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Why am I waiting an hour and 19 minutes for food, guys?
This is ridiculous!
Next on "Restaurant Impossible"...
Are you excited, or do you want me to walk out?
Owners who have obviously lost passion for their business...
I want to cry right now.
...and their relationship...
It's like working for divorcing parents or something.
IRVINE: ...are devastated by the consequences.
Honestly, I'm scared. [ Sniffles ]
We both have to change.
My job...
Big positive energy!
...is to re-light the fire.
Julio!
He came, he saw, now he got to conquer.
Talk about stress? This is it.
Come on, guys. I need this restaurant back.
Open your eyes.
[ Gasps ]
NARRATOR: Chef Robert Irvine has 2 days and $10,000
to do the impossible.
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
Day 1 of my mission,
and I'm heading to Daly City, California,
just outside of San Francisco.
I'm here to help Julio and Bernadette
save their failing restaurant Estrada's.
We purchased the restaurant for about $80,000 six years ago,
and three years ago, Bernadette came into the picture.
Julio was the only one here. I thought he was cute.
[ Laughs ] We started dating.
And I kind of started stepping in and helping.
For the first two, three months, everything was going fine.
After that, for whatever reason, the nightmare started.
I want to believe it was the economy.
I thought I could turn things around at Estrada's
because I've been in the restaurant business
my whole life.
I have a degree in restaurant management.
So I decided to become partners and invest $100,000.
JULIO: Now we're not only life partners,
but we're also business partners.
I'm not sure whose fault it is
that the restaurant hasn't been successful.
I just know that this restaurant has never been profitable.
Between Bernadette and I,
we've probably put in more than $400,000.
BERNADETTE: It's very stressful to invest that kind of money
and not see a return.
Not only is the restaurant on the rocks,
but also our relationship is there, too.
BERNADETTE: We get so angry at each other, you know?
Like, we're enemies sometimes.
We argue and fuss, fight.
It breaks my heart.
We've tried so hard, and we're still slipping.
If Robert can't save Estrada's, I can't even imagine.
I mean, everything we've worked so hard for will be for nothing.
IRVINE: I've got two days and $10,000 to revive this restaurant.
When I walk into the restaurant,
I see very tchotchke type of things --
balloon trees, parrot or bird or something in a cage here.
The colors of the floor drive me crazy.
Cool-looking chairs, to be honest with you.
They're very sticky and dirty.
Tables have been abused.
You can see by the edges.
The upholstery -- well, that needs to be cleaned.
I was gonna say it looks mediocre-dirty,
but look at these fans.
Now I think it looks awful-dirty.
Julio and Bernadette, come in your restaurant, please.
Good morning.
BERNADETTE: Good morning.
How are you?
And you must be?
Bernadette.
Very nice to meet you. Julio.
How you doing? I'm Julio.
Very nice to meet you.
First of all, what type of restaurant is it?
It's a Mexican with a Caribbean fusion.
Okay, when did you buy the restaurant?
Six years ago.
For how much?
About $80,000.
$80,000. So you bought the business.
You didn't buy the building.
Business. Exactly.
Had you worked in a restaurant before?
I had no knowledge about running a restaurant whatsoever.
That's a surprise.
So, what did you do before you came a restaurant "owner"?
Prior to that I was --
I'm still involved in the music business -- promoter...
Okay.
...especially in the salsa work.
Does that make money for you?
Definitely.
Okay, very good. So, Bernadette, what's your story?
I moved out here to be with my granddaughter.
Why do you look so sad?
I'm nervous. I'm --
Don't be nervous. I'm here to help you.
I know.
So you moved from where?
Las Vegas, where I ran a night club in one of the big casinos.
You been to school for that?
I have.
I have a degree in hotel and restaurant management.
And I decided to stop in and have lunch
and Julio was the only one here.
We just started talking.
We had all these things in common.
And we've pretty much been together ever since.
Oh, wow.
Yeah.
At what point did you get involved in the restaurant?
I bought into the business two years after we met.
So you bought in. How much money did you put into the business?
$100,000.
Okay, and what did that buy you?
Half of the restaurant.
So, how much more money did you put in, Julio?
Oh, my bookkeeping is horrible. I'm just --
I know how much.
Since the time that we've both been here,
we've put in $400,000 collectively.
Okay, and how much are you putting into the restaurant now per month?
Probably losing about between $5,000 and $10,000.
Closer to $10,000.
How do you know that?
Because I'm the one that deals with bills.
And we have a disconnect in our accounting process.
My system now is to change as much as I can without...
Talk to me.
I need to know. I can't fix it if I don't know.
[ Voice breaking ] Without losing the relationship, you know?
'Cause everything is an argument, a discussion,
when it comes to the business.
I'm sorry.
It's okay. That's why we're here to fix it, right?
[ Sniffles ]
Is he stubborn?
Are you stubborn?
Yes, sir. Yeah.
So let's take your pride,
and put it over there for the moment.
I can't do that. It would be very hard for me.
You have to. Listen to me. You have to.
This pride has got you into this position now.
You know, you've got to put that to the side
in order for me to help you change, okay?
Perfect. We got a deal.
So I need some energy from you, right?
Yes, sir!
Are you excited, or do you want me to walk out?
No, I want you to remain here.
I'm extremely excited.
[ Sighs ]
Ah, okay, here's what I want to do.
I want to see a service,
and we'll figure out how the menu goes over, okay?
All right. Off you go.
I welcome with open arms whatever critique he may have.
Obviously, we're doing something wrong.
Several things wrong.
Otherwise, we would not be here.
Welcome to Estrada's. How are you?
WOMAN: The wall when you first walk in --
it didn't seem welcoming.
I feel like their design is very Pueblo, like,
trying to be a Mexican hometown or something like that.
But I feel like it's maybe a little too much.
It could use...updating, for sure.
So the steak? Okay, certainly.
Gracias.
I ordered a steak asada. It's kind of bland.
I think it needs more salt.
And a little bit tough.
MAN: I ordered the sizzling tostada salad.
As far as flavor, I think it's lacking.
It's pretty bland-tasting.
I ordered the tostones. The texture wasn't really there.
The flavor wasn't really there.
It didn't really meet my taste buds.
Bus those tables for me -- the empty tables.
Hey, I want you guys on the floor.
I'm frustrated because the servers
don't really have a sense of urgency.
Usually, when we're busy, I step in
and, honestly, run circles around them.
So, what's the biggest problem here?
Um, we're not a team, and we all have to be on a team.
And everybody's off doing their own thing.
Okay, Julio and Bernadette -- how are they as leaders?
It's rather confusing. They have two different styles.
Julio's rather laid-back,
and things don't seem to get accomplished because of that.
Bernadette's very, you know,
on the go, trying to get things done.
And one person says one thing.
One person says, "Do it another way."
It's like working for divorcing parents or something.
All right. Thank you.
I'm still waiting on the calamari and fried yucca.
BERNADETTE: I'm frustrated with the kitchen.
We've had a couple of complaints that I'm concerned about --
you know, the timing of the food.
And I need a chicken quesadilla still
because I got the calamari, but not the quesadilla.
Right now we haven't even got our food
for the past hour and a half.
An 1:19, to be exact.
Yeah.
Julio!
This is your failure right here.
Sad.
JULIO: I tend to disagree with him, but so what?
He's the doctor.
Let's see what he's gonna do to fix it.
BERNADETTE: I have fought with everything I have
to keep this place open and to save our relationship.
And I don't think that there's anything I wouldn't do
to save it.
Julio!
That's me.
I have a very, very pissed-off person.
Okay.
'Cause he's been waiting an hour and...?
19 minutes.
...19 minutes for food.
Who's your waiter?
Daniel.
Why is he waiting 1:19? Does he look happy?
DANIEL: No.
Do I look happy?
No.
And you've got a silly grin on your face.
Why?
I don't know.
You fix it, and you fix him.
DANIEL: I do the best that I can, you know,
but it always comes down to the kitchen, you know?
We tell we need this.
They tell us we have to wait.
Why am I waiting an hour and 19 minutes for food, guys?
This is ridiculous!
With the language barrier,
I'm not able to talk to the cooks right now,
but it's obvious to me
there's a lack of leadership in this kitchen.
Finally, the last customers get their food.
I'm gonna start you out with our guacamole and chips.
So now it's time I sample a few of the dishes.
Enjoy.
Thank you. Guacamole in its simplest form.
It's great-flavored avocado, great fat.
That is the worst guacamole I've ever tasted in my career.
Blech!
Okay, chef, next we have our maduros.
Those are the sweet plantains.
Cooked nicely, but look at this. Full of oil.
If the oil in the fryer was clean,
we wouldn't get this burned, bitter taste.
This is the albóndigas soup.
The meatball soup.
The meatball soup.
Mmm. This has got a great flavor in the broth.
Meatballs are overcooked.
Not enough fat in them.
But the broth is excellent.
Our tequila-mango buffalo wings.
Bone-dry, deader than dead.
The sauce obviously comes straight out of a bottle,
as does the dressing.
Disappointing, to say the least.
Well, let's try the chiles relennos.
The rice...
I want to cry right now.
I really do want to cry.
There is nothing on here
that would make me come back to your restaurant.
So you didn't like the maduros?
No, because you know what I taste in that?
What do you taste?
Burned oil.
Because it's old oil. It's dead.
Did you try this chicken?
There's no juice in the chicken.
Do we make the sauce?
We'll take the buffalo-wing sauce,
and we add the mango puree...
Okay.
...and spice.
We don't make it. We add things to a bought sauce.
Right.
What's lettuce got to do with it?
We use it as garnish.
Yeah, so we throw -- do you know how much this is?
How much does this plate cost you to make?
I couldn't tell you.
No, you couldn't.
What's your food costs?
Uh, it's pretty high.
What is it?
That's one of the reasons why we wrote to you --
so you tell me how to fix this, and then we can go from there,
and we eliminate all this mumbo jumbo that we're talking about.
This is very important. It's not mumbo jumbo.
We're wasting money on the plates that we put this on.
It's wasted money.
More to the point, the food that your guys cook is not good.
Kind of hard, isn't it,
listening to somebody else tell you.
Of course it is 'cause all I'm hearing
is critique on everything.
There's got to be something that's positive.
The good thing that's positive here is the broth.
That's the only positive.
And if there were something good, I will tell you.
This is your failure right here.
Sad.
JULIO: I tend to disagree with him, but so what?
He's the doctor.
Let's see what he's gonna do to fix it.
He came, he saw, now he got to conquer.
IRVINE: First thing I'm gonna conquer is the decor.
Good morning!
And for that, I'm working with my designer, Cheryl.
Here we are at...
It's pretty bad.
...Estrada's...
Flea-Market Special.
...Mexican-Caribbean-Style Restaurant.
You can see all the tchotchkes about.
Piñatas, sombreros, and plates and birds.
Yeah, yeah. This area here -- don't like it at all.
All the tables are in pretty good order.
Banquettes.
Those are great.
I mean, we have to save them.
I'll be okay with that.
Did they dance here? Is that why they're...?
I don't know. They do a lot of karaoke with this screen here.
My biggest problem here is that there's no focus.
It feels like a flea-market special, but it's not done well.
It's awful.
It's sad.
So, what you've got to work with is two days and $10,000.
Best thing is now we've got to empty this place.
Let's get started.
Big, positive energy.
All these. Let's go. Downstairs.
[ Grunts ]
Come on out!
Put a bird on it.
IRVINE: Come on, let's go. Pick it up and move it.
This is heavy.
Get rid of the trifid.
Take that snail down, yes.
[ Laughs evilly ]
This has been Julio's place, and I've tried really hard
to change it, but he wouldn't let me.
And slowly, I take things out.
Sometimes he takes them out of the garbage can
and puts them back.
So I was afraid that he wouldn't be willing to change.
So I feel like I'm hopeful that he can change.
To me, it's a bittersweet kind of situation
because I'm putting a lot of work in here
to have what you see --
every single thing I put up here.
But I think it's all for the best.
Hey, I don't care what you guys break,
but don't break the liquor.
Bernadette, Julio, come in here.
Yes, chef?
Okay, so, obviously, the process has started.
So you have some good memories here?
Believe it or not, no.
The only thing I don't regret about all this nightmare here
is the fact that I wind up meeting you here.
I have great memories.
I met the man of my dreams, my lifelong partner here.
I know that he was struggling, and I wanted to help him.
How does that make you feel?
She trusted me, and I let her down.
Do you feel he let you down?
No.
Tell him you don't feel like you let him down.
[ Voice breaking ] I don't feel like you let me down.
[ Crying ]
It's tough, but I think we're gonna get through it.
Hopefully, by tomorrow evening,
I will make your restaurant amazing.
That's my word to you, okay?
Yes.
Thank you very much.
All right. Take care.
IRVINE: I promised both of them
that I was gonna make this right --
not only the restaurant but their relationship.
And I tell you what, it will happen.
IRVINE: I'm at Estrada's,
a Mexican restaurant in need of a complete overhaul,
including the decor, the food, and the management.
Hello.
Hi, chef.
Hello, chef.
Earlier on, when I was talking about food costs,
Julio, you said to me, "That's all mumbo jumbo."
Yes, I remember that.
I want to talk about that a little bit.
So let's take this dish here.
This is your guacamole.
For you to make this plate of food,
it costs you $4 -- food alone.
We haven't taken into account the labor it costs to make it,
the cooks, the gas, the electric, the telephone.
To account for all the expenses
and to price the items for profit,
I use a simple formula.
It's normally three times food costs
to give us our overheads, our labor, and make profit.
Now, the cost of that product is $4.
On the menu, it's $6 to sell.
You actually lost money.
I would have to sell it at $12
to cover my costs and make profit.
Now, could you sell this for $12?
No way.
No, because some things you can charge three times,
and others you can't.
So therefore, you got to look at what do we give,
and how do we utilize that guacamole on our menu?
So, for example, if you reduce your avocado
and add something with it -- half a breast of chicken --
you think I can get 10 bucks for that?
Easy.
Okay, let's take another dish here.
Your shrimp cocktail costs you $5 in food.
It would have to go on three times.
So it would be $15 on the menu.
It's $9 on the menu as it is this morning.
You actually lost money.
Okay, I guess, you know, we just have to...
Apply the formula.
And there are some things, like soup, that cost you pennies.
Can I charge $4 to $6
for something that's costing me 50, 60 cents?
Yeah.
We up-sell to the guests into buying, you know,
a soup or salad or maybe, you know,
an appetizer and a dessert,
a couple of beers, a couple of margaritas.
That make sense?
Yes, one item offset the other.
Good. If you do this, you'll eradicate a lot of debt.
Okay.
All right, appreciate it. Thank you, guys.
Thank you.
IRVINE: With my design crew in full swing,
I can turn my focus to the servers.
It's time to hear what they think about their leaders.
What a happy bunch of people. Are you leaning on that door?
'Cause that doesn't show me energy and excitement.
JENNIFER: I don't have much excitement.
So why don't you have much excitement?
I don't know. I just don't feel really happy right now.
So why are you here?
They're very good people.
All of these people are good people.
But right now we don't work as a team.
Why are you failing, in your opinion?
Management -- there isn't that much management that I see.
I don't think everyone feels that they're approachable.
Sometimes when the stress gets the better of them,
it makes it hard to go to them.
How does their relationship affect the business --
the way they fight?
If customers can sense it, then it does, I think,
create an issue for the restaurant.
We have our moments on the floor where we disagree on things. We do.
Is that confusing when Julio says something,
and then Bernadette says, "No, no, no, no.
I want it done this way"?
ALL: Yes.
I'm fairly new here.
I don't think I've really been trained properly.
So I don't know things.
If I'm doing something wrong, I get, "What are you doing?!"
Who do you go to when you have problems?
ALL: Bernadette.
Who's the toughest?
ALL: Bernadette.
IRVINE: It's clear to me the owners need to get on the same page
and be a unified front
if they want their restaurant to succeed.
Today was all about problems.
Tomorrow, hopefully, is about solutions.
Thank you. Have a good night.
Whoa!
Hello!
Interesting.
This morning, when I arrived here,
this was full of tchotchkes right here, right?
Look at it now.
How clean and fresh it's starting to look.
Two things that I don't like --
that tile that's split and cracked and looks awful.
Number 2 is this horrendous-looking floor.
I don't like the red and the orangy look.
Get rid of it.
We're gonna take the red and the orange out.
So, priorities for tonight...
There's a lot to do in the bar.
Oh, and the floor.
Oh, right.
We'll have to start that.
I just don't know how we're gonna do it.
Nor do I. All right, I'll see you in the morning.
Thank you.
Hey, guys.
IRVINE: I still have to give the owners their homework for tonight,
but first, I need to ask them one last question.
See the paper in front of you there?
Yes.
I want you to write down three things
that irritate the heck out of you about each other.
IRVINE: My hope is by identifying their differences,
they'll be able to work through them and come together.
Julio.
She's extremely argumentative.
She's very loud.
I don't find her to be extremely family-oriented.
What do you mean?
My family's extremely important to me.
My mom is 84 years old.
I haven't seen my mom in a long time.
I just don't have the time to go...to go there
and spend at least a week with her.
When was the last time you saw your mom?
About almost six years ago.
I don't show my emotions a lot,
but you know, that bothers me a lot.
To me, family is really important also.
If you don't book a ticket
and go home when we've done this,
it may be your last chance.
Give me your three.
He's somewhat of a pushover with employees.
He can be controlling
and wants to have his way on most everything.
And I feel like he needs to be right all the time.
You're not her boss.
This is another human being with feelings, right?
Mm-hmm.
It's been a long day.
I'm giving you some homework.
I want you to give me three things
that would make this restaurant better.
And what are the roles you're gonna play in that restaurant?
Is there anything that you love about the restaurant?
I want you to tell me why you love it, okay?
Okay, chef.
Good night.
[ Smooches ] It'll be okay.
I love you.
You think we'll make it work?
[ Sniffles ]
I just hope we can.
You have some doubts?
Honestly, I'm scared.
I'm not.
We both have to change.
Definitely.
It's gonna okay. Don't worry.
[ Sobbing ]
It's been a roller coaster of a day.
But today we had problems. Tomorrow we find solutions.
I wonder if it's possible to change in two days.
I just hope that we can.
It's Day 2 in Daly City, California,
which means I've only got 12 hours
to put Estrada's Restaurant back on the map.
What I observed yesterday, it's no wonder they're failing.
The food came out of the kitchen slow...
I'm still waiting on the calamari and fried yucca.
...and tasted mediocre.
It didn't really meet my taste buds.
IRVINE: The staff were unhappy...
It's like working for divorcing parents or something.
...and Julio and Bernadette have lost all direction.
Do you have some doubts?
Honestly, I'm scared.
Bernadette and I have to change our way of doing things.
We both have to change.
I'm still a little bit concerned
if we're gonna be able to pull this off.
IRVINE: Today I have to create a new menu, finish the design,
and breathe new life into these owners.
Good morning, guys.
Hey, Robert. How are you?
Hey, Robert.
The horrendous colors on the floor look like they've changed.
We got rid of the red and the orange like you asked.
So we've replaced it with this lighter white-gray
that kind of fits with the white detail.
So the entire floor is set.
The screen was on that wall yesterday.
What are we doing with it?
Now it's going on the back wall.
That'll be a focal point right when you walk in.
And then we've also added a Spanish tile pattern.
Cheryl's gonna finish the tile pattern.
I'm gonna frame this out.
There's a lot of detail framing that you don't see yet.
And then we haven't even dealt with the front entrance.
All right, listen, I love the way we're going.
I know there's a long way to go.
I'm gonna meet with Julio and Bernadette.
I gave them homework last night.
And we'll see how they are today.
Lots to do. Let's get to it.
Thank you, guys.
All right.
Good morning.
Good morning.
How are we?
Better.
Yesterday, I gave you some homework, right?
So, Bernadette, three things that you want Julio to do
or to be in charge of to make this restaurant successful.
Number one, I would like him to concentrate his efforts
on public relations and promotions.
That's what he does, and that's what he's very good at.
Number two, I would like him to get educated on food costs,
since he's involved with the kitchen.
Important.
And number three,
I would like him to trust me to handle all of the accounting.
Is there an issue with the trust there?
There's no issue with the trust, whatsoever.
I mean, you know --
I don't think so, either.
I think he's just used to doing it his way.
Okay. What do you think of those?
I'm all for it, except that I would add a few things
that I would tell you on the other side.
Okay. Three things that you want Bernadette to do.
Well, Bernadette should manage the front of the house.
Number two, take over the staffing and procedures,
books, and billing, et cetera.
That's what I wrote.
But number three is to respect, honor, and love each other.
That's great.
All right, one thing I asked you for --
three things that you're passionate
about this restaurant.
Number one is I love the hospitality industry.
I've been in it my entire life, and I'm very good at it.
The second thing I love is that I fell in love --
truly in love --
with someone that happened to have this restaurant.
And it's something that if we get it right,
we can do it together.
The third thing that I love --
I love the history of this restaurant.
I love the stories that I hear.
Good.
Julio.
There's nothing that I love in this place here,
except the fact that I'm with her.
And then, the camaraderie that we have
with the people that come in here
and really like being involved with that.
That's great. And you've met some great people.
But what happened to being passionate
about the restaurant like your music?
That went.
Do you want the restaurant?
I do.
You want to convince me that you want this.
What you put into your business in passion and caring
is what you get out of it.
You need to throw your whole self in.
No matter what I do to your restaurant,
it doesn't matter unless you're gonna control it.
You'll tell somebody one thing.
You'll tell them the other.
And the people are like...
"Uh, I don't know what to do.
So I'm gonna do it my way."
How do we resolve that?
You have no right to make a decision, and nor do you.
You have to come together, agree,
and then that's the direction forward.
When they come to me with a problem,
you know what I'm gonna say?
"Go to Bernadette."
"Go see Bernadette."
But there has to be a common thing.
This is the second chance.
After this, there is no more chance.
That's it. No, I'm done after this.
You will be done
because the people that you owe
are gonna come and take it from you.
That's right.
I think you've got it,
but you've got to show me that you're gonna do it.
Show me the passion that you have.
That's all I want.
Okay.
Okay?
You got it.
JULIO: I think he hit the nail on the head, you know.
Once the passion is gone, you know,
you're just coming in to work.
There's no passion there as far as wanting to do things.
I want to feel that excitement again.
So next on my agenda is to teach Julio and Jorge dishes
that I truly believe will go gangbusters.
The first dish is a flank steak.
I'm gonna serve it with a watermelon salad
that is absolutely to die for.
So this first thing that we're gonna do
is make a marinade for it.
We're gonna take a little bit of cilantro, a little bit of oil,
vinegar because the vinegar's gonna help us
break down the protein.
Some pepper, some sugar, salt, and a touch of honey.
A little roasted garlic. It's sweet.
Remember, when you roast garlic, it's a lot sweeter.
A little jalapeño.
And some hot chili paste gives it a little flavor, right?
Mix it up.
[ Humming ]
I'm gonna take our flank steak, marinate it overnight.
When we come in in the morning,
we're gonna warm the oil a little bit.
Oil, when it's warm, infuses into something much better.
Straight onto the grill.
Take some of au jus.
All the flavor right there.
While we're doing this -- watermelon -- small, diced,
tomatoes, a little salt, a little sugar,
a little pepper, red onion,
and some mint leaves that are whole.
A little bit of honey.
Very simple, right?
Cook that a little bit longer.
Next thing I'm gonna do is what I call street corn.
You heard of street corn before?
Yes.
Yes?
I've had it in Tijuana.
A little oil, salt, pepper, straight on the grill.
This is a traditional Mexican dish.
The charring is starting to happen on the corn.
Not only does that charring give us that taste,
it also softens the corn, right?
So we leave that.
Our flank steak.
We've got some sauce
made from mayonnaise, tomato, and chili paste.
Some cheese. A couple of seconds.
There it is -- street corn.
We put lime on this.
It's street food, street food, street food.
Whoa.
That's slap-your-mama good.
Slap-your-mama good!
I like this.
That's amazing.
So this is the beef with the watermelon salad.
The combination is kicking.
Man!
I'm like...
Dance, man!
My goodness.
That is really, really, really good.
That is amazing.
That's what I want! Right?!
Right!
All right. Get it cleaned up.
We got a lot of people to serve tonight.
Good job.
IRVINE: And now it's time for "Trivia Impossible."
The answer after the break.
IRVINE: Okay, so now I'm gonna surprise Julio and Bernadette
with a little road trip.
Hey, guys.
Hi.
Hey, hi, there.
IRVINE: We want to go market Estrada's to the local community.
At 2:00 this afternoon,
you are gonna re-market Estrada's at the town hall.
Okay.
The reason I brought this --
you are gonna create a fiesta.
I want the corn.
That's the food you're gonna market.
I want a salsa band to create excitement.
Perfect.
But what I'm looking for --
teamwork, leadership skills, direction, and above all else...
Passion.
Passion.
Comprende.
Thank you very much.
See you.
Thanks.
I need you guys to find streamers and some piñatas.
Anything that's fiesta or party, bring it. I need a table.
So you be in charge of the table.
We have two hours to complete this challenge
that Robert gave us.
Be at City Hall, 2:00.
BERNADETTE: It's gonna be interesting, but I think we can make it happen.
A lot to do in a short time.
How many pieces are we serving?
We're gonna try to bring in at least 100 and some pieces.
What about the music, the band? That's all settled?
It's all set up. I already called them.
Okay, perfect.
Can you do a little check-off list?
Make sure we have plates, napkins, forks.
JULIO: Okay, let's get these in.
Let's keep them warm. Take them on the road.
Let's rock and roll, guys.
All right, time's up.
Got everything.
All right, take it out to the car, and I'll meet you there.
Let's go.
Okay, great.
BERNADETTE: We're ready to go. We've got the food.
We've got the band. We've got all the utensils.
I feel like we've got the passion.
We're ready to do this.
Good afternoon, everybody.
This is Julio and this is Bernadette
and they own a restaurant called Estrada's.
[ Salsa music plays ]
JULIO: Hi, everyone.
I would like to invite you folks to try one of the new items
on our menu and to see my new restaurant.
BERNADETTE: Help yourself. Go ahead and grab one.
Let us know how you like it.
You can have as many pieces as you like.
Can you see our new restaurant when you get a chance?
Oh, yeah, totally. Yeah.
Great.
Finally got my heart rate going after all these days of crying.
Everyone's rooting for us.
Everyone wants us to succeed as much as we want to.
I just could not be happier right now.
That corn has a real big kick. And that sauce is excellent.
WOMAN: It was really different.
It was really tasty 'cause the sauce was unlike everything I've ever had, so that was good.
WOMAN #2: Loved it.
The fact that there'll be a type of authentic Mexican restaurant
in Daly City -- I would definitely go check it out.
Thank you so much. Thank you.
[ Cheers and applause ]
IRVINE: Well, there's one thing about that marketing trip
that I really liked.
At least we saw some passion and some excitement
from both Julio and Bernadette.
And the guests really loved the street corn
that is going on the new menu.
The question now -- is the transformation
back at the restaurant still on track?
TOM: These are the custom lamp shades that we built.
The room is so big. The ceiling's so tall.
We needed something massive.
We weren't gonna be able to afford a light big enough.
So now they look big and expensive, but they're not.
It looks good.
IRVINE: Come on, guys! I need this restaurant back!
You can see we're still painting.
We're trying to get the floor done.
The kitchen is still prepping.
Talk about stress.
This is it.
Get me the servers!
Anybody doing nothing?
Put these on your feet, and let's get it dry, please.
Move. Go.
Out with the paint. Move.
Watch out. Watch out.
I got to put this leg on for this for this boot thing.
Salt and pepper here, and the flower there, right?
Come on, guys. I need your final push now!
I need your push!
Out, out, out, out. Let's go.
It's been two days of hard work, both physically and emotionally.
But I really think it's been worth it,
and I can't wait to show Julio and Bernadette
their brand-new Estrada's.
The past six years have been a complete nightmare.
Nothing seemed to work.
I put over $200,000 into this restaurant
and never once took a vacation, never once got paid.
And the only reason is because I love Julio.
The restaurant put an enormous strain on the relationship.
BERNADETTE: [ Voice breaking ] I have fought with everything I have
to keep this place open and to save our relationship.
And I don't think that there's anything I wouldn't do...
to save it.
I may be at the end of my rope,
but I still got a little bit of rope left.
I think I've been thrown a life saver.
So no defeat. I'm not defeated.
Hello.
Hi, there, chef.
A little bit later than I anticipated, but lots going on.
Are you ready to see the restaurant?
Oh, my God.
I'm dying to see the restaurant.
Very dapper, by the way.
Thank you very much.
I'm gonna ask you to do a couple of things.
I want you to walk up here. Keep your eyes closed.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay?
Stop.
Are you ready to see the new Estrada's?
Yes.
Yes, sir.
Open your eyes.
[ Gasps ]
Are you ready to see the new Estrada's?
Yes.
Yes, sir.
Open your eyes.
[ Gasps ]
[ Crying ] Oh, my God!
Wow!
Julio! Oh, my God, it's so beautiful!
Oh, my God!
Wow!
I can't -- Oh, my God.
BERNADETTE: Look at the lights.
Man, this is great.
IRVINE: Go have a look around. Look at your bar.
Oh, I love it.
Estrada's!
Look at this.
Oh, my God!
[ Crying ] I love it!
Wow, what a great job.
Oh, it's so beautiful.
Oh, my God.
I'm so touched.
It's amazing.
IRVINE: The horrendous floor tiles that were orange and red
and looked like a playing house we've changed.
You can still have your karaoke.
We've put a little space over there in the corner for karaoke.
Oh, my goodness.
And you've got a brand-new host stand.
Oh, my God. Look at our hostess station. I didn't see this.
What are you feeling right now, Julio?
What are you feeling here?
I'm -- I'm -- I'm -- I'm crying out of joy.
It's joy, seriously.
It's a dream come true. I'm overwhelmed.
I'm so grateful. I'm so grateful to you guys.
This is the restaurant that I should be owning.
You do!
[ Laughs ]
I can't wait for everyone to see it.
[ Cries ]
Can you believe it?
I've been begging you for the last two days
for a very specific thing.
Does this give you that...? What's the word?
Passion.
It certainly does.
It really does.
It's gorgeous.
I've got to tell you I can't do this alone.
I have two great people --
Cheryl, my designer, and Tom, my builder.
Oh, my Gosh!
Thank you, buddy.
You're so welcome.
Great job.
It's just amazing. Thank you so much.
You're so welcome.
I love it. It's gorgeous.
It's perfect. It's perfect.
IRVINE: What does this mean for you guys?
It means everything. It means a new beginning.
It means a place that's ours.
The restaurant, yes.
But you, personally --
I've seen a transformation in you
that your mother would be very proud of.
I hope that this restaurant gives you not only the passion,
but the money to go and get on that plane to see your mom.
And you have to promise me that.
I promise you that.
'Cause that's really important.
Thank you, chef.
Seriously, thank you.
Say hi to your mom.
You got it. Thank you.
All right, ready to let the people in?
Ready.
Ready.
Head to the door. Let them in.
Hello, everyone!
Thank you for coming.
I want to welcome you guys.
So please come in to the new Estrada's.
[ Cheers and applause ]
This restaurant looks absolutely incredible.
The transformation is night and day from what it was before.
I really like it.
It looks a lot fresher, a lot cleaner.
I really like the lights and the colors on the walls.
The wallpaper that's spread out in frames
throughout the whole restaurant looks nice
'cause it brings everything together.
It looks like a great place.
Thanks for joining us on our grand re-opening.
Can you believe it?
What a difference.
I've never seen the place this packed, this full,
with a line out the door.
Never. And the bar is full.
There's a line out the bar. It's amazing.
Fantastic.
I'm waiting on an enchilada.
So here we are.
We have sat the restaurant.
Kind of chaotic. There's a brand-new menu.
The guys, however, in the kitchen
have started to get a rhythm.
This plate is very hot.
The guacamole before did not have the flavor
that it has today.
It's got more tomatoes, and I taste the cilantro a lot more.
Nice flavor.
I ordered the asada flank steak.
It's got a combination of watermelon and cherry tomatoes.
It mixes that savory and sweet flavor together.
So it's really good.
I was here a couple days ago.
The beef was a bit chewy.
Today it just feels, like, so fresh.
Amazing ingredients. I'll be back here again.
I had the beef tacos, and they were really good.
I've had them before at other places,
and this is by far the best.
More drinks?
All the guests are loving it. No exceptions. All of them.
I'm so elated. This is great.
I feel like this is the moment that I've been waiting for
for us to be together in this restaurant
and to be a team.
We're in this together. This is our restaurant.
It's amazing.
Oh, you're so welcome.
Yesterday, this place was full of negative energy.
The food was bad. The decor was awful.
And the overall vibe was unhappy.
Today it's all turned around.
Look at these smiles.
If Julio and Bernadette can hold on to their renewed passion,
their restaurant and their relationship
will definitely be successful.