24 Hours to Hell and Back (2018) s02e09 Episode Script
Social
1 GORDON: I'm Gordon Ramsay, and I'm hitting the road once again, heading to struggling restaurants all across America.
Look at the color of this.
It's all gone.
With so many restaurants on the brink of collapse I'm not up to this, don't you understand? And how can you tell me that you care? You do not care.
I know that I need to work quickly, so I've given myself just 24 hours WOMAN: Oh, my God.
GORDON: To try and save each of them.
-You guys could get shut down.
-Yeah.
GORDON: But when people know I'm coming, they tend to hide what's really going on.
So I'll be covert, hiding cameras in the restaurants and myself in plain sight Hello.
To catch them all red-handed.
Oh, my God.
What I discovered was shocking.
(coughs, sneezes) GORDON: If I have any hope of saving them If you were my executive chef, trust me, you'd be toast.
I'll have to go to hell and back We're not [bleep.]
around with $1/4 million in debt.
In 24 hours.
Don't act precious.
You don't want to [bleep.]
with me, honey.
(timer ticking) (rock music) GORDON: I'm in Costa Mesa, California, a ritzy upper-class community where residents enjoy all the spoils that Southern California has to offer.
I'm on my way to a restaurant called Social.
They're located in an ultra-competitive restaurant market where you can't just be good; you have to be great.
By all outward appearances, everything at Social looks fine.
But when you peel off the façade, you'll find a dysfunctional restaurant that is downright antisocial.
(dramatic music) My name is Andrew Dorsey, and I'm the owner-operator at Social in Costa Mesa.
I've owned Social for just over four years.
My name is Raquel Dorsey.
I am Andrew's wife, and I'm co-owner of the restaurant.
Getting ready for that busy service.
When we first opened Social, I was seven months pregnant, and we didn't know how we were gonna pay our rent.
There was just no option for failure.
Pinot grigio? You got it.
So after about a month, it spread like wildfire.
We're the new hottest thing.
There was a line out the door.
Our weekends were sold out a month in advance.
RAQUEL: We were really living the dream.
ANDREW: And then that dream turned into a little bit of a nightmare.
So how many did we have in the books tonight? Zero? ANDREW: After our year two, all of a sudden, the weekends got a little bit slower.
We were booking out maybe half the reservations.
Sales are down over $400,000.
Like, what's happening? Hey, why do these potatoes have zero flavor? I have worked at Social now for six months.
One of the biggest issues that I've been confronting with the staff since I took over was having them follow me and believe in what I was trying to accomplish with this restaurant.
What I think about Executive Chef Jayro? Can I cuss? We're having a tough time in the kitchen because just recently, my old executive chef, Jose, came back, but he's only cooking in an hourly capacity.
Dan, you're gonna need new limes.
The ones you have are pretty gross.
I took off to take a brief hiatus, because I was completely burnt.
I tried a few different restaurants and ultimately felt like my place was here.
-How far is that corn? MAN: Not too far.
It is a little bit of a weird vibe back there, because you have the guy who used to be in charge is now technically working under the guy that was working under him.
You know that there's nothing better out there.
Jayro, he doesn't trust none of these guys.
Hey, did you cut those potatoes, sir? The respect is not there.
JAYRO: Stop using those [bleep.]
board markers, please.
JON: Jose's more like, "I trust you guys.
You guys can do this.
" Yes, Chef.
ANDREW: There's constantly a fight in trying to get people just to do their job.
We got four dudes in the kitchen right now, dude.
We can't have a 30-minute skirt steak.
For me, it's tough because I put everything into what I do.
Hey, these meatballs aren't very warm.
They should be piping hot out of the oven.
RAQUEL: Andrew is Superman at home.
Andrew is Superman at the restaurant.
He's never without his cape.
I love my husband.
He is the person I first want to serve in the morning, and he is the last person I want to serve at night.
Can I get this out of your way? -Yes, please.
-Thank you.
RAQUEL: Right now, we are about $250,000 in debt.
So what's at stake for us is pretty much everything.
ANDREW: We don't have a backup plan.
So losing means more than just losing a restaurant.
It means possibly losing my family, possibly losing my relationship.
(sniffles) It's becoming very real.
GORDON: With only 24 hours to try and turn around these social misfits, I need to find out what they were all doing wrong.
But when people know I'm coming, their social etiquette tends to improve.
So I found a Gordon Ramsay impersonator to act as a decoy, and he's the spitting image of yours truly.
While my team gets me in disguise, I'm sending in my look-alike.
(exhales forcefully) (curious music) Uh-oh.
(exhales forcefully) MEL: How are you doing today? No, good, fine.
Um Can we get you started with something? Right, I'm gonna go for the figs burrata.
-Homemade pasta, definitely.
-Okay.
-Meatballs.
-Okay.
-All right, fantastic.
-Yeah.
VIP on 20.
Who's that? ANDREW: Some chef.
Go check it out.
WOMAN: Smile.
One, two, three.
-There we go.
-Thank you so much.
Enjoy.
It looks fabulous.
That's one for the old mantelpiece, that one, darling.
Oh, [bleep.]
.
Are you serious? Oh, my God.
Y'all better not [bleep.]
this up.
My pits are sweating.
(laughs) ANDREW: Let's go, guys.
Cook like your life depends on it, please 'cause it does.
Thank you.
Let's sit down.
No one's in the bleachers.
Iced tea or hot tea? -Hot tea.
-Got it.
What's going on? No greet, no meet.
Shishito peppers here for you, sir.
-All right.
Fantastic.
-A lime aioli.
Enjoy.
All right.
Thank you.
Oh.
So the staff actually believe it's me over there in that white jacket.
-Can you believe that? Look.
-Right.
Way too much salt on there, big man.
It's likeI'm done with those.
You can take those.
Too much salt, bro.
[bleep.]
told you too much salt.
MAN: I'll do the crudo, then.
The salmon crudo or the scallop crudo? -Scallop crudo.
-Got it.
GORDON: To see if Social's service and food is up to par with its outwards appearance I'd like the chicken and waffles.
Okay.
GORDON: We're ordering a wide variety of dishes.
The wood-fired lamb lollipops, please.
Tri-tip? How do you want it cooked? -Okay.
-The tri-tip.
-Rare.
-Thank you.
Yeah.
Walking in, lamb chop, chicken and waffle, tri-tip, rare, date night.
DAN: Heard.
ANDREW: All right.
Thank you for your patience.
-Oh, wow.
-Got the pig head here for you with a little guac.
GORDON: Service so far in here has been terrible, right? So there's clearly MAN: Well, they're catering to him.
GORDON: Yeah, ignoring everybody else.
These still haven't gone out to 54? Yo, can I get those scallops, please? (coughs) What is that? Now he's spitting food out in the napkin.
Where does he get those bad manners from? [bleep.]
me.
Can they get anything right? I have the scallop crudo.
GORDON: I'm always worried when they start putting edible flowers in everything.
Holy [bleep.]
, it's burning my tongue.
GORDON: Yeah, way too spicy.
It just kills it.
(beeping) All right, and we have your chicken and waffles.
The plate's a little warm, so be careful, okay? And the tri-tip.
GORDON: I ordered it rare.
See how it's medium? So that's overcooked.
(beeping) WOMAN: Ew, the chicken doesn't taste good.
(beeping) -That's raw.
-Completely raw.
GORDON: Look at that.
(beeping) GORDON: Man, that's bad.
And that's what happens when they're all focused on Gordon Ramsay's dishes over there.
It's like a bird's nest of Brussels sprouts.
In Orange County, you need to be on point Food on point, service on point, décor on point otherwise they're gone.
(ominous music) How spoiled are you getting? (scoffs) Ladies and gentlemen, can I just have your attention for 30 seconds? I need all of you to stop eating right now.
You, forks down.
You've eaten enough.
Drew, can you get everybody out of the kitchen, please? Front of house and back of house, let's go.
Everybody in the front.
Not out, but GORDON: So let's make this clear.
I suppose, to get good service, you have to be Gordon Ramsay around here.
Because what we just experienced has been nothing short of embarrassing and certainly not social.
(cheers and applause) Oh, my God.
Martin, thank you.
I'll take it from here.
[bleep.]
off.
(cheers and applause) I'm shocked.
Based on that experience, I know why Social is struggling.
But let me tell you something.
Right now Social is closed.
All of you, meet me outside in two minutes.
What a joke.
Well, that was really embarrassing.
(rock music) Wait, what? GORDON: Ladies and gentlemen, come over, please.
This is Hell on Wheels, an amazing state-of-the-art truck that unfolds with one of the best kitchens I've ever put together.
Not only that, but it's staffed with a team that are passionate.
Over the last couple of weeks, you've been under surveillance.
And it's interesting to watch the behavior of staff when they think they're not being filmed.
Open your eyes, all of you.
(tense music) Holy [bleep.]
.
I can't even get to the walk-in.
Yo, what the [bleep.]
are you doing, dude? Just walk around and you're not gonna plate your [bleep.]
fries? DAN: You fire him, I go.
MEL: All right, how much you want to bet it's gonna take another 25 minutes for those Brussels sprouts to land for 56? They still haven't [bleep.]
come? G: There's definitely sometimes a blur between friendship and ownership when it comes to working here.
G's over here dressing to impress tonight.
(laughs) Yeah, you're trying to make some tips, dog.
(sneezes) Excuse me.
-(coughs) -Oh, that's gross.
(coughing continues) -(sneezes) -(crowd gasps) (sneezes) (dramatic music) (sneezes) Excuse me.
-(coughs) -Oh, that's gross.
(coughs) (sneezes) (crowd gasps) Jayro, you're the executive chef, right? Yes.
And so an executive chef digs his fingers and licks his fingers and then continues cooking? If you were my executive chef, trust me, you'd be toast.
Drew, your dream, your baby, what [bleep.]
is happening? -A lot of things.
-You giving up? Never.
Customers, are you shocked at that behavior? -Yes.
-Yeah.
Based on what you just experienced, who would come back to Social? -Nobody.
-No.
That's nobody, Drew.
I've got 24 hours to turn this place around.
Customers, I need to see you back in 24 hours.
I need one more chance to prove that Social is worth revisiting.
Every member of staff, I want to know, do I have any help doing it, or are you gonna stand there and stare at me? -I'll do it.
-Are you committed? -Yeah.
-Yes, sir.
'Cause that 24 hours starts now.
(timer ticking) Staff, get on your phone and ring home and tell 'em you're not gonna be back for the next 24 hours.
I'll see you back at the restaurant.
(upbeat music) Hey, babe, I don't think I'm coming home.
I'll be home hopefully sometime tomorrow.
We're gonna turn this place around in 24 hours.
(suspenseful music) Okay.
Four years ago, we had the best reputation in town.
Now our reputation has gone to [bleep.]
.
Jayro, why are we inconsistent? I feel like there's been a very big lack of discipline.
A lot of cooks leaving, coming, not showing up, showing up late.
But you're the head chef, right? Yes.
Jose, you used to be the chef, right? Yes.
Did you have the same problem with the line cooks that Jayro's having? -I don't.
-You don't? JOSE: No.
Executive chef, previous executive chef Jon, nickname Sneezy Yeah, Chef? What's the issue? 'Cause this does not make sense.
-It's confusing -It's confusing? To be honest right now.
It's obvious to why we're in this mess.
The engine room's dysfunctional.
Are you taking advantage of a weak owner? No, I'm not.
MmI wouldn't say "a weak owner.
" And what parts do you think of your husband as not weak? All of them.
Have you seen him? So you can protect the man that's taking shots with the staff over tending to the customers? You can do that all you wish.
That's a little unfair.
You can be defensive, but let me just You've only been here for, likehow long? Let me make one thing very clear.
Okay, go ahead.
You can wave your hand off and be dismissive all you wish.
I've done my due diligence.
I'm talking about surveillance over the last three weeks.
You're talking to the wrong person right now.
Don't act precious.
(scoffs) Me? You don't want to [bleep.]
with me, honey.
-(exhales forcefully) -(groans) Raquel, you can look at the wall, ignore me, but let me ask you a very important question.
How far away are you right now from closing this place down, financially? If we had two weeks of slow business, we wouldn't keep our doors open.
-Big stakes here.
-I know.
I want you to have a look at something, and I think it may wake you up a little bit.
I hope so.
Listen now.
GRAYSON: I've definitely thought about quitting a number of times in the last year and a half or so.
I can be successful with my skill set somewhere else in a heartbeat.
JIMMY: Front of the house, to the back of the house, we're getting fed up with it.
We have our leads and our managers that aren't taking responsibility for the stuff they should.
G: We try really hard, and it's hard to put that much of yourself into something and not even feel like it's being acknowledged.
RAQUEL: We literally, like, hold our breath every single day to see what number hits the account.
We have 32 other families that we have to pay.
And it is absolutely terrifying, because what if we can't do that? Does anybody want to, like, come home and, like, tell our kids, like, "No, we have to move "because the dream just didn't pan out the way that we thought it would"? Every employee, I'd like to see a show of hands if they thought about quitting here in the last three months.
Drew, you even raised your hand.
Some days, I wish I could quit, myself.
This is one of the most dysfunctional, fractured restaurants I've ever come across.
And I'm not certain if I can help you, because there's no togetherness here.
And with that [bleep.]
clock ticking and barely 22 hours left, I've gotta start my renovations and cut the [bleep.]
.
Bryan and Teresa this is my renovation team, and they know their stuff.
I need every member of staff getting their hands dirty and falling back in love with this place.
Is that clear? ALL: Yes, Chef.
Get a grip.
Bryan, Teresa, please, let's go.
All right, guys, let's start clearing all these tables and chairs, everything else, out.
All the place settings, everything goes back to the kitchen.
Everything else on the side stays.
GORDON: Before I dig deeper with Drew, we need to transform this cold, uninspired space to thrive in Costa Mesa's competitive restaurant market.
(grunts) Feels like right before we opened.
It does feel that way, baby.
I want a nice evening environment.
-Okay.
-A little bit more plush.
So we're gonna soften it up with some round tables.
And it needs color.
Like, that's the thing, too, is, like, it's just white everywhere, and so it doesn't feel nice to be in here.
-The bones are here, right? -Yes.
But the bare bones are here, which is a dream.
-Yes, sir.
-Okay, good.
-Yeah.
-Good job.
Thanks, guys.
-Thank you.
-Thank you, sir.
Can't wait to see the progress.
MAN: Watch your fingers and your toes.
It's like a rebranding, guys.
We're rebranding.
We're rebranding.
Where's the chefs? When you have a kitchen with two fractured head chefs that no one's taking responsibility, it's a disaster.
There can only be one leader behind the line, so I think I've come up with a way to get things back on track.
I'm done with this fragmented [bleep.]
.
-Right.
-Yes.
There's a big issue here.
You heard it from the cooks.
-Right? -Yeah.
You can understand that frustration.
-Yes.
-How do we fix that? Get on the same page.
Yeah, and let me tell you how you're gonna get on the same page.
What I want you to do now is to go back into that kitchen and, in 30 minutes, cook Drew one dish each that's not on the menu, a dish that will elevate this place going forward.
The best dish will be the head chef.
The other person is going home.
Got you.
And more importantly, we're tasting it blind.
Drew will have no idea who cooked what dish.
-Okay.
-Understood? Understood.
GORDON: Because that will be the true reflection of who really deserves to hold those reins.
Your 30 minutes start now.
Let's go.
Okay.
GORDON: Line cooks MAN: Yeah.
There's gonna be one head chef.
Head next door and watch them cook for their lives.
-Yes, Chef.
-I'll see you in a minute.
(tense music) So three minutes gone, yes? 27 minutes remaining.
Ah.
It's their [bleep.]
jobs on the line.
My heart is racing for them.
Jayro, describe the dish, please.
So the dish is pork chop on the herbed polenta with whiskey apples and roasted sunchokes.
Jose, describe the dish, please.
So I'm doing couscous with braised leeks, pomegranates with the shaved leek salad, and salmon.
Let's go.
Damn, those knife skills.
Jayro's in the zone.
I don't want to work for Jayro, honestly.
He can't run a team.
(exciting music) GORDON: Taste everything, yeah? Someone's gonna help put this restaurant BOTH: Yes, Chef.
GORDON: Elevate it.
back on the map.
JAYRO: Heard.
GORDON: Five minutes to go.
That's a nice salmon.
We're coming up to 90 seconds to go, guys.
Let's go.
(suspenseful music) Yeah, they have to plate now.
GORDON: 45 seconds to go.
Oh, my God.
GORDON: Come on, you got this.
Fivefourthree twooneand stop.
All done.
Oh, my gosh.
My anxiety is just GORDON: Put 'em up there, please.
Thank you.
I mean, it's nuts that it kind of all just kind of comes down to this, you know? A single dish.
Moment of truth.
(timer ticking) (dramatic music) Oh, my gosh.
I don't want to work for Jayro, honestly.
GORDON: A kitchen can't function with two head chefs.
So Jose and Jayro have cooked a unique dish that Drew will taste blind.
Moment of truth.
GORDON: The winner will stay on as executive chef, and the loser will be let go.
Okay, let's have a look.
That is a pork chop with a creamy polenta served with fried apples and sunchoke.
This is pan-seared salmon with confit of leeks, couscous, and finished with a citrus garnish.
So why don't you dig in? (tense music) How's the seasoning on that pork? It's good.
It's tender.
It's still juicy.
Polenta is creamy, but tastes like the pork chop that we currently have on the menu, except for just adding some apples.
Yeah.
Dig into the salmon.
Let me see inside that.
How's that cooked in the middle? Pink -It's cooked great.
-Really beautifully.
And it's someone taking a leap and saying, "I'm gonna do something different and take a chance.
" But not too much flavor going on in the salmon.
Needs more acid.
-Right.
-Some acidity there.
So do you prefer the pork, or do you prefer the salmon? The most elevated dish from what we currently have is -No.
-No! JON: I'm nervous right now.
It'soh, my God, dude.
(dramatic music) GORDON: Right.
Drew, who's staying and who's going? ANDREW: Although I like both dishes, the rules were clear to be elevated, to make a strong stance, to make a change.
And that dish was the salmon dish.
The salmon was cooked by Jose.
Wow.
GORDON: Well done.
So, Drew, what do you have to say to Jayro? ANDREW: I respect you and I appreciate your hard work, but unfortunately we have to part ways, and Jose has to step up as the executive chef.
In this business, you can always be replaced.
You can be let go and a restaurant can have someone new the very next day.
But it goes both ways, 'cause I can leave here tonight and be somewhere else tomorrow.
GORDON: Okay.
Gentlemen, say hello to your new head chef.
Yeah! (laughter) -Yeah.
-'Sup, Chef? Officially welcome back, Chef.
Thank you.
GORDON: Now that the kitchen staff can unite behind one leader You know you got my 100%, bro.
Good job.
GORDON: I need to check in on the renovation process in the dining room.
Watch your head.
(drill whirring) -VoilÃÂ .
-Yeah, good.
Okay, 3 on, 47 to go.
-(laughs) -[bleep.]
.
GORDON: With renovation well underway, the clock is still ticking, and I need to get back to Raquel to address some issues that I didn't get resolved at the staff meeting.
Raquel, what were you doing before you started working in this restaurant? Um (laughs) I was Miss California.
Oh, wow.
When? -Amazing.
So how did you get involved in the business? I've been in the service industry since I was 16.
Andrew and I started dated ten years ago.
When we first started dating, I was like, "I think I can help you.
" Wow.
Whether you believe it or not, you know, I'm not the enemy; I'm here to help.
And so what I was trying to get to is that no one's been accountable for how bad we are performing, because everyone's in denial.
A, you got defensive 'cause I went for Drew.
Of course.
I appreciate, but I've gotta separate the personal from the professional.
Of course.
You're overprotecting him, as your husband.
Okay.
And there's two different things going.
Your family separate your family -out of this for a moment.
-Mm-hmm.
Don't overprotect him running his business.
Be honest with him.
-Okay.
-Okay? 'Cause that will go a long way going forward.
Okay.
Drew, whether he likes it or not, needs to step up and start acting like a proper owner.
Yeah.
Where do you see his weaknesses? So there's a pride issue? Asking for help.
I 100% believe that.
So what do you think is the best way for me to get through to him? How do I unlock the Drew that opened this place four years ago? 'Cause if this doesn't work now, we're in trouble.
Bring up me and bring up the truth.
-I know.
-Okay? All right, I'll do that, providing you stop running behind, kissing his ass.
-Okay.
-Yeah? Mm-hmm.
-I appreciate your time.
-Of course.
-Yeah? Thank you.
-Mm-hmm.
Yeah, we're gonna do some pictures for their lounge wall.
Who's gonna be up first? (upbeat music) (laughter) -Right, we ready? -Yeah.
WOMAN: Ah, I love that.
TERESA: Love it.
Oh, that's great, you guys.
That one is really good.
-(camera shutter clicks) -Those are cool pictures.
I love that.
Yeah.
Right.
-How you feeling? -Great.
-Motivated? -Hell yeah.
Yes? You good? Mm-hmm.
So let's focus on getting to another level.
Elevate it.
This is the menu we're gonna launch.
Let's start off with the harissa roasted.
So it's a marinated, roasted honeynut squash with a whipped burrata.
Ooh, I love harissa.
We got a beautiful wild mushroom risotto -with black truffles.
-I love risotto.
Next to that, you got the pan-seared striped bass with bacon broth, pearl onion, Manila clams.
Next to that, pistachio-crusted rack of lamb served with charred eggplant, couscous, feta, a little purslane art.
And then finally, a wood-fired tomahawk steak for two served with red wine butter, black truffle jus, roasted fingerlings, and charred romanesco.
So let's get on with some cooking.
When you think of diversity of a risotto, it's pretty incredible, right? -Yeah, Chef.
-Okay, we use an arborio rice.
It's all about the toasting of that rice.
And so that gives it that nice little nutty, brown flavor.
Exactly that.
But you got a lot of knowledge at 27.
How old when you first started cooking? I must have been, like, 12.
I used to cook for myself and my little sister.
I didn't get into an actual kitchen until I was about 15, 16.
I worked in a little pastry shop.
So you had a job in the kitchen early on? -Yeah, early on, man.
-Yeah.
I had to make money to, you know -Survive.
-Exactly.
Where I grew up, it was just a lot of gangs and drugs, so Uh-huh.
Luckily I had the kitchen.
So the kitchen showed me direction and discipline.
And the key is, if you have passion and drive, you'll get yourself out of anything in life.
-Exactly, you have to want it.
-Right? I love that.
So I'm using two liters of chicken stock, mushrooms, some garlic in there.
And then the thyme.
And then we'll hit it at the end with a touch of butter.
Now, I'm gonna put some Parmesan in there, which will help season it as well.
-Okay.
-Helps it bond together, too -nice and closely.
-It does.
Fresh truffles in there.
-Dig in.
-Yeah, thank you.
(rock music) It's got the flavor of those mushrooms on top.
JOSE: That's beautiful.
We are launching in 17 hours from now.
Yeah.
Get the brigade up.
You have to motivate them.
My team will get them trained, okay? -Yep.
-Great.
Gents, come up.
Let's go.
(tense music) Jose can cook, which is great news.
The big question for me is, can that guy lead? These line cooks, they need to step up.
I've gotta get back to the owner, because the problems right now are him.
GORDON: Drew, let's catch up.
DREW: Let's do it.
Hours away from reopening, how you feeling? (clears throat) I feel like the guys are fired up in the kitchen.
They finally have a leader they want to follow.
It was good to see you step up and take that decision.
But Social needs to become number one again, and it starts with you.
Why have you lost touch of being a cutting-edge, firm, but fair owner? So in the beginning, we had one true executive chef, one true floor manager.
So we ran that for two years, and things were phenomenal.
Fast-forward two years later, the chef thinks he's God's gift to cooking, so we have to part ways with him.
You know, I had to fire my general manager.
I was left with just myself.
So you just mentioned the issues with all the staff.
There's no business anywhere in this country Right.
that doesn't have a problem with the staff.
But the one person you haven't mentioned or spoke about is you.
Right.
Because it starts and ends with you.
Of course.
I don't see one assertive, strong, fierce [bleep.]
bone in your body.
Employees need to be led.
I've tried that, and I've gotten zero response, because I always feel like I'm being held hostage and people don't want to be micromanaged.
Drew, cut the [bleep.]
.
You did something to me yesterday.
When I asked every member of your staff about leaving, you put your [bleep.]
hand up.
It was a stupid joke that it was -It's not a joke.
-I know it's not.
We're not [bleep.]
around with $1/4 million in debt.
Why did you do that? (suspenseful music) (timer ticking) (timer ticking) When I asked every member of your staff about leaving, you put your [bleep.]
hand up.
It was a stupid joke that it was -It's not a joke.
-I know it's not.
We're not [bleep.]
around with $1/4 million in debt.
Why did you do that? There's nothing to joke around anymore.
You can't put your wife through that.
And then she's defending you.
Because she knows me and she knows But I'm not asking you to become a [bleep.]
doormat.
and how you got into this role first.
Stand up for the business So the hard part about that is, I'm a straight-edge, hard-nosed [bleep.]
.
-[bleep.]
.
-They cannot handle that.
No one's respecting you the way you should be as a boss.
You need to take ownership.
Right now, you're just one of the boys.
We're in a tough area a very demanding, unique clientele that knows their [bleep.]
around here.
You're either exceptional, or you're out of business.
What is your biggest fear? My biggest fear is losing the restaurant, 'cause then I'm a failure; I'm nothing.
-There is no backup plan.
-No.
It's tough because I give so much to the restaurant I have nothing left to give to her and to the kids.
that when I get home, You know, in my head, I am doing the right things, and I am working hard.
But apparently it's not good enough, so I need help.
Mm-hmm.
Asking for help is by no means a sign of weakness.
I need it.
I don't It's a simple formula.
Give your people the skills they need to succeed.
Empower them to do their job.
But more importantly, Drew, hold them accountable.
And employees will thrive in that environment.
Right.
Next time you walk back in that room, get back to that hungry, determined individual.
Is that clear? Yes, sir.
I appreciate it.
Thank you, buddy.
(sighs) GORDON: What I want to see from Drew tonight in relaunch is start acting as an owner and run this business as if it's the most important service of his life.
If not, there's no more Social.
This project's gonna take a while.
GORDON: The clock is ticking, and there's still a ton of work to do.
I know.
GORDON: Staff and crew worked through the night, pushing themselves harder than ever before.
-Ah! -Ooh! GORDON: Everyone is on their last legs.
You want to drive that about halfway in.
All right.
GORDON: And with hours away from relaunch, my kitchen staff is running out of time to get these cooks trained on the new menu.
MARY: But you remember what I said? You need to always use a clean spoon Yes, Chef.
Or else it's not gonna come off.
GORDON: The jury is out about whether they can execute the dishes.
I'm a little speechless.
(laughs nervously) This is my first time actually working with tomahawk.
Yeah.
Jose, how's it going? You good? -Yes, Chef.
-Yeah? Put the pan down.
-We good? -Yep, doing great.
Put that on there.
They go Work with two hands.
They go in there like that.
And come in.
Twice as quick, yeah? -Two hands.
-Yes, Chef.
When they start lifting pans up, two hands.
Pan down, two hands.
Twice as quick.
Do you know what I mean? Walking around like that, -two hands.
-No, I know, awkward Yeah, twice as quick.
Alex, give me two minutes in there, please, darling.
Yes, Chef.
Thank you.
Mary, you stay here.
All right, how have they been? I think they just need to have a little bit more confidence in the dishes.
They just need to work quicker, and then they can be better at service.
Anyone you're worried about? I'm a little bit worried about Jimmy.
He's the most green.
I only make mistakes at least once.
That butter's getting too dark.
-Oh, yeah.
MARY: He needs to speed it up.
The dishes are tough, demanding MARY: Yes.
-So let's get them set up.
Let's get behind the line.
Let's fire a couple of tables and get those wheels turning.
-Gotcha.
-Yeah? Thank you.
Good.
This is the most complex, difficult menu so far this year to relaunch.
JOSE: You don't want to take the butter to that point, you know what I'm saying? 'Cause brown butter's [bleep.]
amazing, but burnt butter tastes like ass.
Big question is, can they pull it off? Because there's a lot of finesse that's gonna be needed, and everybody needs to step up.
One tiny mistake, and trust me, it comes down like a deck of cards.
(timer ticking) GORDON: Coming up So that lady there ANDREW: All right, guys, we're getting backed up.
You got the entrées on my VIPs? -[bleep.]
.
-Dead? Food's got to go out hot.
-Are they the critics there? -Yeah, that's 29.
GORDON: They've been waiting an hour! (clock ticking) Oh, my God! -Whoa! -Oh! WOMAN: Oh, my God, there's like, new chairs.
GORDON: We've reconceived the restaurant to ensure Social will attract Costa Mesa's well-heeled clientele I like the separation too, like bar and dining room.
Yeah, me too.
GORDON: Creating a space that's warm and welcoming WOMAN: This is so cute.
Stop.
GORDON: Where guests will want to stay, connect, and get social.
WOMAN: Looks so good.
MAN: Are you guys crying? -Yeah.
-(laughter) GORDON: Now, the clock's ticking.
Let's get everything set up for service and get cracking, okay? First ten minutes, nervous that's normal, but work through those nerves, okay? Yes, Chef.
If we talk together like a proper brigade, yes? -Yes.
-We're gonna make it, okay? -Chef.
-Let's go.
(dramatic music) We're opening in just under 15 minutes from now.
How are you dividing the sections? Who's doing what? So tonight we got Grayson behind the bar with Mel.
-Jose's in the back killing it.
GORDON: Good.
G's gonna be stepping up, running the floor tonight, -taking care of all that.
GORDON: Great.
I'm gonna go back and expo, and then she's gonna take over and run the front.
GORDON: Raquel's gonna be our host.
ANDREW: Yeah.
GORDON: Great.
Now, we have a new system from TouchBistro, one of the most sought-after, state-of-the-art POS systems.
You can track everything.
It's the absolute set.
Tonight we have two phenomenal heavyweight critics reviewing us live, so this is an amazing opportunity to get back to number one.
Everybody needs to be at the top of their game.
ALL: Yes, Chef.
GORDON: Let's get set up, guys.
Let's do it, guys.
You ready? -Yeah.
-Ready.
-Let's get after it.
-Get it.
(crowd cheering) Ladies and gentlemen, thank you.
Welcome to Social.
I appreciate each and every one of you guys and the hard work that you put in.
It's been a crazy couple days, but tonight is when it's all on the line.
Join me in counting down.
Ten ALL: Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
Thank you, and enjoy.
(cheers and applause) -He's here.
-Let's [bleep.]
do it.
(rock music) Do you notice a difference in the décor? -Yes, absolutely.
-Oh, my gosh, it's great.
Yeah, it's beautiful.
Can I get everyone started with some drinks over here, my friends? MAN: Start over there.
Medium rare okay? Awesome.
MAN: Yeah, here we go.
So up front is two risottos with butternut squash.
Then you got two risottos solo.
MAN: Heard.
First one's about to plate.
-He has cocktail game.
-Yeah.
So that lady there in the corner Okay, I'll let kitchen know VIP.
GORDON: Yeah, make sure the staff don't forget about the rest of the customers in the process.
-Yes, sir.
-Let's go.
29, VIP.
Make sure these are [bleep.]
perfect.
All right, two risottos.
Good.
Service, please.
It's a successful first push.
The kitchen is firing appetizers WOMAN: All right, I have a butternut squash.
GORDON: And patrons are loving the food.
Is this your first time dining with us? -Yeah.
I'm Scott.
-Andrew.
-Nice to meet you guys.
-I'm Dean.
Dean, pleasure to meet you, brother.
That is the best risotto I've ever had.
ANDREW: All right, guys, we're getting backed up.
Let's get these plates flying out, please.
-Heard.
-Heard.
-Heard.
GORDON: But a packed house and a kitchen challenged with executing a new menu for the first time has ticket times lagging.
-Yes, I will go check.
-What's taking so long? (tense music) Yes, Chef, so start again.
Heard.
WOMAN: My table has been waiting over an hour for their food.
So you still need a later one? I still need two I need two risotto.
Okay.
What were the entrées? The steak and the lamb? Okay.
-I'll check on that for you.
-Cool.
How many entrées are waiting to be picked up? One, two, three, four.
Let's go, guys.
We're backed up.
But we'll get out of it, okay? -Six minutes on sea bass.
-Heard.
WOMAN: Ticket time for our ticket WOMAN: Extremely long, yes.
RAQUEL: Do you know how long it's been? Here, look.
50 minutes.
50 minutes? GORDON: Right now, Social's reputation hangs in the balance as the one person who can make or break them has been waiting almost an hour for her entrée.
Food's not coming out now 'cause we're backed up in the kitchen, so we got a bit of a dilemma.
So we need to start filling that in.
Yeah, this is where they need your help now.
That's wherehe absolutely needs your help in there now, right? Come on, come on, come on.
ANDREW: Hey, you got the entrées on my VIPs? I need 29 ASAP, please.
MAN: I got two sea bass resting.
Look at me.
We're on 55 minute.
But hey, just make sure it's perfect, please, okay? -Yes, Chef.
-Yes.
ANDREW: Make it worth the wait, guys.
Don't leave here till you got those fishes in your hand, okay? JOSE: Here, I'm giving you VIP right here.
-Thank you.
-Yeah.
[bleep.]
.
-[bleep.]
dead? -Food's got to go out hot.
-Are they the critics there? -Yeah, that's 29.
GORDON: They've been waiting an hour! (tense music) He's putting up the rib eye right now.
All right.
It should be piping hot.
Food's got to go out hot.
-Are they the critics there? -Yeah, that's 29.
GORDON: They've been waiting an hour! -They're not -Just fire -two more fish, please.
-Heard, Chef.
Keep pushing, baby.
Let's do it.
-Communicate, man.
Don't -Yes, Chef.
Yes, Chef.
How long on the fish? Three minutes on fish.
After you're done with those fish, -fire me one more, please.
-Yes, Chef.
Plating two sea bass.
One minute.
Dope.
Let's go.
Make this sexy.
ANDREW: All right, let's turn the corner, boys.
JOSE: Yeah, let's go.
And two sea bass.
GORDON: That's the president of the Restaurant Association OC.
Let's go.
JOSE: Dope.
Let's put up the next one.
All right, you two.
-Yay! -Your sea bass.
(rock music) (dramatic music) They're doing some good things here.
This is really fantastic.
Definitely worth the wait.
(rock music) JOSE: Okay, we're back on track.
That will go straight into the entrées.
You can help Jon-Jon plate.
I'll help (indistinct).
-Yes, Chef.
-Three risotto up.
-Heard.
Do you have any tables that are dragging right now? No, I think we just, like we just got back, to, like, a level playing field.
Everyone's good.
It's all just coming together.
It's coming together.
Just keep an eye on your tables, try to help out Lindsey and everybody and do the best you can, all right? Go it.
-How's everything tasting here? -Wonderful.
How was the ri That was a hit.
The risotto was amazing.
If I could bathe in a tub of it, I would.
They're loving the food, yes? Slow start, but that was super strong.
I mean really strong.
Well done.
ANDREW: Enjoy, guys.
MAN: It's almost too pretty to eat.
Looks so good.
-Well done.
-Thank you, Chef.
See what happens when you communicate? Love the atmosphere, love the bar setup.
-Yes, Chef.
-Yes.
In Orange County, you have to have the best food.
You have to have the best scene.
And the scene in here looks amazing.
Jose, sticky there in the middle.
-Yeah? -Yeah.
We got backed up.
But what you did show tonight: conviction and consistency.
-Yeah.
-Okay? You stepped up, pulled those reins.
-Yeah.
-Okay? -27 years of age -Yeah.
And you've got that kind of touch and connect with food.
Don't you dare let that go.
You know, if you're this good at 27, can you imagine what it'll be like when you're Did you just call me old? No, you're not 50.
-No, 65.
-No [bleep.]
? -I'm [bleep.]
.
-[bleep.]
Botox, man.
Hey, stand strong.
-Thank you.
-Okay? Good job.
JOSE: Chef Ramsay, he helped remind me of being myself and letting my leadership show.
We still have a lot, a lot of work to get done.
Best foot forward, though.
We'll push through it and make sure that everything's quality.
GORDON: Potential here is huge.
And the difference tonight that I saw in you you were running your staff; the staff weren't running you.
24 hours ago, Social was a place on the verge of, you know, possibly closing.
He stepped up tonight.
You proud of him? Of course.
Of course I am.
You stepped up tonight too.
-You know GORDON: Yes, you did.
And with the help of Gordon and his team and everyone that's helped us out, I feel like we're back, like, and better than ever.
Thank you, brother.
RAQUEL: 24 hours ago, Social didn't really have direction, didn't really have loyalty, I think, from our team and our staff.
But I feel like there's a new fire, and I'm excited for what's to come.
What a difference 24 hours can make.
The kitchen wow, what a performance.
Jose stepped up.
The food was exceptional.
But the most important thing tonight is that Drew, the owner, he ran a restaurant tonight.
He didn't massage his ego.
If Drew can empower his team, keep this business on track, Social will definitely be on the map once again.
Captain, we good? Yes, sir.
Good to see you, my man.
Hey, guys, it's Andrew and Raquel here from Social.
Since Gordon's team came in, back of the house, front of the house is thriving.
I love you guys.
Let's make it happen.
-All right.
-Let's kill it.
He's less micromanaging, and he's more delegating.
People are set up for success.
Game time.
Let's get it.
Jose stepped up as the executive chef.
So that goes together with this fish over here.
JOSE: Without the drama in the kitchen, everybody is focused and disciplined and behaving as they should.
How's the tomahawk tasting so far? -Very good.
-Good? Excellent, guys.
Ticket times are a lot shorter.
Customers are really loving the new dishes.
The clams are really good.
RAQUEL: The word got out.
People were coming in the doors and the phones were ringing, -so ANDREW: Off the hook, yeah.
(laughs) RAQUEL: Because Andrew was able to trust these people to execute, we actually took a vacation.
ANDREW: Thank you so much, Gordon.
I finally feel like I got my restaurant back.
Look at the color of this.
It's all gone.
With so many restaurants on the brink of collapse I'm not up to this, don't you understand? And how can you tell me that you care? You do not care.
I know that I need to work quickly, so I've given myself just 24 hours WOMAN: Oh, my God.
GORDON: To try and save each of them.
-You guys could get shut down.
-Yeah.
GORDON: But when people know I'm coming, they tend to hide what's really going on.
So I'll be covert, hiding cameras in the restaurants and myself in plain sight Hello.
To catch them all red-handed.
Oh, my God.
What I discovered was shocking.
(coughs, sneezes) GORDON: If I have any hope of saving them If you were my executive chef, trust me, you'd be toast.
I'll have to go to hell and back We're not [bleep.]
around with $1/4 million in debt.
In 24 hours.
Don't act precious.
You don't want to [bleep.]
with me, honey.
(timer ticking) (rock music) GORDON: I'm in Costa Mesa, California, a ritzy upper-class community where residents enjoy all the spoils that Southern California has to offer.
I'm on my way to a restaurant called Social.
They're located in an ultra-competitive restaurant market where you can't just be good; you have to be great.
By all outward appearances, everything at Social looks fine.
But when you peel off the façade, you'll find a dysfunctional restaurant that is downright antisocial.
(dramatic music) My name is Andrew Dorsey, and I'm the owner-operator at Social in Costa Mesa.
I've owned Social for just over four years.
My name is Raquel Dorsey.
I am Andrew's wife, and I'm co-owner of the restaurant.
Getting ready for that busy service.
When we first opened Social, I was seven months pregnant, and we didn't know how we were gonna pay our rent.
There was just no option for failure.
Pinot grigio? You got it.
So after about a month, it spread like wildfire.
We're the new hottest thing.
There was a line out the door.
Our weekends were sold out a month in advance.
RAQUEL: We were really living the dream.
ANDREW: And then that dream turned into a little bit of a nightmare.
So how many did we have in the books tonight? Zero? ANDREW: After our year two, all of a sudden, the weekends got a little bit slower.
We were booking out maybe half the reservations.
Sales are down over $400,000.
Like, what's happening? Hey, why do these potatoes have zero flavor? I have worked at Social now for six months.
One of the biggest issues that I've been confronting with the staff since I took over was having them follow me and believe in what I was trying to accomplish with this restaurant.
What I think about Executive Chef Jayro? Can I cuss? We're having a tough time in the kitchen because just recently, my old executive chef, Jose, came back, but he's only cooking in an hourly capacity.
Dan, you're gonna need new limes.
The ones you have are pretty gross.
I took off to take a brief hiatus, because I was completely burnt.
I tried a few different restaurants and ultimately felt like my place was here.
-How far is that corn? MAN: Not too far.
It is a little bit of a weird vibe back there, because you have the guy who used to be in charge is now technically working under the guy that was working under him.
You know that there's nothing better out there.
Jayro, he doesn't trust none of these guys.
Hey, did you cut those potatoes, sir? The respect is not there.
JAYRO: Stop using those [bleep.]
board markers, please.
JON: Jose's more like, "I trust you guys.
You guys can do this.
" Yes, Chef.
ANDREW: There's constantly a fight in trying to get people just to do their job.
We got four dudes in the kitchen right now, dude.
We can't have a 30-minute skirt steak.
For me, it's tough because I put everything into what I do.
Hey, these meatballs aren't very warm.
They should be piping hot out of the oven.
RAQUEL: Andrew is Superman at home.
Andrew is Superman at the restaurant.
He's never without his cape.
I love my husband.
He is the person I first want to serve in the morning, and he is the last person I want to serve at night.
Can I get this out of your way? -Yes, please.
-Thank you.
RAQUEL: Right now, we are about $250,000 in debt.
So what's at stake for us is pretty much everything.
ANDREW: We don't have a backup plan.
So losing means more than just losing a restaurant.
It means possibly losing my family, possibly losing my relationship.
(sniffles) It's becoming very real.
GORDON: With only 24 hours to try and turn around these social misfits, I need to find out what they were all doing wrong.
But when people know I'm coming, their social etiquette tends to improve.
So I found a Gordon Ramsay impersonator to act as a decoy, and he's the spitting image of yours truly.
While my team gets me in disguise, I'm sending in my look-alike.
(exhales forcefully) (curious music) Uh-oh.
(exhales forcefully) MEL: How are you doing today? No, good, fine.
Um Can we get you started with something? Right, I'm gonna go for the figs burrata.
-Homemade pasta, definitely.
-Okay.
-Meatballs.
-Okay.
-All right, fantastic.
-Yeah.
VIP on 20.
Who's that? ANDREW: Some chef.
Go check it out.
WOMAN: Smile.
One, two, three.
-There we go.
-Thank you so much.
Enjoy.
It looks fabulous.
That's one for the old mantelpiece, that one, darling.
Oh, [bleep.]
.
Are you serious? Oh, my God.
Y'all better not [bleep.]
this up.
My pits are sweating.
(laughs) ANDREW: Let's go, guys.
Cook like your life depends on it, please 'cause it does.
Thank you.
Let's sit down.
No one's in the bleachers.
Iced tea or hot tea? -Hot tea.
-Got it.
What's going on? No greet, no meet.
Shishito peppers here for you, sir.
-All right.
Fantastic.
-A lime aioli.
Enjoy.
All right.
Thank you.
Oh.
So the staff actually believe it's me over there in that white jacket.
-Can you believe that? Look.
-Right.
Way too much salt on there, big man.
It's likeI'm done with those.
You can take those.
Too much salt, bro.
[bleep.]
told you too much salt.
MAN: I'll do the crudo, then.
The salmon crudo or the scallop crudo? -Scallop crudo.
-Got it.
GORDON: To see if Social's service and food is up to par with its outwards appearance I'd like the chicken and waffles.
Okay.
GORDON: We're ordering a wide variety of dishes.
The wood-fired lamb lollipops, please.
Tri-tip? How do you want it cooked? -Okay.
-The tri-tip.
-Rare.
-Thank you.
Yeah.
Walking in, lamb chop, chicken and waffle, tri-tip, rare, date night.
DAN: Heard.
ANDREW: All right.
Thank you for your patience.
-Oh, wow.
-Got the pig head here for you with a little guac.
GORDON: Service so far in here has been terrible, right? So there's clearly MAN: Well, they're catering to him.
GORDON: Yeah, ignoring everybody else.
These still haven't gone out to 54? Yo, can I get those scallops, please? (coughs) What is that? Now he's spitting food out in the napkin.
Where does he get those bad manners from? [bleep.]
me.
Can they get anything right? I have the scallop crudo.
GORDON: I'm always worried when they start putting edible flowers in everything.
Holy [bleep.]
, it's burning my tongue.
GORDON: Yeah, way too spicy.
It just kills it.
(beeping) All right, and we have your chicken and waffles.
The plate's a little warm, so be careful, okay? And the tri-tip.
GORDON: I ordered it rare.
See how it's medium? So that's overcooked.
(beeping) WOMAN: Ew, the chicken doesn't taste good.
(beeping) -That's raw.
-Completely raw.
GORDON: Look at that.
(beeping) GORDON: Man, that's bad.
And that's what happens when they're all focused on Gordon Ramsay's dishes over there.
It's like a bird's nest of Brussels sprouts.
In Orange County, you need to be on point Food on point, service on point, décor on point otherwise they're gone.
(ominous music) How spoiled are you getting? (scoffs) Ladies and gentlemen, can I just have your attention for 30 seconds? I need all of you to stop eating right now.
You, forks down.
You've eaten enough.
Drew, can you get everybody out of the kitchen, please? Front of house and back of house, let's go.
Everybody in the front.
Not out, but GORDON: So let's make this clear.
I suppose, to get good service, you have to be Gordon Ramsay around here.
Because what we just experienced has been nothing short of embarrassing and certainly not social.
(cheers and applause) Oh, my God.
Martin, thank you.
I'll take it from here.
[bleep.]
off.
(cheers and applause) I'm shocked.
Based on that experience, I know why Social is struggling.
But let me tell you something.
Right now Social is closed.
All of you, meet me outside in two minutes.
What a joke.
Well, that was really embarrassing.
(rock music) Wait, what? GORDON: Ladies and gentlemen, come over, please.
This is Hell on Wheels, an amazing state-of-the-art truck that unfolds with one of the best kitchens I've ever put together.
Not only that, but it's staffed with a team that are passionate.
Over the last couple of weeks, you've been under surveillance.
And it's interesting to watch the behavior of staff when they think they're not being filmed.
Open your eyes, all of you.
(tense music) Holy [bleep.]
.
I can't even get to the walk-in.
Yo, what the [bleep.]
are you doing, dude? Just walk around and you're not gonna plate your [bleep.]
fries? DAN: You fire him, I go.
MEL: All right, how much you want to bet it's gonna take another 25 minutes for those Brussels sprouts to land for 56? They still haven't [bleep.]
come? G: There's definitely sometimes a blur between friendship and ownership when it comes to working here.
G's over here dressing to impress tonight.
(laughs) Yeah, you're trying to make some tips, dog.
(sneezes) Excuse me.
-(coughs) -Oh, that's gross.
(coughing continues) -(sneezes) -(crowd gasps) (sneezes) (dramatic music) (sneezes) Excuse me.
-(coughs) -Oh, that's gross.
(coughs) (sneezes) (crowd gasps) Jayro, you're the executive chef, right? Yes.
And so an executive chef digs his fingers and licks his fingers and then continues cooking? If you were my executive chef, trust me, you'd be toast.
Drew, your dream, your baby, what [bleep.]
is happening? -A lot of things.
-You giving up? Never.
Customers, are you shocked at that behavior? -Yes.
-Yeah.
Based on what you just experienced, who would come back to Social? -Nobody.
-No.
That's nobody, Drew.
I've got 24 hours to turn this place around.
Customers, I need to see you back in 24 hours.
I need one more chance to prove that Social is worth revisiting.
Every member of staff, I want to know, do I have any help doing it, or are you gonna stand there and stare at me? -I'll do it.
-Are you committed? -Yeah.
-Yes, sir.
'Cause that 24 hours starts now.
(timer ticking) Staff, get on your phone and ring home and tell 'em you're not gonna be back for the next 24 hours.
I'll see you back at the restaurant.
(upbeat music) Hey, babe, I don't think I'm coming home.
I'll be home hopefully sometime tomorrow.
We're gonna turn this place around in 24 hours.
(suspenseful music) Okay.
Four years ago, we had the best reputation in town.
Now our reputation has gone to [bleep.]
.
Jayro, why are we inconsistent? I feel like there's been a very big lack of discipline.
A lot of cooks leaving, coming, not showing up, showing up late.
But you're the head chef, right? Yes.
Jose, you used to be the chef, right? Yes.
Did you have the same problem with the line cooks that Jayro's having? -I don't.
-You don't? JOSE: No.
Executive chef, previous executive chef Jon, nickname Sneezy Yeah, Chef? What's the issue? 'Cause this does not make sense.
-It's confusing -It's confusing? To be honest right now.
It's obvious to why we're in this mess.
The engine room's dysfunctional.
Are you taking advantage of a weak owner? No, I'm not.
MmI wouldn't say "a weak owner.
" And what parts do you think of your husband as not weak? All of them.
Have you seen him? So you can protect the man that's taking shots with the staff over tending to the customers? You can do that all you wish.
That's a little unfair.
You can be defensive, but let me just You've only been here for, likehow long? Let me make one thing very clear.
Okay, go ahead.
You can wave your hand off and be dismissive all you wish.
I've done my due diligence.
I'm talking about surveillance over the last three weeks.
You're talking to the wrong person right now.
Don't act precious.
(scoffs) Me? You don't want to [bleep.]
with me, honey.
-(exhales forcefully) -(groans) Raquel, you can look at the wall, ignore me, but let me ask you a very important question.
How far away are you right now from closing this place down, financially? If we had two weeks of slow business, we wouldn't keep our doors open.
-Big stakes here.
-I know.
I want you to have a look at something, and I think it may wake you up a little bit.
I hope so.
Listen now.
GRAYSON: I've definitely thought about quitting a number of times in the last year and a half or so.
I can be successful with my skill set somewhere else in a heartbeat.
JIMMY: Front of the house, to the back of the house, we're getting fed up with it.
We have our leads and our managers that aren't taking responsibility for the stuff they should.
G: We try really hard, and it's hard to put that much of yourself into something and not even feel like it's being acknowledged.
RAQUEL: We literally, like, hold our breath every single day to see what number hits the account.
We have 32 other families that we have to pay.
And it is absolutely terrifying, because what if we can't do that? Does anybody want to, like, come home and, like, tell our kids, like, "No, we have to move "because the dream just didn't pan out the way that we thought it would"? Every employee, I'd like to see a show of hands if they thought about quitting here in the last three months.
Drew, you even raised your hand.
Some days, I wish I could quit, myself.
This is one of the most dysfunctional, fractured restaurants I've ever come across.
And I'm not certain if I can help you, because there's no togetherness here.
And with that [bleep.]
clock ticking and barely 22 hours left, I've gotta start my renovations and cut the [bleep.]
.
Bryan and Teresa this is my renovation team, and they know their stuff.
I need every member of staff getting their hands dirty and falling back in love with this place.
Is that clear? ALL: Yes, Chef.
Get a grip.
Bryan, Teresa, please, let's go.
All right, guys, let's start clearing all these tables and chairs, everything else, out.
All the place settings, everything goes back to the kitchen.
Everything else on the side stays.
GORDON: Before I dig deeper with Drew, we need to transform this cold, uninspired space to thrive in Costa Mesa's competitive restaurant market.
(grunts) Feels like right before we opened.
It does feel that way, baby.
I want a nice evening environment.
-Okay.
-A little bit more plush.
So we're gonna soften it up with some round tables.
And it needs color.
Like, that's the thing, too, is, like, it's just white everywhere, and so it doesn't feel nice to be in here.
-The bones are here, right? -Yes.
But the bare bones are here, which is a dream.
-Yes, sir.
-Okay, good.
-Yeah.
-Good job.
Thanks, guys.
-Thank you.
-Thank you, sir.
Can't wait to see the progress.
MAN: Watch your fingers and your toes.
It's like a rebranding, guys.
We're rebranding.
We're rebranding.
Where's the chefs? When you have a kitchen with two fractured head chefs that no one's taking responsibility, it's a disaster.
There can only be one leader behind the line, so I think I've come up with a way to get things back on track.
I'm done with this fragmented [bleep.]
.
-Right.
-Yes.
There's a big issue here.
You heard it from the cooks.
-Right? -Yeah.
You can understand that frustration.
-Yes.
-How do we fix that? Get on the same page.
Yeah, and let me tell you how you're gonna get on the same page.
What I want you to do now is to go back into that kitchen and, in 30 minutes, cook Drew one dish each that's not on the menu, a dish that will elevate this place going forward.
The best dish will be the head chef.
The other person is going home.
Got you.
And more importantly, we're tasting it blind.
Drew will have no idea who cooked what dish.
-Okay.
-Understood? Understood.
GORDON: Because that will be the true reflection of who really deserves to hold those reins.
Your 30 minutes start now.
Let's go.
Okay.
GORDON: Line cooks MAN: Yeah.
There's gonna be one head chef.
Head next door and watch them cook for their lives.
-Yes, Chef.
-I'll see you in a minute.
(tense music) So three minutes gone, yes? 27 minutes remaining.
Ah.
It's their [bleep.]
jobs on the line.
My heart is racing for them.
Jayro, describe the dish, please.
So the dish is pork chop on the herbed polenta with whiskey apples and roasted sunchokes.
Jose, describe the dish, please.
So I'm doing couscous with braised leeks, pomegranates with the shaved leek salad, and salmon.
Let's go.
Damn, those knife skills.
Jayro's in the zone.
I don't want to work for Jayro, honestly.
He can't run a team.
(exciting music) GORDON: Taste everything, yeah? Someone's gonna help put this restaurant BOTH: Yes, Chef.
GORDON: Elevate it.
back on the map.
JAYRO: Heard.
GORDON: Five minutes to go.
That's a nice salmon.
We're coming up to 90 seconds to go, guys.
Let's go.
(suspenseful music) Yeah, they have to plate now.
GORDON: 45 seconds to go.
Oh, my God.
GORDON: Come on, you got this.
Fivefourthree twooneand stop.
All done.
Oh, my gosh.
My anxiety is just GORDON: Put 'em up there, please.
Thank you.
I mean, it's nuts that it kind of all just kind of comes down to this, you know? A single dish.
Moment of truth.
(timer ticking) (dramatic music) Oh, my gosh.
I don't want to work for Jayro, honestly.
GORDON: A kitchen can't function with two head chefs.
So Jose and Jayro have cooked a unique dish that Drew will taste blind.
Moment of truth.
GORDON: The winner will stay on as executive chef, and the loser will be let go.
Okay, let's have a look.
That is a pork chop with a creamy polenta served with fried apples and sunchoke.
This is pan-seared salmon with confit of leeks, couscous, and finished with a citrus garnish.
So why don't you dig in? (tense music) How's the seasoning on that pork? It's good.
It's tender.
It's still juicy.
Polenta is creamy, but tastes like the pork chop that we currently have on the menu, except for just adding some apples.
Yeah.
Dig into the salmon.
Let me see inside that.
How's that cooked in the middle? Pink -It's cooked great.
-Really beautifully.
And it's someone taking a leap and saying, "I'm gonna do something different and take a chance.
" But not too much flavor going on in the salmon.
Needs more acid.
-Right.
-Some acidity there.
So do you prefer the pork, or do you prefer the salmon? The most elevated dish from what we currently have is -No.
-No! JON: I'm nervous right now.
It'soh, my God, dude.
(dramatic music) GORDON: Right.
Drew, who's staying and who's going? ANDREW: Although I like both dishes, the rules were clear to be elevated, to make a strong stance, to make a change.
And that dish was the salmon dish.
The salmon was cooked by Jose.
Wow.
GORDON: Well done.
So, Drew, what do you have to say to Jayro? ANDREW: I respect you and I appreciate your hard work, but unfortunately we have to part ways, and Jose has to step up as the executive chef.
In this business, you can always be replaced.
You can be let go and a restaurant can have someone new the very next day.
But it goes both ways, 'cause I can leave here tonight and be somewhere else tomorrow.
GORDON: Okay.
Gentlemen, say hello to your new head chef.
Yeah! (laughter) -Yeah.
-'Sup, Chef? Officially welcome back, Chef.
Thank you.
GORDON: Now that the kitchen staff can unite behind one leader You know you got my 100%, bro.
Good job.
GORDON: I need to check in on the renovation process in the dining room.
Watch your head.
(drill whirring) -VoilÃÂ .
-Yeah, good.
Okay, 3 on, 47 to go.
-(laughs) -[bleep.]
.
GORDON: With renovation well underway, the clock is still ticking, and I need to get back to Raquel to address some issues that I didn't get resolved at the staff meeting.
Raquel, what were you doing before you started working in this restaurant? Um (laughs) I was Miss California.
Oh, wow.
When? -Amazing.
So how did you get involved in the business? I've been in the service industry since I was 16.
Andrew and I started dated ten years ago.
When we first started dating, I was like, "I think I can help you.
" Wow.
Whether you believe it or not, you know, I'm not the enemy; I'm here to help.
And so what I was trying to get to is that no one's been accountable for how bad we are performing, because everyone's in denial.
A, you got defensive 'cause I went for Drew.
Of course.
I appreciate, but I've gotta separate the personal from the professional.
Of course.
You're overprotecting him, as your husband.
Okay.
And there's two different things going.
Your family separate your family -out of this for a moment.
-Mm-hmm.
Don't overprotect him running his business.
Be honest with him.
-Okay.
-Okay? 'Cause that will go a long way going forward.
Okay.
Drew, whether he likes it or not, needs to step up and start acting like a proper owner.
Yeah.
Where do you see his weaknesses? So there's a pride issue? Asking for help.
I 100% believe that.
So what do you think is the best way for me to get through to him? How do I unlock the Drew that opened this place four years ago? 'Cause if this doesn't work now, we're in trouble.
Bring up me and bring up the truth.
-I know.
-Okay? All right, I'll do that, providing you stop running behind, kissing his ass.
-Okay.
-Yeah? Mm-hmm.
-I appreciate your time.
-Of course.
-Yeah? Thank you.
-Mm-hmm.
Yeah, we're gonna do some pictures for their lounge wall.
Who's gonna be up first? (upbeat music) (laughter) -Right, we ready? -Yeah.
WOMAN: Ah, I love that.
TERESA: Love it.
Oh, that's great, you guys.
That one is really good.
-(camera shutter clicks) -Those are cool pictures.
I love that.
Yeah.
Right.
-How you feeling? -Great.
-Motivated? -Hell yeah.
Yes? You good? Mm-hmm.
So let's focus on getting to another level.
Elevate it.
This is the menu we're gonna launch.
Let's start off with the harissa roasted.
So it's a marinated, roasted honeynut squash with a whipped burrata.
Ooh, I love harissa.
We got a beautiful wild mushroom risotto -with black truffles.
-I love risotto.
Next to that, you got the pan-seared striped bass with bacon broth, pearl onion, Manila clams.
Next to that, pistachio-crusted rack of lamb served with charred eggplant, couscous, feta, a little purslane art.
And then finally, a wood-fired tomahawk steak for two served with red wine butter, black truffle jus, roasted fingerlings, and charred romanesco.
So let's get on with some cooking.
When you think of diversity of a risotto, it's pretty incredible, right? -Yeah, Chef.
-Okay, we use an arborio rice.
It's all about the toasting of that rice.
And so that gives it that nice little nutty, brown flavor.
Exactly that.
But you got a lot of knowledge at 27.
How old when you first started cooking? I must have been, like, 12.
I used to cook for myself and my little sister.
I didn't get into an actual kitchen until I was about 15, 16.
I worked in a little pastry shop.
So you had a job in the kitchen early on? -Yeah, early on, man.
-Yeah.
I had to make money to, you know -Survive.
-Exactly.
Where I grew up, it was just a lot of gangs and drugs, so Uh-huh.
Luckily I had the kitchen.
So the kitchen showed me direction and discipline.
And the key is, if you have passion and drive, you'll get yourself out of anything in life.
-Exactly, you have to want it.
-Right? I love that.
So I'm using two liters of chicken stock, mushrooms, some garlic in there.
And then the thyme.
And then we'll hit it at the end with a touch of butter.
Now, I'm gonna put some Parmesan in there, which will help season it as well.
-Okay.
-Helps it bond together, too -nice and closely.
-It does.
Fresh truffles in there.
-Dig in.
-Yeah, thank you.
(rock music) It's got the flavor of those mushrooms on top.
JOSE: That's beautiful.
We are launching in 17 hours from now.
Yeah.
Get the brigade up.
You have to motivate them.
My team will get them trained, okay? -Yep.
-Great.
Gents, come up.
Let's go.
(tense music) Jose can cook, which is great news.
The big question for me is, can that guy lead? These line cooks, they need to step up.
I've gotta get back to the owner, because the problems right now are him.
GORDON: Drew, let's catch up.
DREW: Let's do it.
Hours away from reopening, how you feeling? (clears throat) I feel like the guys are fired up in the kitchen.
They finally have a leader they want to follow.
It was good to see you step up and take that decision.
But Social needs to become number one again, and it starts with you.
Why have you lost touch of being a cutting-edge, firm, but fair owner? So in the beginning, we had one true executive chef, one true floor manager.
So we ran that for two years, and things were phenomenal.
Fast-forward two years later, the chef thinks he's God's gift to cooking, so we have to part ways with him.
You know, I had to fire my general manager.
I was left with just myself.
So you just mentioned the issues with all the staff.
There's no business anywhere in this country Right.
that doesn't have a problem with the staff.
But the one person you haven't mentioned or spoke about is you.
Right.
Because it starts and ends with you.
Of course.
I don't see one assertive, strong, fierce [bleep.]
bone in your body.
Employees need to be led.
I've tried that, and I've gotten zero response, because I always feel like I'm being held hostage and people don't want to be micromanaged.
Drew, cut the [bleep.]
.
You did something to me yesterday.
When I asked every member of your staff about leaving, you put your [bleep.]
hand up.
It was a stupid joke that it was -It's not a joke.
-I know it's not.
We're not [bleep.]
around with $1/4 million in debt.
Why did you do that? (suspenseful music) (timer ticking) (timer ticking) When I asked every member of your staff about leaving, you put your [bleep.]
hand up.
It was a stupid joke that it was -It's not a joke.
-I know it's not.
We're not [bleep.]
around with $1/4 million in debt.
Why did you do that? There's nothing to joke around anymore.
You can't put your wife through that.
And then she's defending you.
Because she knows me and she knows But I'm not asking you to become a [bleep.]
doormat.
and how you got into this role first.
Stand up for the business So the hard part about that is, I'm a straight-edge, hard-nosed [bleep.]
.
-[bleep.]
.
-They cannot handle that.
No one's respecting you the way you should be as a boss.
You need to take ownership.
Right now, you're just one of the boys.
We're in a tough area a very demanding, unique clientele that knows their [bleep.]
around here.
You're either exceptional, or you're out of business.
What is your biggest fear? My biggest fear is losing the restaurant, 'cause then I'm a failure; I'm nothing.
-There is no backup plan.
-No.
It's tough because I give so much to the restaurant I have nothing left to give to her and to the kids.
that when I get home, You know, in my head, I am doing the right things, and I am working hard.
But apparently it's not good enough, so I need help.
Mm-hmm.
Asking for help is by no means a sign of weakness.
I need it.
I don't It's a simple formula.
Give your people the skills they need to succeed.
Empower them to do their job.
But more importantly, Drew, hold them accountable.
And employees will thrive in that environment.
Right.
Next time you walk back in that room, get back to that hungry, determined individual.
Is that clear? Yes, sir.
I appreciate it.
Thank you, buddy.
(sighs) GORDON: What I want to see from Drew tonight in relaunch is start acting as an owner and run this business as if it's the most important service of his life.
If not, there's no more Social.
This project's gonna take a while.
GORDON: The clock is ticking, and there's still a ton of work to do.
I know.
GORDON: Staff and crew worked through the night, pushing themselves harder than ever before.
-Ah! -Ooh! GORDON: Everyone is on their last legs.
You want to drive that about halfway in.
All right.
GORDON: And with hours away from relaunch, my kitchen staff is running out of time to get these cooks trained on the new menu.
MARY: But you remember what I said? You need to always use a clean spoon Yes, Chef.
Or else it's not gonna come off.
GORDON: The jury is out about whether they can execute the dishes.
I'm a little speechless.
(laughs nervously) This is my first time actually working with tomahawk.
Yeah.
Jose, how's it going? You good? -Yes, Chef.
-Yeah? Put the pan down.
-We good? -Yep, doing great.
Put that on there.
They go Work with two hands.
They go in there like that.
And come in.
Twice as quick, yeah? -Two hands.
-Yes, Chef.
When they start lifting pans up, two hands.
Pan down, two hands.
Twice as quick.
Do you know what I mean? Walking around like that, -two hands.
-No, I know, awkward Yeah, twice as quick.
Alex, give me two minutes in there, please, darling.
Yes, Chef.
Thank you.
Mary, you stay here.
All right, how have they been? I think they just need to have a little bit more confidence in the dishes.
They just need to work quicker, and then they can be better at service.
Anyone you're worried about? I'm a little bit worried about Jimmy.
He's the most green.
I only make mistakes at least once.
That butter's getting too dark.
-Oh, yeah.
MARY: He needs to speed it up.
The dishes are tough, demanding MARY: Yes.
-So let's get them set up.
Let's get behind the line.
Let's fire a couple of tables and get those wheels turning.
-Gotcha.
-Yeah? Thank you.
Good.
This is the most complex, difficult menu so far this year to relaunch.
JOSE: You don't want to take the butter to that point, you know what I'm saying? 'Cause brown butter's [bleep.]
amazing, but burnt butter tastes like ass.
Big question is, can they pull it off? Because there's a lot of finesse that's gonna be needed, and everybody needs to step up.
One tiny mistake, and trust me, it comes down like a deck of cards.
(timer ticking) GORDON: Coming up So that lady there ANDREW: All right, guys, we're getting backed up.
You got the entrées on my VIPs? -[bleep.]
.
-Dead? Food's got to go out hot.
-Are they the critics there? -Yeah, that's 29.
GORDON: They've been waiting an hour! (clock ticking) Oh, my God! -Whoa! -Oh! WOMAN: Oh, my God, there's like, new chairs.
GORDON: We've reconceived the restaurant to ensure Social will attract Costa Mesa's well-heeled clientele I like the separation too, like bar and dining room.
Yeah, me too.
GORDON: Creating a space that's warm and welcoming WOMAN: This is so cute.
Stop.
GORDON: Where guests will want to stay, connect, and get social.
WOMAN: Looks so good.
MAN: Are you guys crying? -Yeah.
-(laughter) GORDON: Now, the clock's ticking.
Let's get everything set up for service and get cracking, okay? First ten minutes, nervous that's normal, but work through those nerves, okay? Yes, Chef.
If we talk together like a proper brigade, yes? -Yes.
-We're gonna make it, okay? -Chef.
-Let's go.
(dramatic music) We're opening in just under 15 minutes from now.
How are you dividing the sections? Who's doing what? So tonight we got Grayson behind the bar with Mel.
-Jose's in the back killing it.
GORDON: Good.
G's gonna be stepping up, running the floor tonight, -taking care of all that.
GORDON: Great.
I'm gonna go back and expo, and then she's gonna take over and run the front.
GORDON: Raquel's gonna be our host.
ANDREW: Yeah.
GORDON: Great.
Now, we have a new system from TouchBistro, one of the most sought-after, state-of-the-art POS systems.
You can track everything.
It's the absolute set.
Tonight we have two phenomenal heavyweight critics reviewing us live, so this is an amazing opportunity to get back to number one.
Everybody needs to be at the top of their game.
ALL: Yes, Chef.
GORDON: Let's get set up, guys.
Let's do it, guys.
You ready? -Yeah.
-Ready.
-Let's get after it.
-Get it.
(crowd cheering) Ladies and gentlemen, thank you.
Welcome to Social.
I appreciate each and every one of you guys and the hard work that you put in.
It's been a crazy couple days, but tonight is when it's all on the line.
Join me in counting down.
Ten ALL: Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
Thank you, and enjoy.
(cheers and applause) -He's here.
-Let's [bleep.]
do it.
(rock music) Do you notice a difference in the décor? -Yes, absolutely.
-Oh, my gosh, it's great.
Yeah, it's beautiful.
Can I get everyone started with some drinks over here, my friends? MAN: Start over there.
Medium rare okay? Awesome.
MAN: Yeah, here we go.
So up front is two risottos with butternut squash.
Then you got two risottos solo.
MAN: Heard.
First one's about to plate.
-He has cocktail game.
-Yeah.
So that lady there in the corner Okay, I'll let kitchen know VIP.
GORDON: Yeah, make sure the staff don't forget about the rest of the customers in the process.
-Yes, sir.
-Let's go.
29, VIP.
Make sure these are [bleep.]
perfect.
All right, two risottos.
Good.
Service, please.
It's a successful first push.
The kitchen is firing appetizers WOMAN: All right, I have a butternut squash.
GORDON: And patrons are loving the food.
Is this your first time dining with us? -Yeah.
I'm Scott.
-Andrew.
-Nice to meet you guys.
-I'm Dean.
Dean, pleasure to meet you, brother.
That is the best risotto I've ever had.
ANDREW: All right, guys, we're getting backed up.
Let's get these plates flying out, please.
-Heard.
-Heard.
-Heard.
GORDON: But a packed house and a kitchen challenged with executing a new menu for the first time has ticket times lagging.
-Yes, I will go check.
-What's taking so long? (tense music) Yes, Chef, so start again.
Heard.
WOMAN: My table has been waiting over an hour for their food.
So you still need a later one? I still need two I need two risotto.
Okay.
What were the entrées? The steak and the lamb? Okay.
-I'll check on that for you.
-Cool.
How many entrées are waiting to be picked up? One, two, three, four.
Let's go, guys.
We're backed up.
But we'll get out of it, okay? -Six minutes on sea bass.
-Heard.
WOMAN: Ticket time for our ticket WOMAN: Extremely long, yes.
RAQUEL: Do you know how long it's been? Here, look.
50 minutes.
50 minutes? GORDON: Right now, Social's reputation hangs in the balance as the one person who can make or break them has been waiting almost an hour for her entrée.
Food's not coming out now 'cause we're backed up in the kitchen, so we got a bit of a dilemma.
So we need to start filling that in.
Yeah, this is where they need your help now.
That's wherehe absolutely needs your help in there now, right? Come on, come on, come on.
ANDREW: Hey, you got the entrées on my VIPs? I need 29 ASAP, please.
MAN: I got two sea bass resting.
Look at me.
We're on 55 minute.
But hey, just make sure it's perfect, please, okay? -Yes, Chef.
-Yes.
ANDREW: Make it worth the wait, guys.
Don't leave here till you got those fishes in your hand, okay? JOSE: Here, I'm giving you VIP right here.
-Thank you.
-Yeah.
[bleep.]
.
-[bleep.]
dead? -Food's got to go out hot.
-Are they the critics there? -Yeah, that's 29.
GORDON: They've been waiting an hour! (tense music) He's putting up the rib eye right now.
All right.
It should be piping hot.
Food's got to go out hot.
-Are they the critics there? -Yeah, that's 29.
GORDON: They've been waiting an hour! -They're not -Just fire -two more fish, please.
-Heard, Chef.
Keep pushing, baby.
Let's do it.
-Communicate, man.
Don't -Yes, Chef.
Yes, Chef.
How long on the fish? Three minutes on fish.
After you're done with those fish, -fire me one more, please.
-Yes, Chef.
Plating two sea bass.
One minute.
Dope.
Let's go.
Make this sexy.
ANDREW: All right, let's turn the corner, boys.
JOSE: Yeah, let's go.
And two sea bass.
GORDON: That's the president of the Restaurant Association OC.
Let's go.
JOSE: Dope.
Let's put up the next one.
All right, you two.
-Yay! -Your sea bass.
(rock music) (dramatic music) They're doing some good things here.
This is really fantastic.
Definitely worth the wait.
(rock music) JOSE: Okay, we're back on track.
That will go straight into the entrées.
You can help Jon-Jon plate.
I'll help (indistinct).
-Yes, Chef.
-Three risotto up.
-Heard.
Do you have any tables that are dragging right now? No, I think we just, like we just got back, to, like, a level playing field.
Everyone's good.
It's all just coming together.
It's coming together.
Just keep an eye on your tables, try to help out Lindsey and everybody and do the best you can, all right? Go it.
-How's everything tasting here? -Wonderful.
How was the ri That was a hit.
The risotto was amazing.
If I could bathe in a tub of it, I would.
They're loving the food, yes? Slow start, but that was super strong.
I mean really strong.
Well done.
ANDREW: Enjoy, guys.
MAN: It's almost too pretty to eat.
Looks so good.
-Well done.
-Thank you, Chef.
See what happens when you communicate? Love the atmosphere, love the bar setup.
-Yes, Chef.
-Yes.
In Orange County, you have to have the best food.
You have to have the best scene.
And the scene in here looks amazing.
Jose, sticky there in the middle.
-Yeah? -Yeah.
We got backed up.
But what you did show tonight: conviction and consistency.
-Yeah.
-Okay? You stepped up, pulled those reins.
-Yeah.
-Okay? -27 years of age -Yeah.
And you've got that kind of touch and connect with food.
Don't you dare let that go.
You know, if you're this good at 27, can you imagine what it'll be like when you're Did you just call me old? No, you're not 50.
-No, 65.
-No [bleep.]
? -I'm [bleep.]
.
-[bleep.]
Botox, man.
Hey, stand strong.
-Thank you.
-Okay? Good job.
JOSE: Chef Ramsay, he helped remind me of being myself and letting my leadership show.
We still have a lot, a lot of work to get done.
Best foot forward, though.
We'll push through it and make sure that everything's quality.
GORDON: Potential here is huge.
And the difference tonight that I saw in you you were running your staff; the staff weren't running you.
24 hours ago, Social was a place on the verge of, you know, possibly closing.
He stepped up tonight.
You proud of him? Of course.
Of course I am.
You stepped up tonight too.
-You know GORDON: Yes, you did.
And with the help of Gordon and his team and everyone that's helped us out, I feel like we're back, like, and better than ever.
Thank you, brother.
RAQUEL: 24 hours ago, Social didn't really have direction, didn't really have loyalty, I think, from our team and our staff.
But I feel like there's a new fire, and I'm excited for what's to come.
What a difference 24 hours can make.
The kitchen wow, what a performance.
Jose stepped up.
The food was exceptional.
But the most important thing tonight is that Drew, the owner, he ran a restaurant tonight.
He didn't massage his ego.
If Drew can empower his team, keep this business on track, Social will definitely be on the map once again.
Captain, we good? Yes, sir.
Good to see you, my man.
Hey, guys, it's Andrew and Raquel here from Social.
Since Gordon's team came in, back of the house, front of the house is thriving.
I love you guys.
Let's make it happen.
-All right.
-Let's kill it.
He's less micromanaging, and he's more delegating.
People are set up for success.
Game time.
Let's get it.
Jose stepped up as the executive chef.
So that goes together with this fish over here.
JOSE: Without the drama in the kitchen, everybody is focused and disciplined and behaving as they should.
How's the tomahawk tasting so far? -Very good.
-Good? Excellent, guys.
Ticket times are a lot shorter.
Customers are really loving the new dishes.
The clams are really good.
RAQUEL: The word got out.
People were coming in the doors and the phones were ringing, -so ANDREW: Off the hook, yeah.
(laughs) RAQUEL: Because Andrew was able to trust these people to execute, we actually took a vacation.
ANDREW: Thank you so much, Gordon.
I finally feel like I got my restaurant back.