(dramatic music)
GORDON: I'm Gordon Ramsay,
and I'm hitting the road once again.
Heading to struggling restaurants
all across America.
Mouse droppings that look like couscous.
With so many failing restaurants
on the brink of collapse...
Smell that!
Disgusting.
GORDON: Look at that [bleep] blood in there.
The most disgusting kitchen ever!
I know that I need to work quickly,
so I've given myself just 24 hours.
Oh, my God.
GORDON: To try and save each of them.
That is [bleep] rancid!
[groans]
GORDON: But when people know I'm coming,
they tend to hide what's really going on,
so I'll be covert,
hiding cameras in the restaurants
and myself in plain sight...
Hello.
...to catch them all red-hande.
Oh, my God.
GORDON: I want to show you something
that isn't very pleasant.
MAN: There are mice!
GORDON: If I have any hope of saving them...
That's a head of celery limper than the [bleep] owner.
I'll have to go to hell and back in 24 hours.
I know what you do.
You fire him!
(dramatic music)
This week, I'm in Allentown., Pennsylvania,
a town surrounded by rolling green hills
just 50 miles from Philadelphia.
Allentown was largely responsible
for the growth of the steel industry
during the Industrial Revolution.
I'm in the west end, fifth district,
an area that's seen quite a renaissance in recent years,
but unlike the vibrant district,
the curtains are about to close for the Shanty On 19th.
An iconic restaurant since 1968,
the theater goers enjoyed a great meal
in a stunning setting
where the Shanty On 19th was the headliner.
Today, the Shanty is a poor understudy
of what it used to be once.
I'm here to breathe new life into this restaurant
and I'm gonna do it in just 24 hours.
(rock music)
I'm Joe. I own the Shanty On 19th
along with my wife, Melanie.
The original Shanty was here for just about 40 years.
It was one of the top restaurants in the area.
I wanted to buy the restaurant
because I've been making a lot of people a lot of money
working for them in the restaurant business,
so I figured it was about time
for me to try to make myself some money.
MELANIE: Just wish some people'd come in.
JOE: The beginning of the Shanty was great.
The buzz was out, but without a doubt
we were living in the shadow of the old Shanty.
MELANIE: The old Shanty was a fine dining restaurant
that had incredible food.
We tried to recreate the food, and we fell flat on our faces.
MELANIE: Joe does not know fine dining.
He knows how to run a sports bar.
What the [bleep]?
So [bleep] annoying, dude.
My chef, Kennedy, she's a bulldog.
She screams and hollers like a lunatic back there.
[bleep] real life struggle here working on this [bleep] line.
I've got a lot of experience,
but Joe doesn't let me do what a head chef should do.
Someone stand in the [bleep] window,
line that [bleep] for me.
Will you relax? What are you talking about?
With the lack of business, it's hard to get a staff
that stays, so I have my dad here to help me.
Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
- What? What? What? - Uh-uh.
Joe Senior, he's [bleep] negative as [bleep].
I don't like Kennedy's presentation.
You can't tell her anything.
She doesn't want to listen.
KENNEDY: He'll sit at the bar talking [bleep] about you
to the [bleep] customer, talking [bleep] about the food.
Is that good?
MELANIE: Joe's father gets people riled.
Which is bad 'cause if you're telling
the other customers our food sucks
and your son owns the place, that's not good.
Are we down a lot of money?
Why don't you go home?
Can't tell you the last time we made a profit.
MELANIE: It's not looking good.
JOE: Let's burn the place to the ground then.
How's that? [laughs]
No talking to him. No talking to him.
Mel started her own business because we needed the money.
Who do you think pays the bills?
The [bleep] bill fairy?
Of course I pay all the bills.
Our relationship has deteriorated.
Me and my husband
are definitely at the breaking point.
To cope with the Shanty,
my husband drinks more than he ever has.
JOE: Yeah, I'm in trouble. We're in a little bit of debt.
Close to $1/2 million.
If things don't improve, we're gonna have to close.
MELANIE: I'm very scared that I'm gonna lose my home,
and my mom lives there. We take care of her.
And I used to be a really happy person
and I find it really hard to laugh anymore
'cause my life's such a mess.
(somber music)
(rock music)
With only 24 hours to put the Shanty On 19th
back into the spotlight, I needed to find out
what they were doing wrong.
So my team told the restaurant that they were trying out
for a traditional renovation show.
Whilst they were being interviewed,
we installed hidden cameras throughout the restaurant
and have been secretly recording surveillance footage
ever since we left.
It's obvious that Shanty on 19th
is about to give its last performance,
and without my help, trust me,
it's likely their run will end.
Now, as you know, when people know I'm coming
they do their best to stay out of trouble,
so I'm going undercover.
(rock music)
Let's get the puck out of here.
My new friends and I
are posing as fans of the local hockey team,
the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
It's a great area around here, isn't it?
MAN: Yeah, this is a nice area right here.
MAN: It's been redone. MAN: Revitalized.
MAN: Yeah.
MAN: Oh, there it is. GORDON: Okay, guys.
Let's go. Let's break 'em in.
MAN: All right. GORDON: Hungry?
Hungry.
KENNEDY: You got a blackened scalloped app, Tommy.
TOMMY: Heard.
GORDON: Oi, it's grim.
WOMAN: Hi, handsome. Welcome to Shanty.
MAN: How are you? Thank you. WOMAN: Four?
MAN: Four of us.
GORDON: When you walk into the Shanty,
it pays homage to its name, a crude, run-down shack.
Did you guys want a high-top?
MAN: Yeah, it's perfect. Thank you.
GORDON: The decor's lacking any sort of identity,
and it feels more like a sports bar than an upscale bistro
that would serve the local theater crowd.
The menu, look at the size of this [bleep].
MAN: It's huge.
WOMAN: Are you guys ready to order?
Did you need a few minutes?
I think we're good. Are you guys ready?
GORDON: With a menu that lacks any clear direction...
MAN: Do you know what? I think I'm just gonna have
the shrimp Florentine, please.
GORDON: We're ordering a hodgepodge of menu items.
I'll have the blackened fillet.
Medium rare, please.
GORDON: Hopefully, this meal doesn't land us
in the penalty box.
Blackened scallops.
And I'll have to go for the Goon Burger.
WOMAN: Ooh. GORDON: Yep.
WOMAN: Never sold that before.
MAN: Thank you very much. - Thank you, guys.
They've never sold a Goon Burger before.
Yeah, I found that interesting.
Kind of confidence does that give you as a customer?
For [bleep] sake.
Come on, Kennedy.
- Tastes like [bleep]. - I need that mojo stat, please.
It's coming, Joe. It's [bleep] coming.
JOE: All the rest of the food went out five minutes ago.
KENNEDY: Dude, what do you want me to [bleep] do?
Get it. It's sitting right there.
KENNEDY: I don't have [bleep] onions.
- I'm one [bleep] person! JOE: Relax!
KENNEDY: Don't tell me to [bleep] shoosh.
The [bleep], dude.
GORDON: She's in an open kitchen,
and she is absolutely swearing her head off.
I can hear her from here.
Get off my [bleep] ass.
[sighs]
WOMAN: I'm very sorry about that.
She's just under a lot of pressure.
Customers don't want to hear that.
No.
I got another blackened scallop on the board.
(electronic beeping)
Blackened scallops.
Sir.
Blackened scallops?
Is this a joke?
They look burnt.
(electronic beeping)
Oh, my God.
My didn't even taste fresh. They tasted frozen.
How long on that blackened filet, Tommy?
Two minutes, at least.
Heard, two minutes.
We've been sat here for 45 minutes, guys.
- Still no entrees. - Yeah.
Bloody hell.
- All right, shrimp Florentine. - That's me.
- Goon Burger. - Ma'am.
[laughing]
Wow.
God, my burger is stone cold.
- Can I just try that shrimp? - Help yourself.
Don't eat too much of those shrimp, please.
They taste sour.
Bloody hell.
There's nothing fresh here.
90% of what we're eating is frozen.
- I'll be back in a minute. - All right.
- Please, don't each too much. - Okay.
[coughs]
Wow, that was bad.
The scallops were blackened.
The scallops were cremated.
Let's go.
(dramatic music)
Oh, wow.
Ladies and gentlemen, sorry.
Joe. Chef.
JOE: I feel like I'm having a heart attack.
GORDON: Please, make your way down.
I can't believe what we've just witnessed.
Customers waiting so long for their appetizers,
and then I'm told the Goon Burger...
"You're the first one to order it."
Do you have any idea how stupid that sounds?
KENNEDY: We have a lot of stupid [bleep]
That gets said like that here.
I am lost to words.
Sat there with three friends, locals.
All of you, put your knives and forks down.
I'm gonna show you why.
All of you, get your coats on.
Owners, follow me. Quickly.
He's even more intimidating in person.
(rock music)
Line up, please, guys, over there. Thank you.
(rock music)
Welcome to Hell on Wheels.
This thing is a state of the art kitchen,
but more importantly, this is my epicenter.
I travel across the country in this thing with
the most amazing team.
Before I got here,
I've had my team eating in there,
listening, talking to staff, talking to customers.
Take a look.
(crowd gasping)
JOE: Just stick your finger in that [bleep] pasta,
in the sauce there.
Oh, my God.
(crowd groaning)
GORDON: Oh, my God. Really?
MAN: Ew!
GORDON: Oh, my God.
(crowd groaning)
TOMMY: I just checked those fries and they're [bleep] raw,
and he's pulling 'em up anyway.
Listen, he's the owner.
If he's okay serving it raw, [bleep] it then.
Joe.
What on Earth is going on?
It's embarrassing.
You're lucky right now to still be open.
I'm not [bleep] around, guys.
What's going on in there?
You know, Joe's a great guy,
but he really keeps our hands tied.
It's hard for us to make any changes.
Two chefs in the kitchen.
Behind the line, 90 items on a freaking menu.
I wanted to revamp the menu. Joe couldn't let go of anything.
MELANIE: My husband's a very hard person
to even sit down and maybe have a conversation with
when it comes to business.
GORDON: Restaurants are run on a team.
SENIOR: Right, he has a problem delegating authority.
Doesn't seem to have a problem delegating alcohol.
No, he does not.
GORDON: So here's the bad news.
We've only got 24 hours to turn this place around.
So I need all of you committed,
because that 24 hours starts right now.
Members of staff, get on your cell phones.
Explain to the family you're not gonna see them
for the next 24 hours.
Joe, get your head in the game.
Customers, you've got every reason to be pissed off.
There's no check, but I want to see you back
inside that restaurant 24 hours from now.
Can you give me that chance?
CROWD: Yes. GORDON: Thank you.
Guys, get on your phone.
I'll meet you back in the restaurant.
TOMMY: Hi, babe. We're gonna be here for the next 24 hours.
It's great. I love getting verbally beat up.
My wife threw me under the bus more than anybody.
(tense music)
I don't know where to start.
What's the relationship going on here?
'Cause, Dad, you seem to work in here, right?
Yeah.
If that was my dad spitting in the food,
you'd be gone, man.
I didn't spit in the food.
You put food in your mouth,
some of it fell back into the food.
No.
Tell me what your role is.
I clean up and I help prep.
Kennedy, he's a member of your team.
He's... he's here.
GORDON: Kennedy, seems to be a lot of [bleep] in the air.
There's a lot of [bleep],
but it all trickles from [bleep] Joe Senior.
That's not true.
You talk [bleep] to me all the time.
You're a glorified prep cook.
What'd you say?
SENIOR: You're a glorified prep cook.
- I'm a gl... reall... - That's all you do is prep.
Oh, my God. No, stop.
I don't think you have been working that hard.
Are you [bleep] crazy?!
There's me and one other person back there,
and I've been trying to dig this place out of the [bleep] grave.
Then run the kitchen. You're supposed to hire people.
You know I can't hire people!
Why not?
Don't sit here and act stupid.
He doesn't have the money to hire people.
Sit there and smirk. It's not a [bleep] joke.
I come back there and I asked you...
For you to sit here and [bleep] tell me
that I'm not carrying my weight. [bleep].
I'm wearing ten hats
and carrying the weight of everybody.
You are so [bleep] rude and so ignorant.
Everybody, please. I'm gonna throw up.
KENNEDY: And let me tell you something.
The staff knows he sits here and talks [bleep] about everyone,
the food, the [bleep] employees.
How do you know what I'm talking about?
- Because people tell us! - They tell us!
Customers tell us!
How do you think we [bleep] know?
MELANIE: Hey, let's...
KENNEDY: Stop telling me "Hey."
This has had to happen for a long [bleep] time.
I'm worried about your heart.
KENNEDY: No, I'm fine. Believe me.
Listen, if I drop dead, the truth is gonna come out.
What happened to her hear... Hold on.
MELANIE: Well, she has a heart problem.
What?
I have a heart condition.
Since when?
Like, the last five years.
Okay.
I want you to just breathe, okay?
KENNEDY: Yes, I know.
GORDON: And calm down. Know what?
I've just found out why you do this.
I'm not doing that.
GORDON: Joe Junior.
This is terrible.
JOE: It's my father. I love him.
I've talked to him before.
GORDON: I can't think of a more negative individual
inside this restaurant than you right now.
Playing those mind games behind the staff,
humiliating them,
talking [bleep] at the bar
behind their back.
Joe Junior, I need to hear from you.
I don't know what to do.
- Joe, I know what you do. - Yeah?
You fire him!
(tense music)
(dramatic music)
Joe, does your father stay or does he go?
Right now. Make a decision.
(dramatic music)
♪ ♪
(sighs) I guess he's got to go.
Right now. You.
Out!
- I'm sorry, pop. - Coat on and get out of here.
Wow. What an ambush.
I'm not ambushing you.
I'm cutting straight to the chase.
I'm fed up with this negativity.
- I'm going. I'm going. - Good night.
GORDON: Let's go.
JOE: It was hard to get rid of my dad.
Family is everything,
but it's something that had to happen for us to move forward.
Wow.
So that's one big problem gone. Yes or no?
Yes.
I'm not the problem here, believe me.
Kennedy's more of a problem thn anybody or anything.
She's nothing but a glorified prep cook.
GORDON: Kennedy, the food is terrible.
Why you say yes to cooking that [bleep]?
I've never been a head chef anywhere where I wasn't
allowed to be the head chef.
Joe doesn't trust people,
and he won't let go of control.
You got to take responsibility
somewhere down the line, Kennedy.
You are the chef.
I could hear you going crazy there.
You're in an open kitchen.
When you scream, it just shudders the dining room.
We don't pay for that.
I don't know if any of the staff are aware,
but we're financially ruined.
Literally, we hold our breath every month
just to pay the bills.
So why don't you stamp your foot down?
MELANIE: Joe, he'll just shut me out,
and he won't speak to me
and it could be sometimes a week or two at a time.
(melancholy music)
He'll say, "Just zip it. Zip it."
"It's not your restaurant.
"There's the door." That's what he'll say to me.
- And it is my restaurant. - That's not...
And he hangs up on me probably like ten times a week.
- You hang up on her? - Oh, come on.
- You do! Every time... - Get ou... you know what?
Joe, really?
Do you go home and lock yourself in the room?
- No, I don't lock myself in... - Yes, you do.
- What? - I don't.
- You lock yourself in the room. - I close the door.
GORDON: And that's the way you treat your wife?
It's hard to take advice
from somebody who's not here all the time.
And I'm not here because I have to pay the bills
because we're in this mess.
- Why wouldn't you listen to me? JOE: I don't know.
If I can run other businesses and be really successful,
can you imagine what I could do here if you just listened to me
and work with me?
GORDON: She's out working to bring money
back in the [bleep] till
while you sit on your ass and drink it!
How can we work with this?
He's got to change.
You by yourself trying to do everything,
it's not working.
I've got less than 23 hours to turn this around.
I'm not doing it on my own. I need your help.
Put your hands up if you are committed.
Okay, so I'm bringing my team in.
Yeah, guys, get to it straight away.
Thank you, Brian, Theresa. Everything out.
The whole lot cleared out.
Less than 23 hours.
We have to start from scratch.
Everybody hands on. Is that clear?
What can we do to help?
GORDON: Everybody!
MAN: Bartender, I need to clear all this [bleep].
Everything off the back of this bar
has to be completely cleared off.
GORDON: With less than 23 hours until
the Shanty is fully transformed...
MELANIE: I love it.
We're getting rid of that [bleep] green color.
GORDON: Meeting with my renovation team
at this stage is crucial.
Booths, first off, yeah?
Booths have got to go. Yeah?
I don't mind the paneling,
but how do we lighten that paneling up?
What do we do?
We're gonna add some white marble tabletops up here
and change all the tables back there to a white.
A light, bright bistro where people want to come.
Gothcha, that's exactly... A contemporary bistro.
But it needs that love. It needs that warmth in there.
Yes, sir.
GORDON: With my design team demolishing the cathartic layot
in the dining room...
MAN: Pull every screw until this thing falls apart.
GORDON: ...I dread to peek undr the hood in the kitchen.
I want to move behind the line. Come over with me.
...and see the engine that's driving this restaurant.
Is this on?
No, this is all ice.
So we have to ice throughout the shift,
and we have to continue to, like, fill it and redo it.
- But it's not refrigerated? - No.
Oh, my God.
We've lost product multiple times
because we come in and it's 80 degrees in there.
It's terrible.
KENNEDY: And then over here we have our fryers,
one of which blow out fire out the back of it.
- Blow out what? - Like fire.
It literally goes bah, and it shoots out fire.
- In the middle of service? - In the middle of service.
And Joe knows this?
- Joe knows this, yeah. - Yeah, absolutely.
How long's it been like that?
Three or four months now.
GORDON: Behind the scenes, it's grim.
Come on.
Have you seen the [bleep] underneath there?
There's spoons, containers,
I mean, crap. Come on, guys.
It's the [bleep] kitchen now.
What the [bleep] is that?
You've turned it into a [bleep] hazard.
What's in here?
Take a look.
GORDON: Oh, boy.
There's [bleep] blood in there.
KENNEDY: That's mis-cut chicken wings.
I think it was 89¢ a pound.
GORDON: As if that's gonna make this business successful.
I mean, get me Joe. Where is Joe?
- Joe. - Yes.
What the [bleep] is going on in here?
Look at the blood in there.
Come on.
It's not a proper wing. It's the cheapest of cheap.
KENNEDY: Joe gives me cheap products
and expects to work a [bleep] miracle with it.
- We can't get any lower, can we? - Nope.
We can't get any cheaper.
KENNEDY: This is our dry storage area.
GORDON: Melanie, have a look in there
and just tell me what you see there.
MELANIE: Mouse poop.
Mouse droppings.
GORDON: Droppings that look like [bleep] couscous.
The kitchen's dysfunctional,
and that fryer (snaps fingers)
you can be shut down at any minute.
We have the sparks going off with the electrics
over hot oil.
It's a [bleep] ticking time bomb.
Yeah.
Joe, come on. We're adults.
We're in the business.
Get the place clean. Properly.
That kitchen's a disaster zone.
Come on.
(rock music)
The one thing that Shanty doesn't need fixing
is its location
in the bustling heartland of the theater district...
Melanie, let's go for a walk.
With the largest theater just one block away.
This neighborhood is extraordinary.
Yeah, it is.
Yeah, the theater district.
GORDON: When was the last time you went to the theater?
MELANIE: Oh, gosh, when I was young.
GORDON: When you were young? - Yeah.
GORDON: Wow, really?
Oh, boy.
What a gorgeous theater.
Tough start to the day.
How do you deal with that?
I'm ashamed of how my husband runs that place.
But it's very hard... hard for me to stand up to him
because he just completely shuts me out.
And ignores you.
I've been in the restaurant business all my life.
From day one, you can't indulge from behind the bar.
With Joe it's...
It seems to have become a big problem with him.
- It is. - How bad has it got?
Bad. His drinking never was to this extent, ever.
Yeah, I saw what my mum went through
with an alcoholic father,
and the minute she got the strength and the support
to get out of there, she ran a mile.
Have you ever thought about leaving him?
[sighs]
(tense music)
Have you ever thought about leaving him?
[sighs]
Yeah. Yes, I have.
I'm just... I'm, like, so tired.
I'm like, "Something got to give."
I just cannot keep doing this.
I'm having a tough time supporting Joe.
What am I missing?
[sighs]
Well, he has a good heart, he's a hard worker,
and he is a good man.
You have to step up and hold the reins,
and he has to allow you to be a partner.
And I'll help fix him,
but he needs to respect you first and listen.
'Cause Joe's way is not a good way anymore.
I agree.
- Thanks, Melanie. - Yep.
GORDON: A couple so far apart running one business...
Joe's on borrowed time, and he needs to listen to her
quickly before it's too late.
TOMMY: You're taking great pleasure in that,
aren't you, Joe?
You have no idea, Tommy.
How do we bring in the pride of Allentown?
They used manufacture cigars in this town,
and so we're doing this basically 8x8 foot sculpture
that'll be hanging, all made of cigar boxes.
- So it's a feature? - Yes, sir. Oh, yeah.
It stands for what the town was.
- Exactly. - Correct. Yes.
Shanty On 19 is a restaurant, not a dive bar.
- Right. - Yes, sir.
Thank you. Good job.
It's clear. My renovation team is gonna be pushing hard
to finish in less than 19 hour,
but now I've got to push Kennedy...
Let's go. Let's go. Let's go.
To make sure at least the kitchen will be ready to g.
- How you feeling? - Better now that you're here.
- Okay, tough day. - Yeah.
Whatever happens going forward, you need to take responsibility.
Gotcha.
Have a look at that menu.
Kennedy, this is what we're gonna relaunch with.
That's right. There's no back.
I like it.
Okay, let's take it from the top.
Chicken wings.
You have a beautiful chili glazed chicken wing.
Not an off cut chicken wing
that you wouldn't give to the bull dog.
- A proper wing. - Right. Right.
Next to that, pan seared scallops
finished with a mustard sauce and a celery puree.
Those are beautiful.
Then an amazing beer batter fish and chips.
Sustainable fish, beautiful fries,
and a great show stopper.
And then the Shanty Burger.
We're gonna layer that up.
And the Goon Burger's gone. That's been 86'd.
Thank God. [chuckles]
And then finally bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin.
Has a little bourbon glaze that we'll finish the pork with,
- and that will sing beautifully. - Right.
Okay?
Cannot do all of this fresh.
I promise you now we're gonna do it fresh, okay?
You're very passionate about what you do.
And I didn't know about that heart condition, okay?
So, you know, you're not the calmest of cooks.
Yeah, I know I'm not.
But that place is tipping you over the edge.
That negativity in front of the customer.
You have to taper that in, okay?
I do have a temper, but I have to harness that.
Yeah.
And you are the first chef I've ever met
that swears more than me.
Right... [laughs]
- How's that possible? - I don't know. I don't know.
I don't know.
That passion, don't change that.
Put that passion on a plate.
KENNEDY: I got you.
Right, I want to cook.
That's what I came here for with you, okay?
- Okay. - Let's do the scallops first.
Searing them, getting a great color on there,
is crucial, right?
Okay, when they're soaking wet,
you will never get any flavor on there, okay.
So first things first, they need to be super dry, yeah?
So you dry 'em in between the towels.
I will start off with a touch of oil.
Kay.
We'll lightly season them.
So we go up, in.
So the caramelization is crucial,
but the charring's gone.
Gotcha.
From there, a little touch of butter.
And spoon that over those scallops.
Delicious. Into the oven,
two minutes max. Okay.
Now the garnish.
KENNEDY: Being that close to him, like,
to Gordon Ramsay. He's amazing.
He's like the holy grail of chefs.
Touch of clarified butter in there.
KENNEDY: And it's awesome to talk with a chef
that actually knows what the [bleep] he's doing.
Set the scallops on.
And your mustard cream sauce
just gonna give that little bit of heat on top.
Done.
KENNEDY: Those are beautiful.
So you need to commit to change.
Stop worrying about those customers
that are whinging about the food
that was supporting their alcohol consumption.
Well, that's Joe and his friends.
The staff basically knows they don't have to do [bleep]
Because by 7:30 he's gonna be drunk as a skunk.
- It's a problem. - Yeah.
So here's the deal.
You need to be responsible more than ever before
Gotcha.
You are in charge of the kitchen.
And you need to give me time to put Joe in his place.
- Okay. - Cheers.
I promise, chef.
Okay, good girl.
It's actually quite a sad situation.
Joe's made her dysfunctional.
So Mary, Ben, and Jamie,
they're here to train the staff one on one.
When an owner is treating their place like a party hall
and is abusing his staff, very few talent hang around.
So we're lucky right now that she's still here.
I'm doing good, man. Doing good.
GORDON: Kennedy, Tommy, and Joe have a lot of training to do
if they're gonna master the new menu before the Shanty reopens.
You no longer have 13 burgers on your menu of 1.
It's all you need.
Absolutely, I agree with you 100%.
JOE: We need a facelift. We need a new start.
And this is exciting.
GORDON: I wish I could spend more time
helping my renovation team...
Like you said, we want to pay homage to the town.
Yeah, I love that.
But right now...
Joe, let's spend two minutes together, please.
I need to talk to Joe alone.
Oh, boy.
Just hear me out.
The [bleep] party is over.
Running around, paying for [bleep] plaudits,
buying half your customers, drinking stupidly,
come on.
What's happened to you?
[sighs]
GORDON: The [bleep] party is over.
Running around, paying for [bleep] plaudits,
buying half your customers, drinking stupidly.
Come on.
What's happened to you?
Somewhere along the line,
I just lost control of the place.
Today was a punch in the head.
But the drinking is getting worse.
Why, Joe?
'Cause it makes reality go away.
Insecurities. Why?
Failure. Failure.
I grew up with an alcoholic father,
and it's a very, very lonely place.
You gotta change. If you can see that,
then everybody's gonna follow suit.
They're not deserting you, Joe.
They've just had enough.
[sighs] All right.
Truthfully, you can't run that business any longer.
You need a general manager.
There's only one person qualified
to become that general manager.
- Joe, it's your wife. - Right.
'Cause she's got that experience in business.
- You need to listen to her, bud. - I know.
You need to listen to her.
You have an amazing woman in Melanie.
I wouldn't have anything without her.
I'm surprised that she is still with me.
You're not a bad guy, let's get that right.
I'm just struggling to make you understand what's at stake here.
Get in there.
- Thanks, Joe. - Thank you.
- What? What? - Whoo. [laughs]
You all right? What happened?
That was the greatest thing that had ever freaking...
What? What happened?
The one on one with... with...
Chef Ramsay.
Well, he's a great guy.
He is.
All right, let me tell you something.
He's awesome. He's awesome.
You know I love you. You know I need you.
The only way this is gonna work is together, you know?
I'm gonna listen. I'm gonna change.
Things are gonna go back to the way they were with us.
We're gonna make it.
And...
Sometimes I forget how much she means to me.
It's one of the biggest reality checks
I've ever had in my life.
Sometimes I might need a little kick in the ass.
GORDON: With the clock rapidly winding down,
there's no rest in sight for the Shanty team.
- Take this outside? - Yeah.
MELANIE: I really honestly believe he's gonna change
and start listening to me.
You can just put everything here.
I gotcha.
MELANIE: And if he doesn't,
he's probably out of a wife, and a home,
and a restaurant.
People don't respect somebody who's here drinking.
- Yeah. - You know?
GORDON: And as the sun rises over Allentown,
there's still a ton of work to be done.
It's a waste of marble there, isn't it?
Right.
GORDON: I have given them all the tools
to bring the Shanty's reputation back.
Look at how much more space there is now
with that thing gone.
But it's up to them to implement them.
MAN: Our giant cigar box installation.
GORDON: That is beautiful. - Yeah, it turned out.
Is there any chance that goes lower?
We can bring it down a little bit
and we'll just raise up the ivy.
And these for acoustics?
MAN: Yeah, exactly.
Little bit of that and to help break things up.
Lowering that down will make it more intimate
and give it more of a restaurant feel.
Yes, sir.
GORDON: There's still a massive amount of work to be done
before tonight's relaunch.
- Kennedy, we good? - Hey, Chef Ramsay.
GORDON: What are you feeling?
You know, a little nervous doing a-a relaunch.
- I get that. - But, yes, I'm good.
I've never had a service yet where I'm not nervous.
Right.
I know how important this is for you.
So we're gonna step up.
It's not how you start, it's what?
- How you finish. - There you go.
- Good, well done. - Thank you.
Good job. Hey, good job.
See you back over there.
Kennedy, Joe, and Tommy need to step up
and own their kitchen tonight.
Ladies, let's put the napkins in here.
GORDON: And the new general manager
seems to be embracing her role as well.
MELANIE: Johnny, we need limes and lemons cut.
You know, we're gonna steam some silverware.
GORDON: Guys, let's come in the middle here, please.
Let's go.
We open in less than an hour.
Set up the bar, set up your line, yeah,
and let's put this back on the map.
Let's do it.
GORDON: Burger on, fish and chips on,
let's go. Test it!
Burger on!
Fish and chips sliding right behind you.
GORDON: I'm pleased that Kennedy and her team
seem to be finding their footing.
All right, that burger looks lovely.
Beautiful. Beautiful.
Joe.
Look at the size of the barrel. You're not having a full burger,
you got a quarter of a burger. Take a bite of that.
That's the one burger.
That's the best [bleep] burger I've ever had in my life.
GORDON: With less than half an hour before relaunch,
an enthusiastic crowd has gathered
in front of the Shanty.
A little more salt.
GORDON: But some old dogs are up to some old tricks.
Hey, Joe, no. No, no, no, no, no.
You are licking your fingers.
All right, sorry, chef. Sorry, chef.
So I don't need that [bleep] back in here.
- Okay, Chef. - Okay? I don't care.
I don't want you licking your fingers.
- Heard. - How long for those, please?
JOE: All right, fish and chips are ready.
- They're perfect. - Come here, you.
Give me the basket.
It's right here. Here you go, bong.
Joe, the fish is raw.
[bleep] sake. Batter too thick
and ice cold in the middle.
Enough's enough. Look at me. Look at me.
I can't wipe your [bleep].
[bleep] or get off the pot.
We're not opening till we're ready.
I don't give a [bleep] who says what.
We are not opening till you're ready.
GORDON: Joe, the fish is raw.
Enough's enough. Come on.
- We're not serving that. - Heard.
Kennedy, we are not opening till you're ready.
- So push them. - Okay. All right, chef.
Yeah, okay.
KENNEDY: I need one more piece of fish, please.
Check your fish.
Fish, where is it, please? Come on.
(tense, dramatic music)
Joe, cooked beautifully.
- Thank you, chef. - Cooked beautifully.
I got rid of the weak crap.
You guys are [bleep] pivotal to the success
of this business going forward.
- You got me, yeah? - Yes, chef. Of course, chef.
Let's go. Please. [bleep] now.
Come on.
Look.
We are counting down.
This is it.
Everything we've all worked for and pushed is down to this.
Any last words from the general manager?
Yes.
- That would be me. - Yes, I do mean you.
I don't [bleep] mean him.
(laughter) Let's go.
Encouragement.
Let's do this, guys. Stick together as a team.
We're stronger together.
- Bring 'em home. - To the new Shanty On 19th.
We are back!
Ten, nine...
all: Eight, seven, six,
five, four, three, two, one.
Let's go!
(cheering)
JOE: Everybody, come on in, guys.
My beautiful wife, Melanie, she'll take care of you guys.
Hello, welcome to the new Shanty On 19th.
I got your back. I got your back.
You guys got my back.
Got you all day. We got this.
All right. No matter what.
- All right? - We got this.
I love you.
(rock music)
GORDON: Before, the Shanty On 19th
was a lifeless, dingy dive bar.
Now it's a bright and airy contemporary bistro.
This is a really cool space.
GORDON: Paying homage to the industrial history
of its hometown and pulling inspiration
from the revitalization of Allentown.
- Looks fantastic. - Doesn't it?
It's bright, it's modern, and the lighting's great.
We took out 2/3 of those booths to open up the dining room
to create this atmosphere here.
Now, we have a restaurant with a bar.
We don't have a bar with a few booths.
Now, the kitchen's laced with state of the art equipment.
From mixers to spatulas,
to exceptional cutlery.
Diet soda.
I will start with the crispy chicken rings.
Ooh, good choice.
I have to tell you,
that the burger is the best burger that I have ever,
and look at me, I haven't missed too many meals in my life.
Order in, pan seared scallops.
- Two chicken wings. - Heard.
Make sure that it's cooked right, please.
I don't want anything coming back.
GORDON: Hey, stand strong.
And make sure they coordinate with you, okay.
Okay, chef.
WOMAN: Hope it's better than yesterday.
[laughs]
WOMAN: Kennedy, two wings. For me.
For, yeah, for you.
And your pan seared scallops
under the window.
Perfect.
With Kennedy managing to keep her kitchen
and her temper in check...
KENNEDY: Make sure I got more fries down, please.
All right, guys, check this out.
GORDON: Food is flying out of the kitchen.
All right, guys, give those a shot.
GORDON: And the customers are happy.
The bacon wrapped pork is amazing.
These scallops are done to perfection.
Compared to yesterday, the scallops,
they're incredible.
The atmosphere in here is electric.
I need that burger. Get 'em in the oven,
get the [bleep] cheese melted, please.
- Hey. - Yes, chef.
The food is incredible, okay?
Swearing.
- Don't sink on me now. - Gotcha. Okay.
The name?
SANDY: Sandy.
JOE: Is that three of you?
Joe, leave that to Melanie.
- She's way more... - Oh, oh, okay.
GORDON: Joe's got to learn to let his wife
be the general manager.
Can you ring two more pinot noirs on?
GORDON: And let Kennedy run her kitchen.
JOE: Mama, I'm like this. I'm like...
KENNEDY: I know, right?
GORDON: But Joe doesn't know what to do in his new role.
What do you got here, mama?
KENNEDY: I need it melted... Hold on, not yet, Joe.
I call the tickets.
GORDON: Wait, where we going with this?
What we selling?
I don't know.
- Joe, what do you want? - I'm watching.
No, you... leave us alone, Joe.
Leave us alone.
[sighs]
Order in. I need two fish and chips
and another scallop.
JOE: I have a wing, I have scallop,
I have a steak, and I have a pork.
That's my lead.
That's not my lead.
GORDON: Stop!
Look at me... Just stop.
Stop.
(dramatic music)
GORDON: Stop!
Look at me. Hey, just stop.
Stop!
Joe, Joe. I know it feels a little bit awkward
'cause you're not in control.
That's the whole idea. You need to step back,
and let her run this kitchen, okay?
Yes.
Where's that steak?
- Steak's right behind you, chef. - Thank you. Thank you.
There you go, chef.
Table 32.
- Keep going. 32. - Okay.
Go, please. Got it? Good.
Leave my fish over there until I call for it, please.
Right there, chef.
GORDON: Listen to her. She's gonna swim,
come up for oxygen; when she comes up
you need to be there.
Support, support, support. That is it.
JOE: Not having to worry was worrisome.
[laughs]
- Ticket 33, out. - 33, you got it, mother.
JOE: But it was nice to learn how chef wants the flow to work.
- How is it? - It's delish.
How's that?
All right, fantastic, guys.
There's a few things we all need to sit down
and, of course, tweak
and make things flow a little bit better,
but I thought it was incredible.
How we looking, chef?
Good, give me one second, all right, Joey.
You got it.
We're just waiting. Wait till she says.
KENNEDY: After fighting with Joe for over a year,
I finally own my kitchen.
It feels good.
GORDON: Really beautifully done.
The difference, I cannot tell you.
This is food I'm excited about.
GORDON: Well, I'm glad you're excited about it.
Keep it going, yes.
KENNEDY: Gives me hope and it allows me to breathe again.
I have the fish and chips here for you.
The scallops.
Steaks.
- Shanty burger for you. - Enjoy, yeah.
JOE: Bon appetito. [laughs]
Enjoy, guys.
GORDON: And amongst all the chaos,
we're doing a good job.
This is the first time since I can remember
that I'm actually touching tables
and talking with people and enjoying myself.
But you can tell your team.
And that's your strength doing that.
That's nice hearing that.
Tell your team, your wife, your chef
they are also doing a good job.
Got me?
- Come on. - [laughing]
KENNEDY: Walk it in, singled out,
pan seared scallops, Tommy.
TOMMY: Pan seared scallops. Heard, chef.
Kennedy, you're doing a great job.
Thank you, Joey.
If you need anything, just let me know.
I'm here. I'm here to help.
For me to step back into being a part
of this restaurant was wonderful.
The burger.
I felt respected again, and I feel that
I can really make this restaurant move forward.
(upbeat music)
GORDON: Great job. - Thank you, chef.
My time's done.
A, keep in touch. B, if you need anything,
let me know.
Kennedy, you good?
KENNEDY: Chef Ramsay. I feel very blessed
and very lucky to have met him.
I'm just very positive moving forward.
- Hey, you hung in there. - Thank you.
And just look, look at the atmosphere down there.
And look at them. They're going crazy.
- Keep in touch. - Thank you, chef.
WOMAN: This is gonna be wonderful.
People will finally have a place to come.
GORDON: Now, my job is done.
Now, I'm out of here.
- Stick together. - Yeah.
You have something so amazing here.
What you wanted four years ago,
you got it back on the map tonight.
Remember that.
- Yes, sir. - Hug.
[laughs]
- Thank you very much. - Oh, man.
Stick with the program.
Yes, sir.
He's gonna, and I can't wait.
[laughing]
Thank you, baby.
- Love you. - Love you too.
GORDON: Great job.
- Well done. - Thank you.
JOE: Appreciate it.
GORDON: This has been one of the most dramatic 24 hours
we've ever done.
I arrived and saw an owner
that was drinking himself into oblivion,
ignoring his wife,
a chef that was disempowered,
but tonight, I brought back the Shanty On 19th
to what it was in its heyday.
My only hope now is that Joe stays on point,
Melanie continues being the general manager,
and Kennedy, a talented chef, gets left alone to cook
'cause when she cooks, man, she's a delight.
The toughest for me, the hardest,
but I think deep down inside, one of the most rewarding.
JOE: Hi, guys, it's Joe from the Shanty On 19th.
Things are going fantastic.
MELANIE: Joe is really starting to respect me.
Mel, why don't you sit down and grab something to eat?
I'm okay right now. When people leave.
And we're learning to communicate more.
JOE: I'm running 11. - Here you go.
You're the best. Thank you.
Had to hire new kitchen staff
just to handle all the business that's been coming in.
Nice job.
JOE: I've stepped back a little bit,
given a little more control to Kennedy.
I feel so blessed.
MELANIE: Everything is going really good.
I think Chef Ramsay being here
has really helped our relationship.
We are really grateful for this new chance.
- Love you. - I love you.
(upbeat music)
GORDON: Next time,
I'm at Vasi's in Waterbury, Connecticut.
Band Aid, Band Aid, Band Aid, Band Aid.
Mummy, mummy, mummy.
She doesn't give me money every [bleep] day.
GORDON: Where an owner is exploiting his own mother...
Aren't you ashamed?
It's not like I'm sucking her dry.
Do you want to [bleep] fix it or what?
I don't want to fix your [bleep] mess.
No, I don't.
...and abusing his chef who's been driven...
Get out of my way. Get out of my way.
GORDON: ...to the brink.
You're my only hope here!
I can't do it. I can't do it.
I can't [bleep] do it.