Kitchen Nightmares (2007) s06e07 Episode Script

Olde Hitching Post Restaurant & Tavern

Tonight on Kitchen Nightmares, Chef Ramsay heads to the historical Olde Hitching Post in Hanson, Massachusetts What a disaster.
Where he faces off with an owner so stubborn Fresh food doesn't taste better frozen! It doesn't matter if it's fucking frozen or not! So delusional - It's an insult to America.
- In this area, that's what they love.
He doesn't even realize he is the reason his restaurant is failing.
Don't tell me that.
Owner Tom bought the eatery for his daughter, Andrea.
It's his way or no way.
You're really upsetting me a lot.
But six years later, he refuses to let her run it.
- I can do this.
- You're not ready to take over.
- What? - Instead, he remains a control freak.
Quiet! Don't never do that! And while the food is inedible Look at it.
And always frozen Disgusting! Eww! Tom is far from concerned.
- There's nothing wrong with that.
- Come on.
Chef Ramsay is thoroughly frustrated.
You're such a fucking blockhead.
And no matter what he says - Why don't you just admit that it's wrong? - It's not wrong.
Tom refuses to listen.
I don't care who you are, Ramsay or no Ramsay.
It's fight time in Hanson, Mass.
I'll get in the ring and fight you every fucking day! But this may be a battle Chef Ramsay is unable to win.
I'm gonna keep fighting.
You know that I'm gonna do that.
What is that? You're serving rotten food! - You could possibly kill them.
- Then wake up! You wake up! - Shut the place down.
- Get out of here! That is amazing! I can't take any more! Thank you, Chef.
Hanson, Massachusetts, a tightly knit community just 25 miles outside of Boston.
In 2005, restaurateur Tom Kessaris bought one of the fixtures of the town, a beloved restaurant called the Olde Hitching Post.
My first restaurants, they were very successful.
And then, I wanted to own another one to pass it over to my oldest daughter.
She wanted to become a restaurant owner, like her father.
Good afternoon, Olde Hitching Post.
Running and owning my own restaurant has always been my dream.
So I was extremely excited when we came to the Olde Hitching Post.
Right this way, please.
But even though my dad bought this place for me, my father does have the final say.
- What did you do? - I've been working in the kitchen.
- What did you do? - No, what did I told you? You gotta make sure what the complaint is.
- Janice is in the front, dad.
- But I want you to be there too.
- Well, why don't you go? - Because no, you.
My daughter, as good as she is, she doesn't know what it takes to run a big restaurant like this.
Let's say I would leave tomorrow.
My daughter would last three months.
And that's the very truth.
Tom will say Andrea doesn't know how to pay the bills, Andrea doesn't know what she needs for cash flow.
Key point missing Tom doesn't allow her to be a part of that.
He thinks he's the only one that could run the restaurant, and not anyone else.
Andrea, if you doing what I tell you - make sure your customers - Dad, relax.
- Check, right now! - Relax.
Tom runs his business like it's a small country he owns.
But these shrimp, people don't love them.
Don't tell me that.
My father makes people crazy.
You do that all the time behind my back without me knowing? To him, the right decision is his decision.
Don't never do that.
Go back to your work, all of you! He tells us, "I'm the best at this.
I know what I'm doing.
Who are you? You're stupid.
" That was the most stupid thing I ever seen in this kitchen as long as I've been here.
Look, my way is the only way.
And you know why? Because my way is the right way.
Because of Tom, there are a lot of things that aren't done the right way.
The way we handle food, or what comes in through those doors.
It's not always the best product.
A lot of it's not good at all.
Dan, they don't like it.
It's kinda hard when we have all this unquality product.
I don't really know why we don't do any business.
Since the day I bought the Olde Hitching Post, I just keep putting money out of my pocket just to stay open.
My God.
We're barely making it.
Well, what are you gonna do? Pay the bills and get on with it.
I would have never signed up for this had I known that almost seven years into it, he would still be in charge.
But we can't walk away 'cause we've invested so much in it so much time, so much money.
But I don't know what we're gonna be left with.
Tom is anxious to meet up with Chef Ramsay Chef Ramsay, I'm right here.
So he has volunteered to pick him up and give him an early morning briefing on the Olde Hitching Post.
Whereabouts are you from? - Corfu.
- Wow.
The restaurant is Greek, right? No, no.
It's an American American food.
- But I have some Greek dishes.
- Okay.
This is my third restaurant.
- Right.
- I've been very successful, my other two.
Well done.
How long ago did you buy it? Six years.
- Okay.
- I bought it for my daughter.
As a gift or Well, I bought it for her future.
- For her future.
- For her family.
So she's running the restaurant now? She's not running it by herself.
- I'm right next to her.
- Okay.
I need to educate her a lot.
She needs so much to learn about this business.
I have a problem.
She doesn't realize - how much it takes to run a restaurant.
- Right.
How many hours you've got to put into the restaurant.
She's not hungry for it.
- No, she's not.
She's not.
- Wow.
I give her a lot of authority, but she's not a hard-working person.
Is she spoiled? She's not spoiled, but stubborn.
- How's the restaurant doing now? - Awful.
- Awful.
- I mean, awful awful.
I try to buy quality food.
Good.
That's very good.
We try to give generous portions at reasonable prices, but it doesn't seem to go nowhere.
- Fuck.
- That's the honest truth.
How much money are you losing a week? Are you ready? - Please.
- $7,200.
A week? - A week.
- 30,000 a month? Yes! Exactly.
- Fuck! - Exactly.
It's a disaster.
This is your third restaurant? The previous two were successful.
The third one, you bring your daughter in, and it started to go down.
Correct.
Yes.
The honest truth.
This is it? Look at the size of it.
Exactly.
Listen, thanks for the update.
And be up front, and be honest with me so I can get to the problem straight away.
What you see is what you get.
Wow.
Look at this place.
- Chef Ramsay.
- How are you, my lovely? Very well indeed.
- And your first name is? - Janice.
- I'm the manager.
I am, indeed.
- You're the manager? Right.
Tom picked me up at the train station.
Oh, my.
Don't believe everything you're told.
- Oh, really? Oh, damn.
- Sure.
- 'Cause he was vocal.
- Always.
Tom is a person who feels that he knows what's best.
Okay, let me sit down.
Please.
Right this way.
I don't think Tom has it within him to be open to change.
Will he listen to Chef Ramsay? Unfortunately, I don't think so.
- Hello.
- How are you? - Good.
I'm Andrea.
Nice to meet you.
- Likewise.
Gordon.
Good to see you.
- Nice to meet you.
- Let's catch up.
Obviously, I was grateful for dad to come pick me up.
Yeah.
So he is instrumental in setting this up for you.
Yes.
I always wanted to do this.
I love people.
Your role, personally what is that? I come in here, I manage the front of the house, functions that we do.
I deal with the public.
He said he runs the restaurant.
Yes.
But I mean, even after six years, you'd think that you'd have got up to speed in terms of trying to run this place.
I can handle it and try to make it more successful, but my father's not ready to pass the buck over.
- Really? - I can't do much of anything.
On most parts, my hands are tied.
Just, he's having a hard time backing down.
Ooh.
Wow.
Because he let it slip that you weren't that passionate about running this.
Oh, I think he's extremely wrong about that.
Why would he tell me that? I have no idea why he would say something like that.
'Cause he sees, you know, I work really hard in here to make it more successful.
I've got my husband to help me, and I think that - Your husband - My husband works in here also.
- Okay, where does he work? - He works in the kitchen, on the line.
Dad also mentioned that you're stubborn.
What are you stubborn about? It's his way or no way.
That's why he says I'm stubborn.
Because I have different ideas, and I have different views.
He has taken away a lot of my desire to do things, and the willingness and the drive that I had when we first came in here because I am held back.
You know, I'm stuck.
That's frustrating.
Right.
But there seems to be a butting of heads that we're not making headway.
- Is Tom nearby? Is he in the kitchen? - Let me get him for you.
There's something that doesn't quite stack up.
When we first came in here, this was my baby.
But little by little, he's slowly draining some of the drive that I had for it.
- Um, sit down, please.
- Thank you.
You said I wasn't passionate? I didn't mean it like that at all.
What I wanted to say is you're not ready to take over.
Why aren't I ready to take over? First of all, you don't realize how much it takes a restaurant, the hours and the money.
Dad, you've gotta be kidding.
I don't know how many hours and stuff? I don't see everything? I've been by your side for all these years.
The experience is not there yet, Andrea.
So how many years did you think that I needed in experience for the restaurant that you bought me? What do you think is going to happen in this business that hasn't happened in the previous seven years? Who's the stubborn one in this relationship? Andrea.
And she gets it from? - Tom.
- From her father, but first of all, not you or your husband are ready to face a restaurant with the very little business we do.
First of all, you don't even know That's our fault that we do very little business.
We need to fix things, dad.
Okay, why don't you fix it, then, for seven years? - You were here.
- Yeah how can I fix what you're not allowing me to fix? What do you mean I don't allow you, Andrea? - What do you allow me to do? - I gave you every right.
For what, in here? - I let you - I have to ask you to get ink.
You don't even know, when you write a check, how much money's in the safe, uh Because you take all the money.
I have no control over anything else.
But what I'm saying to you, Andrea, do you ever sit down and do your numbers? How can you expect me to know what needs to be done when you are doing all of that? No, no, no.
This is a big issue right now, and you're really upsetting me a lot.
No, you're upsetting me.
I'm working from morning to night for you.
If you were ready enough to say to me, "Dad, stay at home this week.
- Take three months off - I do.
What? I'm gonna work, and I'm gonna control the restaurant.
" - Really? - Come on, Andrea.
We've said that to you "Step down.
You don't need to come in so much I can do this.
" Dad, we've already had this conversation, - like, two years ago.
- We never did.
We never did.
But what I'm saying to you, Andrea you're not ready to take over.
That's not true.
Thank you.
Chef Ramsay has just discovered that Tom and Andrea are clearly not on the same page about Andrea's capabilities.
And while it's way too early to know who's right, the time has come to pass judgment on the food.
- There's the lunch menu.
- Hi there.
- Hello.
First name is? - Carla.
- Carla, good to see you.
Where you from? - Nice to meet you.
- I'm from Hanson.
I grew up right here.
- Okay.
Brilliant.
- Been here around 26 years.
- Wow.
Been with the first owners, and now Andrea and Tom.
Are those two always butting heads? - They are, Chef.
- They are? Yeah.
So but anyways Okay, let's start off what would you recommend? Cranberry haddock, Chef.
Because we are in cranberry world down here.
Uh, cranberry haddock? - Yes.
Okay.
- I'll go for that.
- Gotta try the meat loaf.
- Yes.
And then lobster ravioli.
Made on site? Yes, Chef.
It's made on site? It's fresh ravioli? - Fresh ravioli.
- Oh, wow.
- Let's try one of those as well.
- Okay.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Thank you.
Tom makes us say that, yes, everything is fresh here.
Let's prepare everything we need to do.
It's not true.
All right, Danny.
Spiros, double-check the sauce.
Chef Ramsay will love everything on my menu.
It's excellent food.
That's good.
- You got the lobster ravioli coming? - Yes, we do.
- A minute away.
- Good.
I know we're in the area of cranberry, but my God, from napkins to the walls, it's cranberry OD.
Wow, that was quick.
This is our lobster ravioli.
- This is the homemade rav - Listen, okay.
I apologize for that.
The lobster is not fresh.
The lobster's not fr you told me it was.
- It's frozen.
- It's frozen.
- Frozen.
- Ay-yi-yi.
Ew.
They're not even hot in the middle.
Oh, dear.
Ugh.
I can't do that to my tummy.
It's dreadful.
Obviously, it's store-bought.
Yes, Chef.
They're nasty.
That didn't even get swallowed.
Sorry about that.
Thank you, Carla.
Why would you come to a restaurant to order store-bought? I don't get it.
- Oh, Chef Dan? - Yes? He spit it out.
Listen, as long as I owned the place, I never heard one complaint.
Never once.
Next, cranberry haddock.
Cranberry.
Lemon on this one, honey.
That looks good, Carla.
- Right, what is this? - We have the cranberry haddock.
- Oh, cranberry haddock.
- Yes.
Oh, fuck.
Carla, come on.
Looks like some bear shitted in the woods.
- Really? - And what's the water coming out? I mean, look at it.
Mm-hmm.
Okay.
Wow.
I can't believe I'm eating this.
Oof.
Watery and bland.
It is absolutely disgusting.
I'm sorry.
Raw.
God, they're dreadful.
Look at that.
Bland, undercooked.
And as for that mess soggy, wet, and just depressing.
Ugh.
Disaster.
What a mess.
Okay, I'll check on your next course for you.
Thank you, Carla.
God, that was gnarly.
He doesn't like the cranberry haddock.
What is wrong with our cranberry haddock? - The cranberry was no good? - He doesn't like it, no.
I eat it once a week.
People love it! People taking 'em home.
They eat today, and they take two, three orders home.
Chef Ramsay didn't like it? - This is the meat loaf.
- Oh, the meat loaf.
Thank you.
When was this one made? This was made today.
- Today? - Yes.
Okay enjoy.
Disgusting.
Not an ounce of seasoning.
Dry.
Horrible texture.
Doesn't feel like a meat loaf that's been made today, let me tell you.
Was the meat loaf made today? No, the meat loaf was made God only knows how long, and then frozen.
Don't even tell me that.
Are you sure that was made today, darling? It was not, Chef.
- It's frozen.
- It's frozen.
- Frozen.
- Carla, why are you doing this to me? I'm sorry about that.
- It's bland.
It's just - Bland.
Okay.
- Yuck.
- Yuck.
Okay.
Doesn't really freeze that well, meat loaf.
- Who makes that? - Chef Dan.
And has Chef Dan had his tongue removed? Wow.
Thanks, though.
Okay.
And here we go.
What's wrong with this? This is actually, Chef Dan, he said it was dry and overcooked.
We do freeze it.
And he thinks you lost your taste buds.
Gimme a break.
Chef Ramsay destroy every dish I offer.
He insulted me.
I don't care who you are, Ramsay or no Ramsay.
Darling, where's the kitchen? When you insult me, you better be ready to explain yourself.
Hi, guys.
Come around.
- And this is? - I'm Dan.
- Dan.
Gordon.
Good to see you.
- Nice to meet you.
- I'm Kevin.
- Kevin.
- I'm Spiros.
- Spiros? - Oh, Andrea's husband.
Excellent.
- Yep.
Come over here, guys, please.
I'm absolutely disgusted.
The food is outdated and bland.
The lobster ravioli, disgusting! I don't understand the mentality of serving frozen shit that you buy in Dan, help me understand the madness.
I can't even answer you on that one right now.
Right.
It's a setup for disaster.
Haddock with cranberries that cranberry glaze, watery spinach disgusting! Raw sweet potatoes.
The grilled meat loaf when was that cooked? Every two weeks, we end up making a batch or so.
- It gets portioned and then frozen.
- How sad.
- I mean, how sad.
- Yeah.
When you freeze cooked meat, what happens to it as it defrosts? - It dries out.
- Then you grill it.
What happens to that again? It dries it out even a little bit more.
It's gross.
It's almost impossible to make a loaf of meat loaf every day, or every other day.
- You cannot do it.
- So we make it in batches of two weeks, we freeze it, we dry it out, we thaw it, - and then we grill it.
- It makes sense.
- Come on.
- I thought you were gonna love my meat loaf, regardless of it was frozen.
- You thought I'd like that? - I really did.
I mean, you want me to be honest.
But how is it possible, Tom? It's something different.
Grill it.
It's an insult to America.
In this area, that's what they love.
- Really? - Yep.
You're not gonna convince me on that one.
The dish is a very, very good dish, and a very famous dish.
They come, people, from far away.
Dan, have you actually ever sat down and tasted that dish from start to finish? - Yes.
- Yeah.
Do you like it? No.
So now I've got a chef that doesn't like what he serves.
Do you have any idea how stupid that sounds? - Yes.
- But you seem happy with it.
- No, I'm not happy with it.
- Then stop it, Dan! I try.
I try.
You know, I do.
Ha.
Wow.
How do you rate the food? I don't think it's all that much to talk about.
I think we're outdated.
I think it's just okay at best.
- But out of ten.
- Three or four.
And you're saying, "Ramsay, you need to respect my food.
" - I did.
- Get out of your bubble, Tom.
Get in the real world.
I wish I could say thank you.
How come? How come you don't ever tell your brother that the food you cook in here, and you said with him, it's shit.
We talk all the time that the food's not that good.
Did you tell him to change? You don't let him change things.
- I never allowed him - He tried taking things I never allowed him not to change anything.
He says he tries to take things off.
What did I tell you not to change? - I've tried to take things off - Come on, Dan! Why don't you change the menu? It's not his fault, not my fault.
Just the way you spoke earlier.
You say four to five.
"That's what I'm giving to this food.
" Our food is good.
How can you say in front of Chef Ramsay it's not good? We got another issue there.
When I think I'm right, oh, I'm gonna keep fighting.
You know that I'm gonna do that.
I'm gonna keep fighting and fighting when I get done.
With Tom being adamant that there's nothing wrong with the food Enjoy your dinners, folks.
Chef Ramsay gets his first opportunity to see how the locals feel about the menu at the Olde Hitching Post.
All right, boys, pasta pignoli and meat loaf.
- Hello, gentlemen.
- Hello, Chef.
Put that in the oven to reheat, please.
This is the one we want to use.
That's the oldest.
Wow, what's that? - Tom, what is that? - Frozen calamari.
Do you buy them in like that? That's how it comes.
Is that how you grew up watching calamari in Greece? I dry it fresh with the skin on, like a European, and nobody even ordered them.
Nobody ordered fresh? Oh, fuck, here we go.
One more meat loaf coming up.
Yeah they're frozen.
Hey, Tom.
You got upset with me earlier.
You got upset.
You said, "I want you to love my meat loaf.
" Yeah.
Can you hear the little maracas, - like they have in Greece? - Yep.
I mean, honestly - if you want me to kiss your ass - No.
and tell you that I love your meat loaf so I dare you go out in your dining room and tell your customers that you're serving that.
No, I'm not gonna do that.
You've got no balls, have you? I got a lot of balls.
Mine's bigger and stronger.
Yours is bigger and stronger? I got much fucking balls.
More than him.
And a lot of a half a dozen like him! You're not proud of what you serve.
Because if you were proud of what you serve, you'd have no problems taking it to the dining room.
I'm proud of my product, regardless of if it's been in the freezer.
Take it out there then.
I don't want to do that because it's too humiliating to me to go with a hard-as-a-rock two pieces of meat loaf.
It's not that humiliating for you to take their money then? Oh, put it in your pockets? That's not humiliating, is it? Why don't you just admit that it's wrong? It's not wrong.
Wrong is if I go over there You're such a fucking blockhead! And you think you're gonna be successful serving that piece of shit? Wrong, Thomas.
You shouldn't be anywhere near this kitchen.
What a disaster.
Yes, I'm cooking it and I'm freezing it.
There's nothing wrong with that.
What I'm struggling, Andrea I'm struggling with who's pushing the standards here? Who cares? - Look at that.
Does that represent you? - No.
The second generation running your father's restaurant? No.
And if someday he lets you take over, you have to do something about this.
- No, I realize it.
- It doesn't stop you having standards.
When you see it, like, in a big picture like this, when it's one thing after another that's getting pointed out, it's you know, it's one big mess.
Carla, - as you take their orders - Yes.
I think it'd be nice of you to explain whether it's fresh, or whether it's frozen and defrosted.
Okay.
I want you to know what you're ordering.
All right the dill salmon.
The salmon is frozen, yes.
The shrimp scampi? - Frozen.
- Frozen.
- How 'bout the crab cakes? - Frozen.
All right, my order's gonna be Caesar salad, - which is fresh, I'm assuming.
- Uh-huh.
- My apologies.
Thank you.
- Thank you so much.
As some diners re-think their orders, others regret theirs.
The chicken doesn't taste fresh.
How is that meat loaf? It tastes like the TV dinner that I give to my 3 year old.
Yeah, that's being polite.
I don't think they were fresh.
- You don't think they were fresh? - No.
With Chef Ramsay hearing enough of the customer complaints, he decides he needs to further investigate the practices of the kitchen.
- Dan.
- Yes, sir? Do you buy them like that, in milk? - No, we don't buy them like that.
- Why are they like this? They're watery.
Because, unfortunately, those are frozen ones.
I know.
Sorry.
Tom, I mean, honestly, why are you doing this to yourself? Why are you doing this? Just smell inside there.
Come on, just smell inside there.
"It smells beautiful.
Ocean fresh"? - Kevin, can you get me Andrea, please? - Andrea.
- Out back, please.
- Are you kidding me right now? Andrea, come around, please.
You got two seconds? The scallops we're serving, they're frozen ones.
- He's in denial.
- I have to talk to you.
- Relax, dad.
Just talk.
- No, I need to talk to you.
- Just talk.
- There's nothing wrong.
I eat myself.
If you pick up this bag I pick 'em up myself this morning.
If you take this bag they've been in the freezer for one day, or 24 hours and pick up this one, you're gonna find - the same seafood quality.
- I disagree.
Go ahead and smell this one and smell that one.
Tell me what the difference is.
You are trying to convince me that serving frozen food is better than fresh.
It's not frozen.
They were in the fucking freezer.
You buy them in the bulk fresh, - you put them in the bags, you weigh them out - Yes! - and you freeze them.
- Yes, I do.
And in the morning, you take out ten bags, you let 'em defrost, they sit in that shit, like that, - and then you cook them.
- Yes, I do that.
- Right.
- But you will criticize me.
The milk and the smell.
You don't smell any different that one from this one.
And I say they smell like ocean fresh, and they do.
So they smell the same once they've been frozen? It depends if you got 'em for one year in the freezer or one day.
All right, all right.
You haven't got a clue what you're talking about! They smell fresher once they're defrosted? What the fuck! You're fucking loopy! They smell fresher after being frozen? Oh, come on! Anybody's in the restaurant business - What? - No matter who he is Rule number one when studying to be a chef fresh food doesn't smell or taste fucking better once it's frozen! Shellfish is something you never freeze! And now, here you are lecturing me that that fucking thing is fresh! No! While Chef Ramsay continues to explain to Tom how his pre-cooking is having a negative impact on the food Fresh food doesn't smell or taste fucking better once it's frozen! Tom remains in denial.
No! It doesn't matter if it's frozen or not! - It doesn't matter if it's frozen or not? - No! You're trying to convince me that this idiotic setup is acceptable.
Do you honestly think that your customers would be happy to pay for frozen shit being defrosted rapidly? They are under the impression in your fucking dining room that what you're cooking them is fresh! So you're not gonna convince me that this is better than serving it fresh! What I've just said, does that make any sense? - It does.
- It does.
Thank God you're not as stubborn as your dad.
If you don't like my food, don't even talk to me.
I don't want you.
Oh, my God.
I am extremely embarrassed.
My heart is, like, breaking because this is something that I'm really proud of, and tonight just showed that I really shouldn't be proud of this.
- Thank you.
- Ugh, Really disgusting.
My dad, his mindset is not allowing us to go up from here.
Andrea, this can't continue.
Your father's in denial.
He's trying to win an argument that doesn't make sense.
Welcome to my life.
He's gotta stop trying to convince me of these ridiculous practices, and every time.
He doesn't see that they're wrong.
I want this business, but I want it to function correctly.
And my fear is that by the time it comes to me, what am I gonna do with it? There's nothing to have.
It's gone.
That's my fear.
I need your help to convince him - that we are stopping dead - The frozen shit.
I can't do it without you.
- Okay.
- I'll see you in the morning.
Thank you.
Good night.
With Tom claiming the community is in love with the food - Hello.
- Nice good to see you.
Nice to see you.
Have a seat.
Chef Ramsay gets up early Are you willing to take some callers - while we're here? - Absolutely.
To get more feedback from the locals.
I've attempted to have the butternut squash ravioli, - and felt digestive issues.
- Ooh.
The fish and my vegetables were total mush.
It's faded.
It's lackluster.
It's in need of help.
Now, armed with more evidence of what he suspected, Chef Ramsay heads back to the Olde Hitching Post for a showdown with Tom and his staff.
- Hello, everybody.
- Hello.
Hello, Chef Ramsay.
First of all, the one thing that I learned since I've been here is that there are a lot of bad practices taking place.
Yesterday was very upsetting.
Right.
This morning, I went live to a local radio station.
All of a sudden, the phone lines start going crazy.
The lines are jammed.
These complaints started coming in.
Let me tell you something really important.
The reason why we're in this situation, Tom, is because this whole business is run on your system.
Why are you so controlling, Tom? It wasn't controlling type of thing.
It was just a routine.
Not as far as I'm concerned.
Tom runs the business his way, and he's not open to alternative ideas.
So Tom makes a decision, everyone's gotta go with it? And of a percentage of decisions, how many of them are right? I think it's 50/50 on some of the items.
Wow.
Wow.
Tom, let me tell you.
You do not want to pass a liability to your daughter.
Exactly.
So you have a duty now to step up and do something you haven't done in seven years, and that's change.
Sometimes you're stuck mentally, physically, economically and there's no way out, and you're just hoping for a better day.
But I'm always a believer of better days, better business, to do changes at any time.
Okay.
I'm hoping that my father is ready to listen because we need a big change.
We have to change.
Immediately.
- And I trust you - Mm-hmm.
I need your help.
Let's get together.
Yeah.
I can't do it without you.
You got my support 100%.
I'm gonna be right next to you.
Coming up with everything on the line Come on, guys, don't start slipping now.
Tom takes a backseat and lets Andrea take control.
The salmon, raw in the middle.
But does the kitchen rise to the occasion? Oh, come on.
All of you, stop! While Tom appears ready to finally give in and change Wow, I mean, it looks better than last night, right? Yes, yeah.
Chef Ramsay, with the help of a couple of locals Look at that beauty.
has another major point he wants to make.
Take care.
Now for something fresh.
I just wanted to show you something.
Two meat loafs.
The one on the left-hand side is a turkey meat loaf.
Next to that, you've got a classic meatloaf.
Both made fresh.
Visually, what does that look like? Just beautiful.
- Really nice.
- Magnificent.
Gorgeous-looking, both of them.
Right.
Take a fork, please.
Things need to look good, granted, but the proof is in the tasting.
Chef, I swear, in my life, I never tasted anything better.
Mmm yum.
Right.
I have a confession to make.
Uh-oh.
This was actually made by two of your customers.
Wow.
What you've got to understand is, to keep your business alive, you have to deliver something better than they can cook themselves at home.
That is it.
I do realize right now we need to change immediately for much better.
You know what? I was blind all this time.
And I'm ready for the changes because I trust his judgment and his experience.
You've got to want to do it.
Absolutely.
With Tom now fully understanding the errors of the past, Chef Ramsay and his team jump into high gear to give the Olde Hitching Post an exciting new identity.
- Right.
Good morning.
- Good morning.
Tom, when you bought this restaurant, you didn't make any changes.
Very little.
Take off your blindfolds.
Oh, my God, how pretty.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
Are we in Oz? Beautiful.
Oh, my God.
Stay with me.
Stay with me.
Stay with me.
- Happy? - Very.
- Oh - So, gone are the cranberry walls that matched the cranberry napkins.
We now have a stunning, modern bluish-gray.
Contemporary.
Gone are those disgusting banqueting chairs.
We now have some rustic, charming, authentic wooden chairs.
- This is amazing.
- Gorgeous.
Have a quick look at the reception area.
Oh The whole entire area's been cleaned up.
We did an art installation of reclaimed shutters.
How cool is this? It welcomes you to the restaurant.
That's incredible.
Ready to see the next part? - Yes! - Yes! Let's go down, all the way in.
Oh, my God.
All the booths are gone.
Oh, my God! Those booths give you that claustrophobic feel.
We've lightened up the dining room.
We've got a proper space in here now.
This is gorgeous.
On the wall, we have these stunning plates.
Now, I know you're Greek, and you have your traditions, but these plates are not for breaking.
This is just amazing.
Totally I feel like I'm in a new building.
I'm at the New Hitching Post.
- You happy? - More than happy.
Thank you.
The changes.
The chandeliers, the colors, the photos.
Beautiful, all around.
Everything in one night.
This is the most incredible thing I've ever seen.
I feel on the top of the world.
Only in America.
To go along with the dramatic makeover - Come through, please.
- Wow.
Is a total revamp of the food and the practices on how to prepare it.
We'll be cooking fresh.
Running out of things is normal.
Get used to it, okay? I fully agree with you.
Yep.
Let's start off at the top.
A delicious homemade clam chowder.
- Yum.
- Gorgeous.
Wow.
Next to that, a New England lobster roll.
Yeah.
A pan-seared salmon.
Oh, wow.
With herb butter, asparagus, and roasted potatoes.
- Meat loaf.
- Ah - Bacon-wrapped, - Yummy.
creamy mashed potatoes, green beans, with a really nice glazed ketchup sauce.
I love it.
Look how good the food looks.
- Just peaceful - Beautiful.
- Exactly.
- It's amazing.
- Jump in.
- All right, I'm digging in.
- Mm.
- Oh, my God.
Incredible.
I feel like I'm tasting it at a new place.
Like, somewhere else.
Excellent meatloaf.
Mm.
When you order any of our dishes from the new menu, it will be satisfaction guaranteed.
I thought my chowder was very good, but this is excellent.
I have never tasted anything better, and that's the honest truth.
- This is awesome.
- You like it, dad? - I love it.
So nice.
Coming up it's relaunch night at the Olde Hitching Post.
Come on, guys, don't start slipping now.
And for tom and Andrea The salmon, raw in the middle.
it's make or break.
Stop, stop, stop.
But will the new menu be executed properly? Stop! It's relaunch night, and everything feels different about this restaurant.
The only thing you're gonna find in the freezer? - Ice cream.
- Ice cream.
New decor, new menu, and a new boss in control.
You've got so much to do here - Okay.
- Controlling the standards, being assertive with the team.
Okay.
Pressure.
I need to step up and be a leader and have a smooth show tonight.
This is huge that we get it right.
It's do or die.
Let's have a great service.
Good evening, how are you? - Please, come right in.
- Can I have a Caesar salad? - Yeah.
- And fish and chips.
- Enjoy your dinner - Thank you.
And if anything we can do for you, - please, let us know, okay? - Okay.
Let's get ready, boys.
Firing apps, table 23.
Two clam chowders, a Caesar, and a wedge salad.
Two chowders, Caesar, and a wedge.
- It's coming up.
- Perfect.
- Coming your way.
- Thank you.
Ladies, pickup.
Apps going down for 23.
What's next, please, Andrea? Keep it going, yeah? I need two salmon for 25.
Right here.
Ladies, pickup! Thank you.
Come here, please.
A stroganoff, a scampi, a meat loaf, and a medium-rare rib.
Oh, come on.
So, look that's raw.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, my God.
Put your fing put your finger in there.
You are the last line of defense, and they're just throwing food out.
Stop! Stop, stop, stop.
- All of you, listen.
- Yes.
The salmon, raw in the middle.
I need one piece of fish on the fly.
Now, look at me.
We haven't worked this hard to start throwing food out.
This lady, she's the last line of defense.
Do not serve her raw salmon.
Come on.
Bring it together, please? One mistake like that just throws everybody.
I was worried because I want to make sure the food was right.
Andrea, do something.
Reorganize yourself.
How long am I waiting for that salmon? Complete the table.
Come on.
There you go, Andrea.
Ladies, pickup! Take those now.
- Thank you.
- Looks lovely.
Good.
I'm looking for 30 and 26 right now.
- Seconds away.
- Thank you.
Andrea, you're doing beautiful, honey.
I need a pickup.
Pick it up, baby.
Thank you.
- You know you can do it.
- 26.
- Oh, that looks beautiful, honey.
- Doesn't it? Delicious.
- Really fresh.
- Beyond good.
It is a definitely a lot better than All right, guys, last three slips on the board.
Finish strong, guys.
Dan, yeah? - Keep it going, yes? - Yes, sir.
Keep it going, Andrea.
Well done.
Up.
- Got it? - Carla, pickup.
Andrea, show 'em what you can do, honey.
I couldn't be any happier.
Now I'm gonna cook everything fresh every day.
Chef Ramsay proved to me it's the only way to go.
Nice job, everyone.
Nice, nice teamwork.
- That was that was awesome.
- Awesome.
- That was good, right, dad? - Very good.
I don't think my dad was but I'm pretty sure I proved to him that I could do it.
I'm I'm really happy.
Andrea, can I see you for a couple of minutes? Sit down.
Andrea, today's a big day for me.
I want to present something very exciting, something very good.
Okay.
I want you to take care of it, and I want you to be successful.
And you know I'll always be next to you, whatever you need.
- I know.
- So Go out there, girl, and get 'em.
- Okay.
- All right? - I love you, dad.
- I love you too, honey.
Thank you.
Go ahead.
It was very difficult for me, but that's my wishes.
That's exactly what I want to do.
She's a leader, she's a worker.
She's gonna be very successful.
You just made her very, very happy.
It's been a long time coming, and I understand the nervousness.
But honestly, she can do it.
I know she can do it.
- You okay? - She can do it.
- She can do this.
- Thank you.
Okay, let me tell you something.
What an amazing relaunch.
Come on.
- How did it feel? - Oh, great.
You guys did a fantastic job.
Everybody.
Thank you, Chef.
I feel better than ever.
Andrea deserves it and it's all hers.
From the bottom of my heart.
Just reaching this point today, and, you know, getting the okay from my dad to step up and be in charge, it's amazing.
Thanks, dad.
- Yep.
- Thank you.
Well done, to you all.
Thanks to you.
Keep up the good work.
- Good night.
- Thank you.
I am the most grateful person to thank Chef for what he done for me.
Chef Ramsay proves to me I can hand over the restaurant to my daughter.
And right now, I could not be any happier.
I never thought I was going to be able to get through to Tom.
Wow, what a stubborn man.
But once he realized I was doing all this for his daughter, he was a changed man.
In fact, he was a pleasure to work with.
And I strongly believe in Andrea.
And now, finally, after seven years, so does her father.
Wow.
Frozen meat loaf.
Cranberry haddock.
It's all Greek to me.
After Chef Ramsay left, Tom kept his promise to give Andrea full control of the restaurant.
Gentlemen, firing an app for table four.
Caesar and chili.
The Olde Hitching Post is on its way to becoming not just a successful restaurant - Excellent.
- Perfect.
Perfect.
Thank you for joining us.
but it also fulfilled the dream that a father had for his daughter.
We're so happy for you.
We are.
Next time on Kitchen Nightmares, Chef Ramsay finds a brother and sister at war - I'm here every day.
- You're not here every day.
who are quickly destroying their father's restaurant.
You should be ashamed! The dining room is filthy You disgusting pigs.
The food is repulsive See the mold round the sides? and the kitchen is a health hazard.
You're serving rotten food! It's a Kitchen Nightmares I'm not gonna continue that.
you don't want to miss.
Shut this down.

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