Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell and Back (2018) s01e08 Episode Script
Sandra Dee's Bar-B-Que & Seafood
1
Gordon Ramsay's
24 Hours To Hell and Back is full of surprises.
There's a mouse
in here!
Catch all-new episodes Wednesdays,
and check out our other Fox programs--
The Four, Beat Shazam, and
MasterChef.
-Now you're dreaming.
-[gasps]
Let the games begin.
Only on Fox.
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?
GORDON: But having endured
so many kitchen disasters
over the years
There's a [bleep] mouse
in here.
GORDON: 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.
GORDON: I'll have to go
to hell and back
GORDON: Oh, my God.
-[coughs]
GORDON: In 24 hours.
[coughs]
[beeping]
[blues rock music]
♪
I've just arrived in
Sacramento, California.
As the state capital,
Sacramento has the world
at their doorstep.
It has some of the highest
economic growth
anywhere in the country.
It doesn't get
any better than that,
especially as a restaurant.
Not quite the dream
for the Sandra Dee's Barbecue
and Soul Food restaurant
that's been in this community
for nearly 20 years.
They've seen a big downturn
in business.
And Sandra Dee
doesn't have any clue
to why she's lost
that business.
With only 24 hours to turn
this restaurant around,
I needed to find out what is
happening behind those doors.
So my team told the restaurant
that they were trying out
for a traditional
renovation show.
But while they're being
interviewed,
we installed hidden cameras
throughout the restaurant,
and have been secretly
recording surveillance footage
since we left.
[rock music]
Guys complaining
about their order.
Tateyanna,
I don't wanna hear it.
Don't come in here telling us
what somebody doing outside.
Just deal with them.
What a circus. Shocking.
When you've been in
the neighborhood for 20 years,
you become a pillar
of that community,
so the support should be 100%.
You let that slip
through your hands,
you've only got
yourself to blame.
I'm Sandra Dee.
I own Sandra Dee's
Barbecue and Seafood.
The family members that work
here with me are my daughters.
Hi, my name is Lena,
and I'm the evening manager.
TATEYANNA: My name is
Tateyanna--[indistinct]--
and I'm the daytime manager,
and I kinda run
this [bleep], so
SANDRA:
Sandra Dee's started in 1998.
In the first couple of years,
we had people coming in
before we even opened up.
It would be a line
out the door
and a waiting list.
But we stopped making profit
maybe a year ago.
Business just went down.
And I still don't understand it
to this day.
Still don't.
You don't listen very well.
You don't hear,
and you can't see.
Well, Sandra's a bully.
No, no! It's not me, it's him!
-She bullies me
-Bullies me.
Order up!
Somebody come get this food!
You deliver the [bleep] order.
RODNEY: Tateyanna feels that
she can get an attitude
You're a [bleep].
Because Sandra have a attitude.
TATEYANNA:
Are you guys ordering for four?
MAN: Yeah.
-Follow me.
♪
I would say
the number one complaint
is, like, my attitude
I don't wanna talk
to no strangers.
I have to deal with this bitch.
But whatever. [giggles]
Table four is complaining
about everything.
Like, I'm trending on Yelp--
[laughs]--kinda.
Besides that, I would say,
like, the consistency
of the food.
No gumbo, no mac 'n' cheese,
no catfish dinner.
Yes.
TYLER: They're wondering why
the restaurant
is falling apart.
Food isbad.
I'll grab a plate and be like,
"That looks nasty."
I feel bad giving it
to customers,
but I don't wanna get
yelled at,
so I have to do what
I gotta do.
Did you guys start on this one?
-What the hell?
-I'm doing it right now.
-Don't do it.
-Get your ass off the line.
There's a lot of
miscommunication
and frustration,
and we just lost our way.
[sighs]
The girls don't know
how bad it is right now.
I don't think
I'll be open much longer.
[desolate music]
♪
Now, it's clear,
without any help,
Sandra Dee's will not be serving
their soul food for much longer.
Time to roll up my sleeves
and get to work.
In order to make sure
the staff at Sandra Dee's
treats me like any
old customer,
I'll go in undercover
to hopefully see
the issues myself.
Time to start building Sandra
Dee's from the ground up.
[shovel dings]
In order to keep
a low profile,
I've invited four local
construction workers
to join me for lunch.
-Quitting time, boys.
-[all mumble]
-Time for some soul food.
-Yes, sir.
-Let's do it.
-Absolutely.
-I'm starving.
-Beers on you, boss?
-Beer is on me.
-[engine ignites, revs]
-[laughter]
GORDON: Let's go, man.
[rock music]
♪
Let's go.
[solemn guitar music]
GORDON:
The outside of Sandra Dee's
gives off soulful vibes,
paying homage to
great musicians
TATEYANNA: Hello.
GORDON: Hi.
-How many? Five?
-Yes.
-Follow me.
-Thank you.
GORDON: But the inside
is another story:
a plastic leopard print bar,
fake plants covered in dust,
and fabricated brick walls
that look like they were
damaged in an earthquake.
What is that? Construction
workers, what is that?
[exhales] That's some top-notch
masonry right there.
GORDON:
With a décor this upsetting,
we need some comfort food
And were you ready
to place some orders?
-Yeah.
-Yeah, shall we?
Okay. What can I get
for you guys?
MAN: Tri-Tip
GORDON: So we're ordering
all the dishes
-The mac and cheese.
-Calamari.
Fried oysters.
GORDON:
That Sandra Dee is known for.
Excuse me.
Order in.
How the hell is it gonna be
my red velvet waffles
when it doesn't have
the flavor in it?
It's not.
Then why the [bleep]
is you making it?
You just gonna fake it
till you make it, huh?
That's your ass.
Y'all really getting
on my damn nerves.
This says "Sandra Dee"
up in this bitch,
so do it my way, okay?
-You got two ribs, Israel?
-Yeah.
♪
Excuse me, guys,
I got the frog legs,
Hush Puppies.
-And you had calamari?
-Yeah.
TATEYANNA:
Okay, there's more coming too.
[indistinct chatter]
Everything's soggy.
It's not even crispy.
Look at my calamari
and how greasy
MAN: Yeah, it doesn't
even look crispy.
What a mess.
We're gonna need more napkins
for all the grease.
Sir--sir
Excuse me? Sir, excuse me?
-[bleep].
-Damn.
Okay, I got the catfish,
mac and corn.
Ribs, oysters.
Looks like something out of
the [bleep] Science Museum.
♪
Mac and cheese. Look at that.
Congealed on the plate.
Let me see.
Put the rest of that in there.
♪
And the beans. Look at these.
These are canned.
Babe, open that can.
♪
Did you guys need
anything else right now?
♪
TATEYANNA: Didn't taste right?
MAN: Yeah.
Yeah, it makes you wanna pass
completely on it.
MAN: It's unappetizing.
You didn't like it either?
Okay.
What the [bleep]
is wrong with that?
My table, nine, five guys,
he said the stuff
was too greasy
and over-fried and burnt.
I can't believe that [bleep].
It's just--
this food gets thrown out.
-It's just chopped up.
-Excuse me?
-Ma'am--
-I call my own [bleep].
Y'all don't need
to call it for me.
Food's on us. Have a great day.
MAN: Ay-yai-yai.
Weird
-[giggling]
-Terrible, unfortunate.
I'm gonna get changed.
I'll see you in two days.
-Okay.
-Yeah.
It was rough.
Whoo.
I feel like
I've just been swimming
in a [bleep] oil slick.
That was pretty, pretty bad.
Full of grease.
No authenticity anywhere,
and an attitude beyond belief.
My hands still feel greasy.
[exhales sharply]
I'm sure this is gonna be
a rough 24 hours.
[rock music]
ERNESTO: [indistinct]
-Did what?
-How are you?
♪
Sandra, can I see you
in the dining room, please?
Turn everything off.
I need you in.
Let's go.
Correct. Let's go.
Can you two join me
as well, please?
Gordon Ramsay?
-What?
-That's Gordon Ramsay.
LENA: Woah. [laughs]
Did not know that was
about to happen.
Ladies and gentlemen
stop eating, all of you.
Put down your knife and forks.
I'm lost for words
Okay.
What I've just experienced.
Sat over there with
my fellow colleagues.
You clearly have no respect
for customers.
You just don't care.
That's a lie.
I am here to make food.
I am here to please
your palates.
What part of that was pleasing?
[tense music]
You and your team,
I want you to follow me.
Everybody, outside.
I wanna show you something
that I think
you especially should look at.
Let's go, all of you.
Follow me.
♪
This is Hell on Wheels.
That's my engine,
a state-of-the-art kitchen.
Over the last few weeks,
my team have been
inside Sandra Dee's,
and it's interesting
how staff perform
when they don't know
they're being watched.
♪
I want you all to have a look
at what I'm about to show you.
♪
-[all groan]
WOMAN: Gross.
GORDON:
What is wrong with you?
♪
WOMAN: [gasps]
GORDON: Oh, my Lord.
♪
We've lost a lot of customers
because of Tateyanna's mouth.
[blues rock music]
♪
Jorge, hey, you little bitch,
flip seven and eight.
♪
-David!
-Yeah?
This [bleep] don't say
"to go." Look at the ticket.
TATEYANNA:
I don't know what this says.
-Lena, don't sell no more gumbo.
LENA: Yes?
I just have this one--
Just listen to
what I just said, okay?
After you're done with that,
don't sell no more, okay?
LENA: All right.
-Thank you.
Guys complaining about
their order taking too long.
Don't come in here telling us
what somebody doing outside.
Just deal with them!
Whenever they say light,
you put the [bleep]
light seasoning on there.
Shut the [bleep] up, Rodney.
Ain't nobody--that's it.
Light. Wet.
WOMAN: Oh, God.
[solemn bass music]
Sandra, anything?
♪
Is there any passion left,
or are you done?
My passion is there.
I just don't like
to be attacked.
LENA: Especially in front
of everyone,
so that was kind of hard.
I don't give a [bleep]
about everybody.
No--you do.
[bleep], really I don't.
Right. And who's attacking you?
-You are.
-I attacked you?
Yeah, the way you came up
in there, just attacking me.
I love what I do
in the kitchen.
-Right, okay.
-I love what I do in--
Stop there,
which part do you love?
I like creating
in the kitchen
GORDON: Right.
-I like cooking in my kitchen.
-Microwaving?
-I--[sighs]
The way he came at me
is very embarrassing.
I'm very, very angry.
I'm from the streets.
I fight dudes.
It's nothing to me.
Sandra, no one attacked you.
I just told you the truth.
I'm here to help,
but I can pack this rig
in 60 minutes
and get the [bleep]
out of here.
[tense music]
You still wanna fight?
Do you want help?
[bleep] hell.
[tense music]
Sandra, no one attacked you.
I just told you the truth.
Now, I'm here to help,
but I can't help your attitude.
Do you want my help?
Yeah, we need your help
so if you can deal with my
attitude, I'll deal with you.
♪
You can give me
as much [bleep] as you wish,
but I'm not here
for six months.
I've only got 24 hours.
♪
If I'm gonna give you
everything I've got
to help turn that place around,
I need, in return,
some form of bloody commitment,
because that experience
ten minutes ago was appalling.
♪
Every member of staff
at Sandra Dee's,
I'd like you to get on
your phone and ring home
and tell them you're not
gonna see them for 24 hours
♪
And that time startsnow.
[beeping]
[sighs]
Customers, I'd like
all of you to come back
tomorrow night as my guests.
Thank you for your patience.
Staff, as soon as
you've made your calls,
I'll see you back
in the restaurant.
Damn.
I don't wanna do none of this.
I don't.
I mean, he's right.
We have to redeem ourselves,
especially after
being humiliated
in front of people like that.
It's gonna be clearly
uncomfortable,
but we're this close.
Yeah, Lena,
and I don't like that.
I don't like
being uncomfortable.
I know you don't.
LENA: I'm really holding
my breath right now.
My mom could just pull the plug
and walk away from this.
-We have to.
-[bleep] that.
I don't care who don't have
a job. [bleep] it.
That's where I'm at.
God knows these next 24 hours
are gonna be [bleep] up.
♪
GORDON: When was the last time,
Sandra, you went online?
Maybe a month ago.
GORDON:
So you think I'm attacking you?
Okay, let's have a quick look
at what your customers
have got to say.
"One star, Sacramento, local.
"I used to come here
all the time in its heyday.
"A few years back,
this was the place
"to have some delicious
comfort food.
"Not anymore.
"The macaroni and cheese
doesn't taste of anything
"like it used to,
"and I'm sick of
getting dry ribs.
Such a disappointment."
"One star.
"Unfortunately, I'm still
in the hunt for soul food
in Sacramento,
'cause Sandra Dee's is not"--
with a capital N-O-T--"it.
"I've literally never felt
such aggression
from a server
with so much attitude."
What the [bleep]?
"I just had a few simple
questions about the menu,
"but I was placed on hold
for over ten minutes,
"and the lady who answered
the phone was super rude.
Don't treat your customers
like crap."
You're answering
the phone, right?
I answer the phone.
Are you impatient
with customers?
At times, I can be, yeah.
Are you irritable working here?
No, I'm not irritable
working here.
Tyler, you're rolling
your eyes back there.
What's going on?
When it comes to
working with Tateyanna,
it can be real difficult.
-Okay.
TYLER: The majority of the time
she's irritable.
-Okay.
GORDON: Anybody else?
I mean, we actually had an
altercation not too long ago,
and she came at me
with a really aggressive tone.
She does that a lot, and I
really don't appreciate that.
You know what,
everybody's to blame,
because they don't know
how to communicate
with each other.
You can shake your head,
but when it comes down
up in here,
nobody own their [bleep].
I sometimes feel like
maybe we need to just
start the [bleep] over.
Everybody, get the [bleep] out.
That's where the [bleep]
I am right now.
If y'all ain't got my back,
then I ain't got
y'all [bleep] backs,
period!
[blues rock music]
♪
This business is
going backwards,
it's not going forwards,
and the only chance we have
is for everyone here
to come together.
So, if anybody's not committed
to sorting this out
there's the [bleep] door.
I'm all in.
I'm all in.
GORDON:
So, if you are truly committed,
you all need to roll up
your sleeves and get to work.
Let's go.
The vibe in Sandra Dee's
is toxic,
and it feels like the entire
staff have given up
BRIAN: The first thing we need
to do is clear all the tables,
get everything out.
GORDON: But in the hope
of bringing some soul
back into this restaurant,
my design team
will put them to work
on bringing new life
to the dining room.
We need to clean the crap
out of this bar.
GORDON: This restaurant
has been open
nearly two decades
All right,
let's come off the wall.
GORDON:
And the décor is in dire need
of some updating.
And that's getting
a buffet furniture piece.
GORDON: We'll create
an authentic, soulful vibe
by softening the color
palette,
adding some personal touches,
and replacing
the fake brick with
Shutter walls are here.
So, this is barn wood that
we've then done a dry brush.
-It's going all the way up?
-Yes, sir, all the way up.
GORDON: The front of house
is in so need of an overhaul.
I shudder to think about
the state of the kitchen.
♪
When was the last time
all this was cleaned?
Last week.
Last week? Oh, [bleep].
-What is that?
-Oil.
-Oil.
-That's oil.
-That thing gets bad.
-In a week?
Well, we probably didn't
clean that yesterday.
It's probably our fault
we probably didn't clean that.
That hasn't been cleaned
in months.
Well
Sandra, what is in here?
Seafood, gator, calamari.
Just smell that. That's gone.
Yeah, that's not good.
Did you use that today?
Yeah, I think we did.
Oh, my God.
Bloody hell.
SANDRA:
It's very embarrassing.
I didn't think it was this bad.
[bleep].
What's that smell?
-Sandra?
-Yes?
GORDON: What is that?
Um, [bleep], looks like blood.
Dried congealed blood.
It is stinking!
And what's this [bleep] thing?
Uh, a chicken.
Come on, guys!
What the [bleep]?
I mean, I [bleep]
just [bleep] told you
to clean all this [bleep] up.
There's bones behind here,
bits of pork behind here.
[coughs]
Can you not smell that?
-I smell it.
-Yes.
How old are these?
They're sat in all this blood.
[liquid drizzling]
That's what's stinking.
You're in here every day,
so you can't smell it.
-Yes.
-Yeah.
Not only do they look stupid,
but I look like
a [bleep] clown,
because I'm the idiot
paying them.
What's out here?
DAVID:
This is where we have our pit,
where we cook all our meats.
Holy [bleep].
It's like a hot tub of grease.
[tense music]
[bleep] almighty.
Hold on a minute.
Why is there gas bottles
next to it?
What the [bleep]?
DAVID:
Usually the gas is over there.
-They're [bleep] here!
-Yes, I know this.
I can see this.
What's a [bleep] gas container
doing next to a furnace?
What the [bleep]
is the bleach doing here?
What are you trying to do,
create a bomb?
DAVID: No.
-Look at me. Gas, bleach
-Yes, I know.
And a furnace.
[bleep] the earthquake.
You'll blow up Sacramento
yourself, you [bleep] idiot.
♪
[beeping]
Sort out what we can salvage,
what we can't salvage, yes?
Yes.
And get this
[bleep] place cleaned.
-Okay. Uh, trash?
-Let's go.
[solemn music]
That was disgusting,
but apart from the disgusting
mess in the kitchen,
nobody is stepping up
and accepting responsibility,
and everybody's just given up.
Hey, you wanna
throw away these wings?
-Yep, throw it all away.
-Okay.
Sandra Dee has let go,
not just of the restaurant
but everywhere.
And I need to get to the
bottom to why it got so bad.
Sandra,
let's go in your office.
Two minutes, please.
This place had a reputation.
Right now, I'm [bleep]
surprised it's still open.
♪
Sit down.
♪
So, what's happened?
Something's
gone wrong, somewhere.
It's a lot.
But where did you
stop being Sandra Dee
that got this place on the map?
I have no idea.
But you must know
how bad it's gotten.
No, I know it's bad.
I know it's bad now.
The relationship
with Tateyanna,
why are you so soft with her?
Truthfully--[sobs]--
I wanted to fire her
a year ago.
I just wanted her gone and away
because of all the negativity
that she was bringing.
It was too much.
Because I'm not
a negative person.
Regardless of what you see
right now
-I'm not.
-Mm-kay.
And my husband was like,
"Just give her a chance."
But when she's not doing
her job properly,
it's twice as damning for you.
It is.
You've put just under 300 grand
-back into the business
-Yep.
You've remortgaged your house.
It's like I'm starting
all over again.
No restaurant deserves to close
after 19 years,
but this place is festering
in negativity.
-Yeah.
-We can do this,
but, Sandra, you need
to change your ways.
-Uh-huh.
-It starts now.
Thank you.
♪
[tense music]
♪
What are you thinking?
I just really gotta tighten up
with that one right there.
Yes.
I have a headache.
This paint is getting to me.
She has growing to do,
and I think this is
a big wakeup call.
♪
It is so hard to fathom that
it came to this.
Yes, that we crumbled
to this point.
GORDON:
Progress is being made,
both with Sandra and in
the dining room renovation.
Uh, Theresa, that looks lovely
with that wood on there.
That looks great.
Yeah, it's beautiful.
And then,
this gentleman's doing
a "world famous Sandra Dee's"
mural for us.
GORDON:
But with 18 hours remaining
Let's go.
It's time to revive
the menu as well.
Now, let's get
straight to the point.
What we've done is taken
the old staples from the menu
and elevated them.
An amazing cornbread,
cooked in the skillet.
Bacon jam, honey butter, yeah?
Next to that, fried oysters.
Oysters served with
smoked garlic butter.
Next to that, we've got
a baked mac and cheese.
Crispy on top. Delicious.
Next to that, we've got
the most amazing smoked chicken
with a warm potato salad,
house-made pickles.
And then, of course,
that is a pan-seared trout.
Succotash with a touch of heat.
Yeah, dig in, have a taste.
[blues rock music]
-Wow.
-Yeah.
Can you taste
the magic behind it?
Oh, yeah.
That's what soul food's
all about, right?
Now, yes, it's been a busy day,
yes, it's late,
but all of you, wake up, okay?
Trout, lightly floured.
Skin side down,
that's gonna protect the fish.
Flip that trout.
In the oven, 30 seconds.
Right, succotash:
What's the secret
behind a great succotash?
-[chuckles]
-That I do not know.
Oh, boy. The seasoning.
You have the heat,
the jalapeño.
Touch of fresh cilantro, in.
And the succotash is something
that you get excited about
in any soul food restaurant.
♪
Finally
a touch of lime, white lime.
It wakes up the flavor.
Finallysome answers.
Now that is a dish to die for.
Sandra, talk to me.
-How difficult is that?
-Not difficult at all.
How long did it take me?
Six, seven minutes.
-Mm, more like ten.
GORDON: Really?
Oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy.
So rude.
We don't have
a lot of time, okay?
Each and every one
of these experts
are here to help one on one,
and we're gonna absolutely
master this menu.
Okay, let's go. Mary?
Okay, we'll pair up,
and then we'll show you guys
how to do all of your dishes
yourselves, okay?
All right, guys, let's do this.
We're gonna run out
of time soon.
GORDON: If Sandra Dee's got
any hope of reviving,
they need to fall back in love
with cooking.
This I'm hoping will start
giving these guys
something to hang onto.
The food's a big issue,
but the attitude
is even worse
I cannot function
without coffee.
-I--I--I--
TATEYANNA: No one cares.
It's true.
Shut up, Jorge.
And right now, I need to
tackle that with Tateyanna.
Tateyanna, uh, let's spend
two minutes together, please.
Sit down.
Right, how are you feeling?
-Okay, a little tired.
-A little tired?
Why are you here?
I'm here, because
I'm helping my mom out
and supporting her.
How close are you to your mom?
Um, we're, like, best friends.
I'm very protective of my mom.
Like, I don't have kids,
so that's my baby.
-Your mom's your baby?
-Yeah.
[solemn music]
What does that mean?
'Cause I--that's--
that's a tough one
for me to understand that.
She confides in me with
a lot of stuff personally,
so I'm the one that's there,
listening to all that
and trying to be
strong for her.
When she cries,
I'm the strong one.
I'm not supposed to cry.
♪
You're full of [bleep].
Because if you cared,
you wouldn't be doing
what you're doing
to this business.
♪
Let me show you.
♪
TATEYANNA: Jorge, hey,
you little bitch
-[phone rings]
-Sandra Dee's?
♪
LENA: Um, some lady,
Tateyanna talked to yesterday,
and I guess she was
really rude to her,
so I'm getting ready
to call her.
SANDRA:
Tateyanna was rude to her
-when she called?
LENA: Yeah.
So, do you remember talking
to this lady, Tateyanna?
TATEYANNA: I think so, yeah.
She said she didn't like
my tone.
SANDRA: Yeah, she didn't like
your attitude.
I'm just so irritated,
I didn't even--
-I just hung up.
-That don't even make sense.
LENA: Her customer service
wasn't up to par?
Oh, my gosh.
I'm so sorry to hear that.
No, I'm definitely glad you
brought this to our attention,
and it will be addressed.
SANDRA:
You better watch your mouth.
You can't do that.
You know what, I don't have
nothing else to say to you.
I'll talk to you tonight.
I know you're not gonna
talk to me tonight,
because Daddy will want
your attention
Tateyanna, you got
too many [bleep]--
Thank you for calling
Sandra Dee's.
♪
[soft music]
You should've been fired
years ago.
You are badly inconsistent.
And half of these
complaints online
is because of you.
You're the rock that's sinking
your mother's ship.
Whether you like it or not,
you're causing a lot
more damage
than you actually
[bleep] realize,
and I really mean that.
So, you need to decide
if you want to be here or not.
-Understood?
-Yes.
Okay.
♪
-Mom--
MARY: It is a third
-of a cup of corn starch and
-Mom
-3/4 of sugar.
-Can I speak to you?
-What?
-Can I speak to you?
I'm going to hurt you.
I already said what,
Right here.
What'd you do now?
What did you do?
[music intensifies]
[beeping]
[tense music]
What? What'd you do now?
What did you do?
I just wanted to speak to you
on the side.
Tateyanna
you don't see what the [bleep]
is going on right now?
What?
Oh, my gosh.
[grunts] Yes?
I just wanted to say
that I'm sorry for--
[sniffles]--
basically taking money
out of your pocket
and all of the bad reviews,
and I'm sorry that
you're so disappointed in me.
[soft piano music]
♪
I wanna be that complete
support system
and that rock for you.
And I know that you're
stressing
and going through a lot.
I just wanted to let you know
that I'm here for you, Mom.
I know you are, Tat.
[sobs]
I'm gonna do better for you.
-So sorry.
-I appreciate it.
I'm so sorry.
[sobbing]
Wow.
[muffled]
It's a lot of people's fault.
It's my fault too, you know?
-[sobbing]
-Love you.
I love you too.
♪
It's gonna be all right, okay,
'cause when we know better,
what, we do better, okay?
-Do better.
-Okay.
Come on. Crunch time.
Let's work.
Love you, all right?
[uplifting music]
♪
You okay?
Yep. What'd I miss?
MARY: I would love for you guys
to try cooking the fish.
You've seen the demo;
you should know what to do.
Erica and I are standing
over you like a hawk.
This one is really easy, guys.
Most of the work is
in the prep.
A little Sriracha on there,
whatever that is.
I think it's hot.
[blues rock music]
Ooh, that's really hot.
MARY: There you go. Nice.
Careful, you're starting
to burn your onions
-on the side of the pan.
-I know.
DAVID: Almost.
MARY: Almost there?
-Yes.
-It looks like the zucchini
just needs another few seconds.
-Yeah, yeah.
MARY: Perfect.
RODNEY:
Practice makes perfect, right?
MARY:
Practice makes perfect.
Did you put lime juice
on the fish
-when it came out of the oven?
-I did.
And a little lime?
A little bit of lime.
♪
Did you taste the succotash
before you plated it?
No--[chuckles]
MARY:
But these are the basic rules!
-I know, I know!
-Oh, yeah.
Okay, like that?
MARY: Absolutely perfect.
Good job.
I should taste my fish
and my dish, huh?
You should, and see
if it's cooked nicely.
Practice makes perfect, right?
-Israel, are we good?
-Yeah, yeah, sir.
-Yes?
-Yes, sir.
-Good. You're cooking?
-Yes, sir.
-Mary
-Yes, Chef?
-How'd they do?
-Really well, Chef.
I think David was
the strongest one.
-David? The strongest one?
-Mm-hmm.
Yeah. He cooked
the fish perfectly.
He knew what he was doing.
He knew all the terminology.
And what about Sandra Dee?
Um, she did okay.
I think you can tell
that she hasn't been
cooking for a while.
Really? Thank you.
I know Sandra is struggling
with the changes to her menu.
-Oh, okay.
-Yeah.
It's just, like,
a little richer.
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
GORDON: But it seems like
she and her staff
are committed
to getting better.
Just make sure you're using
fresh ingredients.
Yes.
GORDON: The same can be said
for the servers and crew,
who are working tirelessly
into the wee hours
of the night to get this
restaurant renovated.
[yawns]
You can't come in here
and yawn.
-All right, uh, Brian?
-Yes, sir?
So, we're gonna go--
this is almost gonna be like
a façade of shutters.
Yes, sir.
[electric drill whirring]
[rock music]
Good, great.
[laughs]
-Excellent, well done.
-Thank you so much.
You're welcome.
[groovy guitar music]
MARY: Yeah, we're plating
the last dishes right now.
Beautiful.
We're just gonna try to get it
a little bit more
centered, okay?
GORDON: The all-night efforts
have not been easy
30 seconds on oysters. Great.
GORDON: So with
only hours left
before the grand reopening
Right, let's go.
Sandra and the kitchen team
have prepared
a much deserved meal
to boost morale
and show off their new menu.
What is this?
Right, guys,
come on down, please.
-Oh, my gosh, amazing.
-Real nice. Real, real nice.
GORDON:
A modern interpretation
of Sandra Dee's menu.
Yes, it's small,
but it's powerful.
-Look at the difference
-Yeah.
-Yes?
-Yeah.
GORDON: All freshly cooked.
More importantly,
it's consistent.
Five hours
and 46 minutes to go,
and then we're gonna relaunch
Sandra Dee's with this menu.
-That's exciting. [laughs]
GORDON: Yes.
Sandra, how are you feeling?
Exhausted, yeah.
All of you,
grab a knife and fork
and have a bite, please.
-That smells so good.
-Oh!
Oh, my God, that's so good.
LENA: Ooh, yummy!
-How's the food down there?
-Oh, my God, it's amazing.
-Good.
-So good.
-How's that cornbread?
-Man, that's good by itself.
It don't even need the sauce.
-[chuckles]
-Hit this.
LENA:
It is a little hard to believe
that that food came
from our staff,
because it's completely
in a different vein
than what we've been
putting out for so long.
You know, nothing was heavy.
And it's very up to date, which
is the most exciting part.
♪
Yes, it's been tough,
yes, it's been difficult,
but you guys have done it.
We still have
a lot of work to do
and very little time to do it,
so let's get back
into the restaurant.
With only a few hours left
before the reopening
-of Sandra Dee's
-Let's go, let's go, let's go.
It's time to show Sandra
the incredible progress
we've made
revamping her restaurant.
-How cool is that?
-It's so much lighter.
Isn't it? Lighter, brighter.
LENA: It flows.
-Wow
-Uh--[chuckles]
It's a lot of feelings
that I'm feeling right now.
I thought the décor
and everything
was good and it looked okay,
but I didn't want
too many colors.
I don't like red,
pink, orange.
-Totally different.
-Totally different.
SANDRA: It doesn't look
nothing like it used to look.
Not an inkling.
[tense music]
[beeping]
SANDRA: I don't like
red, pink, orange.
-Wow
-Uh--[chuckles]
-Totally different.
-Totally different.
The difference
in the last 24 hours
has been astonishing.
There's a lightness that
you just feel when you walk in
that I have never felt
in this building.
But my mom was still,
like, indifferent,
and her indifference,
you can't miss it.
I hope that she comes around
quickly.
As you know,
we're nowhere near done yet,
but we're getting there.
Outside of that, hopefully
everything will come together.
That rust color is bomb.
-It is really nice.
-Yeah.
LENA: This is so fun.
GORDON: I know Sandra is still
struggling to release control
and embrace any changes
we were making
-Right, come through.
-But I hope she will see
that the upgrades
I've made in the kitchen
Wow, clean kitchen, right?
Will set her and her staff up
for success.
Welcome to your brand new,
clean kitchen.
RODNEY: Wow
DAVID: Wow.
I--I'm speechless.
Yes, I have stocked
this kitchen
with the best equipment.
From the most amazing mixers,
blenders, cast irons
DAVID: This is fantastic.
GORDON: New plates,
portable fires,
pots, pans,
you name it, it's there.
I--I'm speechless. I
Look at this.
No congealed blood.
That stank more than my
granddad's colostomy bag.
We now have a unit
clean enough to sleep in.
Wow.
GORDON:
Spotless walls, spotless floor.
That's beautiful.
That's the way
it should be kept.
Guys, now, this
is how a smoking area
should look like.
Come out. Man.
It's no longer a bomb threat.
We need to put this place
back on the map,
with a bang,
but not that kind of bang.
-Yes?
-Yes, sir. Yes.
Right, look in there.
No sludge,
no slurry at the bottom.
That's a smoker
that can control flavor.
Be incredibly safe,
but more importantly,
it needs to be
maintained, guys, okay?
Absolutely.
Now, one more thing
to show you.
Have a look at this.
Let me introduce you to Alex.
Alex runs TouchBistro.
Hi, Alex. Sandra Dee.
-Nice to meet you.
-Nice to meet you.
One thing we've never
had here is a POS.
-Right.
-TouchBistro is one of
the state of the art systems
anywhere in the country.
And then,
more importantly for you,
when you guys are really busy,
you'll actually be able
to turn more tables.
You'll be more efficient.
You'll actually make more money.
Yeah, I like that.
And we've got iPads
for all of you guys.
-What?
-Oh, wow.
-You're the best, Alex.
-High five.
-Great, thank you, Alex.
-Thank you, Chef.
Our team is here.
They're gonna train you today.
GORDON:
While the staff quickly
learn the new POS system
Swipe again, and you go back
to the other page.
LENA: I like that.
GORDON: The design team rushes
to finish the final touches
minutes before opening
the doors
to the new Sandra Dee's.
All right, guys, let's start
making it feel like home.
GORDON: Minutes to go.
Um, it's been
an incredible 24 hours.
Oh, my God.
Uh, this week celebrates
19 years of Sandra Dee's.
I can't think of a more perfect
time to put it back on the map.
-Me neither.
-Yeah?
Let's do the damn thing.
Yeah, give us a countdown.
ALL: Five, four
three, two, one.
-Let's go!
-[cheers and applause]
Okay, guys,
jump on your stations.
We are opening!
-Good evening.
ALL: Hi.
-How are we?
MAN: Very well.
GORDON: It's good
to see you guys. Come in.
TYLER: Welcome to the new
and improved Sandra Dee's.
Table for two,
right this way, please.
GORDON:
Thank you so much for coming.
-It looks amazing.
-Doesn't it?
-It does.
-Thank you.
GORDON: In only 24 hours,
Sandra Dee's has undergone
a complete renovation
from top to bottom.
We've rid the restaurant
of the dated décor
and drab interior
I love them.
I should say thank you.
-No more leopard.
-No more--leopard's gone.
-[laughs]
-The leopard has left.
GORDON: And added unique
and authentic design elements.
WOMAN:
So much nicer, more inviting.
Good to see you.
Good to see you, Brendan.
Thank you. We good?
All friendly faces.
Can I start with you guys?
Any cocktails?
I'm drained. Are you?
You're drained? Me too.
My anxiety's burning out.
RODNEY: Your anxiety?
SANDRA: Yeah.
I don't know if I wanna
go through with all of this.
-We good?
SANDRA: No.
RODNEY: No? Sandra
Where are you going?
[beeping]
SANDRA:
I'm drained. Are you?
You're drained? I can tell.
My anxiety's burning out.
I don't know if I wanna
go through with all of this.
RODNEY: Sandra
-Yeah?
-you have to fight.
-Where are you going?
Come on. You've got this.
Let's go.
Come here.
-Who's reading the orders?
-I'm reading out the orders.
-Great.
-I'm yelling it out.
Right, and you're gonna
give some feedback.
DAVID: Yes, Chef.
GORDON: Good.
-Can I get--uh
-Go on.
Finish what you're saying.
Can I get all those chickens
coming, please?
-Yes, ma'am.
-Thank you.
SANDRA: It was just hard
at the beginning,
but I'm ready to expedite
and do what needs
to be done here.
-Mom's a little bit shut down.
-Okay.
GORDON: Just get in there,
push her a little bit.
Just get Mom to find
that voice.
-Dig deep and--
-Push.
-Yeah, push. Exactly, Lena.
-Got ya.
-Well done.
-All right.
You know, people are
really receptive and happy
SANDRA: Good.
LENA: Great feedback.
-Excited for us.
-Straight drama in here.
Well, check this out, you guys,
let's lighten the mood,
you know, somebody sing a song.
No, we don't wanna sing a song.
No? Okay.
Fried oysters,
macaroni and cheese.
Yeah, Chef.
-So, the fried oysters.
-You got it.
SANDRA:
Corn bread, mac and cheese.
WOMAN: Can I please have
the pulled pork sandwich?
Yes, you can.
So, oysters are waiting
on mac and cheese.
DAVID: Mac and cheese,
about a minute and a half.
RODNEY: It's hot.
The oysters in the window,
what are they going with?
Uh, oysters are going with
the mac and cheese.
Drop the oysters.
You can drop them on the table,
if they're only a minute
behind the mac and cheese.
WOMAN: Uh
The best thing to do
is to just send it out.
If you hold it back,
we're gonna get gridlocked,
'cause it's on order,
so give it to me, please.
-Thank you.
-Thank you.
We're still waiting, you know,
on the mac and the
Excuse me, there's
the oysters as well.
-Oysters is right here.
-That is to die for.
-It's the young man's Viagra.
-[both laugh]
And then you have the mac
and cheese coming right up.
-Yes, enjoy.
-It's to die for.
-I'm excited for that.
-Thanks, you guys.
Are you gonna rock out?
Are you rocking out?
My mom today, she's quiet,
but Sandra Dee's is
definitely back on the map.
People can feel it.
They tasted it tonight.
I'm sure that the buzz
is gonna grow from here.
WOMAN:
Everything has been phenomenal.
The mac and cheese, though,
it is over the--
oh, my gosh, the jalapeño,
we loved it.
-Yes, that little essence.
-Yes!
The mac and cheese was
probably the best I've had
in Sacramento.
I consider myself a mac
and cheese, like, connoisseur
at this point in my life.
It's amazing to see, you know,
what, of course,
the team did to it,
and, you know,
just to bring the culture
and keep a lot of Sacramento
in it was really amazing.
How are you guys feeling back
there, Dave, Rodney, Israel?
-Doing good.
-Good? Happy? Feeling good?
-Oh, I'm good.
-Feeling good. Fantastic.
LENA: Yes. Breathe it in.
I haven't felt this proud in
about 15 years, to be honest.
But I know that
at times tonight,
Sandra personally was
getting really frustrated,
so I'm just really
hoping and praying
that it don't go back
to the way it was.
-Tateyanna
-Yes?
Yeah? I need you--
30 seconds, please.
All three of you, let's go.
-My time is done. I'm going.
-What?
Yeah, you do not
need me any longer.
I just wanna say, well done.
Your attitude
has changed 100%
Thank you.
Your commitment
is extraordinary.
LENA: Gordon, I have
nothing but love for you.
No one would have known
to ask for the things
that you've given us today,
and for that,
I will forever be thankful.
For that, you will always have
a special place in my heart.
-Are you happy?
-Yep, absolutely.
Good.
I could've killed Gordon
at the beginning,
but now I'm very appreciative,
and I thank him for
everything that he's done
for me, my family,
and my staff.
-My time here's done.
-You're the best.
Appreciate it. Thank you.
Come here. Can we?
Are we allowed?
-Yeah, we can.
-[all laugh]
Thank you. Appreciate you.
Come here, you.
-Thank you.
-Good luck, okay?
Thank you so much.
-Take care.
-Thank you.
-Thank you so much.
-Thanks.
GORDON: Ah, man.
You know, when I first
arrived here
at this former
soul food hot spot,
it had completely lost its way.
Food was dreadful, and the
service was equally as bad.
However, in 24 hours,
I do believe we have revived
this restaurant,
and found what it
needed most: heart.
If Sandra and her daughters
can put their heart and soul
into this business
on a daily basis,
trust me, this can become,
once again,
the talk of the town.
[truck horn honks]
[rock music]
[solemn music]
We reached out
to Sandra Dee's,
but sadly received
no response.
-What?
-Oysters,
it's not on the table.
It's coming, Tateyanna.
Oysters, Rodney!
GORDON:
I see through the restaurant's
most recent reviews
that although Sandra has kept
the new renovation,
she has gone back
to her old menu.
I know, the food
is taking a while.
MAN: Yeah.
-I'm sorry about that.
GORDON: The comments
have not been favorable.
♪
Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours To Hell
and Back is on fire,
and here are more hot shows from Fox.
Are you ready?
You are hot!
MAN: I'm in a sweet spot♪
I'm feeling good♪
The sun is shining♪
-Wake up.
-Challenge!
I'm gonna light it up♪
Yeah, I'm gonna light it up ♪
Check it out
I'm gonna light it up♪
Yeah, I'm gonna light it up♪
Just check it out♪
I'm gonna light it up♪
Yeah, I'm gonna light it up♪
-[audience cheering]
-Let's go!
Let me show you
What it's all about♪
Gordon Ramsay's
24 Hours To Hell and Back is full of surprises.
There's a mouse
in here!
Catch all-new episodes Wednesdays,
and check out our other Fox programs--
The Four, Beat Shazam, and
MasterChef.
-Now you're dreaming.
-[gasps]
Let the games begin.
Only on Fox.
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?
GORDON: But having endured
so many kitchen disasters
over the years
There's a [bleep] mouse
in here.
GORDON: 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.
GORDON: I'll have to go
to hell and back
GORDON: Oh, my God.
-[coughs]
GORDON: In 24 hours.
[coughs]
[beeping]
[blues rock music]
♪
I've just arrived in
Sacramento, California.
As the state capital,
Sacramento has the world
at their doorstep.
It has some of the highest
economic growth
anywhere in the country.
It doesn't get
any better than that,
especially as a restaurant.
Not quite the dream
for the Sandra Dee's Barbecue
and Soul Food restaurant
that's been in this community
for nearly 20 years.
They've seen a big downturn
in business.
And Sandra Dee
doesn't have any clue
to why she's lost
that business.
With only 24 hours to turn
this restaurant around,
I needed to find out what is
happening behind those doors.
So my team told the restaurant
that they were trying out
for a traditional
renovation show.
But while they're being
interviewed,
we installed hidden cameras
throughout the restaurant,
and have been secretly
recording surveillance footage
since we left.
[rock music]
Guys complaining
about their order.
Tateyanna,
I don't wanna hear it.
Don't come in here telling us
what somebody doing outside.
Just deal with them.
What a circus. Shocking.
When you've been in
the neighborhood for 20 years,
you become a pillar
of that community,
so the support should be 100%.
You let that slip
through your hands,
you've only got
yourself to blame.
I'm Sandra Dee.
I own Sandra Dee's
Barbecue and Seafood.
The family members that work
here with me are my daughters.
Hi, my name is Lena,
and I'm the evening manager.
TATEYANNA: My name is
Tateyanna--[indistinct]--
and I'm the daytime manager,
and I kinda run
this [bleep], so
SANDRA:
Sandra Dee's started in 1998.
In the first couple of years,
we had people coming in
before we even opened up.
It would be a line
out the door
and a waiting list.
But we stopped making profit
maybe a year ago.
Business just went down.
And I still don't understand it
to this day.
Still don't.
You don't listen very well.
You don't hear,
and you can't see.
Well, Sandra's a bully.
No, no! It's not me, it's him!
-She bullies me
-Bullies me.
Order up!
Somebody come get this food!
You deliver the [bleep] order.
RODNEY: Tateyanna feels that
she can get an attitude
You're a [bleep].
Because Sandra have a attitude.
TATEYANNA:
Are you guys ordering for four?
MAN: Yeah.
-Follow me.
♪
I would say
the number one complaint
is, like, my attitude
I don't wanna talk
to no strangers.
I have to deal with this bitch.
But whatever. [giggles]
Table four is complaining
about everything.
Like, I'm trending on Yelp--
[laughs]--kinda.
Besides that, I would say,
like, the consistency
of the food.
No gumbo, no mac 'n' cheese,
no catfish dinner.
Yes.
TYLER: They're wondering why
the restaurant
is falling apart.
Food isbad.
I'll grab a plate and be like,
"That looks nasty."
I feel bad giving it
to customers,
but I don't wanna get
yelled at,
so I have to do what
I gotta do.
Did you guys start on this one?
-What the hell?
-I'm doing it right now.
-Don't do it.
-Get your ass off the line.
There's a lot of
miscommunication
and frustration,
and we just lost our way.
[sighs]
The girls don't know
how bad it is right now.
I don't think
I'll be open much longer.
[desolate music]
♪
Now, it's clear,
without any help,
Sandra Dee's will not be serving
their soul food for much longer.
Time to roll up my sleeves
and get to work.
In order to make sure
the staff at Sandra Dee's
treats me like any
old customer,
I'll go in undercover
to hopefully see
the issues myself.
Time to start building Sandra
Dee's from the ground up.
[shovel dings]
In order to keep
a low profile,
I've invited four local
construction workers
to join me for lunch.
-Quitting time, boys.
-[all mumble]
-Time for some soul food.
-Yes, sir.
-Let's do it.
-Absolutely.
-I'm starving.
-Beers on you, boss?
-Beer is on me.
-[engine ignites, revs]
-[laughter]
GORDON: Let's go, man.
[rock music]
♪
Let's go.
[solemn guitar music]
GORDON:
The outside of Sandra Dee's
gives off soulful vibes,
paying homage to
great musicians
TATEYANNA: Hello.
GORDON: Hi.
-How many? Five?
-Yes.
-Follow me.
-Thank you.
GORDON: But the inside
is another story:
a plastic leopard print bar,
fake plants covered in dust,
and fabricated brick walls
that look like they were
damaged in an earthquake.
What is that? Construction
workers, what is that?
[exhales] That's some top-notch
masonry right there.
GORDON:
With a décor this upsetting,
we need some comfort food
And were you ready
to place some orders?
-Yeah.
-Yeah, shall we?
Okay. What can I get
for you guys?
MAN: Tri-Tip
GORDON: So we're ordering
all the dishes
-The mac and cheese.
-Calamari.
Fried oysters.
GORDON:
That Sandra Dee is known for.
Excuse me.
Order in.
How the hell is it gonna be
my red velvet waffles
when it doesn't have
the flavor in it?
It's not.
Then why the [bleep]
is you making it?
You just gonna fake it
till you make it, huh?
That's your ass.
Y'all really getting
on my damn nerves.
This says "Sandra Dee"
up in this bitch,
so do it my way, okay?
-You got two ribs, Israel?
-Yeah.
♪
Excuse me, guys,
I got the frog legs,
Hush Puppies.
-And you had calamari?
-Yeah.
TATEYANNA:
Okay, there's more coming too.
[indistinct chatter]
Everything's soggy.
It's not even crispy.
Look at my calamari
and how greasy
MAN: Yeah, it doesn't
even look crispy.
What a mess.
We're gonna need more napkins
for all the grease.
Sir--sir
Excuse me? Sir, excuse me?
-[bleep].
-Damn.
Okay, I got the catfish,
mac and corn.
Ribs, oysters.
Looks like something out of
the [bleep] Science Museum.
♪
Mac and cheese. Look at that.
Congealed on the plate.
Let me see.
Put the rest of that in there.
♪
And the beans. Look at these.
These are canned.
Babe, open that can.
♪
Did you guys need
anything else right now?
♪
TATEYANNA: Didn't taste right?
MAN: Yeah.
Yeah, it makes you wanna pass
completely on it.
MAN: It's unappetizing.
You didn't like it either?
Okay.
What the [bleep]
is wrong with that?
My table, nine, five guys,
he said the stuff
was too greasy
and over-fried and burnt.
I can't believe that [bleep].
It's just--
this food gets thrown out.
-It's just chopped up.
-Excuse me?
-Ma'am--
-I call my own [bleep].
Y'all don't need
to call it for me.
Food's on us. Have a great day.
MAN: Ay-yai-yai.
Weird
-[giggling]
-Terrible, unfortunate.
I'm gonna get changed.
I'll see you in two days.
-Okay.
-Yeah.
It was rough.
Whoo.
I feel like
I've just been swimming
in a [bleep] oil slick.
That was pretty, pretty bad.
Full of grease.
No authenticity anywhere,
and an attitude beyond belief.
My hands still feel greasy.
[exhales sharply]
I'm sure this is gonna be
a rough 24 hours.
[rock music]
ERNESTO: [indistinct]
-Did what?
-How are you?
♪
Sandra, can I see you
in the dining room, please?
Turn everything off.
I need you in.
Let's go.
Correct. Let's go.
Can you two join me
as well, please?
Gordon Ramsay?
-What?
-That's Gordon Ramsay.
LENA: Woah. [laughs]
Did not know that was
about to happen.
Ladies and gentlemen
stop eating, all of you.
Put down your knife and forks.
I'm lost for words
Okay.
What I've just experienced.
Sat over there with
my fellow colleagues.
You clearly have no respect
for customers.
You just don't care.
That's a lie.
I am here to make food.
I am here to please
your palates.
What part of that was pleasing?
[tense music]
You and your team,
I want you to follow me.
Everybody, outside.
I wanna show you something
that I think
you especially should look at.
Let's go, all of you.
Follow me.
♪
This is Hell on Wheels.
That's my engine,
a state-of-the-art kitchen.
Over the last few weeks,
my team have been
inside Sandra Dee's,
and it's interesting
how staff perform
when they don't know
they're being watched.
♪
I want you all to have a look
at what I'm about to show you.
♪
-[all groan]
WOMAN: Gross.
GORDON:
What is wrong with you?
♪
WOMAN: [gasps]
GORDON: Oh, my Lord.
♪
We've lost a lot of customers
because of Tateyanna's mouth.
[blues rock music]
♪
Jorge, hey, you little bitch,
flip seven and eight.
♪
-David!
-Yeah?
This [bleep] don't say
"to go." Look at the ticket.
TATEYANNA:
I don't know what this says.
-Lena, don't sell no more gumbo.
LENA: Yes?
I just have this one--
Just listen to
what I just said, okay?
After you're done with that,
don't sell no more, okay?
LENA: All right.
-Thank you.
Guys complaining about
their order taking too long.
Don't come in here telling us
what somebody doing outside.
Just deal with them!
Whenever they say light,
you put the [bleep]
light seasoning on there.
Shut the [bleep] up, Rodney.
Ain't nobody--that's it.
Light. Wet.
WOMAN: Oh, God.
[solemn bass music]
Sandra, anything?
♪
Is there any passion left,
or are you done?
My passion is there.
I just don't like
to be attacked.
LENA: Especially in front
of everyone,
so that was kind of hard.
I don't give a [bleep]
about everybody.
No--you do.
[bleep], really I don't.
Right. And who's attacking you?
-You are.
-I attacked you?
Yeah, the way you came up
in there, just attacking me.
I love what I do
in the kitchen.
-Right, okay.
-I love what I do in--
Stop there,
which part do you love?
I like creating
in the kitchen
GORDON: Right.
-I like cooking in my kitchen.
-Microwaving?
-I--[sighs]
The way he came at me
is very embarrassing.
I'm very, very angry.
I'm from the streets.
I fight dudes.
It's nothing to me.
Sandra, no one attacked you.
I just told you the truth.
I'm here to help,
but I can pack this rig
in 60 minutes
and get the [bleep]
out of here.
[tense music]
You still wanna fight?
Do you want help?
[bleep] hell.
[tense music]
Sandra, no one attacked you.
I just told you the truth.
Now, I'm here to help,
but I can't help your attitude.
Do you want my help?
Yeah, we need your help
so if you can deal with my
attitude, I'll deal with you.
♪
You can give me
as much [bleep] as you wish,
but I'm not here
for six months.
I've only got 24 hours.
♪
If I'm gonna give you
everything I've got
to help turn that place around,
I need, in return,
some form of bloody commitment,
because that experience
ten minutes ago was appalling.
♪
Every member of staff
at Sandra Dee's,
I'd like you to get on
your phone and ring home
and tell them you're not
gonna see them for 24 hours
♪
And that time startsnow.
[beeping]
[sighs]
Customers, I'd like
all of you to come back
tomorrow night as my guests.
Thank you for your patience.
Staff, as soon as
you've made your calls,
I'll see you back
in the restaurant.
Damn.
I don't wanna do none of this.
I don't.
I mean, he's right.
We have to redeem ourselves,
especially after
being humiliated
in front of people like that.
It's gonna be clearly
uncomfortable,
but we're this close.
Yeah, Lena,
and I don't like that.
I don't like
being uncomfortable.
I know you don't.
LENA: I'm really holding
my breath right now.
My mom could just pull the plug
and walk away from this.
-We have to.
-[bleep] that.
I don't care who don't have
a job. [bleep] it.
That's where I'm at.
God knows these next 24 hours
are gonna be [bleep] up.
♪
GORDON: When was the last time,
Sandra, you went online?
Maybe a month ago.
GORDON:
So you think I'm attacking you?
Okay, let's have a quick look
at what your customers
have got to say.
"One star, Sacramento, local.
"I used to come here
all the time in its heyday.
"A few years back,
this was the place
"to have some delicious
comfort food.
"Not anymore.
"The macaroni and cheese
doesn't taste of anything
"like it used to,
"and I'm sick of
getting dry ribs.
Such a disappointment."
"One star.
"Unfortunately, I'm still
in the hunt for soul food
in Sacramento,
'cause Sandra Dee's is not"--
with a capital N-O-T--"it.
"I've literally never felt
such aggression
from a server
with so much attitude."
What the [bleep]?
"I just had a few simple
questions about the menu,
"but I was placed on hold
for over ten minutes,
"and the lady who answered
the phone was super rude.
Don't treat your customers
like crap."
You're answering
the phone, right?
I answer the phone.
Are you impatient
with customers?
At times, I can be, yeah.
Are you irritable working here?
No, I'm not irritable
working here.
Tyler, you're rolling
your eyes back there.
What's going on?
When it comes to
working with Tateyanna,
it can be real difficult.
-Okay.
TYLER: The majority of the time
she's irritable.
-Okay.
GORDON: Anybody else?
I mean, we actually had an
altercation not too long ago,
and she came at me
with a really aggressive tone.
She does that a lot, and I
really don't appreciate that.
You know what,
everybody's to blame,
because they don't know
how to communicate
with each other.
You can shake your head,
but when it comes down
up in here,
nobody own their [bleep].
I sometimes feel like
maybe we need to just
start the [bleep] over.
Everybody, get the [bleep] out.
That's where the [bleep]
I am right now.
If y'all ain't got my back,
then I ain't got
y'all [bleep] backs,
period!
[blues rock music]
♪
This business is
going backwards,
it's not going forwards,
and the only chance we have
is for everyone here
to come together.
So, if anybody's not committed
to sorting this out
there's the [bleep] door.
I'm all in.
I'm all in.
GORDON:
So, if you are truly committed,
you all need to roll up
your sleeves and get to work.
Let's go.
The vibe in Sandra Dee's
is toxic,
and it feels like the entire
staff have given up
BRIAN: The first thing we need
to do is clear all the tables,
get everything out.
GORDON: But in the hope
of bringing some soul
back into this restaurant,
my design team
will put them to work
on bringing new life
to the dining room.
We need to clean the crap
out of this bar.
GORDON: This restaurant
has been open
nearly two decades
All right,
let's come off the wall.
GORDON:
And the décor is in dire need
of some updating.
And that's getting
a buffet furniture piece.
GORDON: We'll create
an authentic, soulful vibe
by softening the color
palette,
adding some personal touches,
and replacing
the fake brick with
Shutter walls are here.
So, this is barn wood that
we've then done a dry brush.
-It's going all the way up?
-Yes, sir, all the way up.
GORDON: The front of house
is in so need of an overhaul.
I shudder to think about
the state of the kitchen.
♪
When was the last time
all this was cleaned?
Last week.
Last week? Oh, [bleep].
-What is that?
-Oil.
-Oil.
-That's oil.
-That thing gets bad.
-In a week?
Well, we probably didn't
clean that yesterday.
It's probably our fault
we probably didn't clean that.
That hasn't been cleaned
in months.
Well
Sandra, what is in here?
Seafood, gator, calamari.
Just smell that. That's gone.
Yeah, that's not good.
Did you use that today?
Yeah, I think we did.
Oh, my God.
Bloody hell.
SANDRA:
It's very embarrassing.
I didn't think it was this bad.
[bleep].
What's that smell?
-Sandra?
-Yes?
GORDON: What is that?
Um, [bleep], looks like blood.
Dried congealed blood.
It is stinking!
And what's this [bleep] thing?
Uh, a chicken.
Come on, guys!
What the [bleep]?
I mean, I [bleep]
just [bleep] told you
to clean all this [bleep] up.
There's bones behind here,
bits of pork behind here.
[coughs]
Can you not smell that?
-I smell it.
-Yes.
How old are these?
They're sat in all this blood.
[liquid drizzling]
That's what's stinking.
You're in here every day,
so you can't smell it.
-Yes.
-Yeah.
Not only do they look stupid,
but I look like
a [bleep] clown,
because I'm the idiot
paying them.
What's out here?
DAVID:
This is where we have our pit,
where we cook all our meats.
Holy [bleep].
It's like a hot tub of grease.
[tense music]
[bleep] almighty.
Hold on a minute.
Why is there gas bottles
next to it?
What the [bleep]?
DAVID:
Usually the gas is over there.
-They're [bleep] here!
-Yes, I know this.
I can see this.
What's a [bleep] gas container
doing next to a furnace?
What the [bleep]
is the bleach doing here?
What are you trying to do,
create a bomb?
DAVID: No.
-Look at me. Gas, bleach
-Yes, I know.
And a furnace.
[bleep] the earthquake.
You'll blow up Sacramento
yourself, you [bleep] idiot.
♪
[beeping]
Sort out what we can salvage,
what we can't salvage, yes?
Yes.
And get this
[bleep] place cleaned.
-Okay. Uh, trash?
-Let's go.
[solemn music]
That was disgusting,
but apart from the disgusting
mess in the kitchen,
nobody is stepping up
and accepting responsibility,
and everybody's just given up.
Hey, you wanna
throw away these wings?
-Yep, throw it all away.
-Okay.
Sandra Dee has let go,
not just of the restaurant
but everywhere.
And I need to get to the
bottom to why it got so bad.
Sandra,
let's go in your office.
Two minutes, please.
This place had a reputation.
Right now, I'm [bleep]
surprised it's still open.
♪
Sit down.
♪
So, what's happened?
Something's
gone wrong, somewhere.
It's a lot.
But where did you
stop being Sandra Dee
that got this place on the map?
I have no idea.
But you must know
how bad it's gotten.
No, I know it's bad.
I know it's bad now.
The relationship
with Tateyanna,
why are you so soft with her?
Truthfully--[sobs]--
I wanted to fire her
a year ago.
I just wanted her gone and away
because of all the negativity
that she was bringing.
It was too much.
Because I'm not
a negative person.
Regardless of what you see
right now
-I'm not.
-Mm-kay.
And my husband was like,
"Just give her a chance."
But when she's not doing
her job properly,
it's twice as damning for you.
It is.
You've put just under 300 grand
-back into the business
-Yep.
You've remortgaged your house.
It's like I'm starting
all over again.
No restaurant deserves to close
after 19 years,
but this place is festering
in negativity.
-Yeah.
-We can do this,
but, Sandra, you need
to change your ways.
-Uh-huh.
-It starts now.
Thank you.
♪
[tense music]
♪
What are you thinking?
I just really gotta tighten up
with that one right there.
Yes.
I have a headache.
This paint is getting to me.
She has growing to do,
and I think this is
a big wakeup call.
♪
It is so hard to fathom that
it came to this.
Yes, that we crumbled
to this point.
GORDON:
Progress is being made,
both with Sandra and in
the dining room renovation.
Uh, Theresa, that looks lovely
with that wood on there.
That looks great.
Yeah, it's beautiful.
And then,
this gentleman's doing
a "world famous Sandra Dee's"
mural for us.
GORDON:
But with 18 hours remaining
Let's go.
It's time to revive
the menu as well.
Now, let's get
straight to the point.
What we've done is taken
the old staples from the menu
and elevated them.
An amazing cornbread,
cooked in the skillet.
Bacon jam, honey butter, yeah?
Next to that, fried oysters.
Oysters served with
smoked garlic butter.
Next to that, we've got
a baked mac and cheese.
Crispy on top. Delicious.
Next to that, we've got
the most amazing smoked chicken
with a warm potato salad,
house-made pickles.
And then, of course,
that is a pan-seared trout.
Succotash with a touch of heat.
Yeah, dig in, have a taste.
[blues rock music]
-Wow.
-Yeah.
Can you taste
the magic behind it?
Oh, yeah.
That's what soul food's
all about, right?
Now, yes, it's been a busy day,
yes, it's late,
but all of you, wake up, okay?
Trout, lightly floured.
Skin side down,
that's gonna protect the fish.
Flip that trout.
In the oven, 30 seconds.
Right, succotash:
What's the secret
behind a great succotash?
-[chuckles]
-That I do not know.
Oh, boy. The seasoning.
You have the heat,
the jalapeño.
Touch of fresh cilantro, in.
And the succotash is something
that you get excited about
in any soul food restaurant.
♪
Finally
a touch of lime, white lime.
It wakes up the flavor.
Finallysome answers.
Now that is a dish to die for.
Sandra, talk to me.
-How difficult is that?
-Not difficult at all.
How long did it take me?
Six, seven minutes.
-Mm, more like ten.
GORDON: Really?
Oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy.
So rude.
We don't have
a lot of time, okay?
Each and every one
of these experts
are here to help one on one,
and we're gonna absolutely
master this menu.
Okay, let's go. Mary?
Okay, we'll pair up,
and then we'll show you guys
how to do all of your dishes
yourselves, okay?
All right, guys, let's do this.
We're gonna run out
of time soon.
GORDON: If Sandra Dee's got
any hope of reviving,
they need to fall back in love
with cooking.
This I'm hoping will start
giving these guys
something to hang onto.
The food's a big issue,
but the attitude
is even worse
I cannot function
without coffee.
-I--I--I--
TATEYANNA: No one cares.
It's true.
Shut up, Jorge.
And right now, I need to
tackle that with Tateyanna.
Tateyanna, uh, let's spend
two minutes together, please.
Sit down.
Right, how are you feeling?
-Okay, a little tired.
-A little tired?
Why are you here?
I'm here, because
I'm helping my mom out
and supporting her.
How close are you to your mom?
Um, we're, like, best friends.
I'm very protective of my mom.
Like, I don't have kids,
so that's my baby.
-Your mom's your baby?
-Yeah.
[solemn music]
What does that mean?
'Cause I--that's--
that's a tough one
for me to understand that.
She confides in me with
a lot of stuff personally,
so I'm the one that's there,
listening to all that
and trying to be
strong for her.
When she cries,
I'm the strong one.
I'm not supposed to cry.
♪
You're full of [bleep].
Because if you cared,
you wouldn't be doing
what you're doing
to this business.
♪
Let me show you.
♪
TATEYANNA: Jorge, hey,
you little bitch
-[phone rings]
-Sandra Dee's?
♪
LENA: Um, some lady,
Tateyanna talked to yesterday,
and I guess she was
really rude to her,
so I'm getting ready
to call her.
SANDRA:
Tateyanna was rude to her
-when she called?
LENA: Yeah.
So, do you remember talking
to this lady, Tateyanna?
TATEYANNA: I think so, yeah.
She said she didn't like
my tone.
SANDRA: Yeah, she didn't like
your attitude.
I'm just so irritated,
I didn't even--
-I just hung up.
-That don't even make sense.
LENA: Her customer service
wasn't up to par?
Oh, my gosh.
I'm so sorry to hear that.
No, I'm definitely glad you
brought this to our attention,
and it will be addressed.
SANDRA:
You better watch your mouth.
You can't do that.
You know what, I don't have
nothing else to say to you.
I'll talk to you tonight.
I know you're not gonna
talk to me tonight,
because Daddy will want
your attention
Tateyanna, you got
too many [bleep]--
Thank you for calling
Sandra Dee's.
♪
[soft music]
You should've been fired
years ago.
You are badly inconsistent.
And half of these
complaints online
is because of you.
You're the rock that's sinking
your mother's ship.
Whether you like it or not,
you're causing a lot
more damage
than you actually
[bleep] realize,
and I really mean that.
So, you need to decide
if you want to be here or not.
-Understood?
-Yes.
Okay.
♪
-Mom--
MARY: It is a third
-of a cup of corn starch and
-Mom
-3/4 of sugar.
-Can I speak to you?
-What?
-Can I speak to you?
I'm going to hurt you.
I already said what,
Right here.
What'd you do now?
What did you do?
[music intensifies]
[beeping]
[tense music]
What? What'd you do now?
What did you do?
I just wanted to speak to you
on the side.
Tateyanna
you don't see what the [bleep]
is going on right now?
What?
Oh, my gosh.
[grunts] Yes?
I just wanted to say
that I'm sorry for--
[sniffles]--
basically taking money
out of your pocket
and all of the bad reviews,
and I'm sorry that
you're so disappointed in me.
[soft piano music]
♪
I wanna be that complete
support system
and that rock for you.
And I know that you're
stressing
and going through a lot.
I just wanted to let you know
that I'm here for you, Mom.
I know you are, Tat.
[sobs]
I'm gonna do better for you.
-So sorry.
-I appreciate it.
I'm so sorry.
[sobbing]
Wow.
[muffled]
It's a lot of people's fault.
It's my fault too, you know?
-[sobbing]
-Love you.
I love you too.
♪
It's gonna be all right, okay,
'cause when we know better,
what, we do better, okay?
-Do better.
-Okay.
Come on. Crunch time.
Let's work.
Love you, all right?
[uplifting music]
♪
You okay?
Yep. What'd I miss?
MARY: I would love for you guys
to try cooking the fish.
You've seen the demo;
you should know what to do.
Erica and I are standing
over you like a hawk.
This one is really easy, guys.
Most of the work is
in the prep.
A little Sriracha on there,
whatever that is.
I think it's hot.
[blues rock music]
Ooh, that's really hot.
MARY: There you go. Nice.
Careful, you're starting
to burn your onions
-on the side of the pan.
-I know.
DAVID: Almost.
MARY: Almost there?
-Yes.
-It looks like the zucchini
just needs another few seconds.
-Yeah, yeah.
MARY: Perfect.
RODNEY:
Practice makes perfect, right?
MARY:
Practice makes perfect.
Did you put lime juice
on the fish
-when it came out of the oven?
-I did.
And a little lime?
A little bit of lime.
♪
Did you taste the succotash
before you plated it?
No--[chuckles]
MARY:
But these are the basic rules!
-I know, I know!
-Oh, yeah.
Okay, like that?
MARY: Absolutely perfect.
Good job.
I should taste my fish
and my dish, huh?
You should, and see
if it's cooked nicely.
Practice makes perfect, right?
-Israel, are we good?
-Yeah, yeah, sir.
-Yes?
-Yes, sir.
-Good. You're cooking?
-Yes, sir.
-Mary
-Yes, Chef?
-How'd they do?
-Really well, Chef.
I think David was
the strongest one.
-David? The strongest one?
-Mm-hmm.
Yeah. He cooked
the fish perfectly.
He knew what he was doing.
He knew all the terminology.
And what about Sandra Dee?
Um, she did okay.
I think you can tell
that she hasn't been
cooking for a while.
Really? Thank you.
I know Sandra is struggling
with the changes to her menu.
-Oh, okay.
-Yeah.
It's just, like,
a little richer.
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
GORDON: But it seems like
she and her staff
are committed
to getting better.
Just make sure you're using
fresh ingredients.
Yes.
GORDON: The same can be said
for the servers and crew,
who are working tirelessly
into the wee hours
of the night to get this
restaurant renovated.
[yawns]
You can't come in here
and yawn.
-All right, uh, Brian?
-Yes, sir?
So, we're gonna go--
this is almost gonna be like
a façade of shutters.
Yes, sir.
[electric drill whirring]
[rock music]
Good, great.
[laughs]
-Excellent, well done.
-Thank you so much.
You're welcome.
[groovy guitar music]
MARY: Yeah, we're plating
the last dishes right now.
Beautiful.
We're just gonna try to get it
a little bit more
centered, okay?
GORDON: The all-night efforts
have not been easy
30 seconds on oysters. Great.
GORDON: So with
only hours left
before the grand reopening
Right, let's go.
Sandra and the kitchen team
have prepared
a much deserved meal
to boost morale
and show off their new menu.
What is this?
Right, guys,
come on down, please.
-Oh, my gosh, amazing.
-Real nice. Real, real nice.
GORDON:
A modern interpretation
of Sandra Dee's menu.
Yes, it's small,
but it's powerful.
-Look at the difference
-Yeah.
-Yes?
-Yeah.
GORDON: All freshly cooked.
More importantly,
it's consistent.
Five hours
and 46 minutes to go,
and then we're gonna relaunch
Sandra Dee's with this menu.
-That's exciting. [laughs]
GORDON: Yes.
Sandra, how are you feeling?
Exhausted, yeah.
All of you,
grab a knife and fork
and have a bite, please.
-That smells so good.
-Oh!
Oh, my God, that's so good.
LENA: Ooh, yummy!
-How's the food down there?
-Oh, my God, it's amazing.
-Good.
-So good.
-How's that cornbread?
-Man, that's good by itself.
It don't even need the sauce.
-[chuckles]
-Hit this.
LENA:
It is a little hard to believe
that that food came
from our staff,
because it's completely
in a different vein
than what we've been
putting out for so long.
You know, nothing was heavy.
And it's very up to date, which
is the most exciting part.
♪
Yes, it's been tough,
yes, it's been difficult,
but you guys have done it.
We still have
a lot of work to do
and very little time to do it,
so let's get back
into the restaurant.
With only a few hours left
before the reopening
-of Sandra Dee's
-Let's go, let's go, let's go.
It's time to show Sandra
the incredible progress
we've made
revamping her restaurant.
-How cool is that?
-It's so much lighter.
Isn't it? Lighter, brighter.
LENA: It flows.
-Wow
-Uh--[chuckles]
It's a lot of feelings
that I'm feeling right now.
I thought the décor
and everything
was good and it looked okay,
but I didn't want
too many colors.
I don't like red,
pink, orange.
-Totally different.
-Totally different.
SANDRA: It doesn't look
nothing like it used to look.
Not an inkling.
[tense music]
[beeping]
SANDRA: I don't like
red, pink, orange.
-Wow
-Uh--[chuckles]
-Totally different.
-Totally different.
The difference
in the last 24 hours
has been astonishing.
There's a lightness that
you just feel when you walk in
that I have never felt
in this building.
But my mom was still,
like, indifferent,
and her indifference,
you can't miss it.
I hope that she comes around
quickly.
As you know,
we're nowhere near done yet,
but we're getting there.
Outside of that, hopefully
everything will come together.
That rust color is bomb.
-It is really nice.
-Yeah.
LENA: This is so fun.
GORDON: I know Sandra is still
struggling to release control
and embrace any changes
we were making
-Right, come through.
-But I hope she will see
that the upgrades
I've made in the kitchen
Wow, clean kitchen, right?
Will set her and her staff up
for success.
Welcome to your brand new,
clean kitchen.
RODNEY: Wow
DAVID: Wow.
I--I'm speechless.
Yes, I have stocked
this kitchen
with the best equipment.
From the most amazing mixers,
blenders, cast irons
DAVID: This is fantastic.
GORDON: New plates,
portable fires,
pots, pans,
you name it, it's there.
I--I'm speechless. I
Look at this.
No congealed blood.
That stank more than my
granddad's colostomy bag.
We now have a unit
clean enough to sleep in.
Wow.
GORDON:
Spotless walls, spotless floor.
That's beautiful.
That's the way
it should be kept.
Guys, now, this
is how a smoking area
should look like.
Come out. Man.
It's no longer a bomb threat.
We need to put this place
back on the map,
with a bang,
but not that kind of bang.
-Yes?
-Yes, sir. Yes.
Right, look in there.
No sludge,
no slurry at the bottom.
That's a smoker
that can control flavor.
Be incredibly safe,
but more importantly,
it needs to be
maintained, guys, okay?
Absolutely.
Now, one more thing
to show you.
Have a look at this.
Let me introduce you to Alex.
Alex runs TouchBistro.
Hi, Alex. Sandra Dee.
-Nice to meet you.
-Nice to meet you.
One thing we've never
had here is a POS.
-Right.
-TouchBistro is one of
the state of the art systems
anywhere in the country.
And then,
more importantly for you,
when you guys are really busy,
you'll actually be able
to turn more tables.
You'll be more efficient.
You'll actually make more money.
Yeah, I like that.
And we've got iPads
for all of you guys.
-What?
-Oh, wow.
-You're the best, Alex.
-High five.
-Great, thank you, Alex.
-Thank you, Chef.
Our team is here.
They're gonna train you today.
GORDON:
While the staff quickly
learn the new POS system
Swipe again, and you go back
to the other page.
LENA: I like that.
GORDON: The design team rushes
to finish the final touches
minutes before opening
the doors
to the new Sandra Dee's.
All right, guys, let's start
making it feel like home.
GORDON: Minutes to go.
Um, it's been
an incredible 24 hours.
Oh, my God.
Uh, this week celebrates
19 years of Sandra Dee's.
I can't think of a more perfect
time to put it back on the map.
-Me neither.
-Yeah?
Let's do the damn thing.
Yeah, give us a countdown.
ALL: Five, four
three, two, one.
-Let's go!
-[cheers and applause]
Okay, guys,
jump on your stations.
We are opening!
-Good evening.
ALL: Hi.
-How are we?
MAN: Very well.
GORDON: It's good
to see you guys. Come in.
TYLER: Welcome to the new
and improved Sandra Dee's.
Table for two,
right this way, please.
GORDON:
Thank you so much for coming.
-It looks amazing.
-Doesn't it?
-It does.
-Thank you.
GORDON: In only 24 hours,
Sandra Dee's has undergone
a complete renovation
from top to bottom.
We've rid the restaurant
of the dated décor
and drab interior
I love them.
I should say thank you.
-No more leopard.
-No more--leopard's gone.
-[laughs]
-The leopard has left.
GORDON: And added unique
and authentic design elements.
WOMAN:
So much nicer, more inviting.
Good to see you.
Good to see you, Brendan.
Thank you. We good?
All friendly faces.
Can I start with you guys?
Any cocktails?
I'm drained. Are you?
You're drained? Me too.
My anxiety's burning out.
RODNEY: Your anxiety?
SANDRA: Yeah.
I don't know if I wanna
go through with all of this.
-We good?
SANDRA: No.
RODNEY: No? Sandra
Where are you going?
[beeping]
SANDRA:
I'm drained. Are you?
You're drained? I can tell.
My anxiety's burning out.
I don't know if I wanna
go through with all of this.
RODNEY: Sandra
-Yeah?
-you have to fight.
-Where are you going?
Come on. You've got this.
Let's go.
Come here.
-Who's reading the orders?
-I'm reading out the orders.
-Great.
-I'm yelling it out.
Right, and you're gonna
give some feedback.
DAVID: Yes, Chef.
GORDON: Good.
-Can I get--uh
-Go on.
Finish what you're saying.
Can I get all those chickens
coming, please?
-Yes, ma'am.
-Thank you.
SANDRA: It was just hard
at the beginning,
but I'm ready to expedite
and do what needs
to be done here.
-Mom's a little bit shut down.
-Okay.
GORDON: Just get in there,
push her a little bit.
Just get Mom to find
that voice.
-Dig deep and--
-Push.
-Yeah, push. Exactly, Lena.
-Got ya.
-Well done.
-All right.
You know, people are
really receptive and happy
SANDRA: Good.
LENA: Great feedback.
-Excited for us.
-Straight drama in here.
Well, check this out, you guys,
let's lighten the mood,
you know, somebody sing a song.
No, we don't wanna sing a song.
No? Okay.
Fried oysters,
macaroni and cheese.
Yeah, Chef.
-So, the fried oysters.
-You got it.
SANDRA:
Corn bread, mac and cheese.
WOMAN: Can I please have
the pulled pork sandwich?
Yes, you can.
So, oysters are waiting
on mac and cheese.
DAVID: Mac and cheese,
about a minute and a half.
RODNEY: It's hot.
The oysters in the window,
what are they going with?
Uh, oysters are going with
the mac and cheese.
Drop the oysters.
You can drop them on the table,
if they're only a minute
behind the mac and cheese.
WOMAN: Uh
The best thing to do
is to just send it out.
If you hold it back,
we're gonna get gridlocked,
'cause it's on order,
so give it to me, please.
-Thank you.
-Thank you.
We're still waiting, you know,
on the mac and the
Excuse me, there's
the oysters as well.
-Oysters is right here.
-That is to die for.
-It's the young man's Viagra.
-[both laugh]
And then you have the mac
and cheese coming right up.
-Yes, enjoy.
-It's to die for.
-I'm excited for that.
-Thanks, you guys.
Are you gonna rock out?
Are you rocking out?
My mom today, she's quiet,
but Sandra Dee's is
definitely back on the map.
People can feel it.
They tasted it tonight.
I'm sure that the buzz
is gonna grow from here.
WOMAN:
Everything has been phenomenal.
The mac and cheese, though,
it is over the--
oh, my gosh, the jalapeño,
we loved it.
-Yes, that little essence.
-Yes!
The mac and cheese was
probably the best I've had
in Sacramento.
I consider myself a mac
and cheese, like, connoisseur
at this point in my life.
It's amazing to see, you know,
what, of course,
the team did to it,
and, you know,
just to bring the culture
and keep a lot of Sacramento
in it was really amazing.
How are you guys feeling back
there, Dave, Rodney, Israel?
-Doing good.
-Good? Happy? Feeling good?
-Oh, I'm good.
-Feeling good. Fantastic.
LENA: Yes. Breathe it in.
I haven't felt this proud in
about 15 years, to be honest.
But I know that
at times tonight,
Sandra personally was
getting really frustrated,
so I'm just really
hoping and praying
that it don't go back
to the way it was.
-Tateyanna
-Yes?
Yeah? I need you--
30 seconds, please.
All three of you, let's go.
-My time is done. I'm going.
-What?
Yeah, you do not
need me any longer.
I just wanna say, well done.
Your attitude
has changed 100%
Thank you.
Your commitment
is extraordinary.
LENA: Gordon, I have
nothing but love for you.
No one would have known
to ask for the things
that you've given us today,
and for that,
I will forever be thankful.
For that, you will always have
a special place in my heart.
-Are you happy?
-Yep, absolutely.
Good.
I could've killed Gordon
at the beginning,
but now I'm very appreciative,
and I thank him for
everything that he's done
for me, my family,
and my staff.
-My time here's done.
-You're the best.
Appreciate it. Thank you.
Come here. Can we?
Are we allowed?
-Yeah, we can.
-[all laugh]
Thank you. Appreciate you.
Come here, you.
-Thank you.
-Good luck, okay?
Thank you so much.
-Take care.
-Thank you.
-Thank you so much.
-Thanks.
GORDON: Ah, man.
You know, when I first
arrived here
at this former
soul food hot spot,
it had completely lost its way.
Food was dreadful, and the
service was equally as bad.
However, in 24 hours,
I do believe we have revived
this restaurant,
and found what it
needed most: heart.
If Sandra and her daughters
can put their heart and soul
into this business
on a daily basis,
trust me, this can become,
once again,
the talk of the town.
[truck horn honks]
[rock music]
[solemn music]
We reached out
to Sandra Dee's,
but sadly received
no response.
-What?
-Oysters,
it's not on the table.
It's coming, Tateyanna.
Oysters, Rodney!
GORDON:
I see through the restaurant's
most recent reviews
that although Sandra has kept
the new renovation,
she has gone back
to her old menu.
I know, the food
is taking a while.
MAN: Yeah.
-I'm sorry about that.
GORDON: The comments
have not been favorable.
♪
Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours To Hell
and Back is on fire,
and here are more hot shows from Fox.
Are you ready?
You are hot!
MAN: I'm in a sweet spot♪
I'm feeling good♪
The sun is shining♪
-Wake up.
-Challenge!
I'm gonna light it up♪
Yeah, I'm gonna light it up ♪
Check it out
I'm gonna light it up♪
Yeah, I'm gonna light it up♪
Just check it out♪
I'm gonna light it up♪
Yeah, I'm gonna light it up♪
-[audience cheering]
-Let's go!
Let me show you
What it's all about♪