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NARRATOR: Tonight on "Mystery Diners"...
Nader Morcos, owner of My Greek & Italian Restaurant
in Tacoma, Washington,
believes his staff is breaking his dishes and his bank.
So, do you think the busboys are being clumsy?
I don't know.
Is his staff celebrating Greek tradition?
Or creating a Greek tragedy?
ALL: Opa!
NADER: Mamma mia!
That's ridiculous, man!
NARRATOR: The Mystery Diners are going undercover
in order to show Nader what's really going on.
He might burn down your restaurant.
I cannot take this anymore!
Owning a restaurant isn't easy.
You can have great food, atmosphere, and customers,
but reckless employees...
You're being a jerk, man.
...can ruin everything.
That's where the Mystery Diners come in.
Charles Stiles has helped thousands of restaurants
find their problems and remove them.
He sends in his team of undercover operatives...
I'm Chris. I'm the new supply guy.
...to show restaurant owners
what really happens when they're not around.
MAN: You were stealing from me.
I want to go over there right now! I want to go over there right now!
This is my business!
That food is my life!
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
NADER: My name is Nader Morcos.
I am the owner of My Greek & Italian Restaurant
here in Tacoma, Washington.
I have Greek in my blood, Italian in my blood.
You will love it.
Oh, man.
Mwah! Mamma mia!
The reason I called "Mystery Diners" is...
CHARLES: Hi. Nader?
Hi! Charles.
Yes, Charles Stiles, "Mystery Diners".
This is Brianna.
Nice to meet you.
Before we get in business, I have a surprise for you.
A surprise?
Special Greek cheese called saganaki.
Opa!
Opa! Nice.
So, explain that to me.
Saganaki -- that looks fantastic.
It's a special Greek sheep-milk cheese.
We fry it and we flame it on the table.
But we put only one shot on the ***
'cause it is a fire hazard.
I'm actually half Greek, so I know Greek tradition.
Only the good half.
Charles, I like her.
You picked a good Mystery Diner.
Opa!
Upa!
No, no, no. Opa!
Opa!
So, Nader, why did you call my company?
What seems to be the problem?
I decided to take some time off
so I spend more time with my family.
Mm-hmm.
That's all my problems started.
I started seeing a number doesn't match up.
The cost of goods went up and our sales a little bit down.
So, you're saying that your food costs are up
but your sales don't match?
Yes.
Also, I see a lot of broken plates on the garbage.
Being a Greek restaurant,
do you carry the tradition of breaking plates?
We don't do that anymore because of the cost.
So, do you think the busboys are being clumsy
and just not being careful
and breaking a whole bunch of dishes?
I don't know.
I want to look at all my employees
because I'm losing a lot of money now.
Well, the best way to start is at the top with your manager.
NARRATOR: For this sting,
"Mystery Diners" will be focusing
on assistant manager Steve,
waitress Sarah, and busboy Travis --
three employees who may be mismanaging inventory
and destroying supplies.
Let me tell you a little bit about how my company operates.
We wire your entire restaurant
with microphones and hidden cameras
so we can see and hear everything
that's going on inside your restaurant.
In addition to that,
we also like to bring in undercover Mystery Diners.
BRIANNA: I have a lot of restaurant experience.
If there's anything going on inside of your restaurant,
you will be the first to know.
I cannot continue losing this money.
My business on the line, and I really need your help.
NARRATOR: To carry out the sting,
cameras have been hidden at key locations
throughout My Greek & Italian Restaurant.
Five cameras have been set up in the main dining room
to give an overall perspective of the restaurant
and its customers.
Two cameras have been set up in the bar.
Two cameras have been set up in the kitchen.
And one camera has been set up by the main entrance
to track any action that happens outside.
Mystery Diner Brianna will go undercover
as a waitress in training.
And Nadine will pose as a customer.
Oh, my gosh.
How many cameras you put?
30 camera?
We've got a lot of cameras, Nader.
We got your bar, your back kitchen, your dining areas.
Anyplace an employee or customer can be,
we've got it covered.
Sounds good.
CHARLES: Who is this gentleman over here?
That's Steve.
I love this guy.
So, who's this young man back here in the back of the kitchen?
This is Travis. He's a busboy.
I want to know if he has something to do
with this breakage of plates and stuff.
Who is this young lady right here?
This is Sarah.
This is one of my best servers.
So, she's been with you for a long time.
And she handles the registers, as well?
Yes.
It would break my heart
if she has something to do with this.
Nader, first I want to start the sting
by sending in Mystery Diner Brianna.
Bring her into the restaurant,
have her get started on her shift.
Sounds good.
BRIANNA: Nader is concerned
about his books not matching his sales.
So, for this sting, I'll be posing as a waitress in training
to find out what's going on inside his restaurant
when he's not there.
Steve.
Hi.
I hired her as a new server.
And she's half Greek, too.
Okay.
And if you need anything, just give me a call.
Okay?
Sure.
Well, Nader, how'd that go?
Oh, it's terrific.
I don't think that he suspected anything.
Hi, Travis.
I'm Brianna. Brianna.
That's okay. [ Chuckles ]
Well, it looks like Steve's doing a very thorough job
showing Brianna the restaurant
and introducing her to the staff.
Absolutely.
Hi.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
Thanks.
Where do you bus the dishes?
In the back?
CHARLES: Do you trust the manager to do the saganaki
Yeah.
It's all about safety because that's fire.
That's very dangerous.
Well, it looks like he's prepping the *** for it.
Yeah.
That looks like a lot of ***.
How much is supposed to be put on that?
Just one shot.
That's too much alcohol on the saganaki!
That's so dangerous!
With that much alcohol,
he might burn down your restaurant.
I'm right there.
No, no, no, no, no, no. Come on, Steve!
Don't light it, man!
This guy's paying Travis $50.
Do you have any idea what this is about?
Whatever it is, it looks shady to me.
We got to break dishes.
Come on. Please.
NADER: Why he close the store early?
That's ridiculous, man!
NARRATOR: Nader Morcos, owner of
My Greek & Italian Restaurant in Tacoma, Washington,
is concerned about inventory discrepancies and broken dishes.
NADER: I want to look at all my employees
because I'm losing a lot of money now.
Charles has set up a control room
next to My Greek & Italian Restaurant
where Nader can watch everything that happens in his restaurant
with our hidden cameras.
How many cameras you put?
30 camera? 36 cameras?
We've got a lot of cameras, Nader.
Mystery Diner Brianna has gone undercover
as a waitress in training.
And after starting the sting, assistant manager Steve
uses too much alcohol when igniting the saganaki.
That's too much alcohol on the saganaki!
That's so dangerous, Charles.
With that much alcohol,
he might burn down your restaurant.
Come on, Steve! Don't light it, man!
That was dangerous and reckless.
I mean, that could have gone bad.
He's lucky that nothing happened.
And you're lucky the fire marshal wasn't here,
or you'd be in big trouble.
If this continues, eventually somebody's gonna get hurt.
Well, if he does that a couple times a night,
there's some of your liquor loss right there.
Absolutely.
Let's definitely keep a close eye on Steve
and see what else is going on.
Okay.
[ Indistinct conversations ]
Who's this guy right here
your busboy Travis is going over to talk to?
I have no idea.
Did he just say "flyers"?
I have no idea what this could be about.
This guy's paying Travis $50 for some flyers.
Do you have any idea what this is about?
Whatever this is, it looks shady to me.
I don't know anything about it.
This looks like it's not the first time
that this arrangement has happened.
It looks very suspicious to me.
Whatever flyers that Travis got from his buddy,
he's now stuffing your to-go order bags with them.
I don't like what I'm seeing,
and I never thought they'd do something like that.
Hey, Brianna.
Travis just stuffed some flyers in the bottom of the host stand.
I want you to bring one back here to the control room.
I want to see what it is.
Got them.
Hi, Charles.
Here's the flyer you asked me to get.
Good job. Go ahead and head back to the restaurant
before anybody realizes that you're gone.
You got it.
Skin Tags at the Kraken.
This is a flyer for Travis' buddy's band,
and they must be paying him to promote their show
and direct your customers to another restaurant.
Mamma mia, man.
That's not good, man.
Not only could you be losing money because of this,
but your reputation and your brand is on the line.
When this goes into a customer's hands from your restaurant,
they think you are promoting this.
Nader, I know that you've told me
that you no longer continue the Greek tradition
of breaking plates inside your restaurant.
Well, I think now would be a good time
to send in our Mystery Diner Nadine
and find out if anyone on your staff
is willing to bend the rules
because that's a huge expense for you.
Okay.
Nadine, go on in.
Nader is concerned that his staff is disobeying his policy
on not breaking plates.
So for this sting, I'll be going undercover as a customer
to see if they're following the rules.
I have a reservation for Nadine.
Thank you.
No, not that girl. Hi.
Do you have champagne?
It's our anniversary. [ Chuckles ]
Can I ask you a question?
Do you guys still do the plate-breaking ceremony?
[ Sighs ] Are you serious?
CHARLES: The good news is, is Sarah's passed the test.
So, now what I want to find out
is if Steve will pass the same test.
That's a good question, Charles.
Hey, Nadine, I want you to ask Sarah
if she can get the manager.
Is there any way I could talk to your manager, or...?
Okay.
Thank you.
Hi!
We are celebrating our anniversary,
and we chose here because this is where he proposed.
And when he proposed to me, you guys did this amazing thing.
We broke, like, dishes.
We got to break dishes.
Oh.
Nadine, offer him a bribe.
If it's just money, is it something
that maybe I could offer you a little something
to compensate for the plates
so that we get to celebrate and everybody wins?
50 bucks?
Nadine, tell Steve this means a lot to you
and offer him 100 bucks.
I've got $100. Will that cover it?
It's our 10-year anniversary.
Come on, please.
Wait. Wait a minute.
You recognize that guy?
That's the guy that Travis was talking to earlier.
You got to be kidding me, man.
That's your alcohol that they're drinking right now.
Is Nader cool with this?
I cannot take this anymore!
NARRATOR: With the help of hidden cameras
and undercover Mystery Diners,
Nader Morcos, owner of My Greek & Italian Restaurant,
has learned that assistant manager Steve
is being careless when lighting the saganaki on fire.
If this continues, eventually somebody's gonna get hurt.
Busboy Travis is accepting money
to stuff flyers in the to-go bags.
Mamma mia, man.
And Mystery Diner Nadine attempts to persuade
manager Steve into breaking restaurant policy
by honoring Greek tradition
and letting her break the restaurant's plates.
There's only five of us here.
It's our 10-year anniversary.
Nadine, tell Steve this means a lot to you
and offer him 100 bucks.
I've got $100.
It would mean so much to us.
This is [bleep]
Oh, Steve! Steve!
Yay!
There's no wonder you're going through all of your plates.
NADER: That's money.
That's not right, man.
Whoo!
Mamma mia!
That's ridiculous, man!
[Bleep]
Well, that was like six plates that they just broke.
How much do they cost each?
15 bucks apiece.
Okay, so that's almost 100 bucks.
But you're never gonna see it.
These guys act like they own the place.
That's my place.
That's my restaurant.
Hey, Brianna, ask Travis if they do this a lot.
BRIANNA: Does this happen a lot?
It kind of seems like a waste, doesn't it?
This is pretty strong evidence
you don't have clumsy busboys in the back of your kitchen.
You've got a manager who is treating this place recklessly.
I cannot believe
that I'm watching this happening at my restaurant.
Why he close the store early?
It's half an hour, we still have working half an hour.
So, is Steve allowed to turn your customers away
even though you're technically open?
No, no.
He's not allowed to turn down the customers.
Well, him doing that is clearly costing you money.
This is upsetting, Charles.
I assume this isn't the first time he's done this.
And that's probably why your sales are down.
I'm so angry right now!
Why is he letting these guys in?
I don't know.
Wait. Wait a minute. You recognize that guy?
That's the guy that Travis was talking to earlier.
That must be the rest of the band.
What's going on?
CHARLES: Steve is making the restaurant look like it's closed
just so he can allow his buddies to come in and hang out.
Look at that.
Now he's gonna serve them your liquor.
You got to be kidding me, man!
No wonder your books aren't adding up.
[ Cheering ]
Uh, is Nader cool with this?
I can't believe what I'm hearing.
All right.
You know, if it wasn't bad enough
that Steve was in here making flaming saganakis,
now he's making flaming saganakis
after he's been drinking!
NADER: This is ridiculous!
This is frustrating!
This is a huge liability for you right now.
I cannot take this anymore!
You know what, Nader? We're done.
Go kick everybody out of the restaurant
and bring Travis and Steve back here and we'll deal with them.
You got it.
It's unbelievable to find these two guys hurting me like that.
I treated Steve and Travis like my sons.
And watching what they've been doing,
that's a stabbing on my back.
Steve! Travis!
Come here.
Come here. You guys, out!
You guys, out!
Hold on.
What is all this?
You know what, dude? I'm sorry.
I'm gonna have to throw you under the bus.
You're such a [bleep]
NARRATOR: After conducting an undercover sting operation
at My Greek & Italian Restaurant in Tacoma, Washington,
the Mystery Diners have revealed that busboy Travis
is using the to-go bags to make extra money on the side.
NADER: Mamma mia, man.
That's not good, man!
But worst of all, assistant manager Steve
is endangering the restaurant
by using too much alcohol when igniting the saganaki...
If this continues, eventually somebody's gonna get hurt.
...letting customers break plates in Greek tradition...
Opa!
...and closing early so he can party with his friends.
Opa!
Can you explain what's going on, Nader?
Just come on, man.
Come in, guys.
What is all this?
My name's Charles Stiles.
I'm with a company called Mystery Diners.
Your owner called my company
because there's been huge discrepancies in the food
and alcohol costs inside the restaurant.
And after watching you manage the restaurant all night,
we know why the numbers aren't adding up.
I don't know what you're [bleep] talking about.
I don't even know who you are,
and you're coming in here and accusing me of these things.
Well, let me tell you what's not been adding up.
So, we'll start with the saganaki.
You can't put five shots in one saganaki!
The flames will make people want to come back for more.
It's all entertainment.
What if that had blown up and actually landed on a customer?
That would be a lawsuit for this man.
He'd lose his restaurant.
You recognize Nadine over here?
She's an undercover Mystery Diner.
She works for me.
I had her come in and test the staff
to find out if anybody'd let her break plates.
Sarah did the right thing.
She said no. So, what does she do?
She calls over the assistant manager.
"I wonder if the manager will break the policy."
You put me in that position to make those calls.
I put you as the manager, not as the owner.
CHARLES: I think you owe this man some money.
Where's that at?
Okay.
Was that ever gonna go to his pocket?
Honestly, Nader, I was gonna give you the money.
I knew that roughly the plates would add up to about $100.
That's [bleep]
How about you? The flyers?
You promote your friend bands?
You know what, dude? I'm sorry.
I'm gonna have to throw you under the bus.
These were your friends.
You're the one that wanted me to take that $50 kickback.
You're such a [bleep]
Give me one reason to keep you, not firing you right now.
I felt if I didn't put the flyers in the bags,
I was gonna lose my job.
I don't want to lose my job.
I won't do anything like that again.
Okay.
I will give you a second chance.
I understand.
You go.
TRAVIS: I'm really glad Nader gave me this second chance.
He's got a really big heart,
and that's why I'm not gonna let him down this time.
Steve, you are a thief.
You steal from me my money.
I needed to do what I had to do while you were gone.
What? To steal my money? To break my plates?
Was my mistake for hiring somebody like you.
You're fired!
You know what?
That's [bleep] [bleep] Nader.
Out.
Totally unreasonable.
STEVE: You know what?
I'm not gonna apologize.
Nader promotes me assistant manager
then handcuffs me
so I can't run the restaurant the way it should be run.
You know what?
You were right to call my company,
and I'm glad we were able to help.
I'm just sorry that you had to find what you did.
NADER: I'm really happy
that Charles come and fix all my problems.
And all I want to say to Charles, "Opa!"
NARRATOR: Since being fired,
Steve has started work at another restaurant.
Travis no long abuses his position
to make extra money on the side.
Waitress Sarah is training to become assistant manager.
And Nader can now enjoy time with his family
when he's not working at My Greek & Italian Restaurant.