Original subtitles

[boat horn honks]

- This is the Riverbend district

of Uptown New Orleans, where vegan eatery Kindred

is in dire need of help.

- Well, welcome to Kindred, y'all.

Everything on the menu is vegan.

- The restaurant was founded in 2020 by owner Caroline.

[rock music]

- All right.

Are we ready to order some food?

- I have been vegan since 1997.

It's for the animals.

Animals and humans, we're all family.

We're all kindred spirits.

[bell dings]

What table is the next order?

- Four.

- Vegan these days is very easy to do.

Back when I went vegan, there was very slim pickings.

And so I took the plunge

and decided to follow my passion

and open the vegan restaurant.

Fried vegetable rolls.

The restaurant actually was standing on its own two feet,

and then comes Hurricane Ida.

[wind gusting]

We had a hole in the side of the restaurant.

We lost our inventory, and I just had to pay

for everything out of pocket.

Things have been in just panic mode ever since.

Ida really destroyed me emotionally.

Since that time, I honestly just wait for the next thing

to get [bleep] up, and it does.

But we're still here because of my team

and the support from them.

- I've got the shrimp po' boy.

- There you go.

- Thank you so much.

I love working for Caroline.

She's my best friend.

- Oh, my God.

I think that she's a miserable person

since she lost everything that she owned.

- Dude, I don't want to do that.

- I'll do it.

She's overworked.

She's tired. She's stressed.

She doesn't have a restaurant background at all.

- New Orleans is a football city.

We love our Saints.

And we are hosting the Super Bowl this year,

and Kindred would not be ready at all

to handle an influx of customers.

Hey, what's the next ticket?

- Restaurants are hard businesses,

and she doesn't know how to do it.

- Oh, God.

- The most obvious problem is Frank.

[dishes clatter]

- Frank works in the kitchen.

- [coughs]

- He is a manager of sorts.

- OK, we got another order of nachos.

We also have garlic bread and three more starter salads.

- Another order of nachos.

I've been cooking since I was young enough to read the box.

I am not vegan, but the title of manager was applied to me,

and I'm more than willing to take it.

- How's the garlic bread?

- Not started.

- Can I start taking stuff? - Yeah.

Frank, are the brussels sprouts ready?

- Almost.

- I'm going to be right back for those brussels, OK?

- Frank is not somebody that you can lean on for management.

He is not good at doing things quickly.

- I'm probably the most lackadaisical person

I've ever met.

- Frank, can you get the dishes when you get a second?

- No.

I would say that I give 64% to 72% mentally.

[slurps]

- Sometimes Frank works at Frank's speed.

But Frank is always there for me,

and we've been friends for a very long time,

and I can count on him.

- Nachos.

Ding, ding.

- Caroline depends a lot on Frank,

and that may be a little unwarranted.

I think Frank does kind of the bare minimum.

Things are just incredibly disorganized.

I look at this restaurant sometimes

and feel like it's a hoarder situation.

And it's getting worse by the day.

Hi there, folks. How are you doing?

- The future is pretty grim, and I think

that Chef Ramsay is the only hope.

[clatters]

- What's going on in there? - He sucks.

- I have never been so financially strapped for cash,

and so I'm overwhelmed and stressed all the time.

[sighs]

I cry at the drop of a hat.

I'm starting to wonder

if I'm even capable of being successful.

I don't want my vegan restaurant to close.

I see potential in the restaurant.

I just don't know how to get there.

- [belches]

[dramatic music]

- This restaurant is festering!

You cannot be that deluded.

Stop, stop, stop.

I promise you, you can't do this.

Smell it!

Shut it down.

[jazz music]

- I'm in the Uptown district of New Orleans,

and look at this area.

It's affluent. The houses are stunning.

There's something quite exciting

about vegan restaurants.

Vegan food, it's healthy, it's clean,

the demand is off the charts, but more importantly,

it's such a healthy, exciting way of eating.

Restaurants like Kindred should be packed,

and I'm dying to find out why it's not.

- How are you? - I'm fine. Can't complain.

- OK.

- It's a vegan restaurant, so why not go through the garden?

Because I'm sure it's going to be full of fresh vegetables.

Oh, my God.

Fresh vegetables, my ass.

Could be a beautiful little terrace,

but it's like a junkyard.

What the hell?

Cigarette butts.

What a mess.

What the [bleep] is-- ah, [bleep].

So much for the vegan terrace.

[tense music]

Oh, my God.

What in the hell?

What is this?

This cannot be true.

Pots, pans, mixers.

They're seriously using this?

What a mess.

Just the color of everything, it's so dirty.

- Could you grab spring rolls? - Spring rolls.

- One order of spring rolls.

- How are you? - I'm fine.

How are you? - Nice to see you.

And this is? - Nice to see you. I'm Holly.

- Holly, good to see you. - Yeah.

- I'm just like, oh, my God.

Like, Gordon Ramsay is here at my restaurant.

Like, you know, it's very intimidating.

- What in the hell's going on in there?

- Um, I--I'm not sure.

I try to avoid that room, to be honest.

- Avoid it? Come here.

- Yeah. - Let me just show you.

All this [bleep] here, who's it belong to?

- I guess Caroline.

So there's this room, and we call it the hellhole.

I do know the freezer is in there,

but I try not to go in there.

If anybody asks me to get anything from the freezer,

I just say, I don't know where that is.

I don't want to go in there.

- Spring rolls.

- Spring rolls.

- Who's that?

- That's Frank, the kitchen manager.

- The kitchen manager?

- Well, yes. - Right.

- It's good to have Gordon come in

and give some creative input as how to improve things,

but I might be the only person here

with more experience in a restaurant than him.

Dropping the spring rolls. - OK.

- OK.

This is a vegan restaurant, right?

- It's a vegan restaurant.

Everything is made fresh to order.

- Right. Did you say that was the chef

looking for spring rolls in the freezer?

- Yes.

- There's nothing fresh there, is there?

- No. - No.

- I'm glad that Holly is serving Chef Ramsay and not me.

I would probably drop a tray.

There you go. Y'all enjoy.

I mean, I keep looking over and, like, trying to listen.

But, you know, I'm also still trying to do my job.

- Well, let's start, Holly. Nachos.

Let's have a nice order of nachos.

- Nachos. OK.

- Let's go for the, uh-- the yuca fries.

- All right. - Mac and cheese.

- OK. - And what's the chef's name?

- Um, well, Caroline is the owner and the creator.

- Right. - Would you like to meet her?

- I'd love to say hello. - Caroline, this is Gordon.

- Caroline, how are you?

- Can I drop this off real quick?

- Of course you can drop them off.

I didn't know that was the owner.

- Yeah. - I thought that was a server.

- Oh, well, I'll put your order in, OK?

- Please. - And you can talk to Caroline.

- Hi. - Hey.

How are you? - Good.

It's an honor. - Yeah, likewise.

What happened to that room back there with boxes

and [bleep] everywhere?

- Stress.

- Whose room is that?

- It's just, like, the storage room

where stuff just accumulates.

- Right.

There was a chef running around for frozen spring rolls.

Who's that? - Frank.

- Frank. And he's your right-hand man?

Proper true vegan?

- He's not a vegan, but he's worked

in three vegan restaurants.

- OK.

I am here to help, but I would like to taste the food.

- Yeah. - And then we'll catch up.

Pleasure meeting you. - Pleasure meeting you.

- Thank you. - Thank you.

- That is Gordon Ramsay's ticket.

Should we be doing that first? - I don't care. No.

You think I have time to use the restroom?

- Ladies, what is that?

- It's supposed to be, like, a veggie--

- Oh, the veggie spring roll.

- It tastes like the one I got from Costco,

the little frozen box. - Oh, no.

When you come to a vegan restaurant locally,

you don't expect frozen veg rolls, right?

- No, no. - My apologies.

- Well, that's last.

- No, that needs to be first and important.

- Hey, who's running the kitchen?

- I think it's running by itself.

- OK. Yuca fries.

- Frozen bag of fries. I'm getting it.

[quirky music]

- Thank you. - There we go.

- Thank you.

- Holly.

Is the chef OK?

- Um, yeah. - Yeah.

It's a bit long for the food.

Anything I can nibble on?

[bell dings]

- Can this go out? - Yeah.

- OK.

- Does he need any help in there?

I'll take anything, Holly. I'm starving.

Oh. - Oh, look.

Saved by the bell. - No, saved by the bell.

Thank you. - Yuca fries.

- Yuca fries. Thank you. - Yeah.

- Oh, [bleep].

You got more excited. That's it?

[bleep]. Yuca fries. OK.

[tense music]

- How are we doing?

- Oh, literally halfway through a yuca fry.

Are they--are they frozen?

- Uh, yeah.

- Frank, can you drop this mac and cheese real quick?

[bell dings]

- Oh. - Macaroni and cheese.

- Thank you very much.

- Yes, it is. Mm-hmm. - Gotcha.

When was the cheese sauce made?

- Yesterday. - Right.

That absolutely stinks.

Whew!

Oh, my God.

Macaroni is all overcooked.

It's almost mush.

And it tastes--

it just tastes like the chef's given up.

- Nachos.

- Make it fancy.

- Don't I always?

- No.

- Yeah.

- Nachos.

- Oh, boy.

Here we go.

It's just bland.

Vegans deserve way better than this.

Holly. - Yes.

- Is that plastic avocado? Is that out of a bag?

- The--the guacamole is not fresh.

I'm sorry.

- Why would you buy avocado in bags

if you've got fresh avocados?

Would you ask Frank that one, please?

- I will do that, Chef.

- That you, Holly.

- A lot of our food is not made fresh in-house,

and Chef is really criticizing a lot of that.

And I'm pretty sure he's going to tear this kitchen apart.

Hey, Frank. - Ma'am.

- Chef wants to know why we use bagged guacamole

when we have avocados.

- Tell him to ask the lady who runs the restaurant.

I find people who are giving you criticism,

I try to be positive, but I can become

a very negative person very quickly.

Ask stupid questions, win stupid prizes.

- Frank said to ask the lady who runs the restaurant.

- No, I'm asking the person who runs the [bleep] kitchen.

- Mm-hmm. - Tell him that.

- Mm-hmm.

- Hey, Holly. - Yes, Chef?

- And tell him to grow some, will you?

A pair of vegan bollocks. - Oh, OK.

- Yeah.

Pass the buck, my ass.

- Um, Chef says he's asking

the person who runs the kitchen.

And he wants you to grow some vegan balls.

- Because we're perpetually short-staffed

and we take shortcuts to get things done.

I mean, I don't have time to do what I'm supposed to do.

How am I going to do that?

- The response was, we're perpetually short-staffed,

and so sometimes we take shortcuts.

- Wow.

- Crushing it, man.

It's not easy to make the same dishes every day

and make them the best that they can be.

I can't do the work of three people.

That's not possible.

- Somebody back there does not care.

Let's make that absolutely clear.

- You know, there's always that one customer you can't please.

[dramatic music]

- Chef wants to know why we use bagged guacamole

when we have avocados.

- I'm at Kindred in Uptown New Orleans...

- Because we're perpetually short-staffed

and we take shortcuts to get things done.

- Where the cook is serving up every excuse in the book.

- We're perpetually short-staffed,

and so sometimes we take shortcuts.

- Oh, boy.

The food is appalling, and a chef that doesn't care.

- [coughs]

- Lunch service over...

- Thanks, ma'am. - Thank you. Have a good one.

- I need to meet the team face-to-face

to find out what's really going on here.

This is-- - Kieva.

- Kieva, yes.

- Ava. - Ava. Very good.

- How are you, sir? - This must be Frank.

- Another day in paradise. - Another day in paradise.

I wouldn't call it paradise.

[tense music]

First of all, I want all of you to know that I'm here to help,

but what I've just experienced

has been bitterly disappointing.

- What was the worst?

- Where would you like me to start?

- Well, at the beginning.

- What was the idea behind store-bought avocado puree?

- There's literally no time to do extra prep for stuff

that you're going to be throwing away.

- That's a [bleep] excuse.

How long does it take to make a fresh guacamole?

- Never made it in my life.

- What? - Yeah.

I never worked in a Spanish restaurant.

- And the frozen spring roll?

As the kitchen manager, you're executing this stuff.

It's sort of--you're just going through the motions

because you're getting paid?

- Well, it would be great to come in and make

everything from scratch, but the lack of time,

it's challenging.

- It's destroying any little business we have.

- The frozen spring rolls? - Just in general.

Just the attitude of what you're doing.

We have got nobody coming through those doors.

- Not at all. - You know all this,

but you just keep on playing the same old tune,

serving the same old [bleep].

- I'm trying to care a lot more, but--

- Wow. - It's difficult. That's--

- Do you like Caroline?

- She's a great person. - Do you care for her?

- A little.

- A little. Wow.

- Frank is not handling Gordon being here very well.

He's kind of acting like a child

and not taking responsibility for his role.

- Can I just have a word with him on my own?

- Sure. - Yeah. Hell yeah.

- Ladies, I'll chat with you later.

- I mean, he's being a [bleep].

- What's going on?

Why are you here?

- I'm here to help Caroline,

but there's only so much you can do.

- You know [bleep] damn well

what you're doing is not helping her.

- I do the best job I can with half the energy I used to have.

- It's like you're just having a [bleep] jolly.

The business has disappeared.

- I don't think it's the business.

I think this economy is downturned.

- Oh, come on, Frank.

There's got to be some ownership somewhere.

Do you have pride?

- I do.

It's--it's in me.

- I need to know, have you given up?

- I have not given up.

- Do you want out?

- Not quite yet.

- I want to see you in action tonight.

I just want to see how this place functions.

- Oh, I got to come back and work again?

I mean, I'm normally not doing two shifts a day.

- Frank, we've had [bleep] 15 people in here for lunch.

Don't be [bleep] lazy.

- [slurps]

I'll be here.

- Thank you.

Frank is just taking advantage of Caroline's weakness

and just going through the motions,

getting his check week by week and just, yeah,

sticking Band-Aids on all the problems

as opposed to addressing them.

By watching the team during a busy evening service,

I'll finally see where the issues really lie.

- Are you ready? - Yeah, we got this.

- Hi, welcome to Kindred. - Hello.

- How many? - Three.

- Three? - Frank, we got a three-top.

- Three-top, coming up.

[upbeat music]

- Hi. - Hello.

- I'm Caroline. I'll be your server.

Do you want to get some appetizers?

- Yes. - Yuca fries?

- Yeah. - All right.

- OK.

- Nachos and the quesadilla.

Yeah, all right.

- All right, quesadilla and nachos.

Frank, could you make these nachos?

- [sighs]

Having a celebrity chef coming in to lord it over the people

working around him is a real task.

But we're always challenged, right?

And we adapt and overcome, improvise,

and try to get on top of the situation.

- I've got nachos

and a quesadilla with the Kindred.

And you already have side plates.

- Yes. - Enjoy.

[tense music]

- Good evening. How are you?

- Hi, how are you?

- How are the nachos?

- The cheese--cold cheese?

- Oh, no. Holly?

We do deserve hot cheese on nachos, don't we?

- We do. We do.

- Do you mind asking the chef for hot cheese?

- I can fix that up. - Yeah.

- Sure. - Thanks, dear. My apologies.

Sorry. Thank you.

Are you OK, Caroline?

Yeah?

Good. Um, cold cheese on the nachos.

- That's gross.

- So the nacho cheese sauce isn't hot.

- I don't think I can get it any hotter than it is.

I mean, we could microwave it.

They could come back here

and stick their finger in it, if they want.

- Should I order another thing of nachos?

- The next ones are going to be exactly the same as those.

- Sorry about the delay. - Oh, no worries.

- Here's some menus.

- All right, y'all. Coming up.

- Damn, hella burgers.

- OK, excellent.

- Cauli mac with Kindred, and for you?

- Yes.

- I'm about to drop the cauliflower for both those too.

I need to drop another shrimp.

Drop the burger, drop the fettuccine.

You need to drop the chicken.

Frank, what you doing?

- Cutting bread. That's, uh, for service.

- We're getting crushed.

- Frank gets really easily distracted

if there are too many tickets

or if you're trying to ask him to do too much.

I will kind of take on the responsibility,

because he just won't do it.

- Is this the kitchen?

Uh, wow.

Good evening. - Hi.

- You good? - I mean--[laughs]

- It is what it is. - It is what it is.

- How do you-- how do you operate the line?

Give us an insight to, uh--

- Oh, I don't know if right now is a good time for me

to start explaining things.

- Well, you can work and talk at the same time, can't you?

- Oh, I don't think I can. - Wow.

- Not on a double, for sure. - Chopping salad, you can't--

- I got up early this morning, much earlier

than I normally get up. - Wow.

Right.

Uh, Caroline, your head line cook,

I asked him to give me an insight.

How does this kitchen function?

"I'm too busy chopping salad." - Yeah.

- It's like he doesn't want to be here.

- I think he's feeling a little overwhelmed.

- Uh-huh. With what?

And the girls are running around.

He's just there chopping salad.

- You know, some people shut down

when they're dealing with, like, a lot of stress

and stressful situations,

and I think that's what's going on.

- But why do-- - To be honest.

- Yeah, I appreciate the honesty,

but it just feels like you're making excuses for him.

- I mean, Frank has his issues.

- But does he have--

- He has--he has potential.

He has-- - Potential in what?

- I think potential to be a cook.

- Right.

Ever thought about firing him?

- No. - No.

- Chef Ramsay was just kind of like,

why are you defending him?

And it's like, I'm defending him

because Frank's been with me for a couple years.

I can count on him.

And I feel like it's in my nature to worry

and to care about my staff.

- Right now, he's the captain of your ship.

And Captain Frank does not give one single [bleep]

about you and your restaurant.

- I mean, he's stuck with me.

- [sighs]

Oh, my God, "He's stuck with me."

[bleep] me.

Oh, my God.

I've got a chef that does not give a damn,

an owner that is totally oblivious,

that's making excuses for him and her.

- First double I've had to work in some time,

but I'm getting through it.

- Frank, stop yelling.

- This place is shocking.

- Oh, my God.

- You've got people in the dining room.

- It's [bleep] up. - OK, stop.

- I'm at vegan restaurant Kindred in New Orleans,

where the only thing worse than the food...

- No.

It's too greasy.

- Is the attitude of kitchen manager Frank.

Frank, are you OK?

- Oh, yeah. How are you doing?

- I've had better days, if I'm honest.

- Well, you know, it's New Orleans.

- Really? - Just got to roll with it.

- Can I just have 30 seconds with you?

- What's wrong? - Yeah, I came here to help.

- I know. You have.

- And all you want to do is antagonize me, antagonize me.

Do you want to be here?

- I'm just trying to do my job. - Frank.

- And you want me to have a conversation.

- I'm just trying to find out what's going on in your mind.

- Just trying to get the job done.

- I appreciate that, but I'm trying to understand

what I've got to work with.

And right now, you're not giving me much to hold on to.

- What are you asking?

- I'm asking the truth. Are you passionate about this?

Do you want to do this? - Yeah, I want to do this.

I think Chef Ramsay struggles with me.

But I would like to help the situation improve.

I am here.

And if I didn't want to be here,

I would not be here.

- You're so welcome. - Thank you, baby.

- What is this? - [mumbles]

- Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop.

Let's just stop for two seconds.

What is that?

[tense music]

Holy [bleep].

It is everywhere.

Fresh. - I know.

It's rat feces.

I clean it every week.

- You know?

Oh, my [bleep] good God.

Holly, close the door.

Get every customer out now.

Shut it down, now.

- Yes, Chef.

- Oh, my [bleep].

Frank, you're serving food from here.

- Sure.

- So Chef is shutting everything down.

He told me to clear the dining room.

I know that you all have not gotten your food,

but dinner service is over.

- Right.

- Come on, Frank.

Time to [bleep] own it a little bit.

- Thank you so much for your understanding,

and give us another chance, OK?

- Frank, come on, man, talk to me!

You're serving food with rat [bleep] above it,

dripping down.

- It's not dripping down on it. - What?

- Once you wipe it off on there, yeah.

- Oh, my [bleep].

You cannot be normal!

Oh, come on, Caroline.

Somebody take some responsibility.

- I would shoot it if I could,

but they told me I couldn't kill it, so...

- Oh, my God.

- What are you going to do?

- Your attitude [bleep] stinks.

- Like that rat feces.

- Is this a joke for you?

- No. It's real. It's real life.

- It's her life on the line.

- It's my friend's life.

- She's not your friend. - No?

- You don't [bleep] care.

- Why are you screaming like that?

- 'Cause I'm pissed off with your attitude.

- You're pissed off 'cause there's rat [bleep]

in the kitchen.

- In the food, you [bleep] idiot!

- There's not [bleep] in the food.

- What?

You're [bleep] lazy.

You just don't care.

- I don't care to get yelled at.

- You're just festering the [bleep],

create the [bleep] for the owner.

- Man. - The walk-in.

Let's come in the walk-in together.

- Holy [bleep]. - He won't just shut up.

He keeps talking. - Frank?

- Yes! - Come here.

- Oh, I don't want to go in there.

- Have you got the balls to come in the walk-in?

Why don't you and I go in the walk-in then, shall we?

Where are you going to go?

- Now I'm going to do the dishes.

- Oh, are you?

- He just keeps embarrassing everybody and himself.

He just has no shame.

It's really validating having Gordon in the kitchen,

having somebody who actually is not going to take any [bleep].

Frank is finally getting put in his place.

It's refreshing.

- You think this is a [bleep] joke, right?

- Oh, the joke's on me. - I'm also to blame.

- You cannot be that deluded. - I'm to blame.

- Yes, it's both of you.

He's reveling in it. You're paying for it.

This is a joke.

When was the last time this was cleaned?

Look at the filth.

- It's been--it's been a while

since everything was pulled out.

That's trash. - Trash?

It's black.

- Yeah.

- The filth.

- What in the [bleep] is that?

You can't do this!

Where's Rat Boy? Hey.

- Yeah, look at that. Who did that?

- We missed that when we were cleaning.

- We missed that when we were cleaning up.

- And that got left in there.

We missed it. - It's within...

- Disgusting. - Eyesight.

- Is it?

It's within my eyesight right now.

- This is not a joke, Frank.

- I just--what do you want?

You want me to clean everything?

Let's get the pressure washer and clean the whole kitchen.

- You're just walking around... - What do you want?

- Taking advantage of her kindness.

- Is that what I'm doing? - Yes, you [bleep] are.

- Oh, that's rough.

- So what are you doing, then?

- Listening to you yell about the moldy chicken.

Oh, that's not where that goes.

This goes in the trash.

Oh, man. It's been a long day for me.

- Frank.

- There he goes. A joke. A big [bleep] joke.

With his stinking attitude and your lack of ownership,

honestly, right now, I want to get out of here.

[dramatic music]

He's giving me [bleep] about calling him out

with a disgusting, filthy, rat-infested kitchen.

We can't even constructively tell him anything

because he doesn't want to listen.

- It hasn't been like this always.

- You're making excuses,

and he's getting pissy with me

because I'm rubbing his nose in it.

- Oh, God.

- I'm not too sure if I can help anyone

that far gone in denial.

You're on your own.

- Having had enough of Frank's disgusting attitude

and Caroline's endless excuses,

I've left the team at Kindred to sort out their own mess.

I'm done.

- What happened?

- Left.

- Wait, what did he say?

- What happened?

- He--it was just, like, too many excuses.

It was Frank's behavior and attitude.

- Well, I think you can fix that.

- He just left.

Chef Ramsay was not happy with Frank's attitude, for sure.

To be honest, his attitude has been

really bad for a long time.

Feels terrible seeing Chef Ramsay walk out the door.

You know, Chef Ramsay was

the only hope of the restaurant.

- Frank is doing you more harm than good right now.

Like, he is not showing that he even cares enough

about you to stop being a [bleep]

to help your restaurant be saved.

- Yeah.

- So if he can't do that for you,

why are you holding out for him?

[tense music]

- Caroline has been enabling Frank and babying him

and making excuses for him,

and I think that she needs to really come to terms

with the fact that Frank is dead weight

and not really helpful to the team.

- It's like, is it more important that you keep Frank

or you keep your restaurant?

- [sighs]

The restaurant's more important.

I hear you.

I'm willing to do what needs to get done.

It would be a damn shame

to take this opportunity for granted.

If Chef Ramsay is willing to come back,

I'm going to listen to Chef Ramsay,

and I'm going to make all the changes.

[phone rings]

- Hello.

- Chef Ramsay, this is Caroline from Kindred.

I'm ready and willing and want to do what needs to get done.

Would you come back and help me?

- Let me just pull over, please.

Caroline. - Yes.

- I just don't know if you are up for change.

I don't think you know how to change.

I'm so sorry.

- I'm ready. I'm up for the change.

I'm up to do whatever needs to get done.

- Do you understand how far we've slipped?

- Yes, I do, I do.

- Can you change?

- Yes, Chef.

- I'll make my way back.

- Thank you, Chef.

- See you in a bit.

[train whistle blows]

- Oh.

Chef, you're back.

- Yeah.

Can I just have, uh, 30 seconds with Caroline, please?

Thank you.

Honestly, I was halfway home.

You are on the verge of losing everything

if we don't get this right.

- Yes.

- It's going to be hard. - It's going to be hard.

- I can't just wave a magic wand.

You need to raise the bar.

Start looking for success.

- I'm ready. I'm ready to do what it takes.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

I'm the captain of the ship.

We just need to make some crew changes.

I'm going to turn things around,

and I'm going to make my restaurant

a successful restaurant.

I, um--I think I should send Frank home now.

- Send him home? Permanently?

That guy's given up. I'm glad you've realized it.

- Frank, can we talk up front? - Yeah.

- Um, I'm sorry.

It's not going to work.

- That's going to be better for you, though.

- I know.

But best of luck to you.

- Yes, ma'am.

- This is a very difficult decision

because I care about my staff,

but like, in order for the restaurant to survive,

Frank has to go.

- Did you just let him go?

- I did just let him go.

- Well, that's the start

of a very important cleansing period.

But for me, the most important thing,

Caroline has made a big decision to cut Frank.

And honestly, this is going to be a hard enough turnaround.

But to work in a restaurant

that's got more rats than customers,

man, it's going to be a tough one.

[bleep] me.

- I'm at Kindred in New Orleans,

where owner Caroline has just cut loose

kitchen manager Frank,

who was dragging her restaurant down.

- I know that was hard.

- It feels terrible to let someone go,

but I know that it's better for the restaurant.

- I know.

- I am so proud of Caroline.

I think this was really difficult for her,

but she needed to prioritize her business.

- With Frank out of the picture

and a new mindset in place,

we can finally tackle Kindred's mountains of junk.

Let's go, ladies.

Let's get clear.

Oh, boy.

How much [bleep] can go in one yard?

- Gordon Ramsay is helping clear up

the hellhole right now, y'all.

Like, what?

I'm proud that we're moving forward.

[clatters]

- Caroline, what did you say to Frank?

- I said that, um, it's just, uh--

it's not going to work out.

- You deserve better.

Big decision.

First of many to come.

Let's get clean.

- Oh, here's the garden, Chef.

- That's the garden?

- Aww. - No.

That is not a [bleep] vegan garden.

- [laughs]

I'm so glad we can throw away all this garbage in here.

I really can't wait to see Chef's ideas

and whatever he's going to bring.

[rock music]

- The next day, after a visit

from an exterminator service...

- My culinary team brings order to the chaotic kitchen

and gives some much-needed training for Kindred's staff.

- Nice and brown on each side.

- Mm-hmm. - Melty cheese.

- Yeah, a little toasty-toasty.

- And my renovation team set to work

on transforming the restaurant inside and out.

And I can't wait to show Holly and Caroline the results.

Ladies, welcome to the most amazing patio.

- [gasps] - Oh, my gosh.

[laughs] Look at this.

- Oh, my gosh. It's beautiful.

- What a beautiful private little spot

where you can grow fresh herbs, fresh mint,

fresh basil, fresh tomatoes.

- So beautiful.

- Now, this is a proper patio.

- I love it. - The place is gorgeous.

Can't believe it's the same restaurant.

Oh, my gosh.

- The hellhole is not a hellhole anymore.

Now it's an actual space that we can utilize,

and that's exciting.

- I could barely walk two meters last time.

- It's unbelievable. - Yeah.

Wow. - Thank you so much.

- Wait till you see the dining room.

Welcome to the new Kindred.

- [gasps] Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

- Oh, this is so beautiful.

- Everything is just so lovely.

Now Kindred is more upscale.

It feels more sophisticated.

Just gorgeous.

- One more thing.

Can I just borrow you for 30 seconds?

Can we go back out to the patio?

How long have you been a Saints fan?

- I've been a Saints fan since 2000.

- Wow.

I'd like to introduce you to Eddie Kennison,

wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints in 1999.

And on top of being a Saints legend,

Eddie's also a vegan.

He's here to give you a pep talk

before tonight's service.

Eddie, thank you. - Thank you, Gordon.

I appreciate it.

- This is just, like, unbelievable.

- Aww.

Take me back to the time where you really thought

about opening this restaurant.

- I was always passionate about food,

and I decided to take a leap.

- Mm-hmm. And you're still leaping.

- Still leaping.

- How has your experience been?

- I felt like, um--

like I didn't know, like, how to be successful.

- Mm-hmm. You failed but you got back up.

Being an athlete, as many times as I've been knocked down,

I've always been told it's not about how many times

I get knocked down

but how many times we get back up.

And your restaurant will be successful

because you keep getting back up.

- We can turn this around. - That's right.

- You've already turned a corner.

You know, with me being vegan,

you can rest assured that this is one of my stops,

and I will absolutely invite my teammates

to come and visit you.

- Thank you so much.

- You're welcome, dear.

Let's go show the world what it is to get back up.

- Let's do this.

Eddie's so motivational.

Oh, what a genuine person.

- Thank you, dear. - I'm just overwhelmed.

I tried to just, like, take it all in.

But there's just, like, so much to take in.

- Back inside the new Kindred,

I have another surprise for Caroline.

Right. You haven't seen the food yet.

Let's take a menu.

We have a small, incredible, dynamic vegan menu.

- Oh, look at this.

- We got our fresh caprese salad.

Beautiful tofu and fresh tomatoes

finished with fresh basil from the garden.

- Oh, my God. - Oh, I love that.

- We grow basil in the garden.

- Yes. [laughter]

- We have fresh corn ribs, fried,

finished with tajin and lime wedges.

Next to that, we've got our Kindred burger.

100% plant-based American burger.

- That's fantastic.

- I am speechless.

I think the food is just absolutely as beautiful

as the whole rest of the restaurant.

- Oh, dessert.

I've got you

a incredible soft serve vegan ice cream.

- Oh, my gosh. Ice cream.

- I mean-- - Oh!

- Dig in. It is heaven.

- That is delicious.

- It's so [bleep] tasty,

even I want to become vegan.

- [laughs] - Dig in, please.

- This new menu, this new look,

everything is going to improve business.

- Everything is so delicious.

- Yeah. - Mmm.

- I want you to fall back in love

with what you wanted to do here.

Now, I think all you need is three to four weeks

of good business before the Super Bowl,

and we will turn enough cash to save this business.

- I am extremely nervous about reopening Kindred,

but I need to prove to Chef Ramsay

that I'm willing to do what needs to get done

in order to be successful.

- Fill this place and get the message out

that we mean business.

- Yes, Chef.

- In New Orleans, the stunning new Kindred

is ready to reopen its doors.

Mm, beautiful.

I've set up the kitchen for success with a new chef

and training to help them execute a successful relaunch.

- Mac and cheese, small bowl.

- And so the fries go in the bigger bowls?

- Mm-hmm.

Yeah, the fry and the cauliflower.

- You guys good?

Happy with the new equipment and the HexClad?

- Yeah, it's really nice.

- We'll start slowly and we'll pick up speed,

but it's not a race.

Let's go.

[upbeat music]

- Hi, how are y'all doing?

Hi, welcome to Kindred. - Hi.

- I'll give y'all a little time to look at our brand-new menu,

and then I'll come back, OK?

- Are we ready to order some food?

- Sure.

Are we just putting these up here?

What's the plan? - I go left to right.

Is that good for you? - OK, yeah.

- Among the invited guests, NFL legend Eddie is back.

- Wow.

Thank you, dear.

Wow, this is gorgeous.

- So let me tell you, the corn ribs,

you actually, like, eat it like a rib.

- Ooh. - And it's a little spicy.

- All right, and let's do the herb salad.

- Order in, heard.

Walking in, corn, herb salad.

How long on the ribs?

- I'll be ready in, like, a minute.

- Loving the energy, by the way.

Ladies, incredible.

What a difference, yes?

- Yes.

- Oh, buddy. - All right, the corn ribs.

- Oh, wow.

- The herb salad.

- How's my table two coming?

- Plating right now. - OK.

- What's that like, talking to the chef?

Because before, we weren't allowed to talk to the chef.

- It feels, like, confident,

like, of what's going to be coming out.

- Feeling good? - Yes.

- Excellent. - Yes.

[triumphant music]

- So far, so good?

- Great.

- How is it?

- I can't eat it fast enough.

It may be the best corn I've ever had.

- The kitchen is definitely flowing a lot better.

Ooh, hot.

Frank was really just slowing it down.

But now there's one less person, like, in the way.

- I still cannot believe this is happening.

Chef Ramsay came to New Orleans,

to my little vegan restaurant,

and turned it into this.

Like, this is just amazing.

- Thank you. Thank you so much.

- It feels like Kindred's going to live on another day.

There we go.

Enjoy.

- She's been through a lot. - Mm-hmm.

- You're a dear friend, and so fingers crossed

this is going to reinvigorate her.

- Yeah. - Yeah?

- I think so. This is what she wanted.

I have my friend back. She smiled today.

- Right.

- There's a totally different energy with the restaurant.

It feels electric and alive.

This is the dream that she wanted,

and she's back to her passion.

- Good job.

- What a night. What a night.

Just to see you falling back in love with your dream

makes me happy.

- Thank you so much, Chef. - OK?

I know with that spirit, you can make this work.

- Thank you so much.

- Come on.

Do not let Frank back in here, OK?

- Yes. - Promise?

- Yes, Chef. - Thank you.

- Thank you. - Take care, my darling.

Honestly, when I first arrived, I found an owner on the brink

financially and emotionally.

Now, with an organized space,

I believe Caroline is on her way

to taking Kindred into the future.

Hopefully there is no more beef in this place.

Oh, what a week!

Two months later, my team worked with Caroline

to reach out to the community and grow Kindred's business.

But despite her best efforts,

Caroline made the difficult financial decision

to close Kindred's doors

and now is focusing on a new chapter.

Next time on "Kitchen Nightmares"...

3 Southern Girls. Who are they?

Man.

Sadly, I didn't taste any Southern charm

in that food today.

- [groans]

I am worried about Gordon coming into my kitchen,

because my way is the only way.

That is not right, Gordon.

- Ladies, we are not arguing.

[bleep] these guys.

[bleep] him, [bleep] him, and [bleep] him.

Because when this doesn't work, we are [bleep].

- I'm about to punch him.

- This whole thing is going to come tumbling down.

- There about to be a fight in the kitchen today.

- The bottom line is, you're just so stubborn.

Wow.