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FLORENCE: Food courts bring in high traffic and big sales,
and owning a food-court restaurant
could make you a multimillionaire.
[ Cheers ]
But the restaurant industry can be ruthless.
Oh, crap. Oh, crap.
[ Gasps ]
Stressed about that chicken, George.
I'm Tyler Florence, and I've been
in the restaurant business for over 25 years.
My job each week is to help two teams
of aspiring food-court entrepreneurs
get one step closer to their dream.
This could set us up for life.
FLORENCE: Each week,
two new teams will have three days to prove to me
that they have a solid concept
along with a concrete marketing plan.
Who wants to win a bandana?
FLORENCE: But, ultimately, the winner will be determined
by who brings in the most cash.
Team Wingzza. Let's go.
[ Both cheer ]
Opening a restaurant is no easy task.
We got our first problem.
I'm moving as fast as I can, boss!
86 the gumbo!
FLORENCE: But each week, one team will win
the opportunity of a lifetime...
I don't want to let us down.
...and own their very own food-court restaurant.
Everybody, come on down!
Welcome to "Food Court Wars."
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
This week brings us to Vista Ridge Mall
in Lewisville, Texas.
This North Texas farming community
has a deep love of Texas beef and Tex-Mex.
Let's meet our two teams.
Why don't you turn on that little thing called a stove,
that you're so good at using.
[ Chuckles ]
Hi, I'm Jennifer.
We're from Dallas, Texas.
BOTH: And we are Full Circle Sliders.
[ Sizzling ]
We own a restaurant called Full Circle Tavern
that offers sandwiches that eat like a meal
and are approachable flavors from all over the world.
For instance, foods like chimichurri sauce,
which is a South American sauce on a pork.
Things like Italian beef, crab cake, po' boy, poutine.
Looks pretty.
Unique items like cheese curds
that you couldn't find anywhere in Dallas.
I can't believe we've really been together for 10 years.
Why? It doesn't feel like it to you?
Feels like a hell of a lot longer.
[ Both laugh ]
We're married.
We just recently got married August 30th,
we've been together for 10 years.
And we met through mutual friends.
I used to work for her best friend.
She hated me when she met me.
So, we know each other really well.
These crab cakes look great, you guys.
I like the color on them.
JENNIFER: I am not a formally trained chef.
I just have always loved to cook.
I enjoy being in the kitchen.
We have a full house sitting out there, guys.
So, the tickets are gonna just keep on coming.
I was laid off when the economy hit pretty badly.
I was working for a jewelry company.
So, I couldn't really find a job.
It took a while, and all of my friends said
you should start catering.
And I was like, "Okay, I'll try it."
So, I started running my catering company
and selling food out of the back of my SUV.
Thank you.
[ Bell dings ]
I realized that she needed somebody with a business sense
to have a plan behind how the money was coming in.
And so I decided to take the plunge
and quit my very well-paying corporate job
in the marking and advertising world,
and invest everything into the best brand that I know of.
Aww, you're gonna make me cry.
That was nice.
Hey, Susan, this is Lara with Full Circle. How are you?
Giving up a six figure salary, it was --
It was a rough adjustment
to not know where our paycheck was coming from
and to live like that for a couple of years
was very, very hard.
Lara left her job and came on board,
and it just kind of went from catering lunches
out of the back of my Jeep
to catering for private home parties
and corporate events to now having our own restaurant.
You know, we persevered through it, and now here we are.
Well, that's why this is so important.
LARA: I want Jennifer to see that it's not just me
and it's not just our friends that believe in her talent.
And for me to see her be legitimized
would mean everything to me.
What do you want for dinner? I don't want to cook.
JONATHON: I don't, either. Let's go out.
Okay.
[ Both laugh ]
And I'm Jonathon.
And we are Jonathon's Gravy Train.
Well, we opened our restaurant about 2 1/2 years ago.
It's called Jonathon's Oak Cliff,
and one of our things that we are known for
is our peppered gravy that Jonathon makes.
Go for it.
This is great stuff.
JONATHON: We make this awesome pepper gravy.
I basically took the flavors of a sausage,
like the sage and the fennel, and I put that into the gravy
with the pepper, of course.
So, what we came up with was kind of like liquid sausage
but without any sausage in it.
If you're okay with pepper,
you're gonna just absolutely love it.
Everything we do comes with gravy.
Some of the things we put the gravy on
is our chicken and waffles -- been really popular.
Got another sandwich, we're calling it the Boss Hog,
which is the variety of pork products on some Texas toast
that you will, once again, dip in the gravy.
Christine is my wife. We met 13 years ago.
It was love at first sight.
I'm a chef, she was a bartender at the time.
So, it was kind of like a match made in heaven.
One of the first conversations we ever had when we met
was that we wanted to open a restaurant together some day.
Are you sure you have confidence in me working back here?
I have confidence in you, Christine.
I started in the restaurant business
when I was 14 years old as was a dishwasher.
Worked my way through that.
And did culinary school at a small little program in Houston.
From there, I've just worked in the business.
I've worked at numerous restaurants, chains,
privately owned, catering, all those things.
Growing up, my earliest memories of the restaurant business
were my dad had a little small restaurant.
I was like 3 or 4 years old.
I just liked to clean all the tables and help out.
And then I went and worked in the private world
as a dining room manager,
which I really think helped me with Jonathon's Oak Cliff.
Got to get some bread down.
Limitations of a small kitchen.
Our restaurant is extremely small.
It seats about 40 people, and I hear it constantly
that the kitchen's the size of a postage stamp.
[ Laughs ] It is.
JONATHON: Struggles of owning a small restaurant,
when you only have 40 seats, they fill up pretty quick.
And when you have that many people in a small building,
it really beats up the place.
Means a lot of repair costs.
We put everything into this restaurant.
So, now we're paying off all of our opening expenses,
our opening bills, our opening loans.
And until we get that focused on,
we really aren't taking home a paycheck.
It's time. Let's make it happen.
JONATHON: I think owning a second restaurant,
it would give us a lot more flexibility,
and it would be really nice to have another source of income.
Good. Awesome.
We want to take it to a totally different level
and we feel like this is
the perfect opportunity to do that.
Mwah!
Back to work, babe.
All right, back to work.
LARA: To not win "Food Court Wars" is not an option.
This is about taking our business to the next level,
and I want to prove to my wife
that making the decision to start the catering company
and open the restaurant was the right decision.
JONATHON: We need to win this.
We put everything we had into this restaurant, and this is it.
It's an opportunity for us
to actually reap some of the benefits
of all of our hard work.
Welcome to Vista Ridge Mall in Lewisville, Texas.
Full Circle Sliders, Jonathon's Gravy Train,
one of you will take permanent residence
right here in this food court.
Over the next three days,
you'll be tested on the three key elements
of running a successful restaurant.
First, we'll test your restaurant concepts.
On day two, you'll be tested on your marketing skills.
And on day three, it's opening day.
The team that makes the most money on opening day,
will win their space, rent free, for one year.
That's a lease worth over $100,000.
Today, you'll be tested on the concepts.
Vista Ridge Mall is hosting a very special one-off concert.
You'll be making lunch for a foodie
and also an '80s pop icon.
I would like to introduce you to...
Tiffany.
Aah!
[ Cheers and applause ]
That's awesome.
Mwah! Good to see you.
I am so excited to be here today, you guys.
You know, I toured the malls all throughout the '80s,
and when I wasn't singing in a mall,
I was at the food court
trying all kinds of different things.
[ Laughter ]
I'm gonna be doing a performance later,
and I've invited all my fans
to come out to try your food today, as well.
So, there's gonna be a lot of hungry people here today,
and you guys have to bring it.
Awesome.
Tiffany, her husband, Benn, and her VIP fans,
will be determining the winner of this concept test.
The winner will receive digital advertising throughout the mall.
A large format ad will draw customers to your restaurant
on opening day.
This type of advertising at this level is worth $7,000 a month.
Tiffany's concert is gonna start soon.
BOTH: Yes.
All right, guys. Let the food court war begin.
All right.
All right. So, what are we gonna do?
Okay, so, we have to do the Italian Beef
because that's our signature,
and it's what started us completely.
Okay, totally. Yes, totally.
Today, we are making our Italian Stallion Sliders.
It's a slow roasted beef with Italian seasoning,
served on a slider bun with peperoncinis
and provolone cheese
with our chips with our house seasoning.
I'm gonna have this sitting here,
Okay.
We really have to impress Tiffany's VIP fans.
I am so nervous.
I got that hot water going right now
just so you know that's going back there.
Okay, checking it here we go.
I'm doing gravy.
Our signature dish is The Dip.
It's our chicken-fried steak sandwich.
First we marinate beef cutlets in buttermilk,
which then goes into a seasoned flour that I make.
What makes it different and unique
is that we use saltines, creates this awesome crust.
Goes right into the fryer for about five to six minutes.
And then it goes on a baguette
with pickles that you dip in our awesome gravy.
Real signature of Jonathon's Gravy Train, though,
has got to be the gravy.
I take chicken stock, I season that with black pepper,
nutmeg, smoked paprika, fennel seeds, sage.
Gravy's great. It's all great, creamy, perfect, smooth.
Just what we're going for. Just like you always do.
♪ Feel the music ♪
♪ Shake it up and lose it ♪
♪ Till the walls fall down ♪
Yeah, get good in here.
I sure hope this pressure cooker works.
I normally cook the Italian Beef slow and low, 10 to 12 hours.
We usually cook it overnight at the restaurant.
Today I'm gonna cook it in a pressure cooker,
and it is gonna be done in 30 minutes.
Just get one of these started.
Okay. Menu, high.
My biggest anxiety about using this pressure cooker
is this is only the second time I've ever used one.
Do me right, please. Please, please do me right.
JONATHON: They just need to be evenly coated on both sides,
and then from the buttermilk, right to saltines.
Remember what we're playing this for.
We need that advantage.
Digital signs in the mall, it's -- oh, can't beat that.
That's exactly what we need.
JONATHON: Do you think Tiffany likes chicken-fried steak?
I hope she does 'cause ours is really good.
♪ And be the only star in the crowd ♪
♪ I wanna feel the music ♪
♪ Come on, all around ♪
Seriously.
If this thing doesn't start cooking,
we're not gonna have any freaking meat to serve.
LARA: It better get hot quick.
JENNIFER: If this beef doesn't cook
and turn out the way that I have been doing it
for years and years and years, I am going to go in the corner
and I'm going to curl up in a ball
and just basically start crying.
This is, like, a family thing. It's our signature.
This is how we got our start. It's got to work.
Well, hopefully we're serving more than chips.
[ Sighs ] [Bleep]
♪ Put your arms around me, and we tumble to the ground ♪
♪ And then you say, I think we're alone now ♪
♪ There doesn't seem to be anyone around ♪
Well, hopefully we're serving more than chips.
The beef is taking too long, and I am serving Tiffany.
I've been a fan of hers since I was a kid.
I am serving Tyler Florence. I am serving Tiffany's fans.
I am freaking out.
Come on, beef!
It's gonna be, like, seriously down to the wire.
If I can't nail my signature dish,
I might as well just give up and just go home.
♪ Let me touch your heartbeat ♪
♪ I can change your heartbeat ♪
[ Cheers and applause ]
Thank you, Lewisville!
JONATHON: Little piece of chicken-fried steak,
pickles, little more chicken-fried steak.
For the sandwich, I like to double stack it.
I like things to be pretty large.
We're a little over the top. That's kind of our style.
The effect we're going for is really to overwhelm people.
And that's it right there.
CHRISTINE: All right, I'm gonna get this out of the way.
All right.
JENNIFER: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
Okay. All right. All right.
We got this, babe. We got this.
The beef is cooked, and we are both so relieved.
I'm feeling confident that we're gonna be able to finish in time.
Look at that, so pretty. And it's gonna fall apart.
Get them on the tray.
Get them on the tray.
That one's not done. That one's not done.
Hold on. Don't burn your hands. Hold on. Hold on.
I am, I am.
I have to get these sandwiches on the plate
because Tiffany and her fans are coming over.
We are running out of time.
JONATHON: Here we go, babe.
Looks like it's show time.
Hi, good. How are you?
Got The Dip here.
It's our chicken-fried steak
with the best gravy you'll ever eat in your life.
Thank you. I love it.
Thank you.
Enjoy it. It's a family recipe.
MAN: Thank you.
JENNIFER: We are serving our Italian Stallion Slider
on a brioche bun, provolone cheese,
and peperoncinis with our house made chips.
LARA: How are you?
Yes, sir!
There's Jennifer's Italian beef that she grew up with.
Okay, great. Fantastic.
Put the cheese on the bottom so it can kind of melt through.
I like that, good call. Thank you so much.
How you doing? How are you? Good to see you.
Good to see you.
I think it looks really good.
Yeah, you guys look very confident, too, I like it.
Thank you.
Awesome.
It's a little heavy for a sandwich.
This looks great.
Tell me a little bit about it.
This is chicken-fried steak on a baguette,
of course our famous gravy for dipping.
Can't wait to taste it.
The gravy, there's a good amount of spice, like in the crumbs.
It's got a little kick to it.
Does pretty taste pretty good.
LARA: Hi, Tiffany, how are you?
I am.
All right, this is Jennifer's old family recipe
she grew up with from outside Chicago.
Thank you.
I'm just keeping my fingers crossed at this point
that the Italian beef's flavors stand on its own.
I'm gonna try this first, though.
As far as The Dip, it's way too big.
It's way too much food.
Well, The Dip -- The Dip was bland to me.
The meat had no seasoning.
Well, The Dip from Jonathon's Gravy Train, looks amazing.
But it looks like a big commitment.
Oh.
I think this thing needs a zip code.
It's so big.
Yeah, I think I'm gonna take one off.
The gravy's actually very good.
Yes. The Italian Stallion.
Well, the Full Circle Slider's meat
is much more tender, I think.
And it's got more flavor.
But when I think of sliders,
I think of some kind of juice, something happening.
It does.
It needs to be like a little present, right?
It needs to be like everything's actually so well thought through and perfect.
I think both of them did a great job.
Right.
But let's leave it to the fans and see what they think.
I think that's a really good call.
Thanks.
I would much rather come to the mall,
and I would order the slider, definitely.
It's just, like, more light, I'm not gonna feel heavy,
want to go home and take a nap.
ALL: Thanks.
You had to make your signature dish
for Tiffany, her husband, Benn, and her VIP fans.
So, Tiffany, what did you and your fans think
about the food today?
Well, let me start with Full Circle Sliders first.
Definitely your sandwich was easy to eat.
It was perfect for the food court.
And I thought your meat was delicious.
But I just felt it needed some kind of sauce
to go along with it.
Jonathon's Gravy Train, your gravy --
and I am not a gravy person -- was delicious.
Now, I know everything is bigger in Texas,
but that sandwich was ridiculous.
[ Laughter ]
I couldn't get my mouth around it at all.
It was very good.
I thought the meat needed a little bit more seasoning
on its own.
So, Tiffany, what did you and the fans decide?
So, the winner of today's advantage is...
So, Tiffany, what did you and the fans decide?
Well, ultimately, it was left up to the fans,
and the fans decided the winner of today's advantage is...
...Jonathon's Gravy Train.
Yay!
CHRISTINE: I'm so glad we won the digital ad.
It's gonna bring so much foot traffic to our grand opening.
Jonathon and Christine, congratulations.
You have won the advantage.
Jonathon's Gravy Train will have 14 digital posters
scattered throughout the mall, and the value of that is $7,000.
It's a big deal, congratulations.
Tomorrow, you'll be tested
on the second element of running a successful restaurant,
and that is your marketing skills.
The city of Lewisville is holding a rodeo.
This is a farming town,
and the rodeo is a huge event for the community.
This is an amazing opportunity
to really reach a broad section of the local public.
Your goal tomorrow is to capture the audience's attention
and make sure they come back to the mall
to support you on opening day.
I'm gonna spend time with each one of you
and dial your concepts in
because I've got some notes for you.
Will you guys please give Tiffany a round of applause?
TIFFANY: Thank you, thank you.
Whoo-hoo! It was a blast.
All right, so, you guys,
head back to your restaurants, we'll see you later.
Hi!
Good.
So, you won this advertisement
that's gonna be circulated throughout the mall.
Yes.
I really do, yeah.
So, hearing about the Gravy Train, I got some ideas.
Absolutely.
I always love to hear what other people have to think.
So, I was watching your customers
just eating the chicken-fried steak
and dipping it in the gravy
and they left everything else aside.
They felt the construction of the sandwich was too much.
Does he overdo his food?
I have a hard time eating it. I can't take a bite of it.
It's too heavy. The bread's too much. It's too thick.
The chicken-fried steak is too much of a dish by itself
to actually be consumed as a sandwich.
I would almost kind of reverse engineer the breading process
where you would just make the beef
taste really, really good.
And then focus on one breading technique, right?
Where it's just incredible seasoned flour.
I definitely -- I see a lot of potential in that.
And then you're right.
There's different ways to make the chicken-fried steak.
Oh, I do.
Okay, guys. All right, thanks so much.
Thank you.
Good you see you, too.
Nice to see you.
The slider I tasted today,
what I didn't necessarily get was
like this sort of this Italian idea.
I really want it to be Texan.
I would like the region that we're in right now
be kind of reflective in that flavor profile.
Texas, obviously, you have some of the best beef in the world.
There's fun things you can do
where it's a little more Texas seasoned in a way.
Like dried red chilies inside of this braise.
It's got a tiny bit of cumin, not too much,
but enough to kind of give it some flavor.
Soft, grilled onions, pickled jalapeños,
like where you taste the stuff
Yeah.
Tyler's giving us advice about having more of a Texas theme.
So, we're really thinking about
how it is we're gonna cook our next dishes
and how we can tweak them so they can be very Texan.
Let the local people fall in love with you, all right?
Awesome, I'm excited for you guys.
Texas sliders. You got it.
You got it, you got it. Thank you.
One of our mottos is ego aside, and that's what we got to do.
So, we are gonna listen to everything he says
and win this competition with his advice.
Okay.
So, let's talk about tomorrow's event.
That's cool.
CHRISTINE: Tomorrow we're doing a marketing event
with the Lewisville Rodeo.
And we're gonna pass out some awesome food.
Now we just got to make sure we have a good game plan
to get this food knocked out.
After talking to Tyler, Jonathon and I decided for the event
we're gonna serve chicken-fried steaks on skewers.
So, something a little bit lighter into the mix
would help it create a more balanced menu.
How are we gonna get the word out to everyone
to come and support us?
I think a great flyer with all of our information on it
to get them back here.
I think it'd be awesome if we had some,
like, really hot cowgirls passing out the flyers.
I think that could bring in a cool crowd
because we need to do anything to attract attention.
JONATHON: For the marketing event, what we're gonna do
is we're gonna make some flyers
and have some cowgirls pass them out for us.
We'll see what happens, right?
Let's see what happens.
Okay, so, tell me what you want to do with this marketing plan?
So, we lost the advantage. Tomorrow have to bring it.
All right, well, we got to make a big splash.
See if we can get some sunglasses that are red
so they pop and they've got our logo on it.
We'll get magnets and we'll get the code on there,
you know, that you can scan with your phone.
You scan it and it tells you what's going on
and specials and all that.
I'll definitely wear my cowboy boots,
and I will focus on the good food which is gonna be
our Beer-Brined Sausage with our jalapeño relish.
Yeah.
You know, we got to do this smart.
We lost today. That's absurd.
That's nobody's fault but ours.
So, we really got to step up our game.
We have to really find a way to shine.
Absolutely.
Okay.
JENNIFER: Okay, let's talk game plan here.
Today we are throwing a marketing event
at the city of Lewisville Rodeo.
So, we need to think the style of Texas
and the flavors that Texas loves.
We've got to make a comeback.
We lost the advantage,
but we are fighters, and we have to nail this.
Our Texas Beer-Brined Sausage
and I'll make some beer cheese soup.
It's perfect. It's chilly outside, it goes well together.
After Tyler's advice last night, we were up all night
rethinking all of our different sliders
and how to reach a cowboy audience.
And today, we are serving
a Texas Beer-Brined Sausage Slider,
grilled onions on top, our Jalapeño Relish,
and spicy mustard on a Pretzel roll,
served with our Beer Cheese Soup.
Oh! Smell this beer.
The alcohol actually really does cook out from the heat,
but it still give it that good wheat flavor.
Here's to winning this.
First is we got to get all those chicken-fried steaks
Okay.
Today we're gonna be serving chicken-fried steak on a stick,
and then top it with the fresh arugula salad
and toss it with fresh tomatoes, shaved onion and queso fresco.
I'm pretty anxious to see how people respond
to my new chicken-fried steak.
All right, let's go.
Hey.
How's everything. Good to see you.
Oh, my gosh -- that was totally unison.
That was nice, that was nice.
You guys feeling pumped about today?
Oh, my God. I'm having so much fun.
Tell me what you're making.
Okay, so we are doing a Texas Beer-Brined Sausage.
So, what I like about this,
so you've got your grill kind of on low.
You just take your onions, right?
And you slice them, I think that's
A quarter of an inch.
Yeah.
And then just a little bit of canola oil, nothing crazy.
So, then this is what I would do.
Take the onions, put them on top of the grill,
and just kind of let them go.
And when they look like they're kind of burnt, they're not.
Right? They're really starting to, kind of, caramelize.
Grilling onions adds another level of flavor.
It adds that smokiness, that feel and that familiarity
that Texans love, which is grilled food.
That's right, baby, that's awesome.
Well, y'all like the sausage. Here.
I think that's good stuff.
Thank you so much. Thank you.
See you later.
Hey, guys, how are you?
Good morning, good to see you.
Yesterdays challenge, some of the people said
that the meat didn't have much didn't have much flavor.
So, Tyler suggested that we change our process
on the chicken-fried steak.
Let's focus on a crust.
So, what we're gonna do is just really think about
putting the flavor in the meat and then just crusting it once.
And going from here straight into the fryer.
So, we're gonna almost create
like a buttermilk brine for the steak.
We got buttermilk, we got a healthy douse of hot sauce.
We got a little bit of black pepper,
and then we got a little bit of salt and garlic powder.
Give this a nice little mix.
There's a whole new element to what we're doing.
So, what we're gonna do is season the buttermilk brine
with some good country spices.
So, this is gonna soften the meat up even more.
The cutlet goes from the brine to the flour
and right to the fryer, and we're not gonna use saltines
to crust it.
So, we're good to go.
That's chicken-fried steak.
And then we got a nice fresh salad okay?
On top, just like that.
I think it's kind of hot. You feel good about this?
I love it.
If I was opening this restaurant tomorrow,
this is what I would be serving.
I think chicken-fried steak on a stick
is gonna be perfect for the rodeo.
Thank you.
CHRISTINE: Mmm-hmm.
Just like that.
Mmm. Mm-hmm.
Okay.
Let's go to the rodeo.
Let's go to the rodeo.
Woo-hoo!
[ Cheers ]
Got my boots on for the rodeo.
[ Cheers ]
CHRISTINE: Jon and I decided that we would have some cute little cowgirls
and have them hand out some flyers,
and they can help us pass the word on to the people
and let them know about our event
so that Jon and I can focus on our food
and getting it out to the guests.
We'll take care of the food, ya'll take care of the peeps.
Wish us luck.
LARA: We have a line of people coming up.
Who's excited to be here? Whoo!
I am ready to get this food out to people
because I know once they try this sandwich
that they are a shoo-in
to come back and see us for grand opening.
JENNIFER: Hi, guys. How are ya?
It's cold outside, we got some beer cheese soup.
Something to keep you nice and warm.
Ya'll ready to try some chicken-fried steak?
Do you love chicken-fried steak? It's awesome.
So, this is a Beer-Brined Sausage Slider
with grilled jalapeños and a beer cheese soup shooter.
You can dip it or sip it.
You got to put these sunglasses on first.
These are our sunglasses.
So, our strategy for this marketing
is to make sure that people have their sunglasses
and that they are all over that rodeo
so people see our logo and it starts to make an impression.
Yeah!
Got to wear shades, baby, I like it!
Make sure you take a -- Oh, a magnet there you go.
LARA: Our other strategy is to make sure
everybody has a magnet.
Put this up on your refrigerator and you can scan it anytime,
tomorrow actually it will give you all the directions
and instructions to be at Vista Ridge Mall.
Come to Full Circle Sliders.
Hi, friend, you want another one?
So good.
Thank you. We have plenty.
Hey, guys, how are you?
I'm good.
Good.
Can I try one? And I like your logos.
It's all about the gravy.
Looks great, brother. Looks great.
It's really attractive, brother. Congratulations, man.
Appreciate it. Enjoy it.
Mmm, wow.
I love it. I love this.
Hey, good.
What do you think about the dish? You like it?
It's one of my favorites.
I love chicken-fried steak and this is really, really good.
So, did Jonathon's Gravy Train
tell you what's going on tomorrow?
No, they didn't tell me.
Okay, so this is a marketing event,
giving one of them a restaurant tomorrow.
That's awesome.
Well, I hope it's this one 'cause I really like it.
It's good stuff. Right?
I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks a lot.
I'm the chicken-fried steak person.
I like the chicken-fried steak. I love the gravy.
I put that gravy on everything.
These are better than the sliders.
Hey, how are you?
I'm good.
I'm good.
I like swag. These are cool, right?
Nice touch.
Beautiful. You can take it away with you.
That's pretty tasty. So, what do you think about this?
I would go to the mall just to eat at Full Circle Sliders,
not even to shop or anything.
I think that there food was fantastic.
Excellent. That is delicious.
The sliders were just too spicy for my taste buds.
I thought we did a really good job today.
Yes.
How you doing?
Good to see you.
You guys have a lot riding on this.
But the message wasn't clearly delivered
that you guys are opening a restaurant tomorrow.
If you can't nail this tomorrow, what are you going back to?
We put it all on the table. We walked away from our jobs.
We said for us our passion is this restaurant.
The goal has never been to have one restaurant.
The goal has always been to have multiple restaurants.
We're just trying to pay off all those opening loans
so we can get moving forward.
But this is the opportunity to help us do that.
So, tomorrow, come out and set it in stone
that Jonathon's Gravy Train is gonna win that restaurant.
Thanks so much. I do appreciate it.
Thank you.
CHRISTINE: We really need to win this tomorrow,
and we're getting this golden opportunity
to do something that we want to do,
which is expand our business.
This is it. I mean, tomorrow, it's the day.
I thought tonight you did an amazing job
just executing the whole thing.
You were fun to watch. The food was delicious.
How bad do you want this?
JENNIFER: I want it badly.
Everything that we have struggled,
every sacrifice that we've made, it would all just be --
Every fight that we've had.
Every fight that we've had, every time that we thought
that maybe this isn't gonna work for us that --
I mean, it will all be so worth it.
It's like, okay, we can do this. It will legitimize us.
Tomorrow's your chance.
Get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow.
Yeah. Thank you so much.
You're welcome.
I want to prove to Jennifer
that everything we've invested in over the last seven years
and all of the struggles that we've gone through are worth it.
My greatest hope is we do tomorrow
exactly what we did today.
I don't want to have any fears. We got to do this fearless.
[ Exhales deeply ]
Oh, my God, look! I love it.
Oh, my God. I am so proud of RSVP Design Services.
Full Circle Sliders is legit.
Look at the cute, little arrow!
JENNIFER: Oh, my God. I love the arrow!
I immediately start to get emotional.
Because I think about six years ago,
selling food out of our SUV, lugging heavy equipment.
It looks fantastic.
I couldn't be happier.
The bread baking is gonna waft over with the onions.
Grilling onions.
All right, babe.
Let's do this. Get cooking, come on.
Oh, my gosh.
Oh, my God. Look at it. It's amazing.
CHRISTINE: This new space is a dream come true.
It's gonna lead to us being able to expand our brand,
expand the future restaurants
and own multiple Jonathon's Gravy Trains.
Let's do this.
Hey, good morning, teams. How are you?
Morning.
Yes, sir.
Today, is arguably one of the most important days
of your lives professionally.
Today, it's all about sales.
The team that earns the most money
will walk away with their restaurant
rent free for one year.
That is a lease worth over $100,000.
Full Circle Sliders,
winning this today would prove that Jennifer,
you are a talented chef
and the both of you are incredible restaurateurs.
Jonathon's Gravy Train,
you know your food is on point,
but now you need to put the Jonathon
Yes, sir.
Are you ready?
Absolutely.
Let the "Food Court Wars" begin.
Let's do it. Let's go.
Choo-Choo!
Okay, come on. Let's do this.
All right. So, here's what we're gonna do.
Okay.
JENNIFER: Today is so important because winning this restaurant
will prove to me that everything
that Lara and I have gone though,
our highs and our lows, it's all gonna be worth it.
You are doing the buns and the sausage right now.
And then when you're done with that
we'll move on to the next thing
because I want you to move on to the front of the house
because that's your area of expertise.
Today we are serving three sliders,
our Italian Beef, and 2 Pigs in a Bun --
which are pulled pork, bacon --
and our Texas Beer-Brined Sausage on a Pretzel roll.
Then for our sides, are thick-cut potato chips
and your beer cheese soup where you can sip it or dip it.
You ready? Let's do this. All right.
Here we go.
All right, here we go. Let's get this list together.
Time to make that gravy.
Go for it.
Yep.
Today for opening day, we're gonna be serving The Dip,
which is the chicken-fried steak,
on Texas toast with a side of gravy;
our new dish, the North Texas Milanese,
which is our chicken-fried steak
with our fresh arugula salad and a citrus vinaigrette.
The final dish is the chicken-fried steak and waffle.
For sides, we're gonna offer creamy coleslaw
and braised greens.
Done. All right, let's get started.
Okay.
Oh, my God! Look who just walked in! Oh, Lisa!
Hi!
Oh, my God.
So, Lisa has come into the kitchen
and we couldn't be happier to have her.
When we first started the catering company,
delivering lunches out of the back of the Jeep,
Lisa was the one who would come over
and help Jennifer cook.
So, I couldn't be more pumped.
Okay, this is our job, girl, you got to get on it.
It's gonna be the fastest hour and a half of your life.
Okay. All right, got it.
JONATHON: Hey, what's up, Bud? How you doing?
Christine, look who joined the party.
Oh, hey, Miguel, hey. Hey, welcome.
Need help?
So, today, in the kitchen,
I'm gonna have some help from my good friend, Miguel.
Me and Miguel have worked together for almost 12 years.
Miguel is awesome in the kitchen.
He's one of the few people that I know I can turn to.
What I need you to do, though,
is we're making chicken-fried steaks.
Okay.
Ooh, I might be filling it too full.
Makes me nervous.
I have to get the beef seasoned and in the pressure cooker,
and then I have to get the pork seasoned
and in the pressure cooker.
That's four pressure cookers worth of meat,
and I'm really nervous.
Take our chances.
You sure? Don't take chances. Let's not chance.
CHRISTINE: You think this is gonna be enough gravy?
I filled up some of them pretty high.
I didn't mean to.
JONATHON: Well, start filling them up a little less.
Jonathon has one batch of gravy going right now.
Gravy is served with every item today.
So, I hope we have enough gravy made
because if we run out, it really could cause a problem.
JONATHON: Perfect.
This is disgusting.
I know that we are about to get bombarded with people,
and right now, we look like a disaster.
Okay, we have to get ready for service, and I'm not kidding.
CHRISTINE: I see a Gravy Train coming.
JONATHON: Are you ready?
Yay!
So, I see the crowds all walk in,
and I know that we are not ready.
JENNIFER: You can't be crazy, okay?
We've been dealing with your crazy for the last two hours.
I'm sorry.
Yeah, Full Circle, let's do this!
JENNIFER: I look up and I see the crowd lining up
and I'm thinking, "All right, it's go time."
We've done everything that we can do at this point.
We have got to bring it today.
You ready for some sliders?
All right, we've got Italian Beef.
Y'all ready for Jonathon's Gravy Train?
JONATHON: Let's go, baby!
Whoo!
Today for opening day,
we are serving The Dip, chicken-fried steak.
We are gonna serve a chicken-fried steak and waffle,
and we're also gonna serve a north Texas Milanese.
All of our dishes are served with our gravy,
and our side items are gonna be a creamy slaw
and braised greens.
Come on Gravy Train, baby. Choo-Choooooooooo!
And what do you want for a side with that? You want chips?
We've got our Cinnamon Chipotle Chips.
Our menu today is very Texas, serving three sliders.
It is the Texas Beer-Brined Sausage with a Pretzel Bun.
We have our Two Pigs in a Bun, and our Italian Beef slider.
And our sides are Cinnamon Chipotle Chips
and our Beer Cheese Soup.
This is the pork. Here you go.
Italian Beef is coming.
Welcome aboard, everybody.
This is awesome. I can't believe it's finally happening.
The customers are here and they're loving it.
WOMAN: Thank you, sir.
I'm not normally a chicken-fried steak person,
but this is really good.
What are these for? What ticket is this?
What ticket is that?
It's right here, right here.
I know.
I knew that not having a plan for the tickets
and expediting the food
was gonna become a problem and it has.
This isn't the right ticket, then.
Two beef, two sausage, two chips. That's you.
CHRISTINE: What may we get for you?
I'm gonna try the North Texas Milanese and braised greens.
I'm moving as fast as I can, folks.
I'm a little busy trying to satisfy
all these hungry consumers.
All right, ladies and gentlemen, give us just two seconds
we'll be right with you.
This line is growing and I want people to get food,
but I just know that they are gonna want to leave the line
because they're gonna get anxious.
They're not gonna want to wait.
LARA: And I'm gonna be in charge right now.
I need you, when the order comes up,
Okay.
Thank you, I don't need to turn around to do that.
We are gonna move everything up front so that it's right there,
and I'm going to make sure that we get this food executed.
Go, go, go, go, go.
Jon, we are getting really close to running out of gravy.
Yes, we are.
So, we pre-portioned the gravy for the sides,
and we had a little miscalculation.
And by the time we realized it, we're out of gravy.
So, now I got to get some going.
ALL: [ Chanting ] Gravy! Gravy!
JONATHON: This is not good.
You can't have a Gravy Train without gravy.
These are all just waiting on gravy. Gravy, gravy.
Hey, guess what. I think we got a rhythm going now.
Once we move our service to the front of the house
and things start flowing,
I feel like we're getting into a groove.
I'll go for the soup. I haven't tried that.
So, two chips and a soup.
We got two minutes until gravy, all right?
Two minutes on gravy. We're calling in two minutes on gravy.
Sounds wonderful.
It will be just a couple of minutes.
ALL: [ Chanting ] Gravy! Gravy!
Finally, we have more gravy again,
and we can get back up and running.
Thank you.
LARA: Five dollars. You are welcome.
Thank you very much.
Gravy on top of it soaked it all up. It was awesome.
Really flavorful.
It's really good.
JONATHON: Pretty good.
Last big push. These are the last people in line.
Let's finish with everybody, let's finish strong, all right?
Right. Absolutely.
Lara.
LARA: Yo!
Last big push, get through this line
Okay, got it.
Good? All right.
Thank you. Thank you.
JONATHON: There you go. Thank you so much.
Whoo!
Two beef, two pigs, two chips, two soups.
Thank you. Got to move faster.
JONATHON: We'll show our appreciation with some really awesome food.
Thank you so much.
LARA: I gotcha.
How ya'll doing tonight?
Have I gotten your money yet?
We're getting close.
we're getting near the bottom of everything.
We'll call our your name as soon as your order's ready.
Good to see, y'all. Welcome.
Are you excited? Yeah!
Here's your change, ladies.
Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention please.
The "Food Court War" is now over.
Please give both teams a great round of applause.
Jonathon's Gravy Train.
Full Circle Sliders.
[ Cheers and applause ]
You both did a great job today.
I was very proud of you. Job well done.
And as you can see, your friends and family are here
to support both of you tonight.
They did a great job, huh?
[ Cheers and applause ]
Full Circle Sliders, you had a slow start,
but luckily, your check averages were high.
However, the long wait resulted in people leaving your line.
You changed your strategy,
and this helped you get through your customers.
Jonathon's Gravy Train, you started out strong,
but then you ran out of your signature gravy.
That slowed you down, and that cost you customers.
But once you got your gravy back,
you turned things around and you turned on the charm.
But will this result in a victory?
One of you is about to own a restaurant
rent free for one year.
I've tallied up the money,
and the restaurant that has earned the most will win.
With a grand total of $1,420,
and the difference of just $100,
the winner of "Food Court Wars" is...
...Full Circle Sliders.
Oh, my God!
Yes! That's awesome.
LARA: I couldn't be more proud of Jennifer and I,
in sticking with it and being a team
and winning this competition.
Oh, my God!
[ Sighs ]
We just fell short, just by a hair.
And that was what was so disappointing
was that it was so close,
and we were so close to making our dreams.
We'll get 'em next time.
[ Laughter ]
Sometimes you work real hard
and you don't always get exactly the results you want.
But I think the Gravy Train's got a great future ahead of it.
JENNIFER: The people who are like me, that started as a dishwasher,
or started on a different path, and they've become successful,
I think that that shows you don't have to be
professionally trained to be legitimate.
Jennifer, Lara, I would like to introduce you
to your new best friend.
This is Leanne Lowry, she's the manager here...
...at Vista Ridge Mall.
Nice to meet you. Thank you for having us.
And before we do that,
Okay.
This is your first dollar you ever earned.
Awesome.
I'm very, very proud of you.
Thank you so much.
Yes, let's do it.
LARA: Everything that I have given up,
from my career to finances to struggling to pay bills,
has been worth every single step of the way
because the feeling of living your dream,
even as hard as it gets, is so worth it.
FLORENCE: It's official ladies. You won yourself a restaurant.
[ Laughs ]
It's so surreal. It really is.
This I what we want.
This is our dream, and it's been amazing.
I mean, what a journey.
No one's gonna stop us now.
Mwah! Mwah!