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GREEN: Right now on "On the Rocks"...
Huntington Beach --
a Southern California coastal town
known for its vibrant surf community,
laid-back lifestyle, and ever-present sunshine.
It's also home to the Ringside Lounge --
a sports bar down for the count.
Owner Travis was supposed to run the joint with his father,
but right before opening, tragedy struck,
leaving Travis to manage on his own.
It was scary to think that I might lose the guy that I've depended on my entire life,
the one that taught me everything that I know.
GREEN: Now that business is suffering and he's running the bar alone
with little help from the friends and family
that make up his staff...
It's your fault, and it's Travis' fault. It's not my fault.
...I've got just four days
to whip these bartenders into shape...
I'm gonna make one recommendation.
One recommendation only.
...rebuild this family...
This business has to work, or we will have nothing.
...and give this sports bar a fighting chance for victory.
Turn around. Check it out.
Oh, my God.
GREEN: For every bar that opens, two close.
This business can make you rich,
but if you don't know what you're doing,
it'll bankrupt you.
From Hong Kong to Hollywood,
I've designed, built, and operated
the best the bar biz has to offer.
When people need help, they call me.
If I come to your town, to your joint,
it means you're on the rocks.
I'm John Green, and I'm here to fix it.
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
How's it going, guys?
My name's Travis Call,
and I'm the owner here at Ringside Lounge
in Huntington Beach, California.
Has anybody gotten that table that's sitting over there? Okay.
Couple years back,
me and my father were not happy in our jobs,
and running a bar has been my dream my entire life,
and since he had a lot of management experience,
we decided to open Ringside Lounge.
We paid for this place
by getting a home equity line of credit on our house.
And also, my mom passed away 16 years ago.
She had a life insurance policy around $100,000.
It ended up being used.
I mean, pretty much the entire life savings
of the entire family went into this bar.
The plan was for me and my father
to build and operate this bar together.
We put so much of our heart and soul into this place,
but just prior to opening, my dad suffered a stroke.
ANGELA: I was asleep,
and I just overheard my brother on the phone saying,
"Yeah, I think my dad had a stroke".
[ Voice breaking ] My dad was the sole provider for us for so long,
since my mom passed away.
He did everything for us, and now he can't do anything.
His mental state is a little less than it used to be.
So, once we finally opened,
it ended up just being me dealing with everything.
Travis, do we have tomato juice?
No, we don't. [Bleep]
No, I didn't.
Everybody that works here are pretty much friends and family
trying to kind of rise to the occasion.
Day to day, it's just paying the necessary bills
to keep the lights on for the next day
to be able to do it all over again.
We have not turned a profit at all.
The problems that we face here at Ringside
are the lack of customers.
My brother's always stressed out,
and there's just always a problem.
New menus that I printed today and they're the wrong menus.
My brother's trying to make the business work.
I know he's doing his best. He dedicates his life to this.
Hey, Travis, thank you. Thank you.
A lot of bickering going on, not a lot of communication.
MAN: This has been sitting over here for 10 minutes. Come on.
I didn't know. Don't talk to me like that.
GARY: James, what's going on with Saturday?
I need to work.
Well, we all kind of need to work, bro.
Nobody knows what's expected on them.
You want to tell him I'm working, or...
I honestly think Travis is close to, like, breaking point.
He's under so much stress
that sometimes I'm surprised he can hold it together.
[Bleep]
This is all my life consists of is coming in to run this,
and it's not working.
LISA: If we can't get people in the door spending money,
they're going to lose everything.
ANGELA: We do need help to turn this place around.
If this doesn't succeed, then that's it.
Everything's gone.
Okay. What have we got here?
No wonder no one comes here. Temporary sign.
Looks like it's under construction.
Dark windows -- you can't even see if the place is open.
There's nothing that tells me there's a bar here, nothing.
Well, at least there's parking and they're on a busy street.
Unfortunately, the inside of this joint
is just as dismal as the outside.
There's just no energy in this place.
Hey, how's it going?
Good, man. How's it going?
John. James.
Nice to meet you.
What can I get you?
How 'bout a Manhattan?
Got that for you.
How long do you take with that tache, man?
That's quite a piece of art you got there.
Thank you.
Halloween costume decided to never go away.
[ Chuckles ]
James, tell me what you put in there.
1/2 ounce of sweet vermouth, 2 ounces of Woodford Reserve,
and a dash of mango syrup bitters.
I kind of liked it, actually.
I'm actually really impressed.
The bartender was seamless when he made the drink,
and it tasted fantastic.
You must be John. Travis.
Nice to meet you, sir.
Nice to meet you, too.
Thanks for calling me in.
We needed to you in here.
Yeah.
Good first impression of James.
Engaging. He was nice. Liked it.
Good. He's one of our best, so...
I know business is not great.
The first thing I felt with that temporary banner,
it kind of felt like it was under construction almost.
What were you going for when you did this?
Well, the vision here was to be an upscale sports lounge
with a fight theme.
It's a cool idea. I like that.
It just feels like you got halfway there and stopped.
When we were building, we ran out of money.
How did you raise the money in the first place?
Pretty much in our inheritance
and anything that my dad ever worked for in his entire life.
As we were going into the purchase,
he ended up having a stroke, so...
Yeah.
And I had to take all this on myself.
That is a huge responsibility for anyone to take on,
let alone a young guy like Travis with zero bar experience.
A lesser person
would have thrown the towel in when that happened,
but Travis didn't.
That speaks volumes about his character.
Has anybody in here got any experience?
Not at all.
What are you into it for?
$400,000.
400 grand?
Yeah.
We're pretty much just paying bills,
keeping the lights on, hoping that sales will increase.
If I hadn't walked through those doors today,
how long do you think you would last?
Maybe another two months.
This is all of our money -- my dad's, my sisters'.
I don't want to end up being the person
that screwed everything up for everybody, so...
I made the commitment to do this,
and I'm gonna finish it out.
The bad news is you're in trouble.
We can see that. Right?
Good news is, I'm here to help.
I'm gonna turn this bar around
so you, your sisters, and your dad can have a life again.
Do you think your time's worth more than mine?
[ Glass breaks ]
Lisa, what's the matter?
All I've come to do is give you feedback on food,
and you can't even take a criticism.
You're trying to whirlwind it out of proportion.
I've got to leave before I walk out of here for good.
GARY: How you doing today, sir?
Looking pretty classy, my friend.
Thanks, man. I like you already.
In order to get the Ringside back on track,
I need to take a closer look on how it runs,
starting with the bar.
How are you doing?
I am doing great. Not drunk yet, man.
What? On the job?
Usually, people try to hide the fact
they're drinking on the job.
This guys -- he's bragging about it.
Eases the nerves, man.
How do you control people getting drunk
and getting into their car if you're drunk?
All right. So, talk to me about your glassware.
I mean, I don't see any glassware in this bar.
It's the premium.
You're looking at the one martini glass we got.
Hang on a second.
So, this is the only martini glass that you have right here?
The only one.
You could help me look for some more, but we ain't gonna find them.
So, you're telling me
that if a bunch of girls come in right now
and they say, "Give us four martinis" --
If there's four girls coming in, I'm aiming to please here.
What are you gonna do? One glass with four straws?
Wow.
Low stock supply, no glasses to even make the drinks in,
and the bartender bragging about drinking on the job.
And they wonder why they're unsuccessful.
Here's a new face. I'm John Green.
I'm Lisa. Nice to meet you.
Great.
Can I get you a drink?
Sell me something.
We have the H.B. Iced Tea.
Done.
Where's she going?
She's gone to the kitchen to make a drink? Really?
Where did you have to go for that?
The walk-in.
Your speciality drink and you don't have the ingredients on the bar?
It is quite frustrating.
And to leave the bar for an ingredient is inefficient
and bad for the rapport between the guests and the bartender.
So, tell me about it.
Starts with muddled strawberry and lime and simple syrup,
an egg white, two sugar cubes,
strawberries and cream ***.
And then we use sweet and sour and Sprite
and some grenadine for color.
Wow. I can barely drink it.
This one's so sweet. I can't take it.
I've had candy bars with less sugar.
Let's hope the food makes up for what the drinks lack.
Hello. My name is Rebecca. Welcome to Ringside Lounge.
I'll be your server this evening.
Yes, I am Travis' sister.
Ah, okay.
I want to know what the best things on your menu are --
the things that people order, they love, they talk about.
The pepper jack bacon fries are good.
Kung Pao calamari is good.
I personally haven't tried it before.
Okay. I'll try it.
Throw the order in, and then let's have a chat.
Okey-dokey.
She seemed quite charming, engaging.
A little bit hesitant about the menu.
GREEN: Any server,
especially one who's financially invested in the business,
should know the ins and outs of the operation,
including the menu.
I'm Angela.
I am Rebecca's sister.
Nice to meet you, Angela.
I'd love to.
That's our Kung Pao calamari.
Is this frozen?
It's freshly breaded.
This is fresh calamari?
Yes.
I believe the calamari is frozen.
The calamari is frozen, and it's freshly breaded.
So, what we've got is frozen calamari that's freshly breaded.
Yes.
I'll give it one thing -- it's spicy.
[ Clears throat ]
And the fries -- that look cooked to you?
Nope.
That does not look cooked.
Yeah, we've had complaints about that before, too.
The fact that this isn't the first time
they've had problems with undercooked food
tells me no one is fixing the problems around here.
I want your take on what's going on around here.
Why is this place failing?
Lack of management -- number one.
Yeah.
I have no experience in this industry,
and I can already see
there are things that aren't being addressed.
So, why have these conversations not been had?
They have.
They've just never been followed through with.
Who has these conversations?
I've brought it up to my brother before,
but I don't think he sees it as, "Oh, this is a serious problem."
I've got a lot of insight from Travis' sisters.
Now let's see what the kitchen's all about.
Grady.
Grady. John. Nice to meet you.
How are you doing?
John Green. Nice to meet you.
What do you think the word on the street is about your food?
From what I hear, everybody loves our food.
Do you want to know what I thought of the food?
Fries are undercooked.
Yeah. I thought that before it went out.
So, why'd you guys send them out?
Because that's the standard that's been given to us.
Hang on. The standard is to send them out undercooked?
There's a lot going on over here,
and so I just dump some fries in a bowl,
What's going on?
There was about six customers out there, max.
There's no psychotic rambling in my mind
as to how I'm analyzing this situation.
In the scope of things,
it has a lot to do with the managerial happenings here.
It's your fault, and it's Travis' fault. It's not my fault.
I can't put up with it sometimes.
But you've seen my point.
No, I don't see your point at all, mate. I don't.
What? So, in other words,
if I don't agree with you, then I'm absurd.
But if you're trying to whirlwind it out of proportion
and turn this into something it's not, then, no.
You're being as absurd as you're telling me I'm being.
It's a gong show in here. I can't believe what I'm witnessing.
I sat out there, and I'm thinking, "Oh, man.
My work's cut out for me."
I come into the kitchen.
All I've come to do is give you feedback on food,
and you can't even take a criticism.
You didn't even listen to what I had to say about it.
Mate, you don't listen --
You know what?
I've got to leave before I walk out of here for good.
Dysfunction is one thing.
That kind of disrespect is something much worse.
When I see behavior like that, there's only thing I can do.
I've opened bars all around this planet.
Travis called me to help him out.
He told me that he had a bar that was failing,
and, boy, he wasn't kidding.
I mean, the understatement of the century.
Gary, you admitted to me you drink on the job.
In what world does that make sense?
I ordered french fries.
You can't even be bothered
to just make sure they're cooked right?
The atmosphere in this place --
no vibe, nothing to make me want to come.
It didn't feel like I was walking into a bar.
Part of the deal with me coming here
is he puts me in charge.
Whether you like it or not, that's life.
You lot -- family, friends...
...you're all fired.
I could care less about family or friends
when it comes to business.
You're all fired.
I've got a stack of résumés waiting
to fill this place full of people.
I've spent two years building this place from the floor up,
and you're gonna come in here and tell me
that you're gonna bring in somebody off the street?
The way things are right now --
two months from now this place is gone. You know it, too.
It should make money.
If it's operated properly, it will make money.
Everyone has poured their heart and soul into it.
We just need help.
Need some guidance.
We all want to make this place succeed.
You can earn your jobs back, but let me tell you something.
It's not gonna get easier,
'cause I don't have time to mess around.
So, if you're willing to give it a shot,
then I welcome all of you.
If not, there's the door.
Sounds...fair.
Definitely think we can all step up and make this place work.
I welcome the challenge 'cause I know I'm keeping my job.
We're gonna make this work... for all of us.
GREEN: This is what I'm gonna do.
There's gyms galore around this place.
Athletes -- let's get them coming in here,
dining, drinking at this bar.
If we offer the right kind of food and drinks,
it'll get us the right kind of people you want in the bar.
It's gonna be a sports bar with an MMA theme.
I've got one of L.A.'s top designers
coming in here to give this place a great makeover.
Thank you.
I'm gonna give you a new drink menu that's different,
that's unique, that people talk about.
One of the top chefs in the area's gonna come in.
We're gonna do a fresh-food menu
that appeals to both the athletes
and the general marketplace.
Just two days from now we're gonna do a soft opening.
We bring in a control group of people,
and that's when we see if you've taken in what I've taught you.
And then after the soft opening, Travis and I will discuss
who we think who should stay and who should go.
And then it's up to him 'cause, ultimately, it's on him.
Sounds fair.
The night after that is the grand opening.
Everyone on board?
Yes.
Take a look around.
It's the last time you're gonna see this place looking like this.
Okay, J., so here it is.
GREEN: I brought in J. Sofio, one of L.A.'s best bar designers
to help me turn the Ringside into something special.
Travis' vision of a fight-themed bar was a good one,
but he didn't take it all the way.
That is where J. and I come in.
It kind of sucks the energy out of you.
It's pretty dull. Pretty dull.
My name is J. Sofio. I'm a designer.
I've created a lot of bars and restaurants
up and down the Sunset Strip.
I mean, I came in here today -- I couldn't find it.
From that parking lot, it's hard to see.
I'm thinking big, white letters that would say "Ringside."
This bar right now has great bones.
It's just a matter of the decor
and really driving some energy into the spaces.
Maybe we should do a glass set of shelves here
that are underlit.
Great.
Now, we have a small stage over there.
Awesome.
We could do some ropes and some posts.
My vision for the bar right now
is to create a lot more energy and life,
to get that MMA vibe going,
and really make the bar pop, which it's not doing right now.
Do your thing, man.
Great.
Welcome to bar training.
Here we are at Twenty Five Degrees in Huntington Beach.
There's four of you here. There's supposed to be five.
Looks like Gary's missing.
TRAVIS: Late.
He works for you, mate. What's the deal?
Is this normal? Is this a habit of his?
All right.
Well, I can tell you right now, I'm not very impressed.
The fact that I'm more concerned about Gary being late
than Travis is really concerns me.
He's got to start caring about these things
if he wants to see change and get their respect.
Okay. Let's get to business.
As of yesterday,
the Ringside only owned two kinds of glassware
and one martini glass.
Since I'm changing that and giving them a proper stock,
they're gonna get a crash course in what's what.
Shot glass.
Slamming.
Drinking it and slamming it.
Cocktail glass.
The stemware is there so that you can hold it
without holding the glass, and it keeps the drink cool.
JAMES: It's a brandy sniffer.
Did you say a sniffer?
A snifter.
It's wide at the bottom, and then it narrows
so that when you smell it, you get an intense aroma.
Historically, you would also have a candle
quite often at the table so that you could warm it.
Lastly, but not least, a wine glass.
It can also become a great presentation
for blended cocktails.
So, let's get on to a few drinks.
I'm gonna give you a small list of cocktails
that make sense for the concept that people are gonna like.
Core signature cocktails like the ones they're learning today
can put a place on the map.
Give a customer a drink like they've never had
and you'll keep that customer coming back time and time again.
Let's have some fun. Make some drinks.
Let's do it.
James, come on. Let's see it.
Go, James!
Give it for James.
Now, yesterday,
one of the things I noticed with you guys --
you started making the drink before you chilled the glass.
Always get the glass up there first.
An ounce of Crown Royal,
1/2 ounce of pear ***,
1/2 ounce butterscotch schnapps.
Quick shake.
And strain.
Now, just to make it a little bit of flair,
1/2 ounce of 151.
Use a match and light it up.
Now keep it like that.
Now go for the pour -- nice big stretch pour.
Whoo!
Good job.
I think that the new drinks
are gonna be helpful in getting people into the bar,
and I hope that my dad will be proud of my business.
There's an unsung hero in all of this.
That's your father.
I wanted to name it after him
'cause I thought he needed a presence at the bar.
And his name is Will.
And I kept playing around with different ideas.
We're going with the ringside
and all the fights, they happen in stadiums.
And what do you have at a stadium?
Will call. There it is.
Oh, and that's Will Call. Get it? Aww.
[ Laughter ]
Don't sit down, mate.
I need to have a chat outside with you first, all right?
Do you think that getting your job back --
the way to do it is turn up late for my first training?
GARY: I'm a busy man. I do a lot of stuff,
and I like to enjoy my bed when I can.
Do you think your time's worth more than mine?
I mean, the rest of the guys are here early, eager.
Just straight overslept. That's gonna be something
that you're gonna have to work through.
I'm gonna make one recommendation.
One recommendation only.
Go back to bed 'cause you're done here.
I'm gonna make one recommendation. One recommendation only.
Go back to bed 'cause you're done here.
I'm sorry.
This is a team.
I got to be part of the team, and I apologized.
I need to know you're taking it seriously, okay?
'Cause I'm only here for a few days.
I just don't have time for it.
Hey, I'm not here to waste your time, either.
You're late again, man. Seriously?
I'll be the first one in the parking lot tomorrow, man.
I'm sorry.
So, let's get in there. Give me your good stuff, okay?
Gotcha.
Let's hope that pep talk works and Gary changes his ways.
Now let's get back to business.
Huntington Beach.
Everyone's boarding, everyone's gymming it,
everyone's riding around on bikes, right?
WOMAN: Exactly.
Ringside.
The name's not changing. I told you that yesterday.
I think it's a cool concept. I really do.
I just think it didn't get implemented correctly.
It blows my mind how many gyms there are,
how many MMA clubs there are.
Well, let's give those guys something to drink
that they might talk about.
Sure.
All right. Let's do it.
Okay, what's in it? What makes it white?
No idea.
Secret ingredient.
What?!
No way.
JAMES: Two scoops of whey protein.
ANGELA: They would love that.
Try it.
TRAVIS: I really like John's new drink ideas.
The fact that he's adding the whey protein into the mix
is actually really cool.
It's something unique that I've never really seen anywhere,
and it does fit with the theme.
Dash of pineapple, dash of lime, and powder.
You can make this without alcohol or with.
Without alcohol, we're gonna call it "Sucker Punch."
And guess what we're gonna call it with alcohol?
Done.
You've got to be innovative in business.
This is not so much about the drink to be honest with you.
But people will talk about it.
Yeah. That is definitely something
that will get people to talk about us.
I think with this new energy we can make Ringside a success,
and I think we're gonna be able to pull it together
and do really well.
Oh, yeah.
Yes.
Yes!
Let's do it.
[ Cheers and applause ]
Okay, first of all, thank you for coming.
The bar's under construction,
but the kitchen is in good shape and available for training.
I'm excited to introduce this guy to you, okay?
Chef Andrew Gruel.
I've been working with Chef Andrew
to come up with a menu that will appeal to the masses
but also the MMA fighters that Travis wants in his bar.
Becca, you've got a stake in this business.
You should be along here.
You're a server. Let's learn about the food.
And after yesterday's behavior,
I'm gonna be keeping a close eye on Kelly.
Thanks for letting me come into your kitchen
and be a part of this.
My name is Andrew Gruel.
I'm the chef/owner of Slapfish Restaurant
here in Huntington Beach, California.
We started as a food truck,
and now we've gone from one food truck
to 80 restaurants in development worldwide.
When John got in touch with me,
he said we wanted to put together
some really simple menu items that were good in flavors
but high in protein 'cause they're starting kind of simple.
Philly Cheese Steak.
Here in Southern California, they don't want the bread.
Let's make it protein style.
So, we're gonna start with
some pre-caramelized onions and peppers.
So, what we've got is lean meat here.
We've got a tenderloin.
You have sauce for this, Andrew?
Yeah. So, what we're gonna do is we're gonna hit this
with just a little bit of the fire-roasted chili sauce
here at the end.
Looks good.
A little bit of the parmesan.
That's gonna pull everything together.
Some fresh chives.
TRAVIS: I love having Andrew here helping us out
because you have to be around successful people
in order to learn and become successful yourself.
I think one of the advantages of this lettuce is it's not messy,
Exactly.
I'm happy to see Kelly participating,
but I can't say I'm totally convinced that he's a new man.
Only time will tell.
ANDREW: We're just gonna pack these
kind of right into the lettuce leaves
right here, okay, guys?
I really love the sauce.
TRAVIS: It's very important to include Becca
'cause if she's heading up our wait staff,
then she needs to know what's going on.
The sauce totally makes it.
It's awesome.
For the next dish -- meatballs.
REBECCA: What do you have in those?
So, what we did on this meatball is
we pulled the pork out of it
so we can actually serve a rare meatball.
And we mixed into it some mushrooms,
bacon that's already cooked
to give it that extra flavor and the richness.
The formula is really just switching a couple ingredients
to make it unique, one of a kind,
and individual to the restaurant or the chef.
All right.
So, I'm just gonna finish this really quickly at the end here
with a little bit of our fire-roasted tomato sauce.
And there were have our skillet meatballs right there.
KELLY: Looks tasty.
I think that's great for the people that come in
and want to get a good meal, and it's also good for us.
Kelly, I got one question for you, mate.
Where were you yesterday?
GREEN: Yeah.
I don't know. I wasn't here.
[ Laughter ]
You're like a different man today.
Something. I don't know what it is.
But it's good.
Well, thank you. Thank you.
Kelly's new outlook and attitude --
I think things are gonna go a lot smoother in the kitchen,
and I think we can have a lot easier time
throughout this whole process and actually enjoy it.
All right, guys.
Well, I'm gonna be here for the soft opening,
and we're all gonna kind of work together,
so while you're gonna be executing this menu,
I'll be overseeing it and making sure it all comes out.
Awesome. I look forward to it.
Yeah, sounds good.
Marketing does not have to cost a fortune.
Here we are at O.C. Kickboxing & MMA.
This is the biggest and first
MMA and kickboxing training center in the area.
These guys --
they're all fitness fanatics, and they love fighting.
Well, guess what our bar features and specializes in?
Fitness food and fighting.
So why not get the word out there?
You guys are right down the street.
And a little sampling like we're gonna do today
will go a long way.
Can you figure out what this is?
It's a Sucker Punch.
It's the protein cocktail -- the non-alcoholic one.
Yes.
Let's do it. Come on.
High energy, guys.
Hey, everybody. How you guys doing today?
Would you like to sample our new beverage?
Coconut water, whey protein, and a dash of pineapple juice.
We're trying to market
towards all the MMA and boxing community,
you know, athletes and fans alike.
GARY: And after a nice fight, man --
you take a nice one to the face, dude --
you need something to kill the pain, right?
ANGELA: How you guys like it so far?
It's good.
Well, we'll see you guys tonight.
It was a pleasure meeting you guys. We'll see you tonight.
I think that went well.
Do a couple more coats on that edge there,
and let's get that thing tightened up.
GREEN: The idea was to build on what was here
and take the design to the next level.
Unfortunately, right now
I'm seeing little more than new paint,
which is beyond frustrating.
Hey, John. How are you, man?
What do you think?
Honestly, we're nowhere near being there.
We've got two pictures of fighters.
A boxing ring that looks a little bit like a boat dock.
That's not supposed to look like a fence with ropes in it.
That rope is supposed to be super thick.
With the greatest respect, mate, you're the designer.
Why isn't it like that?
You know, you have that contractor doing...
Well, did you spec it?
I mean, did you spec what you wanted?
The limitation on time is really making it hard
to really fill this large space.
The last thing we have time for are excuses.
J. needs to pick up the pace,
or this grand opening ain't gonna happen.
There's always time limitations whatever the job is,
but I've got hundreds of people coming in here.
Everything's on the line for this family.
In a nutshell -- we're on the way,
we're in the right direction,
but I feel like we're halfway there and we've got one day to go.
I'll talk to the contractor,
see if we can come up with a couple more things
that could fill in the spaces that really give it that pop.
We're gonna be working around the clock
to make this thing happen for the family
and to make sure that John gets what he asked for
and what the family deserves.
We'll be able to do it.
GREEN: All right, guys. Here we are.
Soft open -- the night we've all been waiting for.
Big thank you to Chef Andrew
for letting us use Slapfish, his restaurant.
The purpose of a soft open is to iron out the kinks
before tomorrow night's grand opening.
I fired you all the other day,
and tonight he makes the decision
as to who stays and who goes.
Shall we let this lot in and get on with it then?
Let's do it.
Get to your stations.
Becca will handle these three,
and I'll handle this and the bar for now.
Things I'll be looking out for
are great customer service, accurate pouring,
and the kitchen staff getting along
and putting out a great product.
ANGELA: Hi!
Welcome, guys.
It's hard to move in this place.
How's it going, guys? I'm James.
What can I get you today?
A Knockout.
How's everybody liking everything?
They really like the Knockout. They're going.
How's everything going so far?
Awesome.
Yes.
Just wanted to let you know
that we have our grand opening going on tomorrow
at the Ringside up the street.
Hope you guys can join us.
We're doing protein-packed,
lean top-sirloin Philly cheesesteak.
Becca's really brought her A-game tonight.
She knows the menu and is giving great customer service.
Table 2 -- they want the meatballs.
How's it going, Andrew?
Hey, how you doing?
How my boys doing?
You know what? They're a little weeded,
but they're starting to push through right now.
Kelly, how you finding things?
We're finally hitting our stride. It's nice.
Grady, what about you, mate?
I'm glad to finally see some teamwork.
We're not yelling at each other.
We're not bumping into each other.
Hang on a minute.
You mean you're working like a unit? Really?
I know. It's hard to believe.
It's great to see the cooks getting along
and expediting the food,
but the real test is the customer feedback.
Hey, guys. How's it going? I'm John.
Drinks are good.
How'd you like it?
It's really good. It's not too strong, but it's sweet.
Great. And what did you have?
And what do you think about it?
Some of them I've seen have been a little darker, but it's okay.
Yeah, you probably got an overpour on the ***.
GREEN: Overpouring is one of the most common problems
with bars that are on the rocks.
It's not okay,
and these bartenders need to understand that.
Gary?
You've got to get consistent on the pouring.
Each drink has to go out the same every time.
It's so important. Stay on top of it.
Can I take a Will Call?
Mm.
Someone's been practicing.
Whoa! 1/2 ounce, darling.
Is that a lot more than 1/2 ounce?
That's 3/4 ounce if it's not an ounce -- 3/4.
Hold it by the lip.
Go on. And now go, go, go, go, go.
You're good. You're good. Whoa!
Bit quick, but...
[ Glass breaks ]
LISA: Ooh!
I'm surprised to see Lisa cracking under pressure like this.
She, of all people, has been so cool and calm the past few days.
So, it's worrying to see her like this now,
especially with so much on the line.
Lisa, what's the matter?
I just, you know...
I don't know.
I'm embarrassing myself.
Come on. You know what?
Let's go somewhere where no one's listening to you.
What's up?
[ Voice breaking ] I just feel emotionally drained
and feel like I'm embarrassing myself in front of everyone.
It is intense. I get it.
I can't help but feel, like, embarrassed
because I feel like I should be doing better than everyone else.
Yeah.
You're part of this team.
And everybody loves you,
and I would never want to lose you.
All right.
Seeing Travis step up and soothe the situation --
it's a great sign.
It tells me he's not only aware of his staff's feelings,
but he's also able to address a problem
before it gets out of control.
Those are the makings of a great leader.
All righty. And that's the Will Call.
Thank you so much.
I'm really proud of Lisa
for dusting herself off and getting back on the floor.
A cool head will always prevail.
What food did you guys have?
Thanks very much. And I'll be back
and see how things are going in a little while.
Thank you.
Okay, guys. Listen up, please, very quickly.
I just had a complaint. Meatballs undercooked.
It's a killer. Way worse than fries.
Yeah, meat -- you can't expose people to that.
GREEN: That smirk worries me a bit.
I need to know he's still on board
and not going to revert back to his old ways.
Kelly, let's have a quick chat.
Okay.
I've nervous about this
because I'm gonna leave here in two days,
and all of a sudden, that first Kelly I met
comes straight back and destroys everything I've done.
I appreciate your honesty, and I appreciate your concern.
You wouldn't be where you're at, obviously,
if you weren't able to share those concerns.
I'll be honest with you -- I'm not totally convinced,
but I hope what I'm seeing is what I'm gonna keep seeing,
Well, me too.
All right. Keep it up, mate.
This Kelly situation has really got me confused.
I've seen so many sides to this guy the past few days.
I don't know whether he's being genuine or just blowing smoke.
I'm hoping for his sake and for Ringside's
that he can stay consistent and be that rock Travis needs.
REBECCA: Bye, guys. See you tomorrow.
Thank you.
Okay, everyone. Wasn't all perfect.
We have some issues. We've still got some work to do.
The food was a little bit undercooked on the meatballs,
but the biggest thing for me was
the drinks were coming out inconsistent.
If the drinks aren't consistent or the food's not consistent,
do not take it to the table.
Okay, Travis, I fired them all on your behalf
the other day, right?
Time to make your mind up. Do they stay or do they go?
Everybody worked together as a cohesive unit.
This week I've kind of learned
what second chances are really all about.
I think everybody deserves one themselves.
Whoo!
Whoop, whoop!
Congratulations, everyone. You're all rehired.
I'm really proud of Travis and the team.
Everybody has shown such growth and teamwork.
Even Kelly stepped up to the plate,
and I'm hoping it's the Kelly that's here to stay.
I really love the positive reinforcement from Travis.
It's been a while.
I just can't even express how happy I am.
Tonight, I know we have what it takes
to finally get on the right track.
All my dad can do is just hope for the best,
and we're gonna make him happy.
Tonight's done. It's over. It was tough.
Tomorrow's the relaunch. It's gonna be 10 times as tough.
So, I've got one last thing to say.
Get the hell out of here and get some sleep
'cause you are gonna need it.
How you feeling, guys?
I'm really excited and nervous.
I'm a little scared. I'm not gonna lie.
Are you ready to step into the future?
Yes, we are.
One, two, three -- turn around.
Oh, my God!
One, two, three -- turn around.
Oh, my God!
It's so pretty.
If you can't see that from the street, then you're blind.
That's awesome.
I love the outside of the bar. We have a sign.
We have lettering on the door.
It's gonna be real easy
for people to see us from the street.
Okay, come on. Keep your eyes closed.
Check out the future of Ringside.
Wow.
Oh, my gosh.
It is beautiful.
I'm dumbstruck. It looks absolutely amazing.
Oh, my God.
TRAVIS: Once you walk in, what I see is my bar
actually looking like a bar.
You feel the energy. It actually screams "Ringside."
ANGELA: Everything around me -- it's fight related.
I can't stop smiling.
There's a boxing ring over there.
GREEN: This is your V.I.P. area.
You see the artwork?
An artist came in and painted those.
Those are unique originals just for your joint.
Amazing.
The entire center island was completely reconstructed,
so now the whole thing pops.
You had one martini glass, which I couldn't believe.
But now you've actually got lots of glassware.
And then I've got a little treat for you guys.
I like to give a gift.
Usually when a bar opens, you get a dollar bill, right?
So, I thought that to remind you guys it's your second chance.
"Second chances don't come often. Cheers."
And here comes the water works.
[ Both chuckle ]
Yes.
Bring it in. Check it out.
Oh, my God.
ANGELA: Don't you love it?
REBECCA: Are you guys excited?
Oh, my God.
GARY: First thing I notice is the color, the atmosphere.
It brings an instant smile to everybody's face.
Isn't this so cool?
JAMES: John did an amazing job here.
I'm really stoked on how the bar came out.
You have a ring bell?
[ Bell dings ]
All right, guys. Listen up. Food's coming out.
Drinks are coming out fast and furious.
So, you guys go and check your stations out.
Familiarize yourselves. Get ready.
ALL: Go, Ringside!
[ Cheers ]
Let's just do it right before service.
GRADY: I'm in the kitchen prepping everything,
and Kelly came in four hours late.
The one night that truly mattered most,
and he couldn't even make it on time.
When clearly, if you would have had any responsibility,
you would have said, "Let me call Kelly."
He has brought his old attitude.
I just knew it was gonna cause us conflict.
'Cause he's dealing with all this other [bleep] here.
You have to manage!
If I was the chef, I would know where my employees were.
If I was the chef, I'd be managing things properly.
You keep talking like you are.
Exactly, and you just think it's [bleep] bygones be bygones.
What's going on?
What triggered this?
I'll go and grab Travis.
GREEN: Having a hothead like Kelly around
is terrible for Travis' business and team morale.
If he doesn't do something about it immediately,
his problem's just gonna get worse.
Grady, tell him what happened.
Kelly came in. He was his old self.
He was disrespectful to our guest chef, Andrew,
and was just not all there.
That's not acceptable at all.
We've given him numerous chances.
But if this is the way
he's gonna continue to treat people around him...
What do you want to do about this?
We're firing Kelly.
He's done.
Having to let someone go
is one of the hardest things a boss has to do,
but Travis' handling of the situation
proves to me he's a fighter and in it to win it.
It's so nice to see Travis smile.
It's been about six months now.
We're gonna have some of our new cocktails
available for you guys tonight.
This is a bar that I'm proud to be a part of.
This is a bar that I'm proud to go out and promote --
something that we've never had before.
What kind of drinks can I get for you guys?
Everyone is working as a team.
I need three Rum Punches, three Knockout Ringside, sour.
Amazing.
GREEN: Look at that smile.
Lisa's smile is worth a million dollars.
There's definitely a shift in energy here.
Four Will Calls.
Whatever customers come in here, they're gonna feel at home.
Mmm.
The ring in the corner -- I love it.
Yeah, that's great.
Beautiful. Thank you.
Grady, how you doing, mate?
We're just knocking it out the park tonight.
I'm a literally just hanging back. It's his kitchen.
People are loving the food out there.
I'm hearing good things. Keep it up.
You're a star. You really are.
TRAVIS: We were a little hopeless,
and now, after John's been here,
we definitely have a renewed sense of hope,
and we're ready to take this on
and actually make it something great.
You had a dream, right? That this place would be busy?
Hey, look around.
Take it in.
We've been working together. We're a family.
My brother -- he's letting us into his dream.
He's letting us live it with him.
If my mom was here, she would be so happy.
[ Bell dinging ]
Can I have everyone's attention, please?
First of all -- thank you, everyone, for coming.
This family called me in to help them
because that's what I do.
They've done an amazing job.
I hope you all like what we've did in this bar.
[ Cheers and applause ]
I wish you every success.
And I've just got one last thing to say.
They are not on the rocks anymore!
[ Cheers and applause ]
[ Bell dinging ]