Kitchen Nightmares Episode 5.12 Mill Street Bistro, Pt. 2

Chef's Ramsay's visit to Mill Street Bistro Bar in Norwalk, Ohio, continues, and his head-to-head argument with proprietor Joe Nagy is in full force. After a flare-up over raw onions in the caramelized onion soup, Chef Ramsay opines that Joe is so bound up with ambition, he's not seeing the heart of the problem.

Finally Joe insists that he wants to make things better and ensure that he has a quality restaurant. The two men agree to draw a line in the sand and start fresh.

The next morning, Chef Ramsay has a conversation with the staff while, unbeknownst to them, Joe watches on a monitor in another room. The employees share their frustrations about Joe. Despite the fact that they want to see the establishment succeed, all of the employees admit that they've thought of quitting at one time or another.

After allowing them all to vent their concerns, Gordon tells the team that Joe is listening. When he brings him out, their boss takes responsibility for everything that's happened to date. He concedes that he needs to soften up. But when he tells the staff that he is 100% committed to change, they are leery of his promise.

Next Chef Ramsay mentions that he thinks the prices at Mill Street are too high. He unpacks a few bags of fresh groceries and explains that people want value. He notes that the customers could cook five meals a week at home and save a lot of money. Joe acknowledges that the restaurant is too expensive.

From there, Gordon meets with Joe and Tom, the cook, in the kitchen, where he shows them how to make some new menu items - a classic burger and local walleye dish.

That night at dinner service, Chef Ramsay tests the new dishes, hoping to confirm what he believes is the new direction for Mill Street Bistro. But the kitchen quickly falls into chaos as communication breaks down and orders get jumbled. Chef Ramsay implores Joe to bounce back. Instead, tensions flare up between the two men, and they get into a screaming match.

Gordon yells at Joe to get out of the kitchen so he and Tom can finish service. In the meantime, Joe takes his complaints to the dining room, where he shares his frustrations with the customers.

When Chef Ramsay and Joe sit down to talk it all through, he tells the owner he can't be in the kitchen. Joe admits that although he was angry, he wants "to man up" so he can help the restaurant reach its full potential.

After staying up late to revamp the menu, Gordon reveals his new creations to the team the next day. He also introduces consulting Chef Brian, who will help set up the kitchen and bring in a new chef to work at Mill Street Bistro.

At relaunch that night, the kitchen runs smoothly under Chef Brian's guidance, and the customers love the food. Despite a bit of confusion, when Joe accidentally serves a dish to the wrong table, the evening goes off with barely a hitch. With the Mill Street Bistro on track, Chef Ramsay hopes that the proprietor will embrace change for good.

In the months that follow, Joe has kept the majority of Chef Ramsay's menu, and business has been steady. There have been some staffing changes, and Joe is back as head chef . . . but the future of the Mill Street Bistro Bar is yet to be seen.