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You're the problem! You're jokers!
Next on "Restaurant Impossible,"
I'm in Murphys, California,
where an owner has a heart of gold.
I've put everything I have into this place.
Nobody wants to go into business and fail.
Right.
But her staff is worthless.
Seriously? Every time your food's up --
It's always like this.
They either get in line or they get out.
I've got just two days to turn Jami from loser...
Stop. You just failed.
Run.
...and turn Hillbillies into the real McCoy.
[ Both gasp ]
[ Shrieks ]
Oh, my God.
You are my saving grace.
[ Laughs ]
NARRATOR: Chef Robert Irvine has 2 days and $10,000
to do the impossible.
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
My mission today takes me to Murphys, California,
and a restaurant called Hillbillies.
I'm on my way to meet owner Jami Saul
and her mother CC Costa.
Jami's been running
this struggling breakfast place for three years,
but now is at the end of her rope.
I purchased Hillbillies 3 1/2 years ago.
It's always been my dream to own my own restaurant.
I worked for a caterer for about seven years,
and I felt like it was my turn to work hard for myself.
IRVINE: In a tourist area known for wine and upscale cuisine,
Jami decided to take her restaurant
in a different direction.
All the other restaurants that are in Murphys
seem to be more hoity-toity, California-cuisine type.
Hillbillies here is more down-home cooking type thing.
JAMI: I had hoped the catering business
was going to help me
be successful as a restaurant owner,
but it hasn't.
Over the last 3 1/2 years,
I have been beaten down, exhausted.
I think that people started
taking advantage of their employment here.
Everybody is allowed
to do pretty much whatever they want.
IRVINE: While Jami's mother CC doesn't work at the restaurant,
she helped fund it from the beginning.
You know, when your kids are there and they need you,
you want to be there for them,
and so I did and did again and did again.
And now I'm, like, at the point where I cannot do.
I'm always robbing Peter to pay Paul,
and I don't think that I can afford to even do that anymore.
I'm normally a fighter.
At this point, it's easier to go to bed
and worry about it the next day.
I have two beautiful boys,
and I don't want to be like that.
That's not me.
I love my daughter.
It kills me to see her like this.
[ Sniffles ]
I'm feeling like a loser right now.
Jami's worn out and the business is run down,
and it's my mission to build them both back up again.
[ Door creaks ]
This is the first time
I've actually walked into a restaurant
and saw laundry hanging.
All this is a Wild West theme.
There is a wagon in the restaurant.
Little thing of lights that I hate.
This type of thing is very tacky to me.
Carpet that has seen better days.
Lot of dusty things like this.
Would you want to come into a restaurant
that just oozes dirt?
So, now I'm gonna meet Jami and CC
and see what they've got to say.
How are you?
Hello, Chef.
Why do you look so sad all of a sudden?
Um...
[ Sighs ]
[ Voice breaking ] I want to be successful.
I know you want to be successful 'cause nobody wants
to go into business and fail, right?
Right.
Tell me about the business.
When did you buy it?
3 1/2 years ago.
It's always been my dream to own my own restaurant.
I've put everything I have into this place.
And what is everything?
My heart, my soul, money.
How much did you buy the restaurant for?
$7,000.
Right. [ Chuckles ]
How much have you put into the restaurant?
Anywhere from $100,000 to $200,000.
That's a big variance -- $100,000 to $200,000.
Yes. I've stopped keeping track.
IRVINE: Right away, I can tell
I've got my work cut out for me here.
Jami's already crying, and she has no idea
how bad her finances are.
When you bought this 3 1/2 years ago,
was it successful?
Yes.
What were you making per month 3 1/2 years ago?
$40,000.
And what are you making now?
$12,000, $13,000.
When are you open?
Breakfast, lunch.
How many people live in this area?
2,000 here in this town.
So, where were they coming from before?
A lot of out-of-towners.
What would they come here for?
Skiing up the hill in the wintertime.
Wine tasting.
But you don't get any of that now?
Not really.
Are there any other restaurants around here?
Yes.
Yes.
Why do you think that is?
Because of the tourists
and what they're used to in the city --
the "California" cuisine type.
So, what type of food do you do?
Simple food -- chicken-fried steak.
So, if I'm going to a wine tasting,
why would I come here -- for a chicken-fried steak?
Yes. 'Cause it's different.
What's different about it? The underwear?
The dirt? The carpet?
Forget the decor, which is overwhelming.
It's disgusting.
Right.
What do your staff do every day?
Why are they not cleaning?
Right.
Have you ever been in the restaurant business before?
No.
There's a surprise. Have you?
No.
So, what do you do?
I help financially.
I mean, she's my daughter.
Have you put money into the restaurant?
Yes. $20,000.
Why do you keep giving her money if she keeps failing?
She's my daughter.
But if you keep throwing money in and it keeps failing...
I've gotten to the point where I told Jami, "That's it."
There is no more. There's nothing left to give.
Do you own the building?
No.
So, why don't you walk away?
I don't want to be a failure.
I just need to see it through.
Jami never throws in the towel. She doesn't.
Failure is not a word in her vocabulary.
But it's happening.
Because it looks to me like you've just given up.
[ Sighs ]
I want to see a service,
bring some people in that haven't been here before,
some people that have.
Then, I'll try the food, all right?
And stop crying. Got it?
Yes, sir.
'Cause if I'm gonna fix it, I need you to be strong,
and strong starts now.
Yes, sir.
And it sounds like I'm being really tough now.
I'm teaching you your first lesson.
You got five minutes to get yourself ready,
and I'll find you shortly, okay?
Thank you.
Jami is frail.
She's beat up. She's tired.
What I have to do is give her the strength
and self-esteem to be able to run her business.
If Robert told me to stop crying,
I'm gonna stop crying.
I'm gonna soak in this experience,
and I'm gonna learn.
Let's get you ready. Doing iced tea?
I know what I want.
Sausage and gravy this morning.
Thank you.
I like the decor at Hillbillies.
It could just use a little updating.
It does get a little cluttered.
It does look dirty and grungy and grimy [Laughs]
so I don't like that.
There's an old saying in the restaurant business --
"Don't air your dirty laundry." [ Laughs ]
Been coming here for quite a few years,
and the whole area's kind of turned into a Yuppie setup,
so it's nice to have someplace to come
where you can get a regular meal.
And how would you like your eggs?
[ Cash register dings ]
IRVINE: I can see why Jami' finances are a mess.
Without a computer system that tracks each sale,
Jami trusts her servers
to tally the checks accurately and honestly.
In the back of the house, Steve the cook
is churning out plates of eggs.
Three years.
How long have you been cooking?
For 15 years now.
You do the same food you did three years ago?
Pretty much.
I have my over-medium.
All right, ladies.
IRVINE: So far, there's nothing remarkable about the food here,
but the few regulars seem to like it.
I'm having chicken-fried steak and eggs.
I have it quite often here
'cause it's so good and tender and nice.
In fact, all the food's good here.
I'm having the chicken-fried steak and eggs,
and eggs are just the way I like it.
Today, I had the Denver omelette, and it's perfect.
IRVINE: There's one menu item that you don't often see.
As far as I know, Hillbillies is the only restaurant in Murphys
that has the frog legs,
especially frog legs and eggs for breakfast.
They're very good, really tasty.
Every year, we have the Mark Twain frog jump
in Calaveras County,
and the ones that don't make it go on the plate.
Hey, Steve.
Everything's frozen.
Is anything not frozen here?
Most of our stuff is frozen.
IRVINE: The food they serve here may please a handful of regulars,
but Jami's business is still failing.
It's up to me to find out why people aren't coming,
but with the way things look so far,
why would I come here?
I wouldn't.
I'm so mad because you are letting them get away with it
and you guys are standing there arguing at each other,
and you're the problem!
This is not gonna work. I'm done.
From now on, I am Jami the boss.
If you don't do your job...
...You are fired.
Yes!
IRVINE: I'm in the Gold Rush town of Murphys, California,
where one owner's dream of a successful restaurant
just isn't panning out.
After seeing the dirty, disgusting place,
I'm hoping this food gives me some type of highlight
'cause if it's bad food, no leadership,
and a disgusting place,
that means I got to start from scratch.
Hi. Welcome to Hillbillies.
I'm Jessikah. I'll be your server.
So, how long have you worked here?
I've worked here for three years.
Okay, you ready?
Chili omelette, hillbilly platter,
french toast combo, chicken-fried steak.
Mm-hmm.
A tuna salad, a crispy chicken sandwich.
Okay. You've got it. Thank you.
I understand that it is breakfast and lunch,
but when it comes to something like this,
give me some variety that's exciting to me,
give me something I would like to eat at lunchtime
if I'd been to the vineyard down the road.
There's nothing comfort food on here.
A fried chicken sandwich and a burger --
that's the extent of the lunchtime offerings.
Chili omelette.
Well, chili is cold and has no flavor.
Potatoes --
crispy on the outside, and they are frozen.
If it were seasoned, it would be passable.
Chicken-fried steak omelette.
This was the frozen steak, right?
This is.
Is this a big seller?
It actually is. Yeah.
Yeah.
Frozen chicken-fried steak with a boxed gravy.
There's added water, too.
French toast combo.
Heavily doused in cinnamon.
Crispy chicken sandwich and sweet-potato fries.
Sweet-potato fries are crispy. That's a good thing.
You would never tell it was chicken,
there's so much cheese on it,
and the bread has lots of mayonnaise.
This restaurant is gonna fail because this is all garbage.
Yeah?
What experience do you have cooking,
other than breakfast?
I do a little bit of lunch.
But from frozen food, right?
Yeah, just line cooking.
Are you willing to learn how to cook?
Yes, I am.
Because -- I'm sorry -- it has no taste at all.
The french toast, far too much cinnamon.
It kills everything. There's not enough sweetness.
All right.
I can get eggs anywhere.
I can get chili that has flavor anywhere.
There's nothing that would inspire me
to come into your restaurant -- nothing.
Okay.
I'm gonna meet with my designer.
Clean up the kitchen and get this stuff --
I'll be back.
I'm disappointed. Very disappointed.
JAMI: Chef Robert didn't like our food,
and I thought at least one of my strengths was my menu.
I've been cooking for a long time,
and it's not a good feeling to hear that you can't cook.
Right now I'm feeling pretty low, but I'm not crying.
I am gonna not cry.
IRVINE: Hey.
Wow!
How are you? Welcome to the dirty laundry.
I could never even imagine anything this bad.
I can't believe this.
What you see is not what I want.
Surprise, surprise.
I don't like this separation here.
Obviously, the carpet.
This is the dirtiest carpet I think
I've ever seen in a restaurant.
IRVINE: Mismatched tables and chairs.
And one thing that really annoys me is that wagon table,
where you sit and you feel like you're trotting along
in the old, Wild West.
I'm looking to create a restaurant
that makes you feel comfortable when you walk in.
Brighten it up -- blues and reds.
I mean, red works.
It doesn't work in underwear hanging from the ceiling.
And maybe some nice artwork.
I'm thinking this is gonna be a handful
because all the furniture needs to be replaced,
all new flooring.
So, the next thing is, I think, we got to empty it.
A lot of emptying to do, too, so...
Jami! CC!
Bring all your staff in here.
What's your name?
Fischer Saul.
Fischer. How old are you?
15 years old.
Chase Saul.
13.
Good boys.
Good.
To change this restaurant,
it's gonna take a team effort, and you are the team.
This place looks like a pigsty.
No wonder people don't come in it
because you haven't done your job,
but you took the money that Jami and CC have paid you.
You should be ashamed of yourself.
First thing we're gonna do is empty this whole place out.
Off you go. Everything out.
All this can come off.
[ Indistinct chatter ]
The walls are full of just stuff that I got to rip off.
It's gonna take us half the time,
and then I got to patch all these holes.
Look how many nails I got to pull.
This is unbelievable.
I get the concept of Hillbillies,
but we're gonna do it in a cool, modern way.
We're gonna bring some tchotchkes in,
but it's gonna look like art, rather than junk.
Come on. Hurry up. Pick it up. Get it out.
And start taking them out.
Let's break some things.
Unloading my restaurant feels like a fresh, new start.
I am really excited about it.
Well, there's lots of work going on in there now,
but just so I know what's going on in the restaurant,
I've gathered all the staff and the owner Jami outside here.
Now, normally I ask the staff
what's going on in the restaurant.
Today I'm gonna ask Jami
what her concerns are with her staff
and see what's going on here.
Jami, give me the top things that annoy you about your staff.
Number one would be the way that I'm talked to.
How do people talk to you?
Yell, scream, shout.
Who yells, screams, and shouts?
Who's the biggest offender here?
Jessikah.
JESSIKAH: That was one time.
She's acting as if, like,
I talk to her like that all the time.
She talks to me quite often that way.
I don't understand what --
Am I crazy?
It's bad.
Is she a good employee or not?
Jessikah is a very good waitress.
No.
Is she a good employee or not?
No.
She treats me like [bleep]
IRVINE: Apparently, Jami has lost
more than the respect of her staff.
Theft has also been a problem.
We used to have tip envelopes.
That way if somebody had left earlier,
then the waitresses would put money in their tip envelopes.
And they would go missing?
Yes.
Does money often go missing out of the drawer?
Yes.
There was $400 missing one day.
Did you call the police?
Why not?
How does that feel
to know that somebody in this group --
sorry -- stole 400 bucks out of there?
I think there was $800 in one week.
And all the same people still work here.
Something's not right, and Jami is so forgiving.
Shame on you for not bringing in the police
'cause that's the way you get to the bottom of it.
What else?
That's really pissed me off.
The talking behind everybody's back.
IRVINE: Jami's lack of control over her staff
has created an environment where petty fighting has taken over.
But I can ask the exact same thing and get more results.
Am I supposed to, like, brown nose like you and be like, "Oh, honey."
I'm not brown nosing.
It's always like this.
It's always like this.
The truth is in the last couple weeks,
every time your food's up --
Jamey, I'm out there getting [bleep] for your tables.
I'm out there getting [bleep] for your tables
and I'm getting yelled at because there's food lined up
and you're on your freaking cellphone texting.
Okay.
You are just blatantly rude.
I'm not.
This is your failure.
You allow people to steal from you.
You allow people to treat you like dirt.
You allow people to do everything they're not
supposed to do in your restaurant.
Your fault.
Yes.
How do you discipline your children?
I take things away.
Bingo! These are your kids.
You take shifts away and you don't pay them
and guess what?!
They either get in line or they get out.
You don't take things away from them,
and you keep paying them, that's what you get --
a bunch of jokers.
Sorry. You're jokers. This is a real business.
And if you don't want to do it, don't have the restaurant!
It's costing you $200,000, and you're losing your life --
your personal life, your business life,
and your kids.
What are you crying for?
I just -- I don't like seeing her in pain.
And I don't want to be part of it.
I don't.
But why haven't you cleaned,
and why haven't you said something?
Give me the money back she's paid you for the last year
'cause that's what you should be doing!
And I'm so happy you're saying this.
It's all the things that I've wanted to say,
but I don't really have any say in the business.
You do. You know why?
Because it's your money that's kept this place going.
I have your voice, and it's nice. Thank you.
I'm so mad because you are letting them get away with it
and you guys are standing there arguing at each other,
and you're the problem!
If this is gonna work, you've all got to change,
and you've got to stand up because guess what?
Otherwise, you're gonna fire everybody,
close down, and go home.
Right.
'Cause no matter what I do to that place,
this is not gonna work.
Right.
I'm done.
What's hard is that I have no backbone
and no voice in my own business.
To see the way that Robert can grab attention and respect,
I hope that I can learn from that
and be the boss that I need to be.
IRVINE: I believe that Jami will try her best to change,
but when it comes to her staff, I'm not convinced.
I'm pissed.
I totally felt like I was beat up by everybody.
I'm just done. Over it.
Hey, guys.
Oh, wow.
Little different than this morning, eh?
A lot. Yeah.
[ Laughs ]
God, I hope they're in the Dumpster.
IRVINE: Now we have an empty canvas.
So, what is the overall vision?
So, Hillbillies -- you got to play with the name,
so I want to basically make it feel like
there's a relic of an old Hillbilly structure in here.
I found these pallets, which are really common
in this area because of all the wineries,
and the wood is beautiful.
Using them in some kind of way to build a cool structure.
Maybe it's a host stand. Maybe it's a wall grate.
What colors are we thinking?
Hillbillies -- first thing that comes to mind
is a red bandana.
I want to use it as an accent wall.
I also want to play with navy blue,
maybe around the bottom to ground it
and then bring in a light blue and a gray.
I like that. It's simple. It's clean. Flooring?
Flooring was my biggest thing because of cost
when there's a space this big with all new carpet,
but we went with faux vinyl.
Looks like wood. It ties in with this.
It's gonna look really good.
All right. Priorities tonight?
Tonight really is gonna be a lot about the flooring
and the paint for me.
Priorities for me
is that I want to come with some cool art for that wall --
maybe repurpose some of her old junk --
they were her "antiques" -- but in a cool way.
And then design something, like you say,
a cool wall or feature something here with the pallets.
See what we can come up with.
I like the concept. Thanks, guys. Like it.
IRVINE: Thanks. See you later.
All right, so that's a good start.
It's the end of Day 1,
and it's been a very rough day for Jami.
I had to uncover everything she was doing wrong
so I could make a plan to get things right.
Tonight I'm gonna go home and do some soul-searching
and find my inner strength
to be the boss that my restaurant deserves.
IRVINE: I have one day left
to turn Jami into an effective leader
and turn this money pit into a gold mine.
IRVINE: It's my final day
at Hillbillies Restaurant in Murphys, California.
Things have been so bad at this restaurant
that the owner Jami Saul fell apart the moment I met her.
Hello, Chef.
Why do you look so sad all of a sudden?
[ Voice breaking ] I want to be successful.
IRVINE: The decor was hideous,
the food was lackluster, at best,
and the staff were bickering.
Jamey, I'm out there getting [bleep] for your tables.
And I'm out there getting [bleep] for your tables,
and you're on your freaking cellphone texting.
To turn this restaurant around, I've got to turn Jami around.
I've got to give her the confidence
to take control of her staff and her restaurant.
If I can do that, Hillbillies will succeed.
If I can't, who knows?
Morning, guys.
Good morning.
Come on down for a second.
I can see the floor is done.
We decided to do it yesterday.
This is a scrap of it so you can see.
I really like the floor.
I've always liked this style floor.
Yeah. The floor looks great.
We've just got to put the base in today,
and the floor's done, which is awesome.
Okay. Good.
So, the overall vision of the new Hillbillies is...
Americana --
so that's why we brought in some of the blues, the reds.
Let's have a look here.
And I can see blue on the walls.
Yes, two color blues, a grey, and a red.
I actually love this color blue. Blue is my favorite color.
Right now, that wall's very red, I know.
Remember the old pallets that we had talked about?
We're actually gonna put a whole entire wall up there of pallets.
Two huge walls. We pre-built them outside.
So we're gonna lean them right up against those lights,
and it'll be lit, so you'll be able to see
through the pallets and see the red.
It's gonna pop.
All right, I like the idea, guys,
but still a long way to go.
All right, Robert.
Let's get moving. Thanks, guys.
IRVINE: So, now that we've got the restaurant working,
I'm gonna meet Jami
and try and get her to become a leader in her own restaurant.
JAMI: Yesterday was a very long day.
I feel overwhelmed
and a little stressed out for what's to come tonight.
This is my last chance
to be successful and a business owner.
IRVINE: Good morning. How are you?
Good morning. Good.
Sleep well?
I didn't sleep very much,
but what I slept was the best sleep.
What were you thinking about when you went to bed last night?
How I have to turn this place around.
And how are you gonna do that?
I'm gonna be stronger.
I'm gonna be a boss and a leader.
Good. Stand up.
Everything I tell you to do, you're gonna do.
Yes.
Yes!
Run.
Turn around at the line.
Okay, one foot in front of the other,
starting with your right leg.
Stop.
Put your hands out.
Right hand on your nose.
Head.
One leg.
Stay there till I tell you to drop it.
Put everything down.
Yes.
Why did you follow them?
Because you told me to.
So, everything I do serves a purpose.
It's not to make you look silly or me look silly
'cause I did it with you.
Right.
It's to teach you leadership.
You give direction, and you follow through.
So, I want you to go and gather your staff,
and I think we should have a little exercise
with you in control, just like we did here.
I like it.
I want you to show me
that you are the leader of Hillbillies Restaurant
and the buck stops with you.
Yes.
All right. Go and get your staff.
Meet you here. Thank you.
One of your staff members at a time will come up here.
We will blindfold them.
The first task
will be to pick the boxes up,
and they have to put the boxes down.
Then, picking up the pitcher
and pouring the liquid in the glass.
They fail if they break eggs
or they do not complete the task.
The first person is Jamey, your server.
Yes.
Walk forward.
Stop.
Put your hands out,
and there's boxes in front of you.
From the bottom -- nope, just lift up the boxes.
Turn to your right.
Walk forward.
Turn sideways.
Stop. "Sideways" doesn't mean anything to her.
Is it left or is it right? Is it forward?
One step? Two steps?
Turn to your left.
Walk forward. Keep walking.
Stop.
Turn to your left 90 degrees.
Walk forward three steps. Oop.
Stop. You just failed.
IRVINE: Without clear direction, Jami's not off to a great start.
Let's see if she does any better with Rachael.
All right, Rachael, four steps forward.
Pick up just the stack of boxes.
With more specific direction,
she gets Rachael through the box challenge.
You're doing a very good job.
And start pouring.
But fails the pitcher pour.
Is it in the cup?
Good girl. [ Laughs ]
Did I miss horribly?
Ohh. Darn!
It's not your fault.
It was my fault.
...poor direction.
The next person is Jessikah.
All right, Jessikah, three steps forward.
Oh! [ Laughs ]
I'm sorry.
It's okay.
I want you to pick up that stack.
Make one giant step right.
Walk...two steps forward.
On your right side is a land mine.
Walk forward slowly two steps.
Oh!
Don't worry about it.
Turn right softly.
One step forward.
There is a tray in front of you.
JAMI: Feel for the tray
and center the boxes on the tray.
There you go.
Okay, turn your body left.
Half of a step forward.
Move your left leg forward.
N-- yeah, but keep it to the side.
JESSIKAH: Like this?
Straight. Yep.
There is a tray in front of you with a pitcher.
Wait, wait, wait. I didn't say touch the glass.
Sorry.
Okay.
And start pouring.
[ Gasps ]
IRVINE: With clear directions, she had Jessikah perform
a nearly perfect run.
[ Laughs ]
Yay!
So, did you trust her?
Yeah.
I want you to know that I will listen to you
and take your authority and just shut my mouth.
And I promise that I'm going to steer you right.
You just did.
JAMIE: That exercise really helped me.
I feel very much empowered. I feel like I can do this.
We got this.
IRVINE: Now it's time for "Trivia Impossible."
The answer after the break.
IRVINE: While I've been turning Jami into a leader,
my design team's been busy turning Hillbillies
from dusty and old to tourism gold.
So, we built a wall to block the service station.
We put this pallet wall we built --
literally old pallets -- in front of it.
It looks great, but what really makes it --
the lights.
You can see the red through the pallets.
Looks awesome, rustic, perfect for this place.
IRVINE: Artwork was next on Lynn's list,
but with most of the budget spent on furniture and floor,
he really had to get creative.
This is a bunch of junk that I glued to a piece of board.
You can see it doesn't look good right now,
but I'm hoping that once I spray paint this a nice gloss color,
it's gonna go from junk to a really cool piece of art.
So, now I'm gonna show Jami and Steve some new dishes.
I want to make sure that both tourists and locals
come here for unique dishes that they can't find anywhere else.
Mark Twain did a story here in this county about frogs,
and they have frog legs on the menu,
so I'm gonna redo the frog's legs.
I'm also gonna do a great steak sandwich,
marinated in hoisin sauce
and served with a great coleslaw.
All right, guys.
Frog's legs keeps in the theme of the county,
but frog's legs are traditionally French,
so I thought Provençal.
Now, Provençal is a style of sauce with garlic and tomatoes.
Frog's legs, right?
Into our seasoned flour -- just salt and pepper.
Looking for a little golden-brown look.
We're gonna make a sauce.
Oil, diced onions, garlic, fresh tomatoes.
Little white wine, tomato paste,
tomato juice, and chicken stock.
Salt, pepper.
Can you do this, Steve?
I'm pretty sure I can do that.
I think you can, too.
In go our frog's legs.
We will reduce this so all the flavors get into the frog's legs.
A little chopped parsley, butter.
Lemon juice brings out the flavor in everything.
Our rice. Oooh!
I like that.
So, that's the first.
I'm also gonna make a hoisin steak sandwich --
my version of a cheesesteak.
So, here's what I have --
some flank steak that's marinated in hoisin,
a little sweet Chinese sauce.
Butter onto our bread.
Toast this nice and warm.
I'm also gonna do a coleslaw.
Carrots, cabbage, onion, salt, little pepper.
In here we have some spiced mayonnaise.
We want the vegetables crispy,
so you're gonna have to add this just before it goes out.
That is good. I love it.
It is very good.
Was there anything difficult in those dishes
that you don't think you can do?
Don't look like it.
It was all great. Delicious.
All right, let's start getting stocked up
and set, ready for service.
Tonight we have 120 people that are gonna love this food,
and they're gonna put you back on the map.
You got it.
I got to get back to check on the dining room.
When Robert came in yesterday
and he said that our food was mediocre,
it was hard to swallow,
but now I understand the reason why --
because I just loved what we prepared --
and I do feel like it fits me and this restaurant.
You guys, the best sandwich I've ever had in my life.
Oh, my God. That's really good.
Mmm.
[ Clicks tongue ]
Oh!
[ Laughs ] More for me.
So, right now, we are pushing like crazy.
Painting's still going on.
The flooring is the only thing
that's actually done.
Lighting has to be finished. Artwork has to go up.
And then we have to start bringing in tables and chairs,
cleaning them, and setting the room.
Not enough time to get this done.
I was working on all of that "antique" junk,
gluing it up here.
This looks like something that you could find in a museum,
and it's just a bunch of trash --
or antiques, in the hillbilly world.
IRVINE: Find some brooms, guys.
[ Drill whirring ]
TOM : Let's try to get some goof-off to clean that up.
LYNN: Yeah, right there at that table.
IRVINE: Our renovation is nearly complete,
but I can't leave Jami without making sure
she knows her finances...
That is inventory controls, food cost, labor.
...and no one is able to steal from her ever again.
Do you understand the leadership?
Yes. Absolutely.
Well...
[ Laughs ]
Thank you so much. [ Sniffles ]
It's time for a last word with Jami and her staff.
I want to introduce you to a young lady
that you've never met before.
Her name is Jami.
I love you all.
I'm grateful for you,
but from now on, I am Jami the boss.
I'm gonna be using words like "now,"
and I need you to start following direction.
That means if you don't do your job...
You are fired.
Tonight is a very, very important night,
and if you don't make the best of it tonight,
there's nothing I can do to help you.
It'll be good. It's gonna be good.
CC: We're gonna be amazing.
We're gonna make it.
Yeah!
It's in your hands.
Thank you.
Yeah!
[ Laughter ]
JESSIKAH: We got this.
We're all gonna make you proud.
Yay!
Proud of that.
We got it. Thank you.
Okay, everybody get to work -- now!
[ Laughter ]
All the dirty laundry is out and a whole new decor is in.
Now I'm ready to show Jami and her mom CC
the new and improved Hillbillies,
and I hope they love it as much as I do.
These last two years have taken a toll on me.
Trying to keep the restaurant afloat
caused me to lose a lot of time with my boys,
my husband, my family.
When I walk in there tonight,
I know it'll be a start to a brand-new life.
I feel like I'll be a brand-new leader.
I will have a brand-new team.
This is it. We are gonna kick butt.
[ Sighs ]
[ Chuckles ]
I'm good.
Two days of nervous waiting.
Are you ready to see what's behind this?
Yes!
Turn and face the restaurant.
Both close your eyes.
My heart is pounding.
...the new Hillbillies restaurant?
Yes.
Yes, yes, yes.
Open your eyes.
[ Both gasp ]
[ Shrieks ]
I love it! Oh, my God!
Oh, this is wonderful.
[ Voice breaking ] It is so beautiful.
Have a look around.
Oh.
I'm so glad this is gone here.
This was -- Oh, perfect!
[ Laughs ] I just love it.
[ Gasps ] Look at the tables and the chairs!
[ Chuckling ] Oh, my God.
There's no carpet.
Oh, my.
And they match. [ Laughs ]
They do match.
And all that junk on the walls...
[ Laughing ] Yeah.
Well, this is called hillbilly art.
This is awesome.
Way awesome.
Oh, my God.
I love it.
[ Gasps ]
Oh, my God.
IRVINE: So, now, I don't have to see everybody.
These are pallets.
That is killer.
[ Laughs ]
[ Laughs ]
Yay!
This is beautiful.
Amazing.
[ Voice breaking ] This is the start of brand-new life.
There's two other people that have to put
my vision of the restaurant into reality --
Lynn, my designer and Tom, my builder.
Yay!
Congratulations.
You're welcome.
[ Indistinct conversations ]
Gorgeous.
This is gorgeous.
This is me.
Thank you. Thank you.
So, what do you think your sons will think about this?
They're gonna love it.
Can we have Chase and Fischer?
[ Laughter ]
Oh, man. This is fantastic.
Thank you so much, man.
You're a good man.
Well, I know there are a lot of people
that want to come in.
We've got a lot of great food.
You want to let them in?
Let's let them in.
Go and let them in.
[ Laughs ]
Yay! My place is amazing!
Oh, you guys are gonna love it!
You are going to love it.
Welcome, and come on in...
To the new Hillbillies.
Right this way.
Welcome to Hillbillies, you guys.
Hi, guys. Thank you for being here.
Mwah!
Thank you. Thank you.
I'm like in awe.
I mean, look.
Looks incredible.
The lighting behind us, it looks spectacular.
It really does.
Looks so much bigger, less cluttered.
A lot room inside.
I really like it.
[ Indistinct conversations ]
Three steak sandwiches all day, please.
Right now we just sat about 45 people in the restaurant.
A little chaotic, as it always is.
Brand-new menu, but we're getting there.
[ Indistinct chatter ]
One Piggly Wiggly.
Frog legs. Steak sandwich.
And the rest is coming.
WOMAN: I had frog legs with rice pilaf.
I've had fried frog legs before,
but I've never had them with the sauce,
so it's very different, but it's very, very, very good.
It's something that I would really order again.
WOMAN: I had the tomato bisque.
It's really creamy and really good.
I'm having the steak sandwich. Meat -- really tender.
Sweet, juicy.
Bun -- soft and wonderful.
[ Indistinct conversations ]
Andy, table 1.
I'm so happy for Jami.
Like, this could not -- I mean, this is just amazing.
[ Laughs ]
I'm like freaking out!
What the hell?!
This is like a dream!
Iceberg, yeah.
Okay. That's what I thought.
CC: There is no way that Jami can go wrong now.
She's got all the tools that Robert's given her.
She's got the fantastic place.
It's a whole new start for my daughter.
It's great.
This is definitely gonna help me make it.
Guess what?
Like the frogs of Calaveras County,
this place is jumping.
We got rid of the clutter, but we kept the hillbilly charm
with a brand-new menu, brand-new decor,
and it's a brand-new start for Jami.
Go get 'em, girl.
To find out how Hillbillies is doing,
go to foodnetwork.com/ri.