Hotel Hell (2012) s03e07 Episode Script
Beachfront Inn & Inlet
1 (Gordon) I'm in Florida to help a struggling hotel on the beach.
A young owner at the helm who has no control over his staff.
What is that? Oh, boy.
Why it's like that, I have no idea.
(Gordon) I'm faced with many challenging situations.
It stinks in here.
The place is filthy.
Really bad.
And I'm unsure if I can turn this place around.
Your chef has shut down.
I can't work like this.
I want to go now.
I want to get the [bleep.]
out of here.
[calm piano music.]
Midway between Orlando and Miami, on Florida's Atlantic coast, lies the small town of Fort Pierce, home to the Beachfront Inn and Inlet.
Owner Brian Paul opened it in 2012 after running his family's successful local fish market with his brother.
My job before the Inlet was the CEO the head of my dad's fish market.
My dad ran a business like a real leader.
He had so many friends.
Pillar of the community.
Everybody loved him, and I always knew as a child I wanted to have my own place.
(Liza) I think Brian has a lot of schooling under his belt.
I'm not exactly sure that he has any hotel experience.
Brian as an owner is physically here sometimes.
He just, like, kind of wanders around.
(Joey) Brian is a little too easygoing.
If it was me, I'd have my hands, nose, eyes, and ears in everything, and I don't see him doing that.
(Liza) Brian definitely has a lot of friends that work here, some of which have taken advantage of him in the past.
I believe that Chef Ben probably has taken the most advantage of him.
- I want a beer.
- Ooh, yeah.
We're having a tasty beer tonight, boys.
Yeah! Ben is an awesome guy.
I've known him forever.
We've been friends forever.
I give him plenty of space.
I help him, whatever he needs, but I don't muddle in his affairs down there.
(James) I think that the issue here has been a lack of consistency with our food, and I mean, that directly has to be attributed to the executive chef.
You know, his name is Ben.
(Ben) I feel like the Inlet and the Beachfront both lack direction.
We're trying to be too many things at once: a nightclub, a bar, a restaurant, a hotel, a wedding venue, a concert venue, a place to do your Christmas party at.
I mean argh.
(Joey) No military secret: we have some guests and employees hooting and hollering till the wee hours of the morning, and that's out of control.
That's got to stop.
It's bad for business.
Brian has to refund hotel guests' money 'cause of the noise complaints.
(Liza) I think this place has so much potential so much to offer.
We don't want to see it fail.
We don't want to see Brian fail.
He definitely needs to step up and help us all out to help him.
He needs to grab those reins and start seeing the damage that's happening and start fixing it.
[upbeat music.]
Today I'm in the beautiful coastal town of Fort Pierce, Florida.
Just looking around, you're surrounded by stunning beaches.
Marina's full of deep sea fishing boats.
This place is gorgeous.
Look at this place.
It looks like the hotel is closed down.
- Hello, anybody in? - Welcome.
- Thank you.
- How are you? I'm very well indeed, thank you.
First name is - Liza good to meet you.
- Liza, good to see you.
How are you doing today? Whose is this? The boss man caught it.
And where's the other half gone? Maybe they ate it.
I don't know.
Belt, a pair of shoes Couldn't tell you.
It is a little weird.
What do you use it for? I don't use it for anything, actually.
Wow, and what's that up there? That was here when I got here, believe it or not.
- That's for sale? - Apparently so, yes.
So he went onto the beach, picked up some driftwood, and then dipped it in some varnish? - Yup.
- Oof.
- $22.
- Mm-hmm.
- Stop.
- Same as that one over there.
- No.
- [laughing.]
- Insane, no? - [laughing.]
Have you sold any of these? - No.
- Never? - Never.
- Seriously? And how much for the T-shirts? Between $12 for employees and $18 for guests.
So staff have to pay for their own T-shirts? Yes.
And for the guests they're $18? Yes.
Wow, so when was the last time you sold a T-shirt? I sell them every day, but mostly to the employees.
- The employees.
- Yes.
How long have you been here? The establishment's been here almost three years.
I've been here almost three years as well.
What's wrong with it, from your point of view? Noise levels, you know, especially the one directly above the restaurant that What kind of noise? You probably don't want to hear.
'Cause it's not the The music and the people, the foot traffic Wow, wow.
Everybody hanging out at the bar and things of that nature.
So that goes on directly underneath? Yes, mm-hmm.
They end up being refunded, and then they end up putting us on blast on all of these, you know, websites and social media and just bad reviews left and right.
- Housekeeping, come back.
- What's that for? To touch base with the housekeepers.
Wow.
Can I have a quick word? Um, just out of interest it's Gordon here.
I've just checked in.
How far away are the [bleep.]
rooms? I mean, you sound like you're miles away.
Hello? Madam? [laughing.]
You scared her.
- So room 16? - Yes, sir.
And where is it please, darling? I'm going to direct you.
Right this way.
- What's that thing there? - We grill our wings on it.
- You grill your wings on it? - Yes.
How often do you grill wings in there? Every stinking day.
Wow.
[bleep.]
In fact, I think there's a wing left in there.
When was that grilled? Chances are, it could have been yesterday.
Those are the extra crispy ones.
And who's responsible for this? The kitchen handles all of this end of it, of course.
You found another char-broiled? And these were done yesterday? I believe so.
And they cook every day on here? Yes.
And are the customers still alive? - [laughing.]
- [bleep.]
Right, room 16.
- Let's go.
- Yes, sir.
(Liza) This is your Caribbean building.
The Caribbean? Caribbean, Caribbean, yes.
Uh-uh.
And what part of this resembles the Caribbean? I think it's more so because of the view.
- Oh, the view.
- You're right here, sir.
Thank you very much.
You're very welcome.
Enjoy.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Wow.
[sniffs.]
Whew.
[sighs.]
Look at this.
Wow.
It stinks in here.
There's a very sort of damp, musty smell.
Bloody hell.
Oh, the bed feels like it's 15 years old.
Oh, it smells.
Curtains are terrible.
Ugh.
The place is filthy.
Really bad.
That's a little disgusting.
$180 a night for this [bleep.]
.
Ugh.
Wow.
Minibar consisting of absolutely [bleep.]
all.
Freezer over-frozen and defrosted about 10 years ago.
What a mess.
(Gordon) I know when I'm coming to fix a business they have various issues.
But right now, with the information I have, I am not impressed with how Brian, as an owner, is operating this hotel.
- Hello.
- Hello, welcome to the Inlet.
- So you must be Brian.
- I am, sir.
The hotelier and the 34-year-old.
- I do it all.
- You do it all.
Is that what you are, seriously? - 34? - Right.
You know what? I'm 33.
I work so hard, I think I just thought I was 34.
You're 33? [bleep.]
me.
Did you call this building the Caribbean? Yes.
Have you ever been to the Caribbean? - Yeah.
- Which part? Uh, Bahamas.
And this has been modeled on the Bahamas? Correct.
Do you smoke when you're in the Bahamas? You know what that I've tried a couple times, surely.
Okay.
Stop.
Yeah.
[laughing.]
What hotel in the Caribbean or the Bahamas were you running before you bought this one? So I've just visited the Caribbean.
I've never ran a hotel in the Caribbean.
So you just go buy yourself a 25-bedroom hotel on the beach with a bar and All I knew how to do was run a fish market when I opened this Fish market? And I built it from the scratch from the ground up.
So the fish it's fresh? - Obviously from the market.
- They're so fresh.
Right, I'd better jump in.
Can I show you to your table? Yes, why not? Yeah.
- Table for you right here.
- Excellent.
- Thank you.
- May I? Please.
I'm excited for the fresh fish.
It's so surreal, bro.
Gordon Ramsay's in the dining room.
What's with the nametags? I mean you're the owner, right? I think I should lead by example, so I like to wear mine.
That way if I tell them that they need to wear them, then they can't say, "Well, Brian, you don't wear yours.
" Brian, I'm starving.
I am starving.
I'm gonna get you some food right away.
I'm going to get you a great server.
Okay, great.
- How are you? - How you doing? - Good.
- Nice to see you.
- My name's Kelly.
- Kelly, how long you been here? I've been here about a year.
Nice, and why do the staff have to buy their T-shirts? I don't know.
I was never told.
Even our first shirts our nametags.
- You buy your nametag as well? - Yeah.
We have to pay, like, $8.
Never seen that before? $8 a nametag, $12 a T-shirt That's $20 before you can [bleep.]
work.
- Wow.
- Mm-hmm.
As I look at their menu, I notice it's absolutely massive, so I decided to order the chicken wings which honestly I wasn't surprised when they were dry.
Then I had the lobster mac and cheese, which technically isn't mac and cheese, because they use penne pasta, but the worst part of my lunch was the tuna burger which I knew wasn't quite right.
Is that fresh? - It is frozen.
- Oh, it's frozen? - Yes.
- Hold on.
You said fish market, fresh fish daily.
Frozen fish, fresh fish.
What's going on? We use frozen sometimes, sure.
And you have a fish market that you buy from? Yeah, yep, yeah.
Um, I'm confused.
Ever since about four months ago, everything was fresh everything.
I ran up a little bit of a bill with my brother, so we cut back, and we started ordering some of the frozen stuff from some of the purveyors.
- And what's the feedback? - We get some negative feedback.
He hasn't had one nice thing to say.
I know it's a blow to the ego, but you knew it was going to be something.
I didn't think it was going to be everything.
Explain this monstrosity.
What in the [bleep.]
is going on here? - This is our kiosk.
- Kiosk? An effort to have products for all sorts of people.
- Right, so beach towels - Volleyballs, beanbags Volleyballs, T-shirts, sick bags.
How busy is this? How well's it going? Honestly, it doesn't do that good.
How many beach towels have you sold? Not too many beach towels.
- All right, show me one.
- All right.
- I'll be right back.
- I'd love to see one.
Please.
What a [bleep.]
disaster.
[laughing.]
We're on the beach, and we don't have towels.
What is wrong with this picture? - How was lunch? - It was okay? Okay? Okay's not good enough.
(Gordon) Ah, thought we'd lost you.
Thank you very much.
Whenever you're ready to go to the beach.
Whenever I'm ready to go to the beach.
Wow, how many do you have in stock? One.
You got it.
That's the one.
Okay, can you charge that to my room please? - Yes, I will.
- So we're sold out now? - Yes.
- Yeah.
Wow.
Jeez.
At lunch, I was very disappointed that Brian falsely advertises fresh fish on his menu.
I want to learn more about how involved he is as an owner during an evening at the Beachfront.
Checking in.
Susan Addison.
Can I go ahead and start you off with something to drink? Okay.
Smoke 'em if you got 'em.
- Okay, Ben.
- Hey, Chef.
Just give us a little, quick run-through how the line works.
Well, normally I run the pass and expo.
- Right.
- Chef, I'll take care of this.
Boom, boom, boom.
He usually passes to the sauté guy and then the fry guy.
Working with Ben, I can't really tell you what he does.
- Where's Brian? - Don't know, Chef.
(Joey) And Brian will just avoid him, instead of trying to get to the root of the problem, and I think that in itself is a problem.
How long have you been here? Since last December.
Oh, wow, so you've been here a long time? Yeah.
In your mind, what do you think the major problems are? Lack of consistency, as a matter of fact, and lack of structure.
- Yeah, I saw that lunchtime.
- Yeah.
I found out about the fish not being so fresh, so How can you not sell fresh fish when you're on the beach? That's our motto: "fresh fish.
" So how many of them do you think understand that we're selling frozen fish? - They probably don't.
- No? 'Cause I don't think the servers are telling them.
No meanwhile the customers disappear.
- Yeah.
- Thank you great update.
- Yeah, thank you.
- Thank you.
Brian, how many of these customers in tonight know that you're selling frozen food? You know, they don't really know how the market works, so probably none of them.
They don't know how the market works? They don't understand that.
- How are you? - Good, how are you? Do you think we're going to be serving frozen food tonight or fresh fish? - Fresh.
- Fresh.
- Why fresh? - Well, we're on the beach and Well, why don't you explain to them tonight that you changed things four months ago, and we're not serving fresh fish anymore? We're serving frozen.
Man up.
So, uh, just a few months ago, we switched from some of our fresh products to some frozen seafood products.
- Why would you do that? - They're quality products.
They just aren't the best of quality that you would expect from, you know, the Pelican Seafood Market.
They're quality frozen products.
Yeah, it's a cost thing, so When I come out to somewhere like this, where being on the beach Of course.
I would hope to have fresh fish.
Where is this [bleep.]
freezer? Is it round here where you keep the frozen? Right down here, Gordon.
Let's have a look.
So this is the frozen bit here.
What's that? Frozen avocado.
Are we not in Florida? And you can't make fresh avocado? Dude, this is [bleep.]
.
Where's the freezer? - Main walk-in.
- Wow, wow, wow.
When was the last time you were in here? I come in here once a week at least, and I kind of, you know Once a week? Just kind of look around or whatever.
What is this? Wow.
Oh, man.
Look at them.
The water's gone slimy.
And you come in here once a week? Yeah.
What is that? Oh, boy.
[bleep.]
.
The hell? What is that? Piña colada.
Piña colada? Why it's like that, I have no idea.
It's festered, it's off it's bubbling.
Oh, man.
- That's terrible.
- [bleep.]
.
Trash, please.
Trash.
James? Trash, please.
- Now.
- Piña colada.
Right down the drain.
By the bucket load in the walk-in fridge.
I mean, who in the hell operates like this? Gordon, this is Chef Ben's job.
- He's the executive chef.
- The executive chef.
And you made him that executive chef, right? Sure I did.
How do you feel now? What's that? - Tuna burger.
- That's from the burger? - Yes, it is.
- Oh, my God.
- Seriously? - Bacon.
It's gone, and it's off.
Fresh produce on top of old produce moldy.
And this one? - Rib eye.
- Rib eye defrosting.
What is this? Those are the smoked grilled chicken wings before they go onto the char grill.
Oh, my God, and what is in this one? You are kidding me.
So underneath in that bucket's what? - Cooked product.
- Cooked chicken.
- Mm-hmm.
- And on top of it is what? It's raw.
Raw chicken on top of cooked chicken.
I had them for lunch.
I am at a [bleep.]
loss.
Do you know the best way out of this is just to shut the place down? That's not an option for me.
What's that in there, Ben? Those are marinated chicken wings.
- Yeah.
- To be smoked.
Underneath next box Those are smoked.
Rule number [bleep.]
one, Ben.
I know, Chef.
I didn't do it.
You know, I turn my back for a minute, and this is the kind of [bleep.]
that happens.
I walked in, and it was bedlam.
Mm-hmm.
He's telling me this is your fault.
You've got no idea.
I am at an absolute [bleep.]
loss.
I can't work like this.
This is huge.
You now are running a restaurant cross-contaminated.
Joey? - Yes, Chef? - Who's responsible for this? We all are.
The entire kitchen is, Chef.
Rule number one: you can't put hot food in a [bleep.]
walk-in.
It doesn't even go together.
No, not at all.
Nowhere near each other.
I guarantee you when it was put in there, after I marinated, that they weren't shuffled.
I can give you 12 more issues in there that are bad.
I mean, you are heading for a [bleep.]
massive disaster.
I mean, who the hell put them on top of the other ones? Everybody in here knows better.
Brian, if I knew Haven't you trained everybody to know that? - I mean - Yeah.
(Gordon) All I'm getting right now is excuses.
The kitchen needs direction from the chef.
The staff need direction from the owner, and you're buddies.
Can someone come up with a [bleep.]
solution? I'm going to go and 86 the wings.
(Gordon) Sort it out quickly.
Come on, guys.
(Ben) 86 wings.
Someone put raw [bleep.]
chicken wings on top of the cooked ones.
It wasn't me.
Somebody else did it.
86 wings is the only thing I can do right now.
What in the [bleep.]
is going on? I was baffled and amazed.
The words out of Ben's mouth were, "Oh, I clean that cooler regularly every day.
" You want me to go in there, and pull everything out, and clean it? That is not your job, to wipe the [bleep.]
of an executive chef.
I know that.
There were weeks he wouldn't show up but maybe three days a week.
Well, why didn't Brian step up? Brian he may be oblivious to some of this stuff.
They've known each other since they were young guys, you know.
This is crazy so Ben goes AWOL, Brian does nothing about it.
The place starts falling apart, and then he just steps back in when he wants.
Pretty much.
Pretty much.
Well, if this was your business, you wouldn't tolerate that.
No, I would have fired Ben a long time ago.
I was all for firing Ben two months ago, so I mean No excuse for that walk-in like that, so I'm sorry, I just couldn't hold back anymore.
He doesn't come He doesn't come to work.
That's the reason why it looks like that, okay? That's absolutely the reason why.
If he's here by 12:00, and he leaves by 5:00, we're lucky.
I'm just I'm not going to lie.
James is telling me the truth.
I'm here to tell you the truth as well.
You're not telling me the truth.
I promise you I'm going to tell you the truth.
The only way to really, truly identify a chef, before you even taste his food, is open up his walk-in.
That speaks volumes for any chef.
He's a chef that's given up and going through the motions.
Sometimes I feel that way.
We've been through a lot.
I know he's got a lot on his plate.
He's incompetent, and he's taking your [bleep.]
business down.
You know, I don't think he's incompetent.
You're [bleep.]
mad, and the sad thing is that your staff, and your management, and your team see it.
And you're the only person that doesn't know what's going on.
And it's the way you want to run your business? - Yeah.
- Ugh.
You do not need my help.
(announcer) What's up, party people? [laidback rock music.]
The words you left behind Wow.
That's loud, that music.
- It is loud.
- Oh, man.
How are you doing? I just need a little piece and quiet.
Oh, not a problem.
- That's crazy, you know? - Yes, it is.
I mean, it's like the blind leading the blind in there, because there's no discipline.
- That I do know.
- Ben's checked out.
Brian's never checked in, and they're all blaming each other.
Yeah, I do know there's no discipline.
There's no communication.
There's none of it.
No what's the problem with him stepping up and dealing with issues? Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he's not fully experienced in certain departments? No, no.
Are they hosting concerts? Is it a frat party hangout? Is it a college? I mean, how can they call themselves a hotel? That's the difference.
That's the part that we need to try to separate, and I've been saying it for a while.
- Yeah.
- I'm sorry, excuse me.
Good evening.
Beachfront Inn.
Liza speaking.
How can I help you? (caller) Hi, Liza.
We're in room 20, and there's a lot of dust, and it smells like smoke.
And my friend here Gloria's having a really bad reaction.
She had to take steroids, and it's supposed to be a non-smoking room.
- Damn.
- I'll be right with you.
Brian, there's two guests who've checked in upstairs.
Okay.
She's got an issue with an allergy, 'cause her room stinks of smoke.
It'd be nice if you just come up and see them or try and calm the situation down.
So the lady's got an allergy, and she's already had to take her steroids, and her eyes are streaming, and she's not very happy.
Okay.
- Hello.
- Hello.
(Gordon) So are you okay? - Yeah, I'm fine.
- You sure? Any issues? - Water all over the floor.
- Sorry? We had water all over the floor.
- Water all over the floor? - The refrigerator.
There's water on the floor in the room.
- Oh, no, really? - Yeah.
I just cleaned it up with a towel, yeah.
I'm sorry.
Damn.
I walked in.
It was completely all the way to the bed.
Wow, let's, uh let's come back.
I want to see that well, the lady.
Her eyes are streaming.
(Brian) Do excuse us.
(Gordon) Ladies? Are you decent? - I'm sorry.
- Sorry.
I've got the owner here.
I think we've figured out what that smell is.
- Oh, really? - There's all dust inside.
(Gordon) Oh, [bleep.]
, there you go.
It's just my eyes are tearing.
(Gordon) When was that cleaned last? That's really a daily thing that Daily? Yeah should be.
Sure, yeah.
Absolutely.
That is not daily.
Look at that.
That's why.
[bleep.]
almighty.
No wonder the poor lady's broken out.
It's, like, the back of my throat is all scratchy.
Is there an alternative room we can use for the ladies? I'll double-check right away.
Have a drink downstairs, a little bite to eat but we can sort something out.
Okay.
[sighs.]
What a night.
The big problem here is that there's no direction for the hotel, for the restaurant, for the gazebo not even for the car park.
Ben is like a headless chicken that's checked out, and Brian's like this scared school kid that is not qualified to run a [bleep.]
beach bar, let alone a hotel on a beach.
So [sighs.]
This is bad.
This is really grim.
Brian, am I wrong? I feel like we blew it tonight.
No, man, it's just it is what it is, you know.
We don't, uh don't worry, man.
[loud rock music.]
Oh, for God's sake.
(Gordon) After a very frustrating night, I woke up this morning hopeful that Brian would be eager to admit his faults at the Beachfront.
That wasn't the case.
Even after a staff meeting, none of the problems are sinking in with Brian.
So I reached out to his brother Eric who is continuing to fund the business, and I'm hoping Brian can start to see the damage he has done.
Hey, what's up, guys? (Gordon) Thanks for coming in.
Why is Ramsay here? Your brother just asked you a question.
Why did you call me here? I've got a lot of issues that I need to take care of.
You don't look like a man that's in pain.
You don't look like a man that's struggling.
You don't look like a man that's lost control.
You look like you're bouncing around having fun.
The business is hurting.
You're hurting your brother's business, and you're not realizing it.
It does reach a ceiling where Brian, you're going to have to get cut off.
I will I'll respect it, but you got to let me know how much time, and I'll make it.
I'll make it.
Two more months, and then that's it.
Two months.
Here's my promise.
I will focus so hard, and I will be able to pay you in eight weeks.
I'll pay you in eight weeks.
I'll pay you in eight weeks.
30 grand.
You got to y-you you got to give me 90 days.
I mean, you got to give me 90 days.
He's just given you eight weeks.
You've just asked for 12 weeks.
You can't continue depending on your little brother's cash to float your dreams.
I just need you to make sure not to screw this one up again.
I'm not going to screw it up.
I'm not convinced.
No, no, no.
You're lucky he's your [bleep.]
brother.
Eric, I got you.
- Eight months - Eight weeks.
Eight weeks, or you're cut off.
That's all there is to it, man.
[sighs.]
How important is your reputation to you? That's the most important thing in my world.
And on a scale of 1 to 10, your reputation in this town now? I give myself a good 8.
- A good 8? - A good - A strong 8? - Absolutely.
So these are customers that have gone out of their way to spend their hard-earned cash supporting your business.
You must recognize a few of these faces.
Absolutely I do.
Let's start off with the lady in the blue shirt.
You know her very well.
- Hey, Blythe.
- Hi, Brian.
How do you know each other? I market Brian.
You're a spokesperson for that business? Yes.
Can you be honest with this one? Yes, I can.
The service is very bad.
I've brought people here.
I've been up at the bar myself trying to order even just a water.
That's been tough.
Do you not listen to the advice, in terms of sloppy service? I absolutely I listen.
I do listen.
I do listen.
I do listen.
Do you offload that to your team? No, I don't.
I don't.
So that's why it's not dealt with.
Your experience? We ordered a chicken sandwich.
When the chicken sandwich came out, it was raw.
It was raw, and it was mushy in the middle.
I could have got sick from that.
And I love your bar, because I can come here late night, and I can get free drinks.
Two for me and two for my buddy, and pay for one.
We got five.
Wow, unbelievable.
Sir? My first experience here was a Super Bowl party that you advertised and I actually had some out-of-town guests.
Food was very mediocre.
The crab cakes were like sawdust.
They were horrible that night.
After the game was over, a couple rowdy fans started a little brawl.
- We had drinks thrown on us.
- Wow.
The other thing I'd like to say is if I'm staying on the ocean, I love to fall asleep with the window open and hear the ocean.
You can't do that here.
You hear music all night long.
I honestly stayed here myself once.
I tried to call down, because our sheets were dirty.
You couldn't even call.
Like, nobody answered.
And literally, I think the biggest problem for me is the mixed message.
It's like, are you a bar, or are you a restaurant? Because we're paying $150 for dinner.
However, there's people walking in, in bikinis, drunk.
Damn.
Listen, this feedback has been crucial.
Anything you'd like to say? Thank you guys.
You guys rock, man.
- Hey, man, thanks.
- Thank you.
I'm telling you, I'll make you proud.
- I promise you.
- All right.
Brian, let's have a little word.
Let's go.
It's not a time for high-fiving.
[bleep.]
, I'm embarrassed.
What the [bleep.]
are you hugging them for? I know that they care.
I do know they care.
A raw chicken sandwich? That's not an eight.
That is not an 8 out of 10.
Do you think they're set up? Do you think this is a TV show, and we're just going to spout off? These people aren't exaggerating.
They're real.
They're real customers.
You're turning into a laughingstock.
Yeah, I know.
It's not good.
The jury is out with me.
I've never come this far and still sat on the fence in an undecided way.
But [bleep.]
listen up, and listen carefully.
The partying, the free-for-all "I'm paying for one drink.
They're giving me five.
" In front of your eyes.
Tomorrow you turn up here looking like an owner.
Understood.
You've got a lot on your plate, but get your head out the [bleep.]
clouds, and get real.
[bleep.]
off.
I've got this, Gordon.
I'll show you.
(Gordon) Even though I wasn't won over by Brian's commitment, I went ahead and designed a new concept for the Beachfront.
My team and I completely overhauled the rooms and added a beach club to the unused outdoor space.
I'm really hoping Brian can see the potential he has to offer.
- Good morning.
- Good morning.
Well, I wish it was a good morning.
What did I ask you to come in to work today? What did I say? What was the one thing I said to you? Come in as a - Boss.
- A boss.
Right now, you look like a towel boy.
I mean, sunglasses round your neck.
Badge on there.
Shorts on there.
Who are you? Give me the name badge.
Stand out from the crowd.
You're the owner.
I've had a really rough night, and so has my team.
Get out of here, get changed, and come back like an owner.
Now [bleep.]
off.
Ready.
- Honestly.
- Gordon Hurry up.
No, no, no, no.
I'm not listening.
Gordon, I'm coming back like a boss.
I'm ready to make this whole Fort Pierce community Gordon Get out of here.
Seatbelt on.
No doors and no seatbelt.
Oh, my God.
- I'll be I'll be back.
- "I'll be back.
" And I'll be ready.
[dramatic music.]
(Gordon) Brian returned looking like an owner, and I'm hoping that translates into his role as a boss.
Let's go Joey, quickstep.
- Let's go.
- Wow.
It's time to reveal to Brian and his staff the newly renovated Beachfront Inn and Inlet.
Oh, my God.
Wow! (Liza) This is what I envisioned.
- Wow.
- Wow, wow, wow.
(Gordon) First of all, this is not the spring break hangout that's gone wrong.
This is a proper beachfront room.
(Brian) Sweet.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah.
(Brian) It's the Inlet.
(Joey) It's home.
(Liza) Whoa, the floor.
(Brian) Love it it's perfect.
You've got a tangible asset here that can help lift this business, and more importantly, start making money.
Awesome.
Brian, you need to get a grip of this business, and you need to realize, you know, what's at stake here.
I need to be convinced.
I need to see you stepping up as a boss.
Ben and Joey, we're re-launching that restaurant tonight, so I'm going to go through that menu.
Return downstairs, get organized, and start finding your way.
- Let's go.
- Oh, man.
(Gordon) After observing dinner service, I saw the Beachfront kitchen wasn't set up to handle such a massive menu.
So I redesigned a smaller menu that is easy for Ben to execute.
Okay, guys.
Small menu.
Let's run from the top.
Appetizers.
Lobster mac and cheese done with the correct pasta, Ben.
Steamed clams again, great sharing for the table.
Wings off the smoker, so it stays nice and crisp, and a chicken Cobb salad.
Entrées: pan-seared scallops.
Easy.
Three sears.
Ahi tuna fresh.
And then, of course, the mahimahi.
It's small, it's inviting, and tonight I've just been told that we've got the mayor in for dinner.
One person we can reach out to, to send the message back in the community, "This is it.
" - Dig in.
- (Liza) Mmm, mmm, mmm.
That sauce is fabulous.
Oh, my God.
Wow.
(Gordon) It's time to re-launch the Beachfront.
I've put a plan in place, and I'm really hoping Brian can finally show me that he's ready to run his business.
(Brian) All right, everybody.
Listen up.
Tonight is a big service.
There's not many opportunities like this.
You have to take advantage of it.
I need you guys all to get together right now and bring it in.
One, two, three go, Inlet! [cheering.]
(Gordon) Brian, Brian.
Let's just get real for a couple of seconds, yeah? Yup yes, sir.
You forgot the [bleep.]
most important thing tonight.
Who is in for dinner tonight? You haven't even told the staff.
Possibly the most important person in this town.
We have the mayor in tonight, you guys.
The mayor, and that's just not something that happens every [bleep.]
week.
You have to bring it together tonight.
You have to work as a team.
Sort it out, guys.
We're opening in five minutes.
(Brian) Come on.
[dramatic music.]
- Checking in? - Checking in.
- All right.
- Welcome to the Inlet.
Good evening, good evening.
- This is lovely.
- Enjoy dinner.
An amazing array of appetizers, and the entrées are to die for.
Tortoise and the hare.
Slow and steady wins the race.
- So first ticket on, yes? - Yeah.
Good.
(Liza) Hi, how are you? Welcome to the Inlet.
- Hi, guys.
- Just the two of us today? It's the mayor.
Okay, yeah, that's the mayor.
Now where are you sitting her? Come on, where? - Well, they were going to - Well, give her a choice.
"Would you like to sit inside or outside?" It's her choice.
Welcome.
How are you? Thank you for coming in.
- So nice to see you.
- Thank you guys.
- Thank you.
- It's an absolute pleasure.
I'll leave you in the hands of our manager-owner Brian.
Follow me, guys.
Welcome.
John, good to see you, sir.
Likewise.
Okay, guys.
All right, mayor.
Wherever you'd like inside.
I got a chicken burger ready at your leisure.
Chicken burger? Ben, has Brian told you the mayor's in? No, he has not.
Unreal.
Brian, your chef doesn't even know the mayor's in.
Ah.
You don't think he deserves to know? - Yes, he does.
- Come on.
- Come on, then.
- Ben? - Yes? - The mayor's in at table seven.
- Heard, table seven.
- Inside.
Am I good, Ben? I've got that blackened chicken for you.
Thanks for your [bleep.]
help.
(Joey) Ben, you need to be the captain, and right now I'm not convinced.
Let's get serious about this business and do this.
Is the mayor's order in? Have they set their appetizers yet? (Gina) Yes, it is.
Are they have they hit the table? (Gina) No, I put their food in.
He wanted the salad and the fried calamari, and she wanted the mahi.
Mahi okay, great.
So again, check it.
That's your hot ticket tonight.
Do you know what's happening in your kitchen at the moment? No, look at me.
Do you know what's happening in there? You haven't got a [bleep.]
clue.
You have to get into the kitchen.
Find out what's going on.
Let's go.
Look behind you.
Ow, I burned my forehead.
- Oh, man.
- Excuse me.
What did you guys order? Um, I got the mahimahi and a salad, and he got an appetizer.
The mayor is the only person sat with nothing in front of her.
- Yeah.
- Please.
All right, two tunas.
Can I have table 15's appetizers ASAP? It's the mayor.
- 15? - 15.
- I was told seven.
- [bleep.]
Sorry, miscommunication.
- They're sat on 15, right? - I made a mistake.
It's 15.
Okay, I need two half salads right now, before anything else.
Right this second.
(Joey) Brian didn't know what table the mayor was at.
It seems like the biggest thing Brian changed was his wardrobe.
Two halves are in the window.
Two halves need to go 15.
Have you seen the salads? - No.
- Ben.
- Yes, sir? - You need to see that.
You need to taste that and see everything he's doing there.
Terry, it's too much dressing, bro.
- Redo it.
- His salad's overdressed.
It's soggy as [bleep.]
.
Wrong dressing.
- Ben? - Yes, sir? What I need to hear is a bit of a voice.
If we go silent, we'll go down.
(Gordon) For tonight's re-launch of the Beachfront Salad's overdressed.
Soggy as [bleep.]
.
Wrong dressing.
I was really hoping Brian would step up as an owner, given that I'd put everything in place for him to succeed.
[bleep.]
.
Damn it.
But his lack of focus has me really worried that he's not fit to run this place.
Come on, Brian.
Chef Ben? Five (Gordon) Come here.
Come here.
Let's go.
Your chef has shut down.
- I didn't realize it.
- You didn't realize.
So the first two salads for the mayor had the wrong dressing on and were overdressed.
I said, "Have you tasted them?" He said no.
So he hasn't got your back.
When's that penny going to drop that you're going to turn the corner? We'll watch Ben.
If he doesn't come out of it, we'll switch him and Joey.
Will you? How many guacamoles you guys got on there? - Okay, okay.
- Eight.
Chicken, 30 seconds.
Give me a time on the mayor's table please, Ben.
- Table 15? - Yeah, the mayor's table.
We sold it.
Calamari and a mahi.
Did you see it before it went? I sure did.
I plated everything.
The mayor hasn't got the [bleep.]
food.
Brian, Brian.
- Urgently come here.
- Yes? So Ben's told me the [bleep.]
mayor's got their food.
- Right.
- And look at the mayor's table.
There's nothing on there.
Now look at me look now.
Hey, we're about to go down here.
And I'm going to get in my [bleep.]
car, and I'm going to get the [bleep.]
out of here if you don't get a grip, 'cause this is a [bleep.]
joke.
Now you better get in there and tell your executive chef Ben that the mayor hasn't got their food and find out where the [bleep.]
it is.
Ben, the mayor has not gotten her food.
- I put it in the window.
- Where is the mayor's food? I'll make it right now.
I'll make it right now.
Let's try the mayor's food again.
(Gina) I need a Caesar now.
Order up.
- Thank you.
- Where's that going? 51.
Come here, you.
What is that? - Undercooked.
- That is undercooked? Young lady, come here.
What does that chicken look like to you? It looks blackened and dry.
Thank you.
So it's dry.
Young lady, how would you describe that chicken? It looks kind of dry.
- Very dry.
- Very dry.
Now you're not even a chef, are you? Mm-mm, no.
Never cooked.
- How old are you? - I'm 20.
20.
Thanks, darling.
So for a 20-year-old server who's never cooked, even she spotted it's dry, and you're saying it's raw.
Let me tell you something, and listen carefully.
I'm going.
I'm packing my bags, 'cause that is the worst thing you've said all week.
It's overcooked, and it's dry, and then you you tell me it's raw.
Good night.
I'm done.
[suspenseful music.]
[sighs.]
That is unreal.
I mean, I am so pissed off.
I can't give that guy any more advice.
I can't continue to tell him to step up and make decisions.
He has a chef in there that's just riding him and riding the business.
And when you're weak, you've got no chance of running a business.
And what a shame.
Un-[bleep.]
-real.
Hot and coming around.
(Gordon) I never like to leave a business, but Brian simply wasn't listening.
He missed the deadline paying his brother back, and while it's been a slow process, my advice finally started to sink in.
Four months after I left, he made a decision to let Chef Ben go and hired a brand new kitchen staff.
On the hotel side, Brian has made the guests a priority, giving the curfew to the nighttime entertainment.
Hopefully now with Brian stepping up like a boss, he can lead the Beachfront Inn the right direction.
A young owner at the helm who has no control over his staff.
What is that? Oh, boy.
Why it's like that, I have no idea.
(Gordon) I'm faced with many challenging situations.
It stinks in here.
The place is filthy.
Really bad.
And I'm unsure if I can turn this place around.
Your chef has shut down.
I can't work like this.
I want to go now.
I want to get the [bleep.]
out of here.
[calm piano music.]
Midway between Orlando and Miami, on Florida's Atlantic coast, lies the small town of Fort Pierce, home to the Beachfront Inn and Inlet.
Owner Brian Paul opened it in 2012 after running his family's successful local fish market with his brother.
My job before the Inlet was the CEO the head of my dad's fish market.
My dad ran a business like a real leader.
He had so many friends.
Pillar of the community.
Everybody loved him, and I always knew as a child I wanted to have my own place.
(Liza) I think Brian has a lot of schooling under his belt.
I'm not exactly sure that he has any hotel experience.
Brian as an owner is physically here sometimes.
He just, like, kind of wanders around.
(Joey) Brian is a little too easygoing.
If it was me, I'd have my hands, nose, eyes, and ears in everything, and I don't see him doing that.
(Liza) Brian definitely has a lot of friends that work here, some of which have taken advantage of him in the past.
I believe that Chef Ben probably has taken the most advantage of him.
- I want a beer.
- Ooh, yeah.
We're having a tasty beer tonight, boys.
Yeah! Ben is an awesome guy.
I've known him forever.
We've been friends forever.
I give him plenty of space.
I help him, whatever he needs, but I don't muddle in his affairs down there.
(James) I think that the issue here has been a lack of consistency with our food, and I mean, that directly has to be attributed to the executive chef.
You know, his name is Ben.
(Ben) I feel like the Inlet and the Beachfront both lack direction.
We're trying to be too many things at once: a nightclub, a bar, a restaurant, a hotel, a wedding venue, a concert venue, a place to do your Christmas party at.
I mean argh.
(Joey) No military secret: we have some guests and employees hooting and hollering till the wee hours of the morning, and that's out of control.
That's got to stop.
It's bad for business.
Brian has to refund hotel guests' money 'cause of the noise complaints.
(Liza) I think this place has so much potential so much to offer.
We don't want to see it fail.
We don't want to see Brian fail.
He definitely needs to step up and help us all out to help him.
He needs to grab those reins and start seeing the damage that's happening and start fixing it.
[upbeat music.]
Today I'm in the beautiful coastal town of Fort Pierce, Florida.
Just looking around, you're surrounded by stunning beaches.
Marina's full of deep sea fishing boats.
This place is gorgeous.
Look at this place.
It looks like the hotel is closed down.
- Hello, anybody in? - Welcome.
- Thank you.
- How are you? I'm very well indeed, thank you.
First name is - Liza good to meet you.
- Liza, good to see you.
How are you doing today? Whose is this? The boss man caught it.
And where's the other half gone? Maybe they ate it.
I don't know.
Belt, a pair of shoes Couldn't tell you.
It is a little weird.
What do you use it for? I don't use it for anything, actually.
Wow, and what's that up there? That was here when I got here, believe it or not.
- That's for sale? - Apparently so, yes.
So he went onto the beach, picked up some driftwood, and then dipped it in some varnish? - Yup.
- Oof.
- $22.
- Mm-hmm.
- Stop.
- Same as that one over there.
- No.
- [laughing.]
- Insane, no? - [laughing.]
Have you sold any of these? - No.
- Never? - Never.
- Seriously? And how much for the T-shirts? Between $12 for employees and $18 for guests.
So staff have to pay for their own T-shirts? Yes.
And for the guests they're $18? Yes.
Wow, so when was the last time you sold a T-shirt? I sell them every day, but mostly to the employees.
- The employees.
- Yes.
How long have you been here? The establishment's been here almost three years.
I've been here almost three years as well.
What's wrong with it, from your point of view? Noise levels, you know, especially the one directly above the restaurant that What kind of noise? You probably don't want to hear.
'Cause it's not the The music and the people, the foot traffic Wow, wow.
Everybody hanging out at the bar and things of that nature.
So that goes on directly underneath? Yes, mm-hmm.
They end up being refunded, and then they end up putting us on blast on all of these, you know, websites and social media and just bad reviews left and right.
- Housekeeping, come back.
- What's that for? To touch base with the housekeepers.
Wow.
Can I have a quick word? Um, just out of interest it's Gordon here.
I've just checked in.
How far away are the [bleep.]
rooms? I mean, you sound like you're miles away.
Hello? Madam? [laughing.]
You scared her.
- So room 16? - Yes, sir.
And where is it please, darling? I'm going to direct you.
Right this way.
- What's that thing there? - We grill our wings on it.
- You grill your wings on it? - Yes.
How often do you grill wings in there? Every stinking day.
Wow.
[bleep.]
In fact, I think there's a wing left in there.
When was that grilled? Chances are, it could have been yesterday.
Those are the extra crispy ones.
And who's responsible for this? The kitchen handles all of this end of it, of course.
You found another char-broiled? And these were done yesterday? I believe so.
And they cook every day on here? Yes.
And are the customers still alive? - [laughing.]
- [bleep.]
Right, room 16.
- Let's go.
- Yes, sir.
(Liza) This is your Caribbean building.
The Caribbean? Caribbean, Caribbean, yes.
Uh-uh.
And what part of this resembles the Caribbean? I think it's more so because of the view.
- Oh, the view.
- You're right here, sir.
Thank you very much.
You're very welcome.
Enjoy.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Wow.
[sniffs.]
Whew.
[sighs.]
Look at this.
Wow.
It stinks in here.
There's a very sort of damp, musty smell.
Bloody hell.
Oh, the bed feels like it's 15 years old.
Oh, it smells.
Curtains are terrible.
Ugh.
The place is filthy.
Really bad.
That's a little disgusting.
$180 a night for this [bleep.]
.
Ugh.
Wow.
Minibar consisting of absolutely [bleep.]
all.
Freezer over-frozen and defrosted about 10 years ago.
What a mess.
(Gordon) I know when I'm coming to fix a business they have various issues.
But right now, with the information I have, I am not impressed with how Brian, as an owner, is operating this hotel.
- Hello.
- Hello, welcome to the Inlet.
- So you must be Brian.
- I am, sir.
The hotelier and the 34-year-old.
- I do it all.
- You do it all.
Is that what you are, seriously? - 34? - Right.
You know what? I'm 33.
I work so hard, I think I just thought I was 34.
You're 33? [bleep.]
me.
Did you call this building the Caribbean? Yes.
Have you ever been to the Caribbean? - Yeah.
- Which part? Uh, Bahamas.
And this has been modeled on the Bahamas? Correct.
Do you smoke when you're in the Bahamas? You know what that I've tried a couple times, surely.
Okay.
Stop.
Yeah.
[laughing.]
What hotel in the Caribbean or the Bahamas were you running before you bought this one? So I've just visited the Caribbean.
I've never ran a hotel in the Caribbean.
So you just go buy yourself a 25-bedroom hotel on the beach with a bar and All I knew how to do was run a fish market when I opened this Fish market? And I built it from the scratch from the ground up.
So the fish it's fresh? - Obviously from the market.
- They're so fresh.
Right, I'd better jump in.
Can I show you to your table? Yes, why not? Yeah.
- Table for you right here.
- Excellent.
- Thank you.
- May I? Please.
I'm excited for the fresh fish.
It's so surreal, bro.
Gordon Ramsay's in the dining room.
What's with the nametags? I mean you're the owner, right? I think I should lead by example, so I like to wear mine.
That way if I tell them that they need to wear them, then they can't say, "Well, Brian, you don't wear yours.
" Brian, I'm starving.
I am starving.
I'm gonna get you some food right away.
I'm going to get you a great server.
Okay, great.
- How are you? - How you doing? - Good.
- Nice to see you.
- My name's Kelly.
- Kelly, how long you been here? I've been here about a year.
Nice, and why do the staff have to buy their T-shirts? I don't know.
I was never told.
Even our first shirts our nametags.
- You buy your nametag as well? - Yeah.
We have to pay, like, $8.
Never seen that before? $8 a nametag, $12 a T-shirt That's $20 before you can [bleep.]
work.
- Wow.
- Mm-hmm.
As I look at their menu, I notice it's absolutely massive, so I decided to order the chicken wings which honestly I wasn't surprised when they were dry.
Then I had the lobster mac and cheese, which technically isn't mac and cheese, because they use penne pasta, but the worst part of my lunch was the tuna burger which I knew wasn't quite right.
Is that fresh? - It is frozen.
- Oh, it's frozen? - Yes.
- Hold on.
You said fish market, fresh fish daily.
Frozen fish, fresh fish.
What's going on? We use frozen sometimes, sure.
And you have a fish market that you buy from? Yeah, yep, yeah.
Um, I'm confused.
Ever since about four months ago, everything was fresh everything.
I ran up a little bit of a bill with my brother, so we cut back, and we started ordering some of the frozen stuff from some of the purveyors.
- And what's the feedback? - We get some negative feedback.
He hasn't had one nice thing to say.
I know it's a blow to the ego, but you knew it was going to be something.
I didn't think it was going to be everything.
Explain this monstrosity.
What in the [bleep.]
is going on here? - This is our kiosk.
- Kiosk? An effort to have products for all sorts of people.
- Right, so beach towels - Volleyballs, beanbags Volleyballs, T-shirts, sick bags.
How busy is this? How well's it going? Honestly, it doesn't do that good.
How many beach towels have you sold? Not too many beach towels.
- All right, show me one.
- All right.
- I'll be right back.
- I'd love to see one.
Please.
What a [bleep.]
disaster.
[laughing.]
We're on the beach, and we don't have towels.
What is wrong with this picture? - How was lunch? - It was okay? Okay? Okay's not good enough.
(Gordon) Ah, thought we'd lost you.
Thank you very much.
Whenever you're ready to go to the beach.
Whenever I'm ready to go to the beach.
Wow, how many do you have in stock? One.
You got it.
That's the one.
Okay, can you charge that to my room please? - Yes, I will.
- So we're sold out now? - Yes.
- Yeah.
Wow.
Jeez.
At lunch, I was very disappointed that Brian falsely advertises fresh fish on his menu.
I want to learn more about how involved he is as an owner during an evening at the Beachfront.
Checking in.
Susan Addison.
Can I go ahead and start you off with something to drink? Okay.
Smoke 'em if you got 'em.
- Okay, Ben.
- Hey, Chef.
Just give us a little, quick run-through how the line works.
Well, normally I run the pass and expo.
- Right.
- Chef, I'll take care of this.
Boom, boom, boom.
He usually passes to the sauté guy and then the fry guy.
Working with Ben, I can't really tell you what he does.
- Where's Brian? - Don't know, Chef.
(Joey) And Brian will just avoid him, instead of trying to get to the root of the problem, and I think that in itself is a problem.
How long have you been here? Since last December.
Oh, wow, so you've been here a long time? Yeah.
In your mind, what do you think the major problems are? Lack of consistency, as a matter of fact, and lack of structure.
- Yeah, I saw that lunchtime.
- Yeah.
I found out about the fish not being so fresh, so How can you not sell fresh fish when you're on the beach? That's our motto: "fresh fish.
" So how many of them do you think understand that we're selling frozen fish? - They probably don't.
- No? 'Cause I don't think the servers are telling them.
No meanwhile the customers disappear.
- Yeah.
- Thank you great update.
- Yeah, thank you.
- Thank you.
Brian, how many of these customers in tonight know that you're selling frozen food? You know, they don't really know how the market works, so probably none of them.
They don't know how the market works? They don't understand that.
- How are you? - Good, how are you? Do you think we're going to be serving frozen food tonight or fresh fish? - Fresh.
- Fresh.
- Why fresh? - Well, we're on the beach and Well, why don't you explain to them tonight that you changed things four months ago, and we're not serving fresh fish anymore? We're serving frozen.
Man up.
So, uh, just a few months ago, we switched from some of our fresh products to some frozen seafood products.
- Why would you do that? - They're quality products.
They just aren't the best of quality that you would expect from, you know, the Pelican Seafood Market.
They're quality frozen products.
Yeah, it's a cost thing, so When I come out to somewhere like this, where being on the beach Of course.
I would hope to have fresh fish.
Where is this [bleep.]
freezer? Is it round here where you keep the frozen? Right down here, Gordon.
Let's have a look.
So this is the frozen bit here.
What's that? Frozen avocado.
Are we not in Florida? And you can't make fresh avocado? Dude, this is [bleep.]
.
Where's the freezer? - Main walk-in.
- Wow, wow, wow.
When was the last time you were in here? I come in here once a week at least, and I kind of, you know Once a week? Just kind of look around or whatever.
What is this? Wow.
Oh, man.
Look at them.
The water's gone slimy.
And you come in here once a week? Yeah.
What is that? Oh, boy.
[bleep.]
.
The hell? What is that? Piña colada.
Piña colada? Why it's like that, I have no idea.
It's festered, it's off it's bubbling.
Oh, man.
- That's terrible.
- [bleep.]
.
Trash, please.
Trash.
James? Trash, please.
- Now.
- Piña colada.
Right down the drain.
By the bucket load in the walk-in fridge.
I mean, who in the hell operates like this? Gordon, this is Chef Ben's job.
- He's the executive chef.
- The executive chef.
And you made him that executive chef, right? Sure I did.
How do you feel now? What's that? - Tuna burger.
- That's from the burger? - Yes, it is.
- Oh, my God.
- Seriously? - Bacon.
It's gone, and it's off.
Fresh produce on top of old produce moldy.
And this one? - Rib eye.
- Rib eye defrosting.
What is this? Those are the smoked grilled chicken wings before they go onto the char grill.
Oh, my God, and what is in this one? You are kidding me.
So underneath in that bucket's what? - Cooked product.
- Cooked chicken.
- Mm-hmm.
- And on top of it is what? It's raw.
Raw chicken on top of cooked chicken.
I had them for lunch.
I am at a [bleep.]
loss.
Do you know the best way out of this is just to shut the place down? That's not an option for me.
What's that in there, Ben? Those are marinated chicken wings.
- Yeah.
- To be smoked.
Underneath next box Those are smoked.
Rule number [bleep.]
one, Ben.
I know, Chef.
I didn't do it.
You know, I turn my back for a minute, and this is the kind of [bleep.]
that happens.
I walked in, and it was bedlam.
Mm-hmm.
He's telling me this is your fault.
You've got no idea.
I am at an absolute [bleep.]
loss.
I can't work like this.
This is huge.
You now are running a restaurant cross-contaminated.
Joey? - Yes, Chef? - Who's responsible for this? We all are.
The entire kitchen is, Chef.
Rule number one: you can't put hot food in a [bleep.]
walk-in.
It doesn't even go together.
No, not at all.
Nowhere near each other.
I guarantee you when it was put in there, after I marinated, that they weren't shuffled.
I can give you 12 more issues in there that are bad.
I mean, you are heading for a [bleep.]
massive disaster.
I mean, who the hell put them on top of the other ones? Everybody in here knows better.
Brian, if I knew Haven't you trained everybody to know that? - I mean - Yeah.
(Gordon) All I'm getting right now is excuses.
The kitchen needs direction from the chef.
The staff need direction from the owner, and you're buddies.
Can someone come up with a [bleep.]
solution? I'm going to go and 86 the wings.
(Gordon) Sort it out quickly.
Come on, guys.
(Ben) 86 wings.
Someone put raw [bleep.]
chicken wings on top of the cooked ones.
It wasn't me.
Somebody else did it.
86 wings is the only thing I can do right now.
What in the [bleep.]
is going on? I was baffled and amazed.
The words out of Ben's mouth were, "Oh, I clean that cooler regularly every day.
" You want me to go in there, and pull everything out, and clean it? That is not your job, to wipe the [bleep.]
of an executive chef.
I know that.
There were weeks he wouldn't show up but maybe three days a week.
Well, why didn't Brian step up? Brian he may be oblivious to some of this stuff.
They've known each other since they were young guys, you know.
This is crazy so Ben goes AWOL, Brian does nothing about it.
The place starts falling apart, and then he just steps back in when he wants.
Pretty much.
Pretty much.
Well, if this was your business, you wouldn't tolerate that.
No, I would have fired Ben a long time ago.
I was all for firing Ben two months ago, so I mean No excuse for that walk-in like that, so I'm sorry, I just couldn't hold back anymore.
He doesn't come He doesn't come to work.
That's the reason why it looks like that, okay? That's absolutely the reason why.
If he's here by 12:00, and he leaves by 5:00, we're lucky.
I'm just I'm not going to lie.
James is telling me the truth.
I'm here to tell you the truth as well.
You're not telling me the truth.
I promise you I'm going to tell you the truth.
The only way to really, truly identify a chef, before you even taste his food, is open up his walk-in.
That speaks volumes for any chef.
He's a chef that's given up and going through the motions.
Sometimes I feel that way.
We've been through a lot.
I know he's got a lot on his plate.
He's incompetent, and he's taking your [bleep.]
business down.
You know, I don't think he's incompetent.
You're [bleep.]
mad, and the sad thing is that your staff, and your management, and your team see it.
And you're the only person that doesn't know what's going on.
And it's the way you want to run your business? - Yeah.
- Ugh.
You do not need my help.
(announcer) What's up, party people? [laidback rock music.]
The words you left behind Wow.
That's loud, that music.
- It is loud.
- Oh, man.
How are you doing? I just need a little piece and quiet.
Oh, not a problem.
- That's crazy, you know? - Yes, it is.
I mean, it's like the blind leading the blind in there, because there's no discipline.
- That I do know.
- Ben's checked out.
Brian's never checked in, and they're all blaming each other.
Yeah, I do know there's no discipline.
There's no communication.
There's none of it.
No what's the problem with him stepping up and dealing with issues? Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he's not fully experienced in certain departments? No, no.
Are they hosting concerts? Is it a frat party hangout? Is it a college? I mean, how can they call themselves a hotel? That's the difference.
That's the part that we need to try to separate, and I've been saying it for a while.
- Yeah.
- I'm sorry, excuse me.
Good evening.
Beachfront Inn.
Liza speaking.
How can I help you? (caller) Hi, Liza.
We're in room 20, and there's a lot of dust, and it smells like smoke.
And my friend here Gloria's having a really bad reaction.
She had to take steroids, and it's supposed to be a non-smoking room.
- Damn.
- I'll be right with you.
Brian, there's two guests who've checked in upstairs.
Okay.
She's got an issue with an allergy, 'cause her room stinks of smoke.
It'd be nice if you just come up and see them or try and calm the situation down.
So the lady's got an allergy, and she's already had to take her steroids, and her eyes are streaming, and she's not very happy.
Okay.
- Hello.
- Hello.
(Gordon) So are you okay? - Yeah, I'm fine.
- You sure? Any issues? - Water all over the floor.
- Sorry? We had water all over the floor.
- Water all over the floor? - The refrigerator.
There's water on the floor in the room.
- Oh, no, really? - Yeah.
I just cleaned it up with a towel, yeah.
I'm sorry.
Damn.
I walked in.
It was completely all the way to the bed.
Wow, let's, uh let's come back.
I want to see that well, the lady.
Her eyes are streaming.
(Brian) Do excuse us.
(Gordon) Ladies? Are you decent? - I'm sorry.
- Sorry.
I've got the owner here.
I think we've figured out what that smell is.
- Oh, really? - There's all dust inside.
(Gordon) Oh, [bleep.]
, there you go.
It's just my eyes are tearing.
(Gordon) When was that cleaned last? That's really a daily thing that Daily? Yeah should be.
Sure, yeah.
Absolutely.
That is not daily.
Look at that.
That's why.
[bleep.]
almighty.
No wonder the poor lady's broken out.
It's, like, the back of my throat is all scratchy.
Is there an alternative room we can use for the ladies? I'll double-check right away.
Have a drink downstairs, a little bite to eat but we can sort something out.
Okay.
[sighs.]
What a night.
The big problem here is that there's no direction for the hotel, for the restaurant, for the gazebo not even for the car park.
Ben is like a headless chicken that's checked out, and Brian's like this scared school kid that is not qualified to run a [bleep.]
beach bar, let alone a hotel on a beach.
So [sighs.]
This is bad.
This is really grim.
Brian, am I wrong? I feel like we blew it tonight.
No, man, it's just it is what it is, you know.
We don't, uh don't worry, man.
[loud rock music.]
Oh, for God's sake.
(Gordon) After a very frustrating night, I woke up this morning hopeful that Brian would be eager to admit his faults at the Beachfront.
That wasn't the case.
Even after a staff meeting, none of the problems are sinking in with Brian.
So I reached out to his brother Eric who is continuing to fund the business, and I'm hoping Brian can start to see the damage he has done.
Hey, what's up, guys? (Gordon) Thanks for coming in.
Why is Ramsay here? Your brother just asked you a question.
Why did you call me here? I've got a lot of issues that I need to take care of.
You don't look like a man that's in pain.
You don't look like a man that's struggling.
You don't look like a man that's lost control.
You look like you're bouncing around having fun.
The business is hurting.
You're hurting your brother's business, and you're not realizing it.
It does reach a ceiling where Brian, you're going to have to get cut off.
I will I'll respect it, but you got to let me know how much time, and I'll make it.
I'll make it.
Two more months, and then that's it.
Two months.
Here's my promise.
I will focus so hard, and I will be able to pay you in eight weeks.
I'll pay you in eight weeks.
I'll pay you in eight weeks.
30 grand.
You got to y-you you got to give me 90 days.
I mean, you got to give me 90 days.
He's just given you eight weeks.
You've just asked for 12 weeks.
You can't continue depending on your little brother's cash to float your dreams.
I just need you to make sure not to screw this one up again.
I'm not going to screw it up.
I'm not convinced.
No, no, no.
You're lucky he's your [bleep.]
brother.
Eric, I got you.
- Eight months - Eight weeks.
Eight weeks, or you're cut off.
That's all there is to it, man.
[sighs.]
How important is your reputation to you? That's the most important thing in my world.
And on a scale of 1 to 10, your reputation in this town now? I give myself a good 8.
- A good 8? - A good - A strong 8? - Absolutely.
So these are customers that have gone out of their way to spend their hard-earned cash supporting your business.
You must recognize a few of these faces.
Absolutely I do.
Let's start off with the lady in the blue shirt.
You know her very well.
- Hey, Blythe.
- Hi, Brian.
How do you know each other? I market Brian.
You're a spokesperson for that business? Yes.
Can you be honest with this one? Yes, I can.
The service is very bad.
I've brought people here.
I've been up at the bar myself trying to order even just a water.
That's been tough.
Do you not listen to the advice, in terms of sloppy service? I absolutely I listen.
I do listen.
I do listen.
I do listen.
Do you offload that to your team? No, I don't.
I don't.
So that's why it's not dealt with.
Your experience? We ordered a chicken sandwich.
When the chicken sandwich came out, it was raw.
It was raw, and it was mushy in the middle.
I could have got sick from that.
And I love your bar, because I can come here late night, and I can get free drinks.
Two for me and two for my buddy, and pay for one.
We got five.
Wow, unbelievable.
Sir? My first experience here was a Super Bowl party that you advertised and I actually had some out-of-town guests.
Food was very mediocre.
The crab cakes were like sawdust.
They were horrible that night.
After the game was over, a couple rowdy fans started a little brawl.
- We had drinks thrown on us.
- Wow.
The other thing I'd like to say is if I'm staying on the ocean, I love to fall asleep with the window open and hear the ocean.
You can't do that here.
You hear music all night long.
I honestly stayed here myself once.
I tried to call down, because our sheets were dirty.
You couldn't even call.
Like, nobody answered.
And literally, I think the biggest problem for me is the mixed message.
It's like, are you a bar, or are you a restaurant? Because we're paying $150 for dinner.
However, there's people walking in, in bikinis, drunk.
Damn.
Listen, this feedback has been crucial.
Anything you'd like to say? Thank you guys.
You guys rock, man.
- Hey, man, thanks.
- Thank you.
I'm telling you, I'll make you proud.
- I promise you.
- All right.
Brian, let's have a little word.
Let's go.
It's not a time for high-fiving.
[bleep.]
, I'm embarrassed.
What the [bleep.]
are you hugging them for? I know that they care.
I do know they care.
A raw chicken sandwich? That's not an eight.
That is not an 8 out of 10.
Do you think they're set up? Do you think this is a TV show, and we're just going to spout off? These people aren't exaggerating.
They're real.
They're real customers.
You're turning into a laughingstock.
Yeah, I know.
It's not good.
The jury is out with me.
I've never come this far and still sat on the fence in an undecided way.
But [bleep.]
listen up, and listen carefully.
The partying, the free-for-all "I'm paying for one drink.
They're giving me five.
" In front of your eyes.
Tomorrow you turn up here looking like an owner.
Understood.
You've got a lot on your plate, but get your head out the [bleep.]
clouds, and get real.
[bleep.]
off.
I've got this, Gordon.
I'll show you.
(Gordon) Even though I wasn't won over by Brian's commitment, I went ahead and designed a new concept for the Beachfront.
My team and I completely overhauled the rooms and added a beach club to the unused outdoor space.
I'm really hoping Brian can see the potential he has to offer.
- Good morning.
- Good morning.
Well, I wish it was a good morning.
What did I ask you to come in to work today? What did I say? What was the one thing I said to you? Come in as a - Boss.
- A boss.
Right now, you look like a towel boy.
I mean, sunglasses round your neck.
Badge on there.
Shorts on there.
Who are you? Give me the name badge.
Stand out from the crowd.
You're the owner.
I've had a really rough night, and so has my team.
Get out of here, get changed, and come back like an owner.
Now [bleep.]
off.
Ready.
- Honestly.
- Gordon Hurry up.
No, no, no, no.
I'm not listening.
Gordon, I'm coming back like a boss.
I'm ready to make this whole Fort Pierce community Gordon Get out of here.
Seatbelt on.
No doors and no seatbelt.
Oh, my God.
- I'll be I'll be back.
- "I'll be back.
" And I'll be ready.
[dramatic music.]
(Gordon) Brian returned looking like an owner, and I'm hoping that translates into his role as a boss.
Let's go Joey, quickstep.
- Let's go.
- Wow.
It's time to reveal to Brian and his staff the newly renovated Beachfront Inn and Inlet.
Oh, my God.
Wow! (Liza) This is what I envisioned.
- Wow.
- Wow, wow, wow.
(Gordon) First of all, this is not the spring break hangout that's gone wrong.
This is a proper beachfront room.
(Brian) Sweet.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah.
(Brian) It's the Inlet.
(Joey) It's home.
(Liza) Whoa, the floor.
(Brian) Love it it's perfect.
You've got a tangible asset here that can help lift this business, and more importantly, start making money.
Awesome.
Brian, you need to get a grip of this business, and you need to realize, you know, what's at stake here.
I need to be convinced.
I need to see you stepping up as a boss.
Ben and Joey, we're re-launching that restaurant tonight, so I'm going to go through that menu.
Return downstairs, get organized, and start finding your way.
- Let's go.
- Oh, man.
(Gordon) After observing dinner service, I saw the Beachfront kitchen wasn't set up to handle such a massive menu.
So I redesigned a smaller menu that is easy for Ben to execute.
Okay, guys.
Small menu.
Let's run from the top.
Appetizers.
Lobster mac and cheese done with the correct pasta, Ben.
Steamed clams again, great sharing for the table.
Wings off the smoker, so it stays nice and crisp, and a chicken Cobb salad.
Entrées: pan-seared scallops.
Easy.
Three sears.
Ahi tuna fresh.
And then, of course, the mahimahi.
It's small, it's inviting, and tonight I've just been told that we've got the mayor in for dinner.
One person we can reach out to, to send the message back in the community, "This is it.
" - Dig in.
- (Liza) Mmm, mmm, mmm.
That sauce is fabulous.
Oh, my God.
Wow.
(Gordon) It's time to re-launch the Beachfront.
I've put a plan in place, and I'm really hoping Brian can finally show me that he's ready to run his business.
(Brian) All right, everybody.
Listen up.
Tonight is a big service.
There's not many opportunities like this.
You have to take advantage of it.
I need you guys all to get together right now and bring it in.
One, two, three go, Inlet! [cheering.]
(Gordon) Brian, Brian.
Let's just get real for a couple of seconds, yeah? Yup yes, sir.
You forgot the [bleep.]
most important thing tonight.
Who is in for dinner tonight? You haven't even told the staff.
Possibly the most important person in this town.
We have the mayor in tonight, you guys.
The mayor, and that's just not something that happens every [bleep.]
week.
You have to bring it together tonight.
You have to work as a team.
Sort it out, guys.
We're opening in five minutes.
(Brian) Come on.
[dramatic music.]
- Checking in? - Checking in.
- All right.
- Welcome to the Inlet.
Good evening, good evening.
- This is lovely.
- Enjoy dinner.
An amazing array of appetizers, and the entrées are to die for.
Tortoise and the hare.
Slow and steady wins the race.
- So first ticket on, yes? - Yeah.
Good.
(Liza) Hi, how are you? Welcome to the Inlet.
- Hi, guys.
- Just the two of us today? It's the mayor.
Okay, yeah, that's the mayor.
Now where are you sitting her? Come on, where? - Well, they were going to - Well, give her a choice.
"Would you like to sit inside or outside?" It's her choice.
Welcome.
How are you? Thank you for coming in.
- So nice to see you.
- Thank you guys.
- Thank you.
- It's an absolute pleasure.
I'll leave you in the hands of our manager-owner Brian.
Follow me, guys.
Welcome.
John, good to see you, sir.
Likewise.
Okay, guys.
All right, mayor.
Wherever you'd like inside.
I got a chicken burger ready at your leisure.
Chicken burger? Ben, has Brian told you the mayor's in? No, he has not.
Unreal.
Brian, your chef doesn't even know the mayor's in.
Ah.
You don't think he deserves to know? - Yes, he does.
- Come on.
- Come on, then.
- Ben? - Yes? - The mayor's in at table seven.
- Heard, table seven.
- Inside.
Am I good, Ben? I've got that blackened chicken for you.
Thanks for your [bleep.]
help.
(Joey) Ben, you need to be the captain, and right now I'm not convinced.
Let's get serious about this business and do this.
Is the mayor's order in? Have they set their appetizers yet? (Gina) Yes, it is.
Are they have they hit the table? (Gina) No, I put their food in.
He wanted the salad and the fried calamari, and she wanted the mahi.
Mahi okay, great.
So again, check it.
That's your hot ticket tonight.
Do you know what's happening in your kitchen at the moment? No, look at me.
Do you know what's happening in there? You haven't got a [bleep.]
clue.
You have to get into the kitchen.
Find out what's going on.
Let's go.
Look behind you.
Ow, I burned my forehead.
- Oh, man.
- Excuse me.
What did you guys order? Um, I got the mahimahi and a salad, and he got an appetizer.
The mayor is the only person sat with nothing in front of her.
- Yeah.
- Please.
All right, two tunas.
Can I have table 15's appetizers ASAP? It's the mayor.
- 15? - 15.
- I was told seven.
- [bleep.]
Sorry, miscommunication.
- They're sat on 15, right? - I made a mistake.
It's 15.
Okay, I need two half salads right now, before anything else.
Right this second.
(Joey) Brian didn't know what table the mayor was at.
It seems like the biggest thing Brian changed was his wardrobe.
Two halves are in the window.
Two halves need to go 15.
Have you seen the salads? - No.
- Ben.
- Yes, sir? - You need to see that.
You need to taste that and see everything he's doing there.
Terry, it's too much dressing, bro.
- Redo it.
- His salad's overdressed.
It's soggy as [bleep.]
.
Wrong dressing.
- Ben? - Yes, sir? What I need to hear is a bit of a voice.
If we go silent, we'll go down.
(Gordon) For tonight's re-launch of the Beachfront Salad's overdressed.
Soggy as [bleep.]
.
Wrong dressing.
I was really hoping Brian would step up as an owner, given that I'd put everything in place for him to succeed.
[bleep.]
.
Damn it.
But his lack of focus has me really worried that he's not fit to run this place.
Come on, Brian.
Chef Ben? Five (Gordon) Come here.
Come here.
Let's go.
Your chef has shut down.
- I didn't realize it.
- You didn't realize.
So the first two salads for the mayor had the wrong dressing on and were overdressed.
I said, "Have you tasted them?" He said no.
So he hasn't got your back.
When's that penny going to drop that you're going to turn the corner? We'll watch Ben.
If he doesn't come out of it, we'll switch him and Joey.
Will you? How many guacamoles you guys got on there? - Okay, okay.
- Eight.
Chicken, 30 seconds.
Give me a time on the mayor's table please, Ben.
- Table 15? - Yeah, the mayor's table.
We sold it.
Calamari and a mahi.
Did you see it before it went? I sure did.
I plated everything.
The mayor hasn't got the [bleep.]
food.
Brian, Brian.
- Urgently come here.
- Yes? So Ben's told me the [bleep.]
mayor's got their food.
- Right.
- And look at the mayor's table.
There's nothing on there.
Now look at me look now.
Hey, we're about to go down here.
And I'm going to get in my [bleep.]
car, and I'm going to get the [bleep.]
out of here if you don't get a grip, 'cause this is a [bleep.]
joke.
Now you better get in there and tell your executive chef Ben that the mayor hasn't got their food and find out where the [bleep.]
it is.
Ben, the mayor has not gotten her food.
- I put it in the window.
- Where is the mayor's food? I'll make it right now.
I'll make it right now.
Let's try the mayor's food again.
(Gina) I need a Caesar now.
Order up.
- Thank you.
- Where's that going? 51.
Come here, you.
What is that? - Undercooked.
- That is undercooked? Young lady, come here.
What does that chicken look like to you? It looks blackened and dry.
Thank you.
So it's dry.
Young lady, how would you describe that chicken? It looks kind of dry.
- Very dry.
- Very dry.
Now you're not even a chef, are you? Mm-mm, no.
Never cooked.
- How old are you? - I'm 20.
20.
Thanks, darling.
So for a 20-year-old server who's never cooked, even she spotted it's dry, and you're saying it's raw.
Let me tell you something, and listen carefully.
I'm going.
I'm packing my bags, 'cause that is the worst thing you've said all week.
It's overcooked, and it's dry, and then you you tell me it's raw.
Good night.
I'm done.
[suspenseful music.]
[sighs.]
That is unreal.
I mean, I am so pissed off.
I can't give that guy any more advice.
I can't continue to tell him to step up and make decisions.
He has a chef in there that's just riding him and riding the business.
And when you're weak, you've got no chance of running a business.
And what a shame.
Un-[bleep.]
-real.
Hot and coming around.
(Gordon) I never like to leave a business, but Brian simply wasn't listening.
He missed the deadline paying his brother back, and while it's been a slow process, my advice finally started to sink in.
Four months after I left, he made a decision to let Chef Ben go and hired a brand new kitchen staff.
On the hotel side, Brian has made the guests a priority, giving the curfew to the nighttime entertainment.
Hopefully now with Brian stepping up like a boss, he can lead the Beachfront Inn the right direction.