Relaunch Night at Zeppelin's: A New Beginning

It was relaunch night at Zeppelin's, and the air was electric with excitement and nerves. The restaurant had been struggling to find its footing, but with new owners and a renewed focus, things were about to take a dramatic turn. Chef Ramsay, notorious for his high culinary standards, was on hand to offer guidance and support.

The kitchen, once in disarray, was now humming along under the watchful eye of Daryl, one of the new owners. He had taken it upon himself to revamp the menu and get the cooks producing food at a much quicker pace. However, there were still some teething issues to work out. The dishes, while improved, weren't quite at the level they should be, and the expeditious staff was struggling to keep up.

"Alright, guys, let's focus," Chef Ramsay barked, his voice cutting through the chaos. "We've got one table at a time to worry about. Don't talk to me, don't get swamped. What time is it? What do you want?" The staff nodded, taking a collective deep breath as they refocused on the task at hand.

As the night wore on, things began to come together. The tickets started flowing in, and the dishes were being served out with confidence. The pecan catfish and black alligator was a particular hit, perfectly cooked and presented with flair. "That's delicious," one of the customers raved, as the staff beamed with pride.

Chef Ramsay watched with satisfaction as the kitchen transformed before his eyes. It was clear that Daryl had taken charge, rallying the troops and getting them back on track. The atmosphere in the restaurant was now warm and welcoming, a far cry from the chaos of just a week ago.

"I think we've got this under control," Chef Ramsay declared, as the staff continued to work in tandem. "We're going to get these tickets out one at a time, and make sure every dish that goes out is perfect." The kitchen staff nodded in agreement, their faces set with determination.

The night wore on, and the restaurant began to fill with happy customers. The feedback was glowing, with diners raving about the food and service. "This place has got it back," one customer said, as they left the restaurant. "It's a New Orleans institution once again."

Chef Ramsay smiled, his eyes twinkling with pride. He had seen it all before, but there was something special about this team. They were like a well-oiled machine, working together seamlessly to deliver an exceptional dining experience.

As the night drew to a close, Chef Ramsay gathered his staff around him. "You guys have done an incredible job tonight," he said, his voice filled with sincerity. "I'm so proud of you all." Daryl and Ellen, the new owners, stepped forward, their faces flushed with excitement.

"We couldn't have done it without each and every one of you," they said, as the staff applauded. It was a moment of triumph, a testament to the hard work and dedication that had gone into reviving this beloved restaurant.

The night had been a resounding success, and Zeppelin's was once again on its way to becoming a top destination in New Orleans. As the staff packed up their knives and headed home, they knew that they had accomplished something truly special. They had brought back a piece of the city's soul, and proved that even the most struggling restaurants can rise from the ashes.

A week ago, Zeppelin's was a shadow of its former self. But tonight, it was reborn. The staff were energized, the food was sublime, and the atmosphere was electric. As the customers left, they carried with them memories of an unforgettable dining experience. And as Chef Ramsay watched over his team, he knew that this was just the beginning of a new chapter for Zeppelin's.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enlocated on the mississippi river not far from the gulf of mexico is the new orleans suburb of metairie a tight-knit community that is home to zeke's a neighborhood restaurant opened in 2002 by a charismatic entrepreneur named zeke ognus zeke was six foot four big and goofy but you know what the man knew how to have a good time and he knew how to run a pretty good restaurant everyone came to zeke when it first opened because there was just a good vibe in this place good people food was always good we used to do 750 people in here on a friday night but in 2005 zeke tragically died during hurricane katrina and the ownership and the direction of the restaurant was up in the air after katrina this place was in limbo so the cortellos fought it and they pretty much took on the place hi guys how are y'all tonight welcome to zeke's when we bought zeke's we chose to keep the name because zekes did a very good business and that just made business sense to us all right guys first guest when daryl first took over pretty much changed everything he cut staff he cut product he went to uh lesser quality wouldn't feed that to your dog and then on top of that he raised the prices it's a little over the top i feel as though i'm completely handcuffed in the kitchen i'd love to do like a steam clams that's not us i don't think that's us what i'm saying i'm always trying to beg him or plum can we try that can we do this and daryl doesn't allow it trying to make chicken salad out of chicken i ask myself all the time why do i even stay here i know sitting on the job servers here are all talked down to or disrespected people just don't feel appreciated daryl cut my pay in the last six months i can't afford raises right now man it's made me work more hours since he cut my pay that ro we got three orders of green tomatoes left cutting them a little thick too i tell you that i'm not looking to squeak by i'm looking for financial rewards in this business that kind of offended a lot of zeke's regulars and this was just steadily declined meatballs plain and bland unless he's got a pot of gold stashed there's no way this restaurant will last you know a month all right payroll was today how'd we do that's not a good question financially we are not doing great we got to catch up somewhere it's not happening we're not going to make it if we don't have chef ramsay come in and tell us what he thinks we can do differently to change this because obviously what we're doing it's not really working physically emotionally it's been hard i have put everything i can possibly put in the zekes but seats aren't full so something's going on and we're killing ourselves trying to find out before heading to zeke's gordon has arranged to meet some metairie locals to gain some insight into the restaurant and the neighborhood oh doing good how are we doing this morning very indeed thank you morning how are we now tell me about the area metric what does it uh what does it stand for it's a town on east bay they got a lot of people they got some good russian sub there and have you heard of restaurant called zeke's i used to go there quite a bit i haven't been in a while but before katrina we used to go there quite a bit before katrina would feel like every friday it was great what was the difference in food got pricey in average already yeah the quality has gone down quite a bit yeah atmosphere wasn't the same they lost the magic the feel of the restaurant right just changed yeah thank you thank you after hearing unfavorable reviews chef ramsay heads over to zeke's to continue his investigation and there is nothing more telling than lunch hello well hello chef frankie welcome to zeke i'm very happy to be here helen nice to meet you come right this way all right guys i think we got a special guest her dad heard that help me get up to speed you are the owner yeah you run the business with zeke my husband no my husband is daryl daryl where is he he is in the kitchen so zeke was the original man who opened the restaurant um passed away right after katrina and we purchased it from his estate so we've had it for almost five years what did you change after you bought it the menu items are similar okay we've definitely taken some off and changed some recipes and the chef is the same emil is the kitchen manager yes decision is it with the new dishes my husband daryl he's got a couple of his recipes on the menu and where did he train as a chef he's never trained as a chef if you're not a chef why would you put dishes on the menu being in the business i guess okay does the chef agree with those dishes or is it just because he's the owner that's what he gets them on i guess talk to him about it okay let me look at the menu okay thank you yeah you're welcome wow hello hi how are you today how are you i'm so happy to be in louisiana my first time good thank you your first name is candace i saw on the menu the oyster cortello it's an invented dish for our restaurant the cortellos is daryl and ellen so they made they made it up so the owners have named an oyster after them can we bought the restaurant now you want your name on the menu yeah sounds like someone's struggling for power ah i've got to try one okay yeah i must have some boiled shrimp boiled shrimp and what special do you have my donny we have a chicken fried steak today let's go for it we do have also traditional bread pudding let's go for that and i think we're done okay thank you look what i got all right here we go when daryl got here he kind of implemented his own menu it really gets frustrating because daryl really has no idea culinary-wise what he's doing candice you're ready i'm going to take out the boiled shrimp to him chef ramsay is going to love this food it's simple food it's basic food it's feel-good food but it's done very well and fresh okay boiled shrimp thanks honey my first louisiana shrimp yeah everything's soft they should peel easily and sort of pop out the shell but i'm struggling to peel them i mean that was nasty what i'm struggling for here is the lack of freshness they feel and taste slightly mushy which is a big disappointment can this were the shrimps fresh they're fresh frozen fresh frozen i know it's kind of an oxymoron but you can buy fresh shrimp within a mile yes yes the frozen shrimp tastes like sorry crap he wanted to know why we would get frozen shrimp when you can go to like the market and get them fresh every day it's not uncommon to have frozen shrimp because some things are okay frozen have a look on the oysters coming right now all right wow that back wall is hideous what a mess you got two seconds please yes and what's with the uh the swamp decor whose idea was that um mine and my husband to eat in a swamp for children or for adults both for both voices that's not words for me all right here we go okay thank you all right what the hell is that these are the oysters cortello oysters cortello so suppose you go like that wow there's dreadful oysters named after the owner i certainly would put my name on that i wouldn't even put my enemies name on there take it for you okay thank you that's depressing isn't it no just terrible oysters cortello i don't know what to say about that i eat them myself i think they're delicious absolutely delicious daryl what do you say oysters cortello just ain't working this is killing me not to know what he's saying this is the fried chicken snake right correct thank you you're welcome bland as anything no seasoning no care look at that candies what the hell is that it looks like it's just had a giraffe's tongue cut out and deep fat fried people complain that the quality of the food here is horrible unbelievable daryl's not listening to the feedback that he gets and he's going to do what he wants to do he said that it looks like somebody cut out a giraffe's tongue battered and fried it i'm not going to agree with that it didn't look that way to me i mean that's what normally goes out it's a good product they look like we cut out a giraffe's tongue wow wow jesus thanks it doesn't look fantastic but it tastes delicious you made that e-mail it makes it i'm just so happy that chef ramsay likes in the bread pudding it feels great to end on a good note love the bread pudding you like the bread boy there we go loved it i took full responsibility for bread pudding that is all me daryl doesn't really have influence on that thank god thank god he likes something i did i'll take that any day hello hello chef and this is daryl the owner introduce me to your uh brigade chef emile marcos emil good to see you buddy chase the carpenter jason good to see you there's a lot of things that that need changing and you know daryl is one of them can i talk about lunch yes my god what a disaster the food is below standard why wouldn't you buy fresh shrimp i simply don't have the time to go to the market excuse me where are we come on come on big boy chicken fries steak disaster what cut of meat was that not a very good cut no are you proud to serve that food no sir was that the same quality of steak that we were using years ago no sir and why have you changed the standard it's up to daryl is that our cutting corner method to say no chef everything is to you yeah but we had diners eating all lunch full dining room but nothing's sent back do you honestly think just because they don't send it back that your food is amazing that's good enough for you to continue now you can't be that stupid point taken if they want to be that stupid you've got no chance i don't buy the fact that it's bad quality food that's hard to believe this was once a great place after receiving some harsh words from chef ramsay the food is below standard daryl has some words of his own you know chef says everything is it's embarrassing there's nothing good about the menu you know i don't buy that i will never believe the food is you're not gonna commit i've been eating this food all my life chef ramsay doesn't know the world and food that's it you cut all the food down you want you can't break me it's an hour before dinner service and chef ramsay hopes a private meeting with the two chefs emil and jason can shed some light on the restaurant's main issues okay so i don't get it some of the things i encountered there today were just awful that can't be your wish to cook with frozen ingredients we talk about every day and it just gets swept under the table i tell him the second he starts cutting the cost and getting a cheaper product yeah you know it's going to taste like and trying to explain that to him yeah you know it's like talking to this wall right here and how long has it been going on like that since the right around the time he took over the only thing daryl and ellen see is money and that's what scares me their whole purpose is money money money money money we feel like our hands are so tied as far as ordering goes everything goes the only other option was to leave me and him both go yes you know what do you do just walk out the place i mean we got a lot of personal memories in this place just to walk out of it granted i i get that but it doesn't stop you from having your voice everybody here is just kind of waiting for the place to belly up and go find a new job somewhere else i'm here to help put this freaking place back on the map yes sir you're absolutely right we have only two options chef ramsay or god and i don't think the second comments happen anytime soon thanks for the ketchup after gaining some insight from jason and emil hey i need shrimp portions chef ramsay is eager to see how this restaurant functions in a dinner service how does this work with these done um last night why they bagged he poisoned them out to order ready what's the idea putting everything in bags portion size portion size i like to have everything in quantitative perspective if i give too much you get a happy customer here you don't get a good customer they're happy because they're getting three times what they should be getting i'm getting nothing i don't make money on that it's food you know we're not cutting uh piping hi welcome to zeeks how many do we have in the party it's chef ramsay's first time in louisiana come right this way please and not surprisingly zeke's is completely booked and tonight our specials is lasagna i got to see food plotting no oyster sub shrimp i'm at the expo station i like to see all the food go out inside of new potatoes i uh make sure every dish goes out like i want it to go out can i run anything nope shrimp platter can only not go i'm waiting on dishes to complete the order it doesn't concern you the food's just dying in the window but we're pushing as hard as we can bloody hell expediting is one thing standing here and saying nothing is another wow it's an hour into dinner service and the first wave of food is finally making its way out to the customers sorry about the weight they are about everybody's food at the table as well let me get your server my apologies and the food isn't the only thing that's getting a chilly reception can i ask something do you mind not standing there like that it's so dour i think you can be more proactive i don't want to hover you know but you can make yourself busy okay i got it i'm ready thank all you look what i got what's that one lasagna lasagna when was the lasagna made last thursday last thursday and today's thursday right correct seven of stuff from a week ago help me to understand that uh that's stupidity that made the pan we didn't sell it all it's wrapped up in portions i thought that's a bad thing lasagna it's all done fresh and cooked and uh we'll wrap the portions up separately or put them in the freezer it works it is the best lasagna you're going to get is it special right yes it is okay so how the is that special in your tiny mind when it was cooked a week ago i'm telling you have a tiny mind it can't be that special if you're going to stand here and tell me that this is special the product is good daryl runs his kitchen with 90 bravado and you know the other 10 he just wings it this is a good product this is good food oh my god it's getting worse yeah he's a tough nut you're uh expediter so we have a special today when do you think that lasagna was made today homemade lasagna right last thursday how could it be that special when it's from a week ago well you know it's frozen so it's not like sitting there getting mildew on it and our customers absolutely love the lasagna i don't think that's our biggest issue is lasagna i mean that's absolutely incorrect what do you think they would feel like if you told them today's special was cooked a week ago frozen i don't know i mean i'm sure they would probably be surprised that it was so good and that it was made last week in frozen should i ask them all would you like me to walk with you i know i'm not gonna walk or stand up and shout oh really when you come out to restaurants and you read today's specials for instance a beautiful homemade lasagna would you expect that lasagna to be made today yes ladies and gentlemen how many of you have ordered lasagna how would you feel if i told you all that today's lasagna that's been served was made a week ago this is humiliating after making a shocking discovery about today's special what was the lasagna mate last thursday chef ramsay made an announcement today's lasagna that's been served was made a week ago that is not sitting well with customers my apologies to those that have ordered the lasagna have a look at the potential of the specials bonneville t thank you thank you this is humiliating it's absolutely better of course when it's fresh and served right out of the pan but it's not horrible i just told the customers that laser sanya was reheated from a week ago the feedback was shock horror 86 lasagna yes sir yeah with chef ramsay's announcement fresh in their minds check okay customers have seemed to have lost their appetite did y'all eat already yeah i had the lasagna after witnessing a dinner service full of problems you got two seconds yes absolutely chef ramsay is anxious to have a chat with the owners oh dear did you hear the customers tonight i told them lasagna was a week old did you hear here's what happens cook lasagna and it doesn't sell you throw it away no we don't throw it away we wrap it i'm here to help but i tell you what i can't help you when you're standing there and trying to come up with excuses to why customers pay good money for frozen that cooked a week ago and you call it a special we don't feel like it puts out an awful product you don't give a about food that's not true your passions about portion control measurements frozen foods reheating of microwave russians don't run like this disagree i disagree with that also definitely trust me you are not a restauranteur you're the owner you're paying rent here when you start dealing with all this crap and your name's on that lease then you tell me what you want to do after being stonewalled by owners in denial good morning chef ramsay is called a staff meeting two minutes please hoping to bring all the restaurants issues into the open okay i want you to tell me the frustrations the anger and the things that really upset you the most emil um i just feel as though i'm getting pounded with a mallet constantly when i walk into this place i went from working 40 hours to working about 50 for 400 a week that pisses me off i feel that we don't get any respect i'm here all the time i don't get to eat lunch i should have a meal i should have a chef meal this is messed up we are talked down to like we're dirt and it's not right listen um i really appreciate the openness and the honesty and it was bad but i didn't quite understand it it hit that level of hurt i think it's just sad that we're all sitting here and that we actually have to even beat at this point i think we all the whole group of us here pretty much struggling no one's getting that message across i need to get through to them daryl and ellen are about to arrive i want you to tell them everybody was saying what they wanted to say and getting it off their chest but it's kind of different from telling chef ramsay versus telling daryl don't be nervous i don't need to be afraid i've got your back okay and here they are good morning good morning i've been here having a staff meeting um we've gone through some issues um this morning that's been bothering them but rather than me trying to tell you how they feel i think they should speak certainly who's gonna go first i go first i don't feel as though we all gain much respect around here and i don't think that you as an owner have our back candace ashley is that how you feel you really do talk to us like dirt sometimes my intent is not to talk down to somebody but that's how it comes out jason talk to daryl please my biggest problem that i have is just i don't think you have a clue as to how this place runs me yeah wow i think that you're so stuck on the numbers the actual essence of having a restaurant serving good food and giving customer service and happy employees that's gone i don't understand we hear it every single night and every single day from our customers what needs to be changed and why they don't come back we let you know these things and you don't give a nothing's done you don't care wow hey pants is ridiculous here i really don't wanna break down because i i've been in a long time and i'm not getting pissed check for somebody to be here that long i've been here since 2006. why haven't i never got a pay raise okay let me say something real quick since we're all telling the truth first of all daryl and i have taken thousands and thousands of dollars out of our personal account to pay your paychecks so why not just close the place down we're not giving up we don't want to give up if you want to give up that's fine this isn't your business we don't want to leave each other because we all love each other we don't want to leave not at all but i need to make money to support my family you know what so do we y'all acting like it's us against y'all and it's not this is a business we have costs and expenses i ask you to take that pay cut it's either that or labor costs get so high i'm out but you can go on five vacations in the summer and you're struggling for money right that is up period if you don't want to be here don't be here after chef ramsay arranged for the staff to air their grievances i don't think you have a clue as to how this place runs the defiant owners are not having any of it if you don't want to be here don't be here if i were piling up money back there then i could see you being pissed off but we're not piling up money back there i can't show appreciation in dollars at this point they maybe have this picture of me with this pile of money going hahaha nobody's going to get it we don't have the money i'm accepting the truth from you guys accept it from me please things aren't going well i understand that in terms of morale there's an air of discontent they feel abused and i'm not saying the staff are perfect but you're the owners and you set an example we have to fix what's broken within so how about starting over again and turning the page and the beginning of a new chapter i understand those frustrations you're wonderful people so i want you all here and you will have my respect i guarantee that from me and there's a lot of love for you guys from ellen and i and i truly mean that good we did make some progress videos clearer okay it's a new day here at zeke's i've got some ideas that i need to uh put into place to really start putting this place back on the map thank you honestly i don't think that daryl and ellen heard what what we were saying he was just saying what was right just to get chef ramsay off of his back we'll see what happens oh after attempting to open daryl and ellen's eyes to the staff morale problems chef ramsay has devised a plan to test the chefs and showcase their abilities okay it's been so obvious that you've been handcuffed by daryl and here's what i want you to do show down how creative how inspirational how exciting you can be with seafood there's a grocery store literally two miles away from here okay have a look at the ingredients get inspired come back get creative i want to see that on a plate yeah thank you good right now i'm pretty jacked up gordon ramsay himself said jason time for you to be inspired go let it happen let's see what you got all right let's see what they got fresh how may i help you redfish fresh you just put it out hour and a half ago that's what we're looking for it's extremely liberating to have this freedom to showcase and do what we want to do cook good food very nice to meet you thanks guys i am uh looking for red onions with uh asparagus let's do a red pepper this will be the last thing i get and we're ready to ride there it is it is showcase the skills so happy think of something creative and really let it go yeah yes okay off you go guys yeah yeah i'm going to do a chicken fried steak at the same time okay brilliant i own it yeah yeah sure you could put a little lime juice in there yes i'm not done yet with it okay good i love the idea the bacon and cheddar nice so in terms of the inspiration tell me what it is try to keep it southern with the grits fresh with the salmon and classic with the capers with the onions with the tomatoes good keeping it with the new orleans theme redfish and then grilled vegetables fresh rice fresh ingredients just a fun dish pretty good job the difference of night and day let me tell you that beautiful now you say nothing you didn't cook them i cook them do you understand yes okay let's go come over guys please wow look at that you think of louisiana first thing you think of is freshness but when i walked into your restaurant what i didn't expect was frozen seafood so i got my team to get some ingredients from it like you both just have a little taste taste of freshness a beautiful chocolate salmon done with grits creamy tasty it's absolutely phenomenal and i got hold of some red fish marinade zucchini with some rice and a really nice mango salsa oh my gosh this bread fish is delicious it's phenomenal it's absolutely phenomenal phenomenal absolutely watching them eat my dish and not knowing that it was mine and to say that you know it looked like it was from their heart i'd like you to have a little taste of that chicken fried steak i just lightly pounded it and then fried it twice so it should just melt in your mouth it does melt yeah literally literally melted chip and couldn't believe how good it was the presentation was beautiful and there's fresh ingredients and they tasted wonderful they're all absolutely phenomenal you taste the difference absolutely there's something you need to know about the seafood dishes i didn't cook them the two chefs put those dishes together wow the seafood dishes are your boys delicious absolutely they really are they're phenomenal it really opened my eyes to what i i wasn't letting them do honestly food is art and i was not letting them create their art these aren't just delicious they're beautiful and they come from right inside you i know that you did a fantastic job it feels really good that daryl and ellen recognize my potential and i think that my abilities haven't shown and hopefully this is the first step forward this is the music i can see that's what we're looking for all i could really think to myself was about time you see it really good job well done after finally having at least a small breakthrough with the owners jeff ramsey decides to have his team work through the night on the biggest restaurant makeover they have ever done right good morning morning chef excited are you ready to see the musics yes let's go welcome to the news eggs here we go oh my god let's start with the walls gone is the swamp look at all the the other old doorways reclaimed doors they've got that nostalgia and it's got that comfort field right look at this you've got the most amazing chairs brand new chairs it just feels authentic let me say this please please you have found our identity wonderful this is wonderful us i'm astonished i mean truly i didn't really have any expectations but this has surpassed anything you could possibly imagine there is one more thing i'd like to show you you're going to start peeing your pants there we are at boil oh my gosh from shocking your oysters to cooking your shrimp this is gonna be a substantial part of the menu and a meal it's gonna take so much pressure off you and jason this should just run on its own and it should almost double the turnover did i see you smile again that's the second time in 24 hours dude huh they're gonna arrest you for being too happy jeff ramsey has given this staff this place my family our friends our customers a new beginning it's unbelievable honestly when people would ask me where i work i would never say zekes i just say i'm a cook now i'm i'm proud to say that i work here a new beginning and a new identity physique along with making the decor more inviting jeff ramsey has replaced zeke's outdated stale menu with a modern update of classic new orleans cuisine oh my gosh my goodness me this is gonna put zeke's back on the map be careful it's fresh goodness every dish is absolutely beautiful okay let's start off top of the table zeke's house boil yes bucket of shrimp yes look at the blue crabs great sharing festive localized bucket push them okay back in the menu the entrees pecan crusted catfish so with a classic tartar sauce and a herb salad country fried steak big hit say no more such a gravy delicious slightly heated in that gravy it's got a nice little burn at the back of your throat blackened alligator wonderful creole sauce absolutely delicious because this has now become not the old zekes your zekes thank you you've got your identity now make it yours absolutely incredible beautiful come here the way chef created the menu and the dishes uh they don't have a menu like that around here dig in enjoy so not only do we have something great to put on the table but it's not anywhere around nobody else has it did you taste the cornbread i mean he was phenomenal i'm proud to have it and excited and can't wait for everybody else to come in and try it it's delicious i feel right now we have the most diverse louisiana southern menu i mean we very well may have the best menu rigid flavor rich in texture wow hi guys welcome to zeke the community of metairie had a love affair with this restaurant that went sour enjoying joy and joy shrimps are amazing chef ramsay's revamp and tonight's relaunch will be a strong indicator if it's possible for this love affair to resume i'm gonna try this i'm gonna and with so many changes in place and so many people in the dining room chef ramsay is hoping the boil house will take some of the pressure off the kitchen any um any orders on there in the boathouse no nothing at the board house already so get hold of the waitresses call them in and say right start pushing them i've got to use that place you've got to get used to that let's go great sell boil food sell one okay sell one to a big table please tonight we have a um special it's boiled lobster for two i don't know if you saw it on the menu but sell it by the blockage just bring us two trips right there two buckets of leftovers for table five two bucks complete let's go put a little bit of butter on there give it a nice little glaze okay good that's it two lobsters let's go look what i have for y'all y'all enjoy it looks good with the boil house now being utilized and satisfying customers it's clearly allowed some breathing room for the kitchen you're eight minutes on bay crab at 33. however it's now up to daryl to manage the time wisely i worked hard today let's make it happen you've got to focus on that window communicate with these guys one take one leaving one table working so we don't get bumped down yes yes sure i need an alligator i need a strip give me three minutes on that let's go we need to push food up there and cook it as fast as we can great tomatoes chocolate ices and eat it fast let's wipe one at a time it's not a race are we looking three chops in alligator hold on one second daryl mother chop how we like it zero slow down for one minute let us catch up huh hell with daryl calling multiple tickets at the same time grits mash sweet potatoes and more focused on speed than anything else ticket is it for the kitchen is now completely confused how's my pecan catfish where's my new york strips got to go just put them in the window and we'll figure out how to plate them yes whatever you got make sure it's done huh i was being told that i need this this and this right now and i just try and move as fast as i can and get the food out say it just looks like crap do you agree yeah no garnish no go in the window like that daryl has managed to get the cooks producing the food at a much quicker pace but the dishes are not at the level that they should be so is that food yeah guys the fish is raw not tonight just just stop 24 is out everybody stop what a joke it's relaunch night at six mother chop how are we looking around slow down for one minute let us catch up huh and with daryl pushing the cooks food is leaving the kitchen quickly can we get another one unfortunately it's also coming back quickly guys the fish is raw not tonight oh man just stop everybody stop i'm here jason come around i'd rather be three four minutes later than rush food out there and the shit's coming back not tonight an expeditious should definitely set the tone for the rest of the kitchen i think daryl lost control of that all right it's just a big catastrophe what we've got to do is focus on one table at a time we've got to communicate don't talk to me don't get swamped where you're at what time what you want daryl take responsibility i have to stop refocus let's get these tickets out one at a time i need to do a better job of communicating very simply all right guys let's focus where you at now daryl pecan catfish and black and alligator in his hand daryl table one let's go move to the next ticket i got 33 black and alligator pecan catfish coming right now let's go following chef ramsay's advice of focusing on one table at a time table ten yeah daryl and the chefs are now in sync please let's get this to uh 31. like an alligator perfectly cooked dishes are leaving the kitchen and are being enjoyed by thrilled customers that's delicious now that this restaurant is on its way to a successful relaunch chef ramsay is ready to spread the word what happened with the restaurant before why did you come here this place was legendary and it lost its way it's now back on the map and two new owners that are going to start their own beginning of a new chapter what is the feedback you're already getting for tonight that the food is fantastic i mean the menus it's fabulous i highly recommend that you come in and try it let's finish let's finish somebody get this to 14 please he said no more tickets coming in let's get this stuff out of here definitely delicious that's a wrap jack the end of the night the way it ended made you feel good i think daryl showed more personality tonight than he showed in the last few years we still have some improvements to make but you can see it's on the right track nice job good night ladies thank you thank you so much okay tonight was about establishing a new zeals and you achieved it for my first time in new orleans me did you give me a challenge if chef ramsay told me a week ago that all these changes were going to happen what am i doing i don't think i would have really believed it guys have a quick word with you two amazing look at this place the potential is huge fantastic it's now your zeke's run with it and daryl you do care and you do have a heart a big heart show it to your staff indeed i will don't hide that i'm ready to do things the right way ready to get moving it's a new it's a new life it's new energy good job thank you thank you good night good night good night good night we had a lot of issues here when i first arrived the staff were at war with the owners the food was miserable and the restaurant was seriously struggling for an identity but what i witnessed was a phenomenal comeback and how fitting is that that took place here in the most resilient city across america new orleans week old lasagna not so special in the weeks that followed a glowing report on the local news as a family as a restaurant it's back on the map brought a surge of customers to the restaurant hi how are y'all daryl and ellen are doing their best to raise staff morale you all did an excellent job i can't do this without you guys and are reaching out to the community and we really thank you all for coming it means a lot to us thanks split seeks back on the map youlocated on the mississippi river not far from the gulf of mexico is the new orleans suburb of metairie a tight-knit community that is home to zeke's a neighborhood restaurant opened in 2002 by a charismatic entrepreneur named zeke ognus zeke was six foot four big and goofy but you know what the man knew how to have a good time and he knew how to run a pretty good restaurant everyone came to zeke when it first opened because there was just a good vibe in this place good people food was always good we used to do 750 people in here on a friday night but in 2005 zeke tragically died during hurricane katrina and the ownership and the direction of the restaurant was up in the air after katrina this place was in limbo so the cortellos fought it and they pretty much took on the place hi guys how are y'all tonight welcome to zeke's when we bought zeke's we chose to keep the name because zekes did a very good business and that just made business sense to us all right guys first guest when daryl first took over pretty much changed everything he cut staff he cut product he went to uh lesser quality wouldn't feed that to your dog and then on top of that he raised the prices it's a little over the top i feel as though i'm completely handcuffed in the kitchen i'd love to do like a steam clams that's not us i don't think that's us what i'm saying i'm always trying to beg him or plum can we try that can we do this and daryl doesn't allow it trying to make chicken salad out of chicken i ask myself all the time why do i even stay here i know sitting on the job servers here are all talked down to or disrespected people just don't feel appreciated daryl cut my pay in the last six months i can't afford raises right now man it's made me work more hours since he cut my pay that ro we got three orders of green tomatoes left cutting them a little thick too i tell you that i'm not looking to squeak by i'm looking for financial rewards in this business that kind of offended a lot of zeke's regulars and this was just steadily declined meatballs plain and bland unless he's got a pot of gold stashed there's no way this restaurant will last you know a month all right payroll was today how'd we do that's not a good question financially we are not doing great we got to catch up somewhere it's not happening we're not going to make it if we don't have chef ramsay come in and tell us what he thinks we can do differently to change this because obviously what we're doing it's not really working physically emotionally it's been hard i have put everything i can possibly put in the zekes but seats aren't full so something's going on and we're killing ourselves trying to find out before heading to zeke's gordon has arranged to meet some metairie locals to gain some insight into the restaurant and the neighborhood oh doing good how are we doing this morning very indeed thank you morning how are we now tell me about the area metric what does it uh what does it stand for it's a town on east bay they got a lot of people they got some good russian sub there and have you heard of restaurant called zeke's i used to go there quite a bit i haven't been in a while but before katrina we used to go there quite a bit before katrina would feel like every friday it was great what was the difference in food got pricey in average already yeah the quality has gone down quite a bit yeah atmosphere wasn't the same they lost the magic the feel of the restaurant right just changed yeah thank you thank you after hearing unfavorable reviews chef ramsay heads over to zeke's to continue his investigation and there is nothing more telling than lunch hello well hello chef frankie welcome to zeke i'm very happy to be here helen nice to meet you come right this way all right guys i think we got a special guest her dad heard that help me get up to speed you are the owner yeah you run the business with zeke my husband no my husband is daryl daryl where is he he is in the kitchen so zeke was the original man who opened the restaurant um passed away right after katrina and we purchased it from his estate so we've had it for almost five years what did you change after you bought it the menu items are similar okay we've definitely taken some off and changed some recipes and the chef is the same emil is the kitchen manager yes decision is it with the new dishes my husband daryl he's got a couple of his recipes on the menu and where did he train as a chef he's never trained as a chef if you're not a chef why would you put dishes on the menu being in the business i guess okay does the chef agree with those dishes or is it just because he's the owner that's what he gets them on i guess talk to him about it okay let me look at the menu okay thank you yeah you're welcome wow hello hi how are you today how are you i'm so happy to be in louisiana my first time good thank you your first name is candace i saw on the menu the oyster cortello it's an invented dish for our restaurant the cortellos is daryl and ellen so they made they made it up so the owners have named an oyster after them can we bought the restaurant now you want your name on the menu yeah sounds like someone's struggling for power ah i've got to try one okay yeah i must have some boiled shrimp boiled shrimp and what special do you have my donny we have a chicken fried steak today let's go for it we do have also traditional bread pudding let's go for that and i think we're done okay thank you look what i got all right here we go when daryl got here he kind of implemented his own menu it really gets frustrating because daryl really has no idea culinary-wise what he's doing candice you're ready i'm going to take out the boiled shrimp to him chef ramsay is going to love this food it's simple food it's basic food it's feel-good food but it's done very well and fresh okay boiled shrimp thanks honey my first louisiana shrimp yeah everything's soft they should peel easily and sort of pop out the shell but i'm struggling to peel them i mean that was nasty what i'm struggling for here is the lack of freshness they feel and taste slightly mushy which is a big disappointment can this were the shrimps fresh they're fresh frozen fresh frozen i know it's kind of an oxymoron but you can buy fresh shrimp within a mile yes yes the frozen shrimp tastes like sorry crap he wanted to know why we would get frozen shrimp when you can go to like the market and get them fresh every day it's not uncommon to have frozen shrimp because some things are okay frozen have a look on the oysters coming right now all right wow that back wall is hideous what a mess you got two seconds please yes and what's with the uh the swamp decor whose idea was that um mine and my husband to eat in a swamp for children or for adults both for both voices that's not words for me all right here we go okay thank you all right what the hell is that these are the oysters cortello oysters cortello so suppose you go like that wow there's dreadful oysters named after the owner i certainly would put my name on that i wouldn't even put my enemies name on there take it for you okay thank you that's depressing isn't it no just terrible oysters cortello i don't know what to say about that i eat them myself i think they're delicious absolutely delicious daryl what do you say oysters cortello just ain't working this is killing me not to know what he's saying this is the fried chicken snake right correct thank you you're welcome bland as anything no seasoning no care look at that candies what the hell is that it looks like it's just had a giraffe's tongue cut out and deep fat fried people complain that the quality of the food here is horrible unbelievable daryl's not listening to the feedback that he gets and he's going to do what he wants to do he said that it looks like somebody cut out a giraffe's tongue battered and fried it i'm not going to agree with that it didn't look that way to me i mean that's what normally goes out it's a good product they look like we cut out a giraffe's tongue wow wow jesus thanks it doesn't look fantastic but it tastes delicious you made that e-mail it makes it i'm just so happy that chef ramsay likes in the bread pudding it feels great to end on a good note love the bread pudding you like the bread boy there we go loved it i took full responsibility for bread pudding that is all me daryl doesn't really have influence on that thank god thank god he likes something i did i'll take that any day hello hello chef and this is daryl the owner introduce me to your uh brigade chef emile marcos emil good to see you buddy chase the carpenter jason good to see you there's a lot of things that that need changing and you know daryl is one of them can i talk about lunch yes my god what a disaster the food is below standard why wouldn't you buy fresh shrimp i simply don't have the time to go to the market excuse me where are we come on come on big boy chicken fries steak disaster what cut of meat was that not a very good cut no are you proud to serve that food no sir was that the same quality of steak that we were using years ago no sir and why have you changed the standard it's up to daryl is that our cutting corner method to say no chef everything is to you yeah but we had diners eating all lunch full dining room but nothing's sent back do you honestly think just because they don't send it back that your food is amazing that's good enough for you to continue now you can't be that stupid point taken if they want to be that stupid you've got no chance i don't buy the fact that it's bad quality food that's hard to believe this was once a great place after receiving some harsh words from chef ramsay the food is below standard daryl has some words of his own you know chef says everything is it's embarrassing there's nothing good about the menu you know i don't buy that i will never believe the food is you're not gonna commit i've been eating this food all my life chef ramsay doesn't know the world and food that's it you cut all the food down you want you can't break me it's an hour before dinner service and chef ramsay hopes a private meeting with the two chefs emil and jason can shed some light on the restaurant's main issues okay so i don't get it some of the things i encountered there today were just awful that can't be your wish to cook with frozen ingredients we talk about every day and it just gets swept under the table i tell him the second he starts cutting the cost and getting a cheaper product yeah you know it's going to taste like and trying to explain that to him yeah you know it's like talking to this wall right here and how long has it been going on like that since the right around the time he took over the only thing daryl and ellen see is money and that's what scares me their whole purpose is money money money money money we feel like our hands are so tied as far as ordering goes everything goes the only other option was to leave me and him both go yes you know what do you do just walk out the place i mean we got a lot of personal memories in this place just to walk out of it granted i i get that but it doesn't stop you from having your voice everybody here is just kind of waiting for the place to belly up and go find a new job somewhere else i'm here to help put this freaking place back on the map yes sir you're absolutely right we have only two options chef ramsay or god and i don't think the second comments happen anytime soon thanks for the ketchup after gaining some insight from jason and emil hey i need shrimp portions chef ramsay is eager to see how this restaurant functions in a dinner service how does this work with these done um last night why they bagged he poisoned them out to order ready what's the idea putting everything in bags portion size portion size i like to have everything in quantitative perspective if i give too much you get a happy customer here you don't get a good customer they're happy because they're getting three times what they should be getting i'm getting nothing i don't make money on that it's food you know we're not cutting uh piping hi welcome to zeeks how many do we have in the party it's chef ramsay's first time in louisiana come right this way please and not surprisingly zeke's is completely booked and tonight our specials is lasagna i got to see food plotting no oyster sub shrimp i'm at the expo station i like to see all the food go out inside of new potatoes i uh make sure every dish goes out like i want it to go out can i run anything nope shrimp platter can only not go i'm waiting on dishes to complete the order it doesn't concern you the food's just dying in the window but we're pushing as hard as we can bloody hell expediting is one thing standing here and saying nothing is another wow it's an hour into dinner service and the first wave of food is finally making its way out to the customers sorry about the weight they are about everybody's food at the table as well let me get your server my apologies and the food isn't the only thing that's getting a chilly reception can i ask something do you mind not standing there like that it's so dour i think you can be more proactive i don't want to hover you know but you can make yourself busy okay i got it i'm ready thank all you look what i got what's that one lasagna lasagna when was the lasagna made last thursday last thursday and today's thursday right correct seven of stuff from a week ago help me to understand that uh that's stupidity that made the pan we didn't sell it all it's wrapped up in portions i thought that's a bad thing lasagna it's all done fresh and cooked and uh we'll wrap the portions up separately or put them in the freezer it works it is the best lasagna you're going to get is it special right yes it is okay so how the is that special in your tiny mind when it was cooked a week ago i'm telling you have a tiny mind it can't be that special if you're going to stand here and tell me that this is special the product is good daryl runs his kitchen with 90 bravado and you know the other 10 he just wings it this is a good product this is good food oh my god it's getting worse yeah he's a tough nut you're uh expediter so we have a special today when do you think that lasagna was made today homemade lasagna right last thursday how could it be that special when it's from a week ago well you know it's frozen so it's not like sitting there getting mildew on it and our customers absolutely love the lasagna i don't think that's our biggest issue is lasagna i mean that's absolutely incorrect what do you think they would feel like if you told them today's special was cooked a week ago frozen i don't know i mean i'm sure they would probably be surprised that it was so good and that it was made last week in frozen should i ask them all would you like me to walk with you i know i'm not gonna walk or stand up and shout oh really when you come out to restaurants and you read today's specials for instance a beautiful homemade lasagna would you expect that lasagna to be made today yes ladies and gentlemen how many of you have ordered lasagna how would you feel if i told you all that today's lasagna that's been served was made a week ago this is humiliating after making a shocking discovery about today's special what was the lasagna mate last thursday chef ramsay made an announcement today's lasagna that's been served was made a week ago that is not sitting well with customers my apologies to those that have ordered the lasagna have a look at the potential of the specials bonneville t thank you thank you this is humiliating it's absolutely better of course when it's fresh and served right out of the pan but it's not horrible i just told the customers that laser sanya was reheated from a week ago the feedback was shock horror 86 lasagna yes sir yeah with chef ramsay's announcement fresh in their minds check okay customers have seemed to have lost their appetite did y'all eat already yeah i had the lasagna after witnessing a dinner service full of problems you got two seconds yes absolutely chef ramsay is anxious to have a chat with the owners oh dear did you hear the customers tonight i told them lasagna was a week old did you hear here's what happens cook lasagna and it doesn't sell you throw it away no we don't throw it away we wrap it i'm here to help but i tell you what i can't help you when you're standing there and trying to come up with excuses to why customers pay good money for frozen that cooked a week ago and you call it a special we don't feel like it puts out an awful product you don't give a about food that's not true your passions about portion control measurements frozen foods reheating of microwave russians don't run like this disagree i disagree with that also definitely trust me you are not a restauranteur you're the owner you're paying rent here when you start dealing with all this crap and your name's on that lease then you tell me what you want to do after being stonewalled by owners in denial good morning chef ramsay is called a staff meeting two minutes please hoping to bring all the restaurants issues into the open okay i want you to tell me the frustrations the anger and the things that really upset you the most emil um i just feel as though i'm getting pounded with a mallet constantly when i walk into this place i went from working 40 hours to working about 50 for 400 a week that pisses me off i feel that we don't get any respect i'm here all the time i don't get to eat lunch i should have a meal i should have a chef meal this is messed up we are talked down to like we're dirt and it's not right listen um i really appreciate the openness and the honesty and it was bad but i didn't quite understand it it hit that level of hurt i think it's just sad that we're all sitting here and that we actually have to even beat at this point i think we all the whole group of us here pretty much struggling no one's getting that message across i need to get through to them daryl and ellen are about to arrive i want you to tell them everybody was saying what they wanted to say and getting it off their chest but it's kind of different from telling chef ramsay versus telling daryl don't be nervous i don't need to be afraid i've got your back okay and here they are good morning good morning i've been here having a staff meeting um we've gone through some issues um this morning that's been bothering them but rather than me trying to tell you how they feel i think they should speak certainly who's gonna go first i go first i don't feel as though we all gain much respect around here and i don't think that you as an owner have our back candace ashley is that how you feel you really do talk to us like dirt sometimes my intent is not to talk down to somebody but that's how it comes out jason talk to daryl please my biggest problem that i have is just i don't think you have a clue as to how this place runs me yeah wow i think that you're so stuck on the numbers the actual essence of having a restaurant serving good food and giving customer service and happy employees that's gone i don't understand we hear it every single night and every single day from our customers what needs to be changed and why they don't come back we let you know these things and you don't give a nothing's done you don't care wow hey pants is ridiculous here i really don't wanna break down because i i've been in a long time and i'm not getting pissed check for somebody to be here that long i've been here since 2006. why haven't i never got a pay raise okay let me say something real quick since we're all telling the truth first of all daryl and i have taken thousands and thousands of dollars out of our personal account to pay your paychecks so why not just close the place down we're not giving up we don't want to give up if you want to give up that's fine this isn't your business we don't want to leave each other because we all love each other we don't want to leave not at all but i need to make money to support my family you know what so do we y'all acting like it's us against y'all and it's not this is a business we have costs and expenses i ask you to take that pay cut it's either that or labor costs get so high i'm out but you can go on five vacations in the summer and you're struggling for money right that is up period if you don't want to be here don't be here after chef ramsay arranged for the staff to air their grievances i don't think you have a clue as to how this place runs the defiant owners are not having any of it if you don't want to be here don't be here if i were piling up money back there then i could see you being pissed off but we're not piling up money back there i can't show appreciation in dollars at this point they maybe have this picture of me with this pile of money going hahaha nobody's going to get it we don't have the money i'm accepting the truth from you guys accept it from me please things aren't going well i understand that in terms of morale there's an air of discontent they feel abused and i'm not saying the staff are perfect but you're the owners and you set an example we have to fix what's broken within so how about starting over again and turning the page and the beginning of a new chapter i understand those frustrations you're wonderful people so i want you all here and you will have my respect i guarantee that from me and there's a lot of love for you guys from ellen and i and i truly mean that good we did make some progress videos clearer okay it's a new day here at zeke's i've got some ideas that i need to uh put into place to really start putting this place back on the map thank you honestly i don't think that daryl and ellen heard what what we were saying he was just saying what was right just to get chef ramsay off of his back we'll see what happens oh after attempting to open daryl and ellen's eyes to the staff morale problems chef ramsay has devised a plan to test the chefs and showcase their abilities okay it's been so obvious that you've been handcuffed by daryl and here's what i want you to do show down how creative how inspirational how exciting you can be with seafood there's a grocery store literally two miles away from here okay have a look at the ingredients get inspired come back get creative i want to see that on a plate yeah thank you good right now i'm pretty jacked up gordon ramsay himself said jason time for you to be inspired go let it happen let's see what you got all right let's see what they got fresh how may i help you redfish fresh you just put it out hour and a half ago that's what we're looking for it's extremely liberating to have this freedom to showcase and do what we want to do cook good food very nice to meet you thanks guys i am uh looking for red onions with uh asparagus let's do a red pepper this will be the last thing i get and we're ready to ride there it is it is showcase the skills so happy think of something creative and really let it go yeah yes okay off you go guys yeah yeah i'm going to do a chicken fried steak at the same time okay brilliant i own it yeah yeah sure you could put a little lime juice in there yes i'm not done yet with it okay good i love the idea the bacon and cheddar nice so in terms of the inspiration tell me what it is try to keep it southern with the grits fresh with the salmon and classic with the capers with the onions with the tomatoes good keeping it with the new orleans theme redfish and then grilled vegetables fresh rice fresh ingredients just a fun dish pretty good job the difference of night and day let me tell you that beautiful now you say nothing you didn't cook them i cook them do you understand yes okay let's go come over guys please wow look at that you think of louisiana first thing you think of is freshness but when i walked into your restaurant what i didn't expect was frozen seafood so i got my team to get some ingredients from it like you both just have a little taste taste of freshness a beautiful chocolate salmon done with grits creamy tasty it's absolutely phenomenal and i got hold of some red fish marinade zucchini with some rice and a really nice mango salsa oh my gosh this bread fish is delicious it's phenomenal it's absolutely phenomenal phenomenal absolutely watching them eat my dish and not knowing that it was mine and to say that you know it looked like it was from their heart i'd like you to have a little taste of that chicken fried steak i just lightly pounded it and then fried it twice so it should just melt in your mouth it does melt yeah literally literally melted chip and couldn't believe how good it was the presentation was beautiful and there's fresh ingredients and they tasted wonderful they're all absolutely phenomenal you taste the difference absolutely there's something you need to know about the seafood dishes i didn't cook them the two chefs put those dishes together wow the seafood dishes are your boys delicious absolutely they really are they're phenomenal it really opened my eyes to what i i wasn't letting them do honestly food is art and i was not letting them create their art these aren't just delicious they're beautiful and they come from right inside you i know that you did a fantastic job it feels really good that daryl and ellen recognize my potential and i think that my abilities haven't shown and hopefully this is the first step forward this is the music i can see that's what we're looking for all i could really think to myself was about time you see it really good job well done after finally having at least a small breakthrough with the owners jeff ramsey decides to have his team work through the night on the biggest restaurant makeover they have ever done right good morning morning chef excited are you ready to see the musics yes let's go welcome to the news eggs here we go oh my god let's start with the walls gone is the swamp look at all the the other old doorways reclaimed doors they've got that nostalgia and it's got that comfort field right look at this you've got the most amazing chairs brand new chairs it just feels authentic let me say this please please you have found our identity wonderful this is wonderful us i'm astonished i mean truly i didn't really have any expectations but this has surpassed anything you could possibly imagine there is one more thing i'd like to show you you're going to start peeing your pants there we are at boil oh my gosh from shocking your oysters to cooking your shrimp this is gonna be a substantial part of the menu and a meal it's gonna take so much pressure off you and jason this should just run on its own and it should almost double the turnover did i see you smile again that's the second time in 24 hours dude huh they're gonna arrest you for being too happy jeff ramsey has given this staff this place my family our friends our customers a new beginning it's unbelievable honestly when people would ask me where i work i would never say zekes i just say i'm a cook now i'm i'm proud to say that i work here a new beginning and a new identity physique along with making the decor more inviting jeff ramsey has replaced zeke's outdated stale menu with a modern update of classic new orleans cuisine oh my gosh my goodness me this is gonna put zeke's back on the map be careful it's fresh goodness every dish is absolutely beautiful okay let's start off top of the table zeke's house boil yes bucket of shrimp yes look at the blue crabs great sharing festive localized bucket push them okay back in the menu the entrees pecan crusted catfish so with a classic tartar sauce and a herb salad country fried steak big hit say no more such a gravy delicious slightly heated in that gravy it's got a nice little burn at the back of your throat blackened alligator wonderful creole sauce absolutely delicious because this has now become not the old zekes your zekes thank you you've got your identity now make it yours absolutely incredible beautiful come here the way chef created the menu and the dishes uh they don't have a menu like that around here dig in enjoy so not only do we have something great to put on the table but it's not anywhere around nobody else has it did you taste the cornbread i mean he was phenomenal i'm proud to have it and excited and can't wait for everybody else to come in and try it it's delicious i feel right now we have the most diverse louisiana southern menu i mean we very well may have the best menu rigid flavor rich in texture wow hi guys welcome to zeke the community of metairie had a love affair with this restaurant that went sour enjoying joy and joy shrimps are amazing chef ramsay's revamp and tonight's relaunch will be a strong indicator if it's possible for this love affair to resume i'm gonna try this i'm gonna and with so many changes in place and so many people in the dining room chef ramsay is hoping the boil house will take some of the pressure off the kitchen any um any orders on there in the boathouse no nothing at the board house already so get hold of the waitresses call them in and say right start pushing them i've got to use that place you've got to get used to that let's go great sell boil food sell one okay sell one to a big table please tonight we have a um special it's boiled lobster for two i don't know if you saw it on the menu but sell it by the blockage just bring us two trips right there two buckets of leftovers for table five two bucks complete let's go put a little bit of butter on there give it a nice little glaze okay good that's it two lobsters let's go look what i have for y'all y'all enjoy it looks good with the boil house now being utilized and satisfying customers it's clearly allowed some breathing room for the kitchen you're eight minutes on bay crab at 33. however it's now up to daryl to manage the time wisely i worked hard today let's make it happen you've got to focus on that window communicate with these guys one take one leaving one table working so we don't get bumped down yes yes sure i need an alligator i need a strip give me three minutes on that let's go we need to push food up there and cook it as fast as we can great tomatoes chocolate ices and eat it fast let's wipe one at a time it's not a race are we looking three chops in alligator hold on one second daryl mother chop how we like it zero slow down for one minute let us catch up huh hell with daryl calling multiple tickets at the same time grits mash sweet potatoes and more focused on speed than anything else ticket is it for the kitchen is now completely confused how's my pecan catfish where's my new york strips got to go just put them in the window and we'll figure out how to plate them yes whatever you got make sure it's done huh i was being told that i need this this and this right now and i just try and move as fast as i can and get the food out say it just looks like crap do you agree yeah no garnish no go in the window like that daryl has managed to get the cooks producing the food at a much quicker pace but the dishes are not at the level that they should be so is that food yeah guys the fish is raw not tonight just just stop 24 is out everybody stop what a joke it's relaunch night at six mother chop how are we looking around slow down for one minute let us catch up huh and with daryl pushing the cooks food is leaving the kitchen quickly can we get another one unfortunately it's also coming back quickly guys the fish is raw not tonight oh man just stop everybody stop i'm here jason come around i'd rather be three four minutes later than rush food out there and the shit's coming back not tonight an expeditious should definitely set the tone for the rest of the kitchen i think daryl lost control of that all right it's just a big catastrophe what we've got to do is focus on one table at a time we've got to communicate don't talk to me don't get swamped where you're at what time what you want daryl take responsibility i have to stop refocus let's get these tickets out one at a time i need to do a better job of communicating very simply all right guys let's focus where you at now daryl pecan catfish and black and alligator in his hand daryl table one let's go move to the next ticket i got 33 black and alligator pecan catfish coming right now let's go following chef ramsay's advice of focusing on one table at a time table ten yeah daryl and the chefs are now in sync please let's get this to uh 31. like an alligator perfectly cooked dishes are leaving the kitchen and are being enjoyed by thrilled customers that's delicious now that this restaurant is on its way to a successful relaunch chef ramsay is ready to spread the word what happened with the restaurant before why did you come here this place was legendary and it lost its way it's now back on the map and two new owners that are going to start their own beginning of a new chapter what is the feedback you're already getting for tonight that the food is fantastic i mean the menus it's fabulous i highly recommend that you come in and try it let's finish let's finish somebody get this to 14 please he said no more tickets coming in let's get this stuff out of here definitely delicious that's a wrap jack the end of the night the way it ended made you feel good i think daryl showed more personality tonight than he showed in the last few years we still have some improvements to make but you can see it's on the right track nice job good night ladies thank you thank you so much okay tonight was about establishing a new zeals and you achieved it for my first time in new orleans me did you give me a challenge if chef ramsay told me a week ago that all these changes were going to happen what am i doing i don't think i would have really believed it guys have a quick word with you two amazing look at this place the potential is huge fantastic it's now your zeke's run with it and daryl you do care and you do have a heart a big heart show it to your staff indeed i will don't hide that i'm ready to do things the right way ready to get moving it's a new it's a new life it's new energy good job thank you thank you good night good night good night good night we had a lot of issues here when i first arrived the staff were at war with the owners the food was miserable and the restaurant was seriously struggling for an identity but what i witnessed was a phenomenal comeback and how fitting is that that took place here in the most resilient city across america new orleans week old lasagna not so special in the weeks that followed a glowing report on the local news as a family as a restaurant it's back on the map brought a surge of customers to the restaurant hi how are y'all daryl and ellen are doing their best to raise staff morale you all did an excellent job i can't do this without you guys and are reaching out to the community and we really thank you all for coming it means a lot to us thanks split seeks back on the map you\n"