I mean-- -Just--well, just, recommend a dish you tasted then, earlier this morning.
So sell it to us.
[tense music.]
[speaking Spanish.]
Come on.
Just recommend to my mom.
Green chicken enchiladas in tomatillo sauce.
Chinese? Oh, I'm done.
[chair scraping.]
I'm done, me, I've got to get some fresh air.
Holy [bleep.]
.
Can I start with Chinese? [beeping.]
[dramatic music.]
Just relax, just relax.
Here, I'm gonna get a menu, I'm gonna get a menu, okay? I'm gonna give you a massage.
GORDON: While the renovation of La Serenata looks amazing, there is still plenty to be done before we reopen.
MARCO: They've been working hard all night, busting their butts.
I don't know how it's going to all come together, but I will do everything to help them.
MARCO: Do you guys need any help? Can somebody get me some ice? Sure, yes, I'll get you some ice.
Okay, so then, look.
After you get in, just scroll all the way to the top.
Gordon--uh, "Gordon Ramsay menu.
" GORDON: I'm glad to see Marco attempting to be the leader his father once was.
Jump on my back.
Jump on my back.
-Jump on.
-Oh, my God.
GORDON: Everyone here needs to be at their best to prepare for tonight's grand reopening.
GORDON: Team, let's go.
Come on.
JUNIOR: Okay, come on, Mom.
GORDON: Let's go.
Let me tell you something.
Good to see you both.
-You're well, and you're dry.
JUNIOR: We got him a towel.
Ah, that's what he needs.
Right, when I first arrived in this restaurant, it was in disarray.
Just take a look at this place.
-The mural, beautifully done.
MARCO: Yeah, it's beautiful.
GORDON: This has to be the perfect backdrop for customer selfies to help spread the word online.
Minutes from now, that door is gonna open and this place is gonna relaunch.
-Right, how are you feeling? -It's just the best thing in the world right now.
I'm so happy.
And my mom, you know, and for my dad.
Have you fallen back in love with your family? MARCO: Oh, yeah.
GORDON: There you go.
-All right.
-And this place is gonna become what that amazing man, your husband, your father, your granddad stood for.
-Are we excited? ALL: Yes.
-Are we ready? ALL: Yes.
ALL: Five, four, three, two, one.
Let's do this.
Come on.
[applause.]
[indistinct chatter.]
Come on in, you guys.
Welcome.
Come on in, welcome.
GORDON: In just 24 hours, my team and La Serenata staff have turned this place around.
WOMAN: Hi.
-Yes, we do, thank you.
-Thank you.
GORDON: We've given it a fresh coat of paint and a modern style.
We've removed the outdated décor and the hideous chandeliers.
It is really pretty in here.
Oh, it's amazing.
I love the new color, and I love the new logo.
GORDON: Customers no longer see a dull, dirty restaurant stuck painfully in the past.
They see a fresh, sleek place with eyes on the future and a menu designed to help take them there.
May I just grace this heavyweight table of critics? -Yes.
-Very rare chefs get the opportunity to sit next to such esteem.
-Oh, that's too kind.
-[laughter.]
GORDON: Now, I can only hope that all the staff is fully on board.
-Smile, remember? Yeah, go.
MAN: Ready? Okay, next order.
Let's do it.
Hello, hello.
How are you, ladies? Um, I'm gonna get you started-- Welcome, welcome to La Serenata.
Welcome to La Serenata.
GORDON: It's busy, they've never had to work this organized, but more importantly, what I need is Marco to keep the peace and support the dining room and encourage Junior.
JUNIOR: Remember, guys, taste everything.
I got another ceviche.
I've already taken that to table one.
[dramatic music.]
How did you take that to table one? This one is saying that it hasn't gone.
Oh, it's for Juan, Juan.
Not one.
-Oh, my God.
-Juan.
I'm really sorry once again, and as soon as the food is available, I'll bring it to you right away.
Okay, okay.
What was he doing there? [bleep.]
.
You guys are waiting for your check? Oh, I'm sorry, sorry.
I don't know, Marco's very nervous.
But we're gonna work together.
I'm very sorry you haven't GORDON: There have been some bumps in the service, but I'm more worried that Marco's panic is spreading to Junior and his kitchen.
Oh, my corn, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, the corn on the side.
Oh, no, that's not us.
No, we're getting stuff we didn't order.
-Okay, take that-- -Right.
No.
Come here.
-Come here.
Come here.
JUNIOR: Okay.
That's the second table that's already got the same food.
This is air traffic control.
You're in charge.
Okay.
Okay, we need a order of barba-- Are those tacos done? Is that for 15? -Is that 15's? WOMAN: 15.
Oh, my lord.
[head thumping.]
[dramatic music.]
It's been a long while.
They're having their appetizer.
I'm sorry, that wasn't my mistake.
The kitchen, the kitchen didn't make it, and I said, "Where's my ceviche?" GORDON: Come here, you.
-Yeah, yes? GORDON: Talk to me, we're gonna look for a solution.
You are not gonna lose it.
You are not going back to where you were.
-Okay, all right.
-But food shouldn't go -to the same table three times.
-Okay.
That's not a kitchen problem.
That's a service problem.
-Okay.
-Okay? -All right.
-So someone's not listening -to Junior.
-Okay.
But what I want you to do is get the service on their toes.
-Okay, great.
-Okay, let's go.
Okay.
Oh, my God, oh, my God.
It doesn't matter, they're taking food to the wrong table.
-Okay.
-But what you need to do hey, is to find that voice now and dig deep.
-Okay? -Okay, okay.
Yes, Chef.
Okay, 24, 14, table 4 and table 6.
Okay, you guys, service? [dramatic music.]
The table 24, the critics, everything is on point.
They're happy, and they're loving it.
-Everything good.
-Awesome, awesome.
I feel so confident now.
Having the support from my family and our staff, we know that we're gonna have everything coming out correct, the same, and everyone's gonna love it.
Oh, my God.
That's from heaven.
Good job, guys.
Keep it up, keep it up.
Keep it going, keep it going.
Oh, really? Really? Stone.
It's so nice to see you having fun.
-You're a cool guy, right? -Yeah.
So have more fun.
When you're having fun, -the customers are having fun.
-Got it.
-What did she say? -She said it was amazing.
She was just, like, speechless.
-Do you love that? -Yes.
Mmm.
I really like how they raised the bar.
Moved away from the combo platters and the very dated menu.
-Well done.
-Thank you, Chef.
Well done.
That was never gonna be easy.
-No, it's not.
-69 guests.
-Oh, my God.
-Yeah, how do you feel? -Great, it feels amazing.
-Completely different.
I mean, just the whole-- the whole feel of the place.
Completely different.
What I heard tonight was your voice.
That was the most important thing for me.
I feel very good.
I feel very happy, and I know my husband is very happy.
The kitchen was strong tonight.
Continue improving the dining room.
-Okay.
-Continue digging deep for that voice.
And if you four join together -Yeah.
-Stay together, -nothing is gonna break you.
-Okay.
-If we fall apart -Mm-hmm.
the restaurant's gonna fall apart.
-That's true.
-Yeah.
But what I would like to see is no more fighting.
-Okay.
-It's not worth it.
-Please.
GORDON: Thank you.
-Thank you.
-Thank you.
I'm so thankful that Gordon Ramsay came in here and really made us see the problem, talk it out, and actually perform tonight.
And, you know, it's you know, it's a miracle.
[exhales deeply.]
They say there's no such thing as a overnight success.
But I believe La Serenata family could be the exception to the rule.
You know, 24 hours ago, when I arrived, I met a broken restaurant run by a very broken family.
But tonight, La Serenata family came together for the first time in a long time.
And right now, Don Jose's legacy can live on.
Hey, Gordon, it's Marco from La Serenata.
Uh, I'm just giving you an update of what's going on.
And it's tough.
It's tough right now.
My dad, he's going back into his old ways.
MARCO: I told you, chicken quesadilla, okay? You made another mistake.
JUNIOR: He went back to the old menu.
Jonny left.
It's kind of me back there on my own.
And because I don't get paid here anymore, I have a second job.
It's tough.
GORDON: Next week, I head to a dog-friendly restaurant in the heart of America.
[dogs barking, snarling.]
WOMAN: Oh, my God.
-There's hair everywhere.
GORDON: Run by a couple who have bitten off more than they can chew.
There comes an end of the road sometime.
-I don't know if this is it.
-[sniffles.]
GORDON: If they can't get their staff on a tighter leash -And you're perfect, right? -No.
-But you think you are.
-I absolutely-- GORDON: This restaurant is sure to get put down.
You can't serve the same food to the customers that you serve to the dogs.
[dog whimpers.]
Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours To Hell and Back is on fire,
[blues rock music.]
[truck 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.]
death? 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.
[whispers.]
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.
-[laughs.]
GORDON: To catch them all red-handed.
I had to stop you from eating in there, and this is the reason why.
WOMAN: 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 GORDON: Oh, my God.
-[coughs.]
GORDON: In 24 hours.
[coughs.]
[beeping.]
[rock music.]
GORDON: This week is a big one.
I'm in the heart of Los Angeles, California, home to the once-renowned restaurant La Serenata.
With only 24 hours to turn this place around, I needed to know the issues before I even stepped foot inside.
So my team told the restaurant that they were casting for an upcoming renovation series.
While they're being interviewed, we installed hidden cameras throughout the restaurant and have been secretly recording surveillance footage since we left.
[rock music.]
Now, with several movie studios nearby, this is an incredible neighborhood for big celebrities and big businesses.
For any restaurateur, with all that on your doorstep, La Serenata should be thriving.
[Latin music.]
I'm Marco, and I manage the restaurant here at La Serenata.
My father, Jose, and my mother, Aurora, met 57 years ago in Mexico.
My first boyfriend.
Not another one, only him.
MARCO: They moved to Los Angeles.
He opened his first restaurant in 1984, and we got super popular.
So we opened two more locations.
[bell rings.]
You know, Don Jose, he was the man, you know? He was like a legend.
MARCO: My father, he had issues with his heart.
One day, my mother calls me on the phone, and she's hysterical.
She goes, "Your father's gonna die, your father's gonna die.
" [voice breaking.]
I took him down the stairs.
[somber music.]
I--I could tell he was scared.
And my father, he passed away.
It affected my family badly, by splitting us.
MARCO: I have tried to take the reins, but my mother, she does get in the way.
You're not running the restaurant the way you should be.
Okay? [speaking Spanish.]
You always say, "Yo soy la patrona.
" -Hey? -[speaks Spanish.]
You just show up, eat, drink coffee.
They always bicker and fight with each other.
They're both hotheads, and it just kind of puts everyone in a bad mood.
[speaks Spanish.]
The mom, she wants to control everything.
And Marco, he don't want to be controlled from his mom.
[dramatic music.]
Why--why are you waiting? [both speaking indistinctly.]
MARCO: We had to sell two restaurants in order to keep one restaurant which was here at Pico.
This final location, we are probably in our last few months.
[speaking Spanish.]
My mother had to sell her home.
Now she's living with me, my wife, and my three kids.
We live together, and then we work together.
It's not a great recipe.
[bleep.]
.
[speaking English.]
Never.
JUNIOR: We didn't fight when my grandfather was alive.
You know, it sucks, because it's not a loving feeling that we had.
I worked too much for this.
I don't want to lose him.
Now, the family know there's help on the way, but what they don't know is that help is me.
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.
[blues rock.]
You know what, Irma, you might have to man the post.
Oh, really, and you go wash the dishes? Time to go sightseeing.
Morning, guys, we good? Smile, please, everybody.
Madame, s'il vous plait.
-Whee! -[camera shutter clicks.]
GORDON: I'm posing as a French tourist so I can go deep undercover.
I lived in Paris for three years, deux ans, two years.
I learned to speak French whilst training as a chef in Paris in my early days.
So this was the perfect opportunity.
GUIDE: Also on your right, Fox Studios.
Home to The Simpsons, New Girl.
-And me.
-[bell tings.]
I have a pretty good idea where we'll go for lunch.
GUIDE: All right, well, look, it looks like one of my favorite restaurants, La Serenata.
Let's see if they'll let us join in the fun, guys.
WOMAN: All right, thank you.
GORDON: Hopefully, I won't be spotted.
All right, we got customers.
MARCO: Welcome to La Serenata, you guys.
GORDON: Bonjour.
MARCO: Great, great, thank you.
We got a nine top coming in.
[speaks French.]
Ay-yi-yi.
[Gordon speaking English.]
GORDON: Please.
Oh, merci.
GORDON: We are ordering dishes that any Mexican restaurant worth their margaritas in salt should be able to make.
-I'll have the ceviche.
-Two tortilla soup.
-Cochinita pibil MARCO: Pibil.
we'll have that.
I'll have a mahi mahi as well.
Okay, very good.
WOMAN: One more thing.
MARCO: Yeah.
we'll have the breakfast burrito.
Thank you.
GORDON: Having seen the practices in that kitchen -from my surveillance team -[sneezes.]
-Whoo.
-Look at this.
GORDON: I'm not expecting much.
Oh, [bleep.]
.
-Well, ceviche for madame.
-Yes, thank you.
Uh [both speaking French.]
-[all speaking French.]
GORDON: Ah His sweat came off his [bleep.]
nose into my soup.
I mean, look, look at it, it's spilling over like a volcano.
[beeping.]
[tense music.]
-What's it taste like? -That tastes disgusting.
Okay, a burrito.
WOMAN: Thank you so much.
[spits.]
-[laughing.]
-That is gross.
I'm not going to tell you what that reminds me of.
It's like the inside of my great granddad's underpants.
-[laughs.]
-Without the [bleep.]
.
[all laughing.]
Okay, the mahi with the garlic.
I think that you're the mahi lady.
-It's here.
-No, it's here.
MARCO: You don't like spicy, right? Oh, that's me, I'm the no spice lady.
Okay, I'm the one who ordered mahi mahi.
-Just put the plate down.
WOMAN: Okay.
MARCO: There you go.
WOMAN: So this is a salmon? -No, that's mahi mahi.
WOMAN: That's the mahi mahi.
I was about to say, it's the same thing.
Yours is more spicy.
Yours has the chili thingies -Wow.
-And mine is the mild one.
Oh, my lord.
They might as well [bleep.]
.
Rude, no composure.
It's just running around like a headless chicken.
GORDON: Right, I've seen enough.
Thank you.
I'll be back in a moment.
Okay, okay, see you later.
[tense music.]
Wow, so that was shocking.
The service is dreadful.
The food is embarrassing.
You can feel the panic in everyone that this place is sinking.
And more importantly, everyone's given up.
[upbeat rock music.]
-Please follow me, Junior.
-Oh, my-- Young man, can you ask Marco and everybody to come and join me right now, please? Young man, come and stand here, please.
-Oh, my God.
WOMAN: That's Gordon Ramsay.
Hello, Aurora.
Please, stand next to Junior.
Thank you.
I've had better days.
What I've just experienced was shocking.
I just want to say you can never, ever step inside this dining room again dripping of sweat from your nose, into customer's food.
W-we're trying, you know.
We're trying.
[bleep.]
.
You're worse than him, the way you shouted at my guests.
-Put the plate down.
-No, I didn't think -I screamed, but, no -Oh, okay.
-I apologize.
-That's the polite way -of acknowledging.
-I apologize, I apologize.
Aurora, I know how much this restaurant means to you and how long it's been in the family.
Truthfully, are you happy right now? No.
I'm not happy.
-Would you like my help? -Of course.
I need your help.
Ladies and gentleman, stop eating, forks down.
I'd like all of you, right now, and I mean all of you, to follow me.
Let's go.
GORDON: [exhales.]
What a [bleep.]
disaster.
[rock music.]
Just come and take a stand over here, please, thank you.
That's fine there.
This is Hell on Wheels, the engine room and the heart of my command center.
Listen carefully.
My team has been visiting your restaurant undercover for weeks to find out what truly is happening on a day-to-day basis.
What they uncovered Was shocking.
Have a look at this.
[dramatic music.]
MARCO: When I saw that screen going up, I went, "We're done.
We're done.
" [bleep.]
.
Hey, Jonny, smell this.
Look, smell this.
[speaks Spanish.]
[camera shutter clicks.]
Oh, [bleep.]
.
[beeping.]
[dramatic music.]
[indistinct chatter.]
WOMAN: Oh, my God.
-That was appalling.
Let me promise you one thing right now.
I am gonna help to turn this business around.
Not only I'm gonna turn it around, but I'm gonna turn it around in 24 hours.
If your family and your team doesn't have the passion and the commitment over these next 24 hours, you never will.
Understood? ALL: Yes, sir, yes Chef.
-I can't hear you.
ALL: Yes, sir! GORDON: Good.
Because the clock starts now.
[dramatic music.]
All our customers today, listen up.
I'm picking up your tab.
That [bleep.]
was on me.
But what I'd like to see is that you commit to returning in 24 hours.
Understood? Every member of staff here, get on your cell phones.
Ring home, and tell them that you're not coming home for at least 24 hours.
I'll see you all back inside that restaurant.
Get on the phone.
[tense music.]
STONE: This is gonna be a tough situation.
But I've worked at La Serenata for ten years.
And I don't feel like there's any other restaurant like this, so I really want the best for them.
Oh, my God.
This is crazy.
[tense music.]
Let's go back.
Established in 1985, you guys had three amazing, talk-of-the-town restaurants.
Marco, why have we given up? [stammers.]
It--I mean, I hear what you're saying.
We haven't given up.
[bleep.]
the excuse.
I'm done with excuses.
Why is this place going down the pan? -Marco? -Staff, service.
Staff, stop there.
What's the problem with the staff, Marco? People are just, uh, irresponsible.
GORDON: Irresponsible.
MARCO: Not taking it serious.
Not serious, irresponsible.
Who's in charge of the staff? IRMA: Nobody.
GORDON: Nobody's in charge of the staff.
MARCO: I'm supposed to be.
GORDON: You're supposed to be.
Uh, but I have issues with my mom, because she doesn't want to let me take the helm GORDON: So you're saying that your problem is your mother? Because she doesn't let you step up and run the business? -Right.
-I don't think so.
-I'm not the problem.
GORDON: You're not the problem? -No.
IRMA: Both is the problem.
-Both their problem.
-Both of them are the problem? Because one is the owner, and the other one -is the son of the owner.
-A family business -that's not on the same page.
-Yeah.
Marta.
Who's to blame? Marco.
-Who's to blame? -Marco and, uh, his mother.
GORDON: Who's to blame? -Marco.
GORDON: Marco.
-They might say it's my fault.
I'll take 75% of the blame.
You're full of [bleep.]
.
[tense rock music.]
Junior, you cook like a man that doesn't give a [bleep.]
.
It's hard to fix problems because I'll tell my dad, "Hey, we should do this like this, maybe change it.
" He'll say yeah, but then he won't, you know, back me up.
I'm done with excuses.
I'm here to help, but I'm not gonna listen to any more [bleep.]
.
Wake up and start thinking about change.
-Understood? ALL: Yes.
Okay, let's go.
[upbeat rock music.]
WOMAN: Okay, so we're gonna hand out T-shirts.
So let's get those on, and then let's get all the furniture out.
GORDON: We have less than 24 hours to turn La Seranata's sad song around.
[speaks Spanish.]
GORDON: We'll take out and update the dated décor, light fixtures, and furniture.
MAN: Ooh, gonna be tight.
GORDON: Then we'll bring the color scheme into the 21st century to appeal to the neighborhood's trendier locals.
JONNY: I'm still in shock.
It's just blood, sweat, and tears for the next 24 hours.
Look, used to go all the way over there, to the bar.
Who did that, then? GORDON: But I can tell that opening up the space She chopped the bar.
[bleep.]
.
GORDON: Is also opening up old wounds.
But now, I need to take a closer look at the heart of the restaurant, its kitchen.
Excuse me, please, guys, I need you here, thank you.
[clattering.]
GORDON: What in the [bleep.]
is that? MAN: A frozen [bleep.]
chicken? -[bleep.]
.
-What in the [bleep.]
? How the [bleep.]
do we eat that? Hold it.
It's not gonna [bleep.]
bite you; it's [bleep.]
dead.
Dead, frostbitten.
-Oh, my God.
MAN: What is that, Marco? That's kale, I didn't think we had that.
I didn't see it in there, I don't know why -they put it in the box.
-[coughing.]
[bleep.]
.
This is money being thrown down the [bleep.]
drain! -This is fresh kale.
-Oh, my God.
Smell the [bleep.]
thing! [grunts, retches.]
-[coughs.]
MAN: I'm gonna throw up, dude.
[coughs.]
GORDON: What's this fish for? -For all the sauces-- -Sorry? -Sauces and vegetables.
-Sauces and vegetables.
What sauce, Marco, are we making with this? [stammers.]
Our base sauce, but that, we would throw out.
We wouldn't use that.
They're all [bleep.]
, young man.
Your father built his legacy on sauces, right? Yeah.
Congratulations, you've just [bleep.]
it.
You guys get in there and get this [bleep.]
kitchen clean.
And I mean clean.
[blues rock.]
Start with this one.
Ah.
And look at that backsplash right there, man.
Aw, [bleep.]
.
GORDON: Running a kitchen like that, Marco's not only lost his way.
This restaurant's turned against him, 'cause they're fed up with his negativity.
And I feel like much of it stems from the poor relationship with his mother, Aurora.
Where's Aurora? Aurora.
Let's go in the kitchen.
Uh, guys, could you give me two minutes, please? -Right, first of all AURORA: Mm-hmm.
How are you feeling? Right.
Why has it gone this far down? How come it's so bad? Right.
Wow.
Why hasn't Marco turned out like his father? Why can't he be like his dad? Hey, come here, hey, hey.
It should never-- that should never happen.
Stay there two seconds, okay? -Okay.
-Wait there two seconds.
[tense music.]
That guy would never behave like that if his father was alive.
Marco, two seconds, please? Put that down.
And right now, Marco's father would be turning in his grave.
[tense music.]
When your father passed away, did you step up into his shoes? -Did you take over? -Not the way -he would have wanted me.
-What does that mean? My mom, you know, as far as delegating and power and control, she looks at me as if I'm still, you know, 15 years old.
When you go for your mum, and you humiliate her, if your father was in this business, -what would he do to you? -Throw me out.
And did your father ever talk like that to anybody? No, not like that, no.
He was just more to the point.
People respected him when he said something.
Sometimes they didn't like it, but they respected it.
-Do people respect you? -Probably not, no.
This can't go on.
We can't Work and live together like this.
This is not how a family business runs.
We are so far apart.
It's extraordinary.
Trying to fix a restaurant that is fragmented internally is hard enough, but trying to fix a family that have fallen out of love for each other? I'm not too sure if we can do this.
[music intensifying.]
[blues rock music.]
Are you guys taking those things down? MARCO: It would be awesome.
This is history.
GORDON: This is a family in turmoil, and I'm not sure I can do anything about Marco's appalling behavior.
GORDON: Jonny, I want two minutes with Junior, please.
Keep cleaning.
GORDON: But I do know one area where I can start to put this restaurant back on course if it's not too late.
-Do you want to be here? -I'm committed.
I'm ready.
I want to put this place back on the map.
So, tell me, what the [bleep.]
happened? Uh, I mean, I mean, I-I felt ambitious.
You know, I wanted to do it for my grandpa, but, uh, it's draining when you're putting effort in and, you know, it's not being used, -not being accepted.
-Yeah.
You know Grandma's run out of money, right? You, you--there's no more money in the pot.
Yeah, we don't want to lose this place, nor everything my-- m-my grandfather did.
[somber music.]
[sniffles.]
There needs to be a part of you, young man, that has to dig deeper.
-Yeah.
-And you, right now, are the sole survivor that could possibly step up.
I will show you what your grandfather couldn't pass on to you if you show me that you're committed to change and to stepping up.
-Are you? -I am, yeah.
I am.
I am.
[music swelling.]
-Get your team together -Okay.
And meet me outside.
Okay.
GORDON: Let's go.
All right, come around, come around.
This is the menu that we're gonna use to relaunch your restaurant.
But I'm talking about authentic, delicious Mexican cuisine.
That kitchen is tiny, so our menu needs to be small and dynamic.
Now, get some spoons, and start digging in.
Taste down here first.
That's the ceviche, dig in.
And when I say dig in, I want you to taste the sea bass, the shrimp, the fresh cilantro, the avocado crema.
Have a taste of delicious, fresh tortilla soup.
We've confited the leg.
We've shredded the chicken inside.
Dig in, dig in, let's have a look at some of the entrées.
Jump in the taco, come on.
Our barbacoa taco, the braised beef cheeks, finished with fresh pickled red onion.
Really good.
Now, the red snapper.
MAN: Good.
[clapping.]
-Classic, delicious.
MAN: Really good.
And then, the fresh mussels, finished with a chorizo, a classic Mexican beer, and given it some life.
-Cool.
-Good to see the smile on your face.
Right, you, come around this side.
You're gonna cook some mussels.
You guys, continue eating.
Step forward.
All three of you, please.
What's the exciting thing about mussels? -Uh, that they're alive? -They're alive.
They're cheap, and they taste -They taste delicious.
-Incredible.
Touch of olive oil in first.
Get that hot.
Okay, break that down.
From there, chorizo in.
All I've done is just minced that up a little bit, okay? From there, onions.
Gordon is becoming like a mentor that I lost.
Mussels go in.
JUNIOR: And it's pretty amazing that, you know, I had this opportunity because not many people get to have that opportunity.
Now have a taste.
What does that need? -A bit more salt? -A bit more salt.
JUNIOR: Yeah.
-You nailed it.
You're now gonna buddy up.
My team and you are gonna have the most intense training through the [bleep.]
night.
And they are gonna put you through your paces like never before.
-Hello, what's your name? -Hey.
Marco.
-Marco.
-Junior, Junior.
-Junior, you go by Junior? -Yeah.
Junior, yeah.
-That's okay.
-Okay.
And you can start to see Junior absorbing the chance of freedom.
And his freedom is change.
Give him that little bit of freedom, he could change his restaurant, big time.
[speaking Spanish.]
Are we staying through the night? Yup.
GORDON: With Junior in good hands, I need to get back inside and check the progress of the renovation.
-Meghan.
MEGHAN: Yes? The actual bones of this place is a great shell.
MEGHAN: Not bad.
The soffit's beautiful.
We're gonna accent it with some wood slots.
GORDON: But the openness of it, there's no awkward corners anywhere, you know, it's got that lovable -Yeah, yeah.
-Brightness, openness.
[hammer pounding, drill whirring.]
MARCO: Hey, Gordon? -Yes? D-do you have a minute to talk? -A minute to talk.
-Yeah.
Uh, yeah, well, that clock's ticking.
MARCO: Okay.
GORDON: Uh, yeah.
GORDON: Let's go, let's go, let's go.
[tense music.]
MARCO: I just feel-- I don't know.
I just--not feel right, you know? -I don't feel comfortable.
GORDON: You don't feel right.
Yeah, I don't feel comfortable with, you know, the way things kind of went.
Just think how your mother feels.
Jump in.
Don't get too [bleep.]
comfortable.
So let me get this-- let me get this right.
-You're not very happy.
-No.
-No, why not? -No, uh I mean, I--I-- I [bleep.]
up.
-Mm-hmm.
-Bad.
You're angry.
You are a man that is absolutely on the edge.
I just, you know, um, since my dad, you know, he passed away, um, it's the stress, it's the years of him being gone.
Were you not ready for the challenge? Were you No, I wasn't ready for the challenge, no.
And, um, and as he was going out, he goes, "I have to talk to you.
" [pensive music.]
And that--and those, those were the last words he said to me.
And I can almost bet everything that he was gonna tell me -like, to take care of Mom.
-But, you didn't respect his final wishes.
-No, mm-mm, I didn't.
-I can see the anger -in what you haven't done.
-Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
That you're pent up and you're so desperate, and you're absolutely taking it out on everybody close to you.
What's the final message that you've never got off your chest to say to your dad? Just, you know, tell him how much--how much I love him.
[voice breaking.]
Thank-- you know, thank you, Dad.
With what time your mother has left Mm-hmm.
-you need to make amends.
-Mm-hmm.
You need to make up -Mm-hmm.
-For lost time.
The last thing I want to see is that family torn apart.
-Mm-hmm, okay.
-If we get this family back together, you've got every chance of making that restaurant a success.
-Hey, it starts with you.
-Mm-hmm.
Okay.
All right, it starts with me.
Thank you, thank you very much.
It's time that I do things differently now.
I'm gonna change for the better and prove to everybody that we can all do this together and put La Serenata back to where it was.
[pounding, whirring.]
GORDON: While I'm happy that Marco is owning up to his mistakes, he's not the only one who has lost his way.
I have one more video I need to show all of them to wake them up.
GORDON: Junior? -Yeah? Jonny, let's go.
You know, it's early hours of the morning.
We're tired.
[tense music.]
And there's something missing.
Something that has been missing for a while.
I've got one more video that you all need to focus on.
Watch carefully.
[beeping.]
[dramatic music.]
There's something missing.
I need to give you a stern reminder of the key ingredient that not only is missing, but you've all forgotten.
Watch carefully.
[soft guitar music.]
In your fight to keep this place alive, you've all forgotten the foundation that that man brought each and every day.
The love, the kindness, and the respect -for each other.
-Even though he's not here right now, you know, I feel that he basically got you to help us and give us another chance to bring back the restaurant to what it used to be.
What do you want to say to your family? I want to apologize, you know, to you, Mom.
My son, Junior.
Irma, my wife, and my kids at home.
I'm gonna try to become a better man, and show some leadership, the way it should be.
Irma, come over here, darling, please.
Aurora, come here.
This is an amazing family.
-Yes.
-You guys have just forgotten the importance of being a strong family.
And may that man rest in peace, but we've got a job to do.
Your son apologized.
I know that's a long time coming.
But you need to let go And give them a chance.
I give a big chance, a big chance to my son.
-Because I love him.
GORDON: And he loves you.
-Yeah, of course.
-You guys, let's head back to the restaurant, let's go.
I'm gonna leave you guys -two minutes.
IRMA: Thank you.
Ah.
MARCO: I love you guys.
JUNIOR: I love you, too.
MARCO: I love you guys, okay, Mom? We're good, and Irma.
MARCO: All right? All right.
JUNIOR: All right.
Let's get this back together, okay, you guys? IRMA: Okay.
-All right, okay.
All right.
GORDON: I had a feeling that Don Jose could still help his family.
And now that they are back together, it's time to pull the rest of the restaurant together as well.
My team is working throughout the night to help rewrite the future of this restaurant.
MAN: I really want to have all this up tonight.
You know, we got a lot of touch-up.
GORDON: There'll be no rest for anyone until they make the spirit of Don Jose proud.
[yawning.]
I need to get some sleep.
I haven't slept.
[dramatic musical flourish.]
GORDON: How are the team doing? -They're good.
-Yeah.
I think if everyone kind of stays on task, we're gonna finish.
If not, we're gonna have some issues.
GORDON: But it's up to Junior and his newly inspired team to give everyone a taste of what's to come for La Serenata.
MAN: Looks really good, man.
JUNIOR: Good job, yeah.
JUNIOR: Because of what Gordon just taught us, I feel that we're back to how my grandfather would run his kitchen.
Clean, tight, everything perfect.
-I like everything.
-You like everything, yeah? It's exciting to finally be back.
[laughs.]
Whoo, here we go.
MAN: So you guys made this? MAN: Yes, sir.
WOMAN: Looks great.
MAN: It's the new menu, huh? -Beautiful.
GORDON: Tonight, we're gonna relaunch La Serenata, and we're gonna launch with a bang.
And this menu is gonna become the staple of the relaunch of this restaurant.
Margaritas, please.
Drop one down each side, please.
How can we not sell an amazing margarita? Aurora, have a little taste.
[speaks Spanish.]
-Yipee! -[all laugh.]
Excellent, all right, that's enough, that's enough.
-Yeah, that's enough, okay.
-[all laugh.]
Dig in, taste, and enjoy.
[upbeat rock music.]
MAN: Oh, man, this is so good.
[speaking Spanish.]
-Try the snapper.
-Yeah, this is so good.
-This snapper.
-I like the ceviche.
Oh, yeah, do you guys know how to make this stuff? -Yeah, we all do.
-[laughs.]
MARCO: I'm so proud of Junior that he's here and he's learning and he's absorbing, and Gordon is showing him.
He's teaching him.
It's a once in a lifetime experience for him.
-Salud.
MAN: To Don Jose.
BOTH: To Don Jose, and La Serenata.
GORDON: With a needed boost into their final six hours, I've got one more surprise for Junior and his crew.
Take a look at the state of this kitchen.
These tools are the correct equipment that this team needs.
It's the best of the best.
From mixers to tabletop fryers, stick mixers, blenders-- you name it, you've got it.
-Thank you so much.
-This is unbelievable.
-It's amazing, thank you.
GORDON: Junior, delegate.
Get organized and tell them what you want.
-We're resetting, let's go.
-Okay, gotcha.
Okay, okay, Jonny-- MEGHAN: Let's start setting the tables.
GORDON: While the physical renovation of La Serenata looks amazing, it means nothing if they don't have the staff to match it.
Uh, reservations.
Yeah, how do you greet customers? Stand here, stand here, we're walking in.
Let's go, let's go.
Yeah, so you scared the [bleep.]
out of me.
It's like you just escaped from prison and you're [bleep.]
stoned out of your mind.
First of all, give me an S-M-I-L-E.
Smile.
Let's go, one more time.
MARCO: Hi.
-Welcome.
This is La Serenata.
[bleep.]
me.
Rome wasn't built in a day, I get that.
Do you want that reservation list, yes or no? MAN: Yes, yes! -Oh, my God.
He doesn't want it.
All right, Stone, head up.
We're gonna now sort out the dining room? JUAN CARLOS: Stone is definitely one of a kind.
His name says it all, pretty much.
Welcome us.
And I don't want you to sit down.
I'd like you to recommend some of the menu.
W-- Should we look at the menus first? -I mean-- -Just--well, just, recommend a dish you tasted then, earlier this morning.
So sell it to us.
[tense music.]
[speaking Spanish.]
Come on.
Just recommend to my mom.
Green chicken enchiladas in tomatillo sauce.
Chinese? Oh, I'm done.
[chair scraping.]
I'm done, me, I've got to get some fresh air.
Holy [bleep.]
.
Can I start with Chinese? [beeping.]
[dramatic music.]
Just relax, just relax.
Here, I'm gonna get a menu, I'm gonna get a menu, okay? I'm gonna give you a massage.
GORDON: While the renovation of La Serenata looks amazing, there is still plenty to be done before we reopen.
MARCO: They've been working hard all night, busting their butts.
I don't know how it's going to all come together, but I will do everything to help them.
MARCO: Do you guys need any help? Can somebody get me some ice? Sure, yes, I'll get you some ice.
Okay, so then, look.
After you get in, just scroll all the way to the top.
Gordon--uh, "Gordon Ramsay menu.
" GORDON: I'm glad to see Marco attempting to be the leader his father once was.
Jump on my back.
Jump on my back.
-Jump on.
-Oh, my God.
GORDON: Everyone here needs to be at their best to prepare for tonight's grand reopening.
GORDON: Team, let's go.
Come on.
JUNIOR: Okay, come on, Mom.
GORDON: Let's go.
Let me tell you something.
Good to see you both.
-You're well, and you're dry.
JUNIOR: We got him a towel.
Ah, that's what he needs.
Right, when I first arrived in this restaurant, it was in disarray.
Just take a look at this place.
-The mural, beautifully done.
MARCO: Yeah, it's beautiful.
GORDON: This has to be the perfect backdrop for customer selfies to help spread the word online.
Minutes from now, that door is gonna open and this place is gonna relaunch.
-Right, how are you feeling? -It's just the best thing in the world right now.
I'm so happy.
And my mom, you know, and for my dad.
Have you fallen back in love with your family? MARCO: Oh, yeah.
GORDON: There you go.
-All right.
-And this place is gonna become what that amazing man, your husband, your father, your granddad stood for.
-Are we excited? ALL: Yes.
-Are we ready? ALL: Yes.
ALL: Five, four, three, two, one.
Let's do this.
Come on.
[applause.]
[indistinct chatter.]
Come on in, you guys.
Welcome.
Come on in, welcome.
GORDON: In just 24 hours, my team and La Serenata staff have turned this place around.
WOMAN: Hi.
-Yes, we do, thank you.
-Thank you.
GORDON: We've given it a fresh coat of paint and a modern style.
We've removed the outdated décor and the hideous chandeliers.
It is really pretty in here.
Oh, it's amazing.
I love the new color, and I love the new logo.
GORDON: Customers no longer see a dull, dirty restaurant stuck painfully in the past.
They see a fresh, sleek place with eyes on the future and a menu designed to help take them there.
May I just grace this heavyweight table of critics? -Yes.
-Very rare chefs get the opportunity to sit next to such esteem.
-Oh, that's too kind.
-[laughter.]
GORDON: Now, I can only hope that all the staff is fully on board.
-Smile, remember? Yeah, go.
MAN: Ready? Okay, next order.
Let's do it.
Hello, hello.
How are you, ladies? Um, I'm gonna get you started-- Welcome, welcome to La Serenata.
Welcome to La Serenata.
GORDON: It's busy, they've never had to work this organized, but more importantly, what I need is Marco to keep the peace and support the dining room and encourage Junior.
JUNIOR: Remember, guys, taste everything.
I got another ceviche.
I've already taken that to table one.
[dramatic music.]
How did you take that to table one? This one is saying that it hasn't gone.
Oh, it's for Juan, Juan.
Not one.
-Oh, my God.
-Juan.
I'm really sorry once again, and as soon as the food is available, I'll bring it to you right away.
Okay, okay.
What was he doing there? [bleep.]
.
You guys are waiting for your check? Oh, I'm sorry, sorry.
I don't know, Marco's very nervous.
But we're gonna work together.
I'm very sorry you haven't GORDON: There have been some bumps in the service, but I'm more worried that Marco's panic is spreading to Junior and his kitchen.
Oh, my corn, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, the corn on the side.
Oh, no, that's not us.
No, we're getting stuff we didn't order.
-Okay, take that-- -Right.
No.
Come here.
-Come here.
Come here.
JUNIOR: Okay.
That's the second table that's already got the same food.
This is air traffic control.
You're in charge.
Okay.
Okay, we need a order of barba-- Are those tacos done? Is that for 15? -Is that 15's? WOMAN: 15.
Oh, my lord.
[head thumping.]
[dramatic music.]
It's been a long while.
They're having their appetizer.
I'm sorry, that wasn't my mistake.
The kitchen, the kitchen didn't make it, and I said, "Where's my ceviche?" GORDON: Come here, you.
-Yeah, yes? GORDON: Talk to me, we're gonna look for a solution.
You are not gonna lose it.
You are not going back to where you were.
-Okay, all right.
-But food shouldn't go -to the same table three times.
-Okay.
That's not a kitchen problem.
That's a service problem.
-Okay.
-Okay? -All right.
-So someone's not listening -to Junior.
-Okay.
But what I want you to do is get the service on their toes.
-Okay, great.
-Okay, let's go.
Okay.
Oh, my God, oh, my God.
It doesn't matter, they're taking food to the wrong table.
-Okay.
-But what you need to do hey, is to find that voice now and dig deep.
-Okay? -Okay, okay.
Yes, Chef.
Okay, 24, 14, table 4 and table 6.
Okay, you guys, service? [dramatic music.]
The table 24, the critics, everything is on point.
They're happy, and they're loving it.
-Everything good.
-Awesome, awesome.
I feel so confident now.
Having the support from my family and our staff, we know that we're gonna have everything coming out correct, the same, and everyone's gonna love it.
Oh, my God.
That's from heaven.
Good job, guys.
Keep it up, keep it up.
Keep it going, keep it going.
Oh, really? Really? Stone.
It's so nice to see you having fun.
-You're a cool guy, right? -Yeah.
So have more fun.
When you're having fun, -the customers are having fun.
-Got it.
-What did she say? -She said it was amazing.
She was just, like, speechless.
-Do you love that? -Yes.
Mmm.
I really like how they raised the bar.
Moved away from the combo platters and the very dated menu.
-Well done.
-Thank you, Chef.
Well done.
That was never gonna be easy.
-No, it's not.
-69 guests.
-Oh, my God.
-Yeah, how do you feel? -Great, it feels amazing.
-Completely different.
I mean, just the whole-- the whole feel of the place.
Completely different.
What I heard tonight was your voice.
That was the most important thing for me.
I feel very good.
I feel very happy, and I know my husband is very happy.
The kitchen was strong tonight.
Continue improving the dining room.
-Okay.
-Continue digging deep for that voice.
And if you four join together -Yeah.
-Stay together, -nothing is gonna break you.
-Okay.
-If we fall apart -Mm-hmm.
the restaurant's gonna fall apart.
-That's true.
-Yeah.
But what I would like to see is no more fighting.
-Okay.
-It's not worth it.
-Please.
GORDON: Thank you.
-Thank you.
-Thank you.
I'm so thankful that Gordon Ramsay came in here and really made us see the problem, talk it out, and actually perform tonight.
And, you know, it's you know, it's a miracle.
[exhales deeply.]
They say there's no such thing as a overnight success.
But I believe La Serenata family could be the exception to the rule.
You know, 24 hours ago, when I arrived, I met a broken restaurant run by a very broken family.
But tonight, La Serenata family came together for the first time in a long time.
And right now, Don Jose's legacy can live on.
Hey, Gordon, it's Marco from La Serenata.
Uh, I'm just giving you an update of what's going on.
And it's tough.
It's tough right now.
My dad, he's going back into his old ways.
MARCO: I told you, chicken quesadilla, okay? You made another mistake.
JUNIOR: He went back to the old menu.
Jonny left.
It's kind of me back there on my own.
And because I don't get paid here anymore, I have a second job.
It's tough.
GORDON: Next week, I head to a dog-friendly restaurant in the heart of America.
[dogs barking, snarling.]
WOMAN: Oh, my God.
-There's hair everywhere.
GORDON: Run by a couple who have bitten off more than they can chew.
There comes an end of the road sometime.
-I don't know if this is it.
-[sniffles.]
GORDON: If they can't get their staff on a tighter leash -And you're perfect, right? -No.
-But you think you are.
-I absolutely-- GORDON: This restaurant is sure to get put down.
You can't serve the same food to the customers that you serve to the dogs.
[dog whimpers.]
Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours To Hell and Back is on fire,