Tonight, on Kitchen Nightmares,
chef Ramsay visits Philadelphia's Zocalo,
hoping to get an authentic taste of Mexico.
- Come back here and help me. - Yeah, right.
But what he gets instead is a restaurant
that has completely lost its way.
- Greg. - I gotta get this food out.
Check on your floor staff.
No. Ay, Greg.
Ironically, the restaurant
that originally brought this couple together
is now tearing them apart.
Greg, I need beef bites.
- I'm working on it. - Come on!
Someone shoot me!
Greg spends all his time at the restaurant.
The whole weight of this restaurant is on my shoulders.
And Mary...
Greg, Greg, Greg!
Spends all her time complaining
about the restaurant.
Let me finish. Let me finish.
It's a stand-off with no end in sight.
Do you still love him?
I know...
It's not surprising that chef Ramsay
is in for one of the most difficult challenges
of the year.
You've got a big issue.
Can he get this husband and wife working together as a team
and not as enemies?
You don't want to miss the heartbreaking,
real-life soap opera of Zocalo's.
What is that?
Disgusting crap.
You're done! I'm done.
I'm not insane! Yes, you are!
Shut the place down!
Get out of here!
That is amazing.
I can't take any more!
Sync and corrected by dr.jackson for www.addic7ed.com
University City, Pennsylvania.
Nestled in the heart of West Philadelphia,
this thriving neighborhood is home
to two major universities.
And smack in the middle is Zocalo,
an authentic Mexican restaurant run by longtime employees
turned owners, Greg Russell and his wife Mary.
I was a bartender, and my wife used to make fresh tortillas.
And the tortilla station was literally
right across from the bar.
So we spent a lot of time flirting with each other.
And one thing led to another, and the next thing you know,
we were dating, we got married.
And then we purchased Zocalo in 2008.
Hi, welcome to Zocalo.
When Mary and I bought the restaurant,
it was a dream come true.
I thought it would be a storybook ending.
But real life is not a storybook.
Let me say something.
Dear, come back here and help me, yes?
I go back, help. Yeah, right.
Do what you want.
When Mary and I bought the restaurant,
I thought that we were gonna be partners.
Right now, Mary works three days a week.
That's it. But, boy, I'll tell you,
when she is here...
Greg!
What happen with this banana?
It's too dry.
She'll let you know.
We haven't sold six porks all night.
I'm not gonna leave a big, huge stock pot
full of pork simmering all night and then not sell it.
All right. All right, you're right.
It's a battle between them.
Greg works all the time.
He's an all-around restaurant worker.
Miss Mary, I ain't gonna say she's lazy,
but she's barely here.
Honestly, when she do come, she makes it very hard to work.
Okay, I need B5 and B6 right now.
B-6, in my hand.
No, B5 first!
It's more stressful here at the restaurant
when my mom's here.
She likes to get her way. She's very, very controlling.
Where is Maria?
A lot of the problems come because
she likes to tell everybody what to do...
I know how to clean the tables.
But doesn't want to be there to work.
We need the food more fast, you understand?
Help. Help. Could you please help me?
Help!
Maria... What?
I didn't wipe this table.
She comes across as...
Ay! No.
I don't even know what word to use for that.
If you really want it to improve,
then get involved a little bit more.
I'm sorry, Greg.
What I'm asking you to do
is support the restaurant more.
I definitely feel the restaurant is running my parents' life.
They don't have a...
Like a marriage any more, really.
I don't know if our relationship is strong enough
to withhold the pressures of owning a restaurant.
What I do know is I'm pretty sure
that our relationship is not strong enough
to withstand the pressures of losing our restaurant.
Zocalo.
Okay, great.
Look at those.
Tin man.
How are you, sir?
Good to see you.
Look at this place.
Hello.
How are you?
Good. Nice to see you.
Mary Russell.
- Marie or Mary? - Mary.
- It's Mary. - Mary.
Mary Russell.
Yeah, what a beautiful place.
- It's gorgeous. - I hope so.
- You like the food. - I mean, it's authentic...
Mexican, right?
- Yeah. - Gorgeous.
- Do you want me seat you? - Please.
And he have accent too.
Thank you.
Excellent.
Come out. Chef Ramsay is here.
I'm a little nervous about meeting chef Ramsay
and having him critique the restaurant
because I know how intense he is.
However... you met my wife?
- How are you? - Hello, chef.
I'm well. How are you?
- Good to see you. - It's a pleasure to meet you.
- Greg, isn't it? - Yes.
Sit down, bud. Let's have a catch-up.
Please, take a seat.
Take me back to the beginning.
How did you end up here? How did you start off?
The restaurant opened
the summer of 1989.
My sister was one of the sous chefs.
- Okay. - She called me up,
she said, "look, can you help me out?"
I said, "sure, I'll give it a shot."
And I've been here pretty much ever since.
What's the fascination with it?
Every...
Major change in my life
has happened here.
I met my wife here.
Our son was born
while we were here.
Incredible.
- And I have two girls. - Okay.
- They work here. - Okay.
So it's more of a family business than I thought.
It's absolutely a family business, yeah.
But, I mean, how's business been?
The first six, seven months,
I mean, we got great reviews from...
You know, everybody loved it.
So in terms of where we are now...
This place is really
is slow now. No customers.
What are we turning a week?
We'd be lucky to do
$7,000, $8,000 in sales a week.
And we need to be at about $15,000.
- So barely $1,000 a day. - Yeah.
There are days where sales are $300.
I don't think that it's...
The best restaurant in Philly,
but I think it's... It could be
the best Mexican restaurant in Philly.
But it's not the same before when you start, really.
It's not the same before.
So the food's gone down?
I don't think it has.
Okay, take me through a day.
Wake up 5:30 or so,
drop my son off at school at 6:45.
Stop at
the produce market or,
you know, wherever I have to shop,
because I do most of the shopping for the restaurant.
Arrive at the restaurant about 8:00, 8:30.
Clean out the bar. It's like clean the bathrooms.
I mop all the dining rooms.
Run down to the office. Check my emails.
Check the bills. Whatever.
Then I go into the kitchen. I set up the line.
Start the prep for the day.
Sometimes I have to run out,
you know, in between lunch and dinner.
Do all the dishes, start prepping for dinner.
And clean up, and I usually get out
between 11:00 and 12:00.
- Every day? - Every day.
That's a long day, Greg.
It sounds ridiculous.
When was your last day off?
I worked every day for over a year.
No break, no vacation,
no nothin'... Just a year straight.
Mary, where's your expertise coming?
Are you front of house? Are you the kitchen manager?
What do you do?
- Hello? - Ay.
Sometimes, my wife's not here.
So... how many days a week is she here?
Only part-time. Okay.
That's another thing
that we sort of butt heads on.
- Yeah. - In terms of debt...
Where are we?
We're looking upwards
of $3/4 million.
3/4 million?
That's a lot of money.
And that's...
For a place that's only making eight grand a week, heh.
How are you managing?
Owning a restaurant that is declining
at a rapid pace and...
On the verge of losing your house and...
You know, everything else is...
It's a lot of stress.
I mean, I can... I can feel the stress from here, but...
I mean, we argue constantly.
- And it's... - At home as well?
Sometimes... Absolutely.
She's told me on numerous occasions...
If I can't meet my responsibilities
and take care of the family,
she'll move back to Mexico.
I mean, I know that
my wife thinks a lot of this is my fault.
You know, that it's not doing well, and...
I don't know if it's my fault.
I know that it's my responsibility,
and that's the hardest part.
Is I'm not able to take care of it.
Coming up...
Greg, come on! Hurry up.
Gordon discovers why Mary and Greg
can't work together.
- The food is late. - What do you want me to do?
Come on!
And how fragile their marriage really is.
Can chef Ramsay
pull this dysfunctional restaurant together?
You've got a big issue.
Now you thinking it's my fault.
Or is this Mexican restaurant beyond saving?
This is not the way to run a business.
Within minutes of arriving,
chef Ramsay was greeted with a gloomy picture
of the restaurant.
- I send the servers right now. - Yes, please.
Now he's hoping that he can find some optimism
in the food.
- How are you, darling? - Hi. How are you?
- Good to see you. - Good to see you too.
- And your first name is... - Maria.
Maria. I have to say,
it's a huge menu for one chef on his own.
How does he manage all that?
I don't know how he does it,
but he's here 24/7.
How many days a week is she here?
- Three. - Three.
If that.
Right.
Enchilada's $19.
And skirt steak, $23.
So the food's not cheap, is it?
- No. - No.
And what would you recommend?
I... I don't know.
I just never have it.
Maria... you don't order your own food?
That's crazy.
I usually don't eat at Zocalo,
because the prices are not affordable at all.
Okay, let's start off with the queso fundido.
Yeah, okay, let's get one of those.
And the, uh, cochinita.
The chili relleno.
And then, uh, molcajete.
Okay. Yep.
I think we're done. Thank you, darling.
Water?
Yes, please. Thank you.
- This is for chef Ramsay? - Yes.
Order in, please. This is chef Ramsay's ticket.
It's not a three-Michelin star restaurant.
I know that.
Chorizo fundido.
But I'm hoping that chef Ramsay
tastes our food and says
it's not a lost cause.
You know, that's all I can hope for.
125, yeah?
Yep.
Mary...
Who, uh, who does the prices?
- Greg. - Yeah?
Yeah.
But $23.50 for an entree, I mean, that's not cheap.
Excuse me.
Here is the queso fundido.
And flour tortillas that you can wrap it up with.
- Brilliant. - Thank you.
Thank you.
Just like a... Greasy mess.
So full of oil.
I can feel my arteries just squeezing.
Mary, is that microwaved?
I don't know.
I'm done. Thank you, darling.
Can't really afford a heart attack.
- Okay. - Thank you.
You're welcome.
That's not good.
Greg... are you putting the cheese in the microwave?
Yes.
Here is the chili relleno.
Thank you.
That is a very weird-looking relleno.
It's salty. What cheese is in there?
What is that?
It's so rubbery.
Cheese is dreadful.
Usually, the cheese is melted inside.
But it's spongy and rubbery, no?
Honestly, that's dreadful, that stuff.
Will you show that to Mary as well, please, darling?
Yes.
Damn. I'm starving.
Greg, look at the cheese.
Chef said it's rubbery.
What kind of cheese did you use?
Queso freir.
Queso what?
Freir.
What is queso freir?
It's similar to the queso fresco,
and it wasn't available, so I couldn't get it.
Ai, Greg. He doing whatever he want.
That's not Mexican.
If you don't want to do it the same, don't do it.
Okay.
He say the cheese
is freir.
Freir.
He said it was what cheese?
- Freir. - Gruyere?
Freir.
Gruyere.
Something's up.
That is not Mexican.
No. That was dreadful.
This is the cochinita pibil.
This is the cochinita.
The corn tortillas.
Corn tortillas. Thank you.
How is your cochinita?
There's no seasoning. There's no...
It's all very, uh...
Have a taste.
It's all very bland.
I think it is to dry.
Very dry.
Why is that so dry?
Before, I make... The cochinita does really good.
But now I don't...
They were better when you made them.
Yeah, now... now that Greg makes them, they're not as good.
Yeah. I think you need to get back in the kitchen.
I don't like the kitchen.
In what way?
It's old, it's...
It's, uh...
You slip.
The floor is no... For work.
I don't like the kitchen because it's too tiny kitchen.
And it's too hot.
Let me go and checking how you next...
- Molcajete. - Excellent.
I do it exactly how she says, every time I do it.
So if it's not working, well, then
you come back here and do it.
It's no good. Why do you give it to him?
I don't know. Go check on your floor staff.
No.
Go check on your floor staff.
Ay!
Okay, this molcajete is coming up.
Let's see, we're battin'...
Zero so far!
Yeah.
We got.
So this is the molcajete.
Like something out of Harry Potter.
Feel like I'm having a facial,
the steam.
Okay.
That's the, uh... The cactus.
- Cactus. - Yeah.
Jeez. Heebie jeez.
Let's have a little taste of the cactus, though, shall we?
There's your bit.
It's like eating the inside of a golf ball.
Needs to be more cooked.
Needs to be seasoned.
Bland.
Bitter.
They cook cactus like that in Mexico?
No.
In Mexico, they shoot you for that.
It's like... caca.
I'm thinking maybe he no like nothing.
What is caca?
Come on, man.
I stand by my food on a personal level.
I am certainly not on chef Ramsay's level.
But I think that what we have on the menu
is good, solid, quality food.
Greg...
Let's go through it, big boy, yeah?
Right.
Okay. Here's the thing.
The food's below par.
I don't know where to start.
The queso fundido,
that was hideous. Do you microwave it?
We do part-microwave it
I mean... yeah.
So when you microwave that cheese,
all the fat comes out twice as fast
and it becomes like an oil slick on top.
Which is disgusting.
The cochinita pibil.
Dry.
The cactus, bland.
The chili relleno, that... that...
The cheese inside there was weird.
It was queso freir, it's called.
Certainly wasn't worth the price, let me tell you.
I felt almost like I was being robbed.
You put your neck in a noose
when you're charging $23.50 for that.
Absolutely. I wouldn't pay it.
I've told her.
Hold on a minute.
I didn't come up with the prices.
Hold on a minute.
You don't come up with the prices?
You told me Greg does.
Who does the prices?
- Greg. - Yeah?
Yeah.
That's not funny, uh, Mary.
I didn't change the prices on this menu.
Every... I told you how much it is per pound.
- Let me finish. - But I don't tell you to charge $11.
Let me finish talking.
I did not make the queso fundido $10.95.
I said, "why are you raising the prices?"
I think that's ridiculous.
But you say to me that is too expensive.
You didn't consult with me on the prices.
This... Greg...
On this price change, you did not consult with me.
- Who raised the prices? - You.
You've got a big issue, let me tell you.
I'm sorry, it's just a way of driving more customers
away from the business.
Let me finish talking.
I don't know the price. I don't know the cost.
You can't chase...
Let me finish. Let me finish.
- Let me finish. - Can't chase revenue
by increasing the prices.
Ay, please. Come on, guys. Ay.
While the owners blame each other
for Zocalo's problems,
chef Ramsay knows that dinner service
will be more enlightening
than anything this husband and wife have said so far.
You're ready, right?
Yeah, I'm ready. I'm ready.
Everything's set up.
I absolutely feel hope having chef Ramsay here.
Obviously, there's something that we're doing wrong.
And we just need an outsider's perspective,
and there's nobody else better to do that
than chef Ramsay.
How does the line work? Take me through it.
Yeah, obviously, two frialators.
Our grill. Two ovens.
This oven doesn't work. Only the one side works.
Really? You haven't got a handle.
Well, yeah. But it doesn't work.
This thing's a dinosaur, that thing.
Yes.
And you got no pilots on, either?
The pilot lights don't work.
I mean, you know, I carry the gas match with me.
As if you haven't got enough to do.
So... right.
There are a lot of things that are not working
as properly as they should.
My old sous chef used to love to rip the top off.
I just do what I have to do to make it work.
It's like Frankenstein.
Yeah.
Guys. How you doing tonight?
Did you have any questions on the menu at all so far?
I'm gonna do the quesadilla.
- Me too. - Sure.
For you? I'll get the queso fundido.
- Order in. - Mushroom fundido.
A mushroom fundido.
Are we going to the microwave,
or are we gonna do it properly?
Sounds like the microwave.
We're gonna do microwave, yeah.
The microwave is definitely like our big bailout.
Because the food is always getting backed up.
You see, here's the bad news.
The microwave takes the fun out of the fundido.
Yeah.
I guess you could say that, yeah.
Fire B-8, please.
Fire H-2, please.
Fire J-6, please.
J-6. Don't worry about any of that.
Yes, sir.
Is one of these fundidos mine?
Yeah, I can't keep track of whose they are, dude.
I need my guacamole for H-6!
Gotta hold on. Is B-4 coming up? I fired that 20 minutes ago.
Everything's coming, dear.
I only got two hands, all right?
I'm getting really frustrated.
My food should be up on the line, and it's not
because Greg tries to do everything himself.
Want me to start platin' 'em up?
I got 'em, I got 'em. You're good for right now.
Greg is definitely gettin' backed up.
And it's like, I'm here to help you.
All right, can you grab me, uh...
- You know what? - Never mind.
There is no question that Greg works hard
in the kitchen.
You good, boss? Want me to jump down there?
I got it, man.
But he also prefers working alone.
Those mine?
Which translates to painfully slow delivery of food...
And unhappy customers.
How long you waiting, 10 minutes? 20 minutes?
We ordered, like, 40 minutes ago.
40 minutes? Okay.
Let me check.
Greg, I need B-5, right now!
Babe, I only got two hands, yes?
I know!
But it's only chicken enchiladas,
mole, and pork... Come on!
You want ice cold pork or do you want it hot?
Ai! Give me number five. B-5, please.
The food is late. Dear, I'm workin' on 'em!
I'm workin' on 'em!
My God.
There's seven of you out there
and two of us back here.
She's killin' me, man.
Yeah, I feel you.
I can't take her coming back
and telling me that I'm doing it wrong.
Or it's taking too long.
It's deflating. B-5!
It's coming right now, dear.
Okay, I got it.
After customers wait
as much as 90 minutes...
Greg finally pushes food out of the kitchen.
Okay.
But when the overpriced,
slow food arrives...
I don't like this at all.
It does little to please the customers.
This tastes like someone, like,
dumped a bunch of salt on it.
Th-th-this is really greasy.
- So I'm not sure... - Really what?
- Greasy. - Greasy?
All right, four chicks and two order of shrimp,
tilapia VeraCruz.
Greg, one enchilada is taking back
because... again.
Babe, I gotta get this food out.
Okay, but you need to understand
what is this problems right now.
I can't talk to you right now.
- Let me finish. - Okay, dear.
I don't get mad at Mary for telling me
what the customer feedback is...
Everybody is complain with enchilada.
But she wants me to sort of drop everything
and listen to her.
Despite Mary's constant critiques...
Come on, Greg.
Greg keeps it together.
We're in the homestretch, man.
This is the last table, right here.
And finishes dinner service.
Thank you. Have a good night.
Guys, can you just leave us alone for two minutes, please?
No problem, no problem.
Okay...
Greg, this is not the way to run a business.
You're so submerged into it that you...
You don't even realize what you've taken on.
And you have a wife that is happy to see you do that.
So I'm pissed with her in the way that...
I'm not saying she's driving you into the ground.
But I didn't see any support there tonight.
I'm sorry, I mean, I... It's a big difference
between nagging and being supportive.
The whole weight of this restaurant is on my shoulders.
You know, she says, "hire somebody to cook."
Well, the money's not there.
You know, whatever. What am I gonna do?
Guys, can you just give me two minutes, please?
Please.
I'm worried, Greg.
I don't know any other way to do it, chef.
Have you ever actually sat down and said to Mary,
"I-I need you in here,
whether you like it or not."
If I didn't know the background,
watching the way you two liaise with each other,
I'd never believe that was husband and wife.
Ever.
We don't act like husband and wife.
- Ever. - Anymore.
It's... it's just too dangerous, buddy.
It's just... it's just...
It's so fragile in here.
It's all built around just you, and between you and I,
do you think that's healthy? Come on.
No, I don't think that's healthy.
Come on.
My family depends on me.
I don't want to let them down.
You can't do it on your own.
There has to be a way.
I can't let it fail. I mean, I just can't.
Coming up...
Can chef Ramsay mend Greg and Mary's
fractured relationship?
Do you still love him?
And later...
Talk to me, talk to me.
Mary is on the warpath.
Fire H-5! Hurry up!
And nothing...
Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.
Please! Or nobody...
- Please, go! - Will get in her way.
Hurry up! What?
That's coming up on Kitchen Nightmares.
Without question, Zocalo has a lot of issues.
But the one issue that needs to be dealt with immediately
is the decaying relationship of Greg and Mary.
And chef Ramsay has a plan. To do just that.
- Morning, Greg. - Good morning, chef.
- How are you? - Yeah, well, thank you.
Yesterday was a huge eye-opener.
And I've got one vne very important question to ask you.
Do you feel let down?
Yeah, truthfully, I feel a little bit let down.
Because I don't feel that I'm getting
the moral support.
You know?
I'm trying to do something for them,
and I don't think that they see that I'm doing it for them.
I think that they think I'm doing it for me.
I don't think they quite fully
have digested what happens if it does close.
They've all told me, "why don't you just close it?"
And I said, "you don't understand
what the ramifications of that are."
We lose everything. I mean, everything we lose.
- Okay. Come with me. - Okay.
I want to show you something.
I want you to watch something.
Can we just sit down...
And watch this program.
I think you're gonna find it quite interesting.
With Greg watching closely on the monitor...
Ana, how are you?
I'm well, thank you.
Chef Ramsay has arranged for a chat with Mary
and her daughters Gaby and Ana.
I spent some time with Greg
last night before we left.
And I saw a lot of frustrations,
a lot of pressure.
Do you see how desperate he is?
Can you read that or...
It's hard to read. We know that he's struggling.
But he just doesn't speak out.
So it's kind of hard for us to get it out of him.
Yeah, just as something that you see as an outsider.
So he shuts down.
Yeah.
How long has that been like that?
I'd say ever since,
like, pretty much the restaurant started.
I always say, I'm like... I felt like my parents
were much happier before they owned their own business.
They would go out, have fun.
Exactly, and, right now... yeah.
He's just living.
I mean, surviving. Right.
Do you think he's happy?
No. The way I see it,
the restaurant's sucking so much life out of him,
and we try to get him to break out a little bit,
but he just refuses to.
He is just so stubborn.
Like, he just will not leave Zocalo.
I don't think he can.
He's such a one-man band.
He does everything and anything.
What would you do if he fell ill?
What would you all do?
I continue running the business.
I personally don't think you can.
- I'm sorry. - Really?
Well, how are you gonna do it, Mary?
How would it work?
For me, I put in one, really,
chef behind the kitchen.
But we haven't got money for salaries.
If he stopped, this business
would close.
I don't think you realize what he's...
Doing for all of you.
Everything he does is to keep a roof above your heads.
Not because he loves doing it.
And I don't think he feels
that he has the emotional support.
That's what's eating him away.
I think that one of you can do a bit more.
Mary.
Are you willing to support him?
Do you think, deep down inside,
you could do more?
- In here? - Yes.
Why?
Because I need thinking of myself too.
He cannot do it alone.
Let me put it this way, Mary...
Both of you wanted this dream.
- Yeah. - You encouraged him.
This is your responsibility,
whether you like it or not.
Right now, you're only here three days a week.
And when you talk to him,
it's not done in a constructive manner.
You nag him.
You can't lay into him like that.
He's your husband.
When you guys met, you were deeply in love.
Has your love changed now?
- Passion? - I feel...
Yeah. Exactly.
Do you still love him?
After confronting Mary
about her lack of involvement in the restaurant...
You're only here three days a week.
And when you talk to him, you nag him.
You can't lay into him like that.
He's your husband.
Gordon probes a little deeper
about her relationship with Greg.
When you guys met,
you were deeply in love.
Has your love changed now?
Do you still love him?
I think he needs to hear.
As a matter of fact...
Greg!
Come through, please.
Chef Ramsay is right.
We're not being as supportive as we could be for Greg.
We just are so used to him doing everything
that we don't realize that it's affecting him negatively.
Isn't that nice to see, ladies?
Yeah.
I didn't see that on service last night.
- I wish I did. - I know.
Listen, I know it was hard.
I appreciate it.
Spend a couple of minutes together.
Thank you, chef.
I listened to the whole thing.
I saw it all.
I don't know what to say, I mean, I...
Emotionally, I need your guys' support.
I mean, I just, I do.
I believe the support is there for you.
Even thought if we don't actually say it all the time,
we do support you on whatever you need.
Just speak up. That's all we need.
Yeah, let us know how.
It's very difficult for me to ask my family for help,
because, as the head of the household,
I always thought it was my responsibility
to take care of my family.
I'm here.
He really is the person I love.
The person, really, give me all my, like,
different and happy.
A really good man.
I wanna... love you, change together.
I respect what you say.
And it's possible work together.
It was a tough thing to watch,
but it was sort of an eye-opening experience.
While I may say, "I can just do it myself.
I can just do it myself,"
I need their help,
and it's good to know that they're behind me.
This is fantastic
listening to you guys communicate.
Can I just quickly show you something?
Certainly. Yeah, please?
Come through.
Come in.
Man.
Holy crap.
It's your new oven.
- My God. It's beautiful. - It's gorgeous.
You have the most amazing southbend
ten gas ring burner.
Stunning, two superb, super hot ovens
from my friends at Culiquip.
It's gorgeous.
It is a perfect piece of equipment
for a small, busy kitchen, let me tell you.
It's phenomenal. Thank you, chef.
Unbelievable.
I was floored. I mean, it's gorgeous.
It's my first real, new piece of equipment.
And it's unbelievable.
Clearly, a brand-new oven
will be a major help to the kitchen.
Good morning!
Good morning.
But chef Ramsay's brand-new menu...
Come through.
Will make an even more dramatic impact.
On the future of Zocalo.
Look at the menu. It shouts out fun.
Cool, hip.
- Yeah, it does. - Okay. Right.
Let's start off at this end.
Queso fundido, done beautifully.
We've got the oven.
We can do this properly.
- Yeah? - Nice.
Albondigas, classic meatball soup.
Robust and delicious.
It's a lot cheaper than what we were serving beforehand,
but we need traffic in here.
Next to that, empanadas.
It's got that nice authenticity to it.
Quesadillas... chicken, pork, beef, or shrimp.
I love it. We've lightened it
with the fish, snapper, done with bell peppers,
onions, green olives, and capers.
Beautifully done, grilled,
and tastes stunning.
I love it, that!
Get some knife and forks, dig in.
This salsa is perfect.
I actually really like the enchiladas.
That is really good.
I can't wait to serve our clientele the new dishes.
I think that they're really gonna enjoy them
and it's gonna open this place up
to a whole new demographic.
I love the albondiga.
God, this is so good.
To go along with the massive change of the menu...
Okay, let's go.
Chef Ramsay has another surprise for Zocalo.
Okay. Since I've been here,
I've never seen such an antiquated way
of ordering.
So this is what you will be using.
My God.
What is that?...
This is your new P.O.S. system,
provided by Zephyr Hardware
and P.O.S. Lava.
Now, you go
to the table with your tablet.
My gosh!
The orders go straight through to the kitchen
we'll have the pictures of each and every dish.
So cool! And, Greg...
This system can track your inventory, manage your sales.
That's unbelievable. And, by the way,
you swipe the credit card here.
My God.
You then sign on the pad.
There, take that.
It's mine.
I'm like, it's so cool,
you can do everything, just from this one little device.
I'm super-excited to use the new P.O.S. system.
Lose what?
- Our dream. - Yeah.
Mary...
You okay?
I say it's how our dream
that Greg and me wanted before...
- For a long time. - Good.
And I have the dream now.
Good.
This is a new beginning for us.
We get to do it over
and start out on the right path.
You happy?
Chef Ramsay knows,
in order to have Zocalo's kitchen run properly...
Come in, come in, come in, come in.
He needs the restaurant to be properly staffed.
So he has created a program with Drexel University
to supply culinary students to the restaurant.
I'm working in a stunning little Mexican restaurant
called Zocalo.
Is there any possibility
I could take two very strong students
and give them some on-the-job training?
We have just the two students you're looking for.
Really?
It's great training for the students
and it provides Greg with much-needed support.
I want them to fit around you.
Right. These guys,
not just top of their class,
but hungry
and are keen to really get behind you on this one.
Well, good.
It's absolutely a relief to have some help.
We're gonna mix this with some spinach
and a little bit of what we call chihuahua cheese.
They're gonna make all the difference in the world.
Nail it, yeah?
Nail it, nail it, nail it.
Mary two seconds.
Greg, two seconds, please.
Now... this is where it really counts.
I need you to step up, and I need you to expedite.
Yeah. But don't let the standards drop.
You've got a brigade, so there's no excuse now.
- We can do it. Come on! - Yeah. Yes chef.
I'm really excited.
I'm ready to change, and I'm ready to help
together with my husband.
As the doors open for the relaunch...
How are we, darling? Welcome, welcome.
There is clearly excitement in the air.
For the first time in years, Mary and Greg
face tonight's challenge united as a team.
Okay, ready to order?
I'll have the chicken quesadilla.
I'm gonna get the tacos.
This the same thing?
- Yes. - We're good.
Now it's gonna begin.
Burrito carne asada,
burrito chicken, molcajete, steak.
I'm a little nervous going into service tonight.
I have a team, but it's a brand-new team.
And I'm really rusty with delegating.
What I need to do is remember how to communicate.
All right, here we go.
I need steak for molcajete.
Got it... let me know when y'all ready to fire that.
Good. Good, good, good.
So next is quesadillas.
Shrimp and pork chop.
Jerome, I need that chicken quesadilla right now.
All right. Drew, do me a favor,
can you get that enchilada set up, rice and beans?
So now next, h-5.
Hold on, babe. Enchilada, quesadilla.
Chicken. Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.
Give me one second, babe hurry up. Hurry up.
I'm tired say all the time, "talk to me, talk to me."
Hell.
H-3, burrito, carnitas, and relleno.
I told you twice:
- Hold on. - Carnitas.
Relleno.
What's she doing?
Greg's doing a great job.
I could hear him talking to the kitchen.
But Mary, she's just yelling at Greg.
So nothing's getting done.
Okay, fire H-5!
Do not fire.
Fire B-6!
Wait a minute, wait a minute... hold on.
I can't be working with you, serious.
- Why you no fire? - Mary, quiet!
I need the relleno, guys.
They'll be next, after this table.
- Hurry up. - hell.
I need to know when I can drop that relleno.
That's not even fired.
Mary, don't talk about things that aren't fired.
My God.
Mary's not helping. It's so frustrating.
She's really just yelling. We don't need that right now.
What we need is communication
and to get this food out on time.
How long for B-4? I need B-4.
Okay.
Although both Mary and Greg
are dedicated to making tonight a success...
They have not gotten their food.
There is a communication breakdown between the two.
We have been waiting forever.
Which is causing the kitchen to get backed up...
Serious, Greg.
I can't believe.
And Mary to lose her patience.
What are you in here?
I'm reading my tickets!
This is so we don't...
Don't scream at me. Please, go! Go!
Go to bar, please.
When I get food ready, I let you know.
Greg, I need food going out of here.
Okay.
- Hurry up! - I'm losing focus.
I'm really worried that we're not even gonna make it
through service tonight.
- Fire J-1! - Slow down!
- My God. - Come on, guys, please?
Hurry up, hurry up.
It's 45 minutes into Zocalo's relaunch,
and Mary's expediting is not at all in sync
with Greg and the staff.
Fire H-5!
- Do not fire. - Fire J-1!
Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.
And the kitchen is at a standstill.
We have been waiting forever.
How long has it been? 45 minutes?
And a successful relaunch
is in jeopardy.
Mary, two seconds, please.
Please.
This could make or break this restaurant.
And it's so important. Communicate.
- Okay. All right. Yeah. - Please.
I need to do better communication tonight.
Babe, I'm sorry. I help you.
Okay.
Constructive help, yeah?
Please? Mary, tell me what's fired out there.
- J-8. H-4. - All right, go one at a time.
Wait a minute. J-8, got it.
What's the next one?
- H-4. - Okay.
- H-9. - H-9?
Yes! All right, hold on.
Everything is gonna be a couple minutes,
'cause I just got reorganized here.
Can you fire B-5 for us, please?
Yes. Jerome, we need all that right now.
Help him out. I don't know if chef Ramsay
gave miss Mary a pill or something
to change her attitude...
Fire J-2, please!
J-2, firing.
Thank you.
But it was definitely like a different miss Mary.
All right, I'm waiting on two street tacos.
All right, just waiting for the meat to rest.
That'll settle B-4.
Greg has everything under control.
He's being the person that I was looking forward to him being,
you know, years ago.
With little time to spare...
Mary has made a major turnaround.
The snapper, please.
I know this one took a while.
I'm sorry. Thank you.
And is back on the same page as her husband.
Two empanadas, J-2.
Four tacos up.
Thank you.
And as a result,
the kitchen is now running like a well-oiled machine.
I like it. I love it.
Tamales and tacos.
These are the tamales with the short rib.
Thanks so much for being so patient.
Thank you.
The shrimp is really good.
This is delicious.
Well worth the wait. Thank you.
Definitely. Next table coming up, J-9.
J-9, okay.
About a minute and 15 seconds, babe.
I'm very proud of my parents working together.
And cooperating and helping each other out.
That was really, really awesome.
On the last two checks, just so you know.
I love it!
In the beginning, it was a little hairy,
but Mary really stepped up tonight.
It's just a whole different attitude,
which is much easier to respond to.
- That's really good, yeah? - Very good.
It's been a long time since we were able to work together.
It feels great.
All right, that's it, gentlemen.
See you, guys!
Let me tell you something really important.
When I first arrived,
I saw you
on an island
trying to survive.
Isolated, your family
drifting away.
But on the back of tonight's performance
and what we've gone through this week,
I see a completely different story.
Watching you two
working as husband and wife,
when it is constructive and it works,
it... it sounds magical, let me tell you.
You're good together.
Mary, we've had our ups and down.
Are you serious?
You know more than you let on, let me tell you.
Expediting, you work bloody well.
Greg, do you still feel that you don't have
their support?
No, I feel that I have their support.
Totally.
They killed themselves tonight,
and I appreciate it... I appreciate it
from each and every one of you.
This restaurant can be a success.
Just keep supporting each other,
like you did this evening.
Okay?
Finally the family coming together.
I feel really... Incredible.
My dreams is right there.
Don't go too far, please.
I'll be back. Don't you worry about that.
- Well done, you. - Chef, thank you very much.
Seriously, it's been a pleasure.
- Thank you. - Okay.
- You deserve success. - Thank you for everything.
Really. Good job.
- Look after each other, okay? - Yes.
Good night.
Thank you, chef.
Come on, family.
Yay.
We were at such a low point in the beginning,
that I didn't know
whether we were gonna make it or not.
Well, you're in the kitchen with me, Yeah.
I feel a lot of hope for the future now.
We can do it together, yeah?
Incredible.
I can't remember a kitchen nightmare
where I am rooting for the owners more than these two.
Greg has to be one of the nicest owners I've ever met.
Mary... well, there's definitely something about Mary.
What a character. Amazing.
Now, these two are on the road to success.
My only hope is that they stay on it.
In the weeks that followed,
the dinner services at Zocalo's
got smoother and smoother.
Are you ready fire H-8?
Yes, we're ready.
The drexel students
became an integral part of the brigade.
This is J-8 coming up first.
- Yes, please. - All right.
The burrito...
Is it?
And more importantly,
Greg got what he always wanted:
His family's support and his wife Mary
back as a true partner.
I have you back. I have the Zocalo back.
I am so proud of what we've achieved together
as a family.
As long as we stick together,
it's gonna be a fun ride.
Sync and corrected by dr.jackson for www.addic7ed.com