[Robert] Tonight, stay tuned for one of the biggest turn arounds ever
on Restaurant: Impossible.
[Tyrone] Depending on my wife to pay the bills.
It's terrible.
[Chuck] If this restaurant had to close, it would break his heart.
I think it would kill him.
[Robert] This is beyond a failure.
[O'Neka crying]
Tyrone, you have to prove to me that you can do this.
You are here 'cause I am asking for help.
I didn't have no help. I didn't have no guys.
-[arguing] -That's the attitude I want.
Come on, let's go! We don't have all day!
[Chuck] I've never had that. Now, that is good.
[yells happily]
[laughing]
[Robert] Open your eyes.
-[O'Neka] Oh, wow! -[sobbing]
-This is amazing.
[Robert] I'm in Memphis, Tennessee, on my way to meet Tyrone
and O'Neka, owners of Big Dawgs.
You know, when I hear the name Big Dawgs...
I mean, hey. Doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out "hot dogs."
But what makes it unique? What makes it special?
Okay, you only need one piece of bacon go on the burger.
You don't need no three pieces of bacon to go on there.
My name is Tyrone Clements. I'm the owner of Big Dawgs Memphis.
We do wings, burgers, Phillies, salad, fish,
pizzas as well.
We also do the hot dogs, which is number one.
Can I get the wings?
[Tyrone] I worked at a nursing home for almost 13 years.
I was a hospice caregiver
and it was just like a passion.
I love to take care of people. I love to see people smile.
-Coming over to you. -Can y'all do me a favor?
Whoever is filling the Kool-Aid up, stop filling it so high.
Big Dawgs was birthed about eight years ago,
when my husband bought a hot dog cart
so he could spend more time with our son, Chuck.
[Tyrone] I wanted to show him how to make money honestly.
That was the number one thing, but I also wanted to...
get connected with him.
I was in high school at the time
and it was a hobby.
Just time that we spent on the weekends,
we just wanted to bond over it and enjoy our time together.
It was doing well,
so two years later, I got into the restaurant business
and I left hospice...
to come here full time 'cause I thought having
a restaurant, I could serve the people in the community
good food and they would keep coming back.
But owning a restaurant and owning a hot dog cart is not the same thing at all.
-I ran out of bread. -Okay.
-You need some. -Okay, come on.
To keep Tyrone's dream alive, I've sacrificed a lot of time
and a whole lot of money.
If I put a number on what I lose every month,
it could be anywhere from 10,000 to $15,000.
And then, depending on my wife to pay the bills.
That really irritates me the most
because to have to call on her,
"Honey, can you help me with this bill 'cause I ain't got all the money?"
My son, he's like, "Dad, what do you need? What do we need to do?"
I always wanted to work in the restaurant,
but it was failing.
So I had to get a full-time job as a barber.
[Tyrone] And then my son looking at me 'cause he's like,
"Dad, why did you do that? Why did you do that?"
I'm like... I couldn't explain it because...
I thought I was doing something to help us.
[Chuck] I love his restaurant so much and if it had to close...
it would break his heart. I think it would kill him...
because the restaurant, to me, is a legacy,
something that he can pass down to me
and I can pass it down to my son one day
and that's really the goal.
[Tyrone] It's got to be successful for me and my family.
[Chuck] I know when my dad does something,
he's not halfway doing it.
My dad is my hero.
[emotionally] I can't let him down.
I just can't do it.
But I don't know how much longer I can go.
[Robert] Well, it's certainly not what I expected.
I don't understand what this restaurant is.
It looks like it's been a bar before.
[counter squeaks]
That is not a good thing.
The ceiling is falling in.
Wow. So, there's no identity of the restaurant.
What is it?
And why is it in such an underdeveloped state?
We'll find out.
[shouting] Tyrone? O'Neka?
Come into this unique space.
-Good morning. -[both] Good morning.
-How you doing, sir? -Nice to meet you.
Take a seat.
What is this place?
It's American. We serve short order...
burgers, wings, those type of things.
[Robert] Are you wearing rose-colored glasses or something?
Because I don't see a restaurant here.
I see a bar.
This was obviously a bar before.
-You're right, it was. -Correct, it was.
Tell me about yourselves for a minute.
I worked for a Methodist hospice.
I was a hospice caregiver
because I love taking care of people.
And, I mean, that's still my passion to this day.
[Robert] Well, thank you for doing that.
And there's only two of you that work here, right?
-Is that correct? -[both] No, no.
[O'Neka] I have a full-time job.
I work at the United States Postal Service.
But when I'm here, I do whatever is required.
I cook, clean, pick up supplies, customer service.
Okay. So, how long have you guys had this?
I started out selling hot dogs, you know,
going corner to corner with a hot dog stand.
-You know... -So, you quit the hospice job to do hot dogs?
No, no, no. I was doing both.
Why hot dogs?
It started off as a hobby and more time to spend with my son.
So, when my son was 11 months old, right...
he had a tumor in his liver.
Had to be removed.
When they removed this tumor,
they damaged some nerves in his back and his spine.
[O'Neka] During the surgery to have the tumor removed,
they overdosed him on morphine.
They severed some nerves and it left him partially paralyzed.
And so he wasn't able to just walk right after that surgery.
It took him a while.
He had to go through physical therapy and it was devastating.
Mmm, I would imagine.
[Tyrone] I couldn't take him hunting.
I couldn't take him to football practice,
those type of things that I thought,
you know, being a boy trying to, you know,
bond with my son, a man-to-man bond.
[O'Neka] They both love hot dogs
and that was just time for them to be together.
-Okay. -And people were enjoying the hot dogs,
so I started and got into this business here.
So, how old is your son?
-[Tyrone] My son is-- -25.
-25? -[Tyrone] Mmm-hmm.
And what... Does he have a job?
-He does. -Yeah, he's a barber.
But I hope he takes this place over one day.
-But why? -[O'Neka] Because this is what he wants.
This is his dream.
[Tyrone] He loves this place just like I do.
And we see... I feel like there is a little beacon of light
because we have this building and we can't lose it.
I know it looks horrible. I know.
Okay, first year, what was your revenue here?
Zero.
Zero? You look disgusted when you say that.
-Because I am. -Okay.
Year two?
-Zero. -Zero again.
What does it cost you to open, a day, without selling anything?
[both] I don't know.
-I can't answer that. -[Tyrone] I couldn't answer that.
[both] More than what we're making.
What is the debt of the restaurant?
Five... Well, round about $50,000?
I don't know.
[Tyrone] I can't--
So, where does the money come from when you can't afford things then?
From my wife helping me out.
So you borrow money from your wife for the restaurant?
-[O'Neka] Yeah. -Yes, basically.
-[Robert] How does that make you feel? -Terrible.
As a man...
You failed.
I don't say that.
I don't like the word "fail,"
-but I understand-- -You don't need to. I just did.
I'm thinking like, "Nah, I can't fail.
I don't want to let my family down and be a failure."
I'm gonna help you, okay?
Gonna bring some people in, see what you do
and then I can change what I need to change at that point.
-Okay? -Okay.
[all] Thank you.
[Robert] Tyrone has no idea about his finances.
He doesn't have any money, so he borrows money from his wife, O'Neka.
You know...
It's a bad situation.
I feel it's going to be one of them days.
[Tyrone] Thank you for coming. How y'all doing?
[cashier] What would you like?
The bacon cheeseburger.
-[cashier] Combo? -[customer] Yes.
[Robert] Wow. There's handwritten tickets.
Order-taker puts it in the kitchen, four people cook it.
This is rudimentary at best.
Do you take cash, credit cards or what?
What are you taking right now?
Cash app or cash.
[Robert] No credit cards?
[cashier]
[Robert] It's no wonder Tyrone doesn't know his numbers.
He'll never make a profit without knowing how much cash
has gone in and out of his business.
[cashier] Who had the Philly cheesesteak?
[customer]
No, the Philly cheesesteak.
So, now they have to get up and come to you when you shout?
Yes, sir, right now.
That's great customer service.
There's no system whatsoever of placing where the food goes.
I've never seen a restaurant run in this way
in my 57 years on this planet.
And the back of the house is just as bad, with no systems either.
So, we have raw chicken and beef cooking together?
Glad I'm not eating that.
[shouting] Tyrone?
O'Neka?
[Robert] So, you've got raw chicken next to beef, cooking together...
-On the grill? -which is... On the grill.
-Which is a big no-no, right? -Okay.
- Who's in charge of the kitchen? -[O'Neka] Tyrone.
Tyrone? And where is he?
He's in the kitchen right now.
He's where?
[O'Neka] He's in the kitchen.
[Robert] There's no leader in the kitchen.
There's no leader in the front.
There's no systems.
I mean, this is like the perfect storm.
[shouting] Tyrone! Tyrone!
You've got raw chicken next to beef cooking together.
-On the grill? -which is... On the grill.
Which is a big no-no.
-Who's in charge of the kitchen? -[O'Neka] Tyrone.
Tyrone? And where is he?
[O'Neka] Well, he was just in the kitchen.
[Robert] He's not in here. He's not been in here since I've been in here.
He wasn't here a second ago. I was just here.
-Who's in charge here? -[hesitates]
I don't give a title.
Like, "You the head cook. You the head..."
-Everybody works together. -So, somebody has to be in charge, right?
Okay.
Nobody runs the kitchen. It's a joint thing.
Not only that, the only food coming out of the kitchen is
burgers, chicken and wings.
I don't see the food this place is allegedly known for...
hot dogs.
Chicken, Philly cheesesteak with the name Big Dawgs,
I'd like to see more hot dog options.
[Robert] Tyrone!
Why is nobody eating hot dogs?
Or did you abandon that theme?
No, it was never abandoned.
But look around at each one here.
There's no hot dogs, right? You see hot dogs?
Anybody got a hot dog here?
It wasn't my fault.
-They like the wings better. -Not my fault. Not my fault either.
-You're right. -I didn't start the restaurant, did I?
No, you didn't.
What am I getting in this place that's unique?
You can be the best people in the world, but why would they come here?
Between the lack of system,
the lack of leadership and the restaurant's identity crisis,
I've seen more than enough.
It's time to end this service...
All right, guys. Thank you very much for coming.
...so I can taste the food and start coming up with a plan.
[Tyrone] What you doing?
Memphis dog? You want me to do it or you got it?
All right.
Six piece honey-gold garlic parmesan wings with your fish.
Big dog.
Memphis dog.
Hamburger.
[Robert] Tyrone, O'Neka.
Come in here, please.
What's the difference between the two dogs?
They look identical to me.
[Tyrone] The Big Dog gonna have jalapenos, cheese and chili added to it.
Tastes like garbage.
This is the Big Dog, the one with jalapeno peppers.
The dogs taste the same.
You can't just put a hot dog in it
and a put a little squirt of barbecue sauce on it and think it's gonna be great.
Wings.
Honey-golden whatever, just tastes old.
A burger I can get anywhere.
Right?
Not much to say about this, except...
very disappointed.
And I've got to be honest with you,
you don't have the technical ability of the people in the kitchen.
I've got to figure out what is possible with the team that you have
and try to put systems in place that work
because right now...
this is beyond a failure.
All right.
I'm gonna get with my design team
and see what can be done in here,
then I'll think about the food as I'm going through that
-and then we'll catch up shortly. Okay? -[Tyrone] All right.
-Thank you so much. -All right, thank you.
I was hoping...
there's something to spark my energy a little bit,
but there is nothing.
We don't know what we're doing.
We don't know!
And I feel like I'm just throwing good money after bad down the drain!
This is wrong! It's hard.
[emotionally] This is hard for me. It is hard.
We don't even know how to make sure
we're been preparing it properly.
We're just winging it. I'm so sick of winging it.
It makes no sense to me. [crying]
I'm so tired.
Ty, honestly, I'm tired.
I am really tired.
I just can't have you fail.
-It's gotta be done. -So, what's going on? What's the matter?
It's hard to hear somebody say that your spouse,
the person you love and, you know, you see him every day trying
-with everything he has in him... -Yeah.
...and it's still not even the results that we're looking for.
That's why I need the help that I'm calling out for right now.
I feel like I'm letting them down
and I don't want to be a failure to my family.
Look...
-[sighs] -[Robert] ...I know it's upsetting,
but if we don't change now, there's no hope for the future.
[Tyrone] I never want to hear that word "failure" again.
That one single word messed my whole day up.
All I want to hear is "Success, success," from this point on.
-[Tom] This is a busy street. -[Lynn] It is.
What's this place called?
[both] Big Dawgs.
[Lynn] I bet it is a sports bar.
-What do you think? -I don't know.
From the look of it, it could be anything.
Hey, hey! Welcome to Changeville.
Well, we were trying to figure out what it was.
I bet sports bar.
It used to be a long time ago, apparently.
But it's supposed to be dogs. That was the whole idea, hot dogs.
Oh, hot dogs.
[Robert] But, as you can see,
the ceiling across the whole restaurant is not very good.
It's an old building. Obviously, Tom, you can see that.
It's brutal.
[Robert] Tables and chairs, awful.
Fans are awful, the lighting's awful.
Watch this.
[laughs in shock]
[Tom] I mean, I think this whole bar top has to go.
-I would love to save it... -Basically, the toe kick is the only thing...
-that's still attached. -I know!
All right, any questions? Any concerns?
-Yeah. -Lots of concerns, especially the bar,
-but let's get it emptied out and we can figure it out. -Yeah.
Okay. O'Neka, Tyrone! Bring in your staff! Let's go!
All right, I want you two guys to concentrate on behind here.
All this has to go.
-[Tom] Chairs first, guys. -[Robert] Woah.
Tables, chairs, outside!
[Tom] Let's get this out of here.
[O'Neka] Not many times you see what's gonna happen, but I can tell Tyrone is...
It's gonna be a lot for him to take in.
[Robert shouting] Come on, let's go! I don't have all day!
All right, everybody out! Let's go!
So, it took us about three minutes to empty your restaurant.
Tyrone, you have to prove to me that you can do this...
'cause if not, anything I'm gonna do in here is not creating a future
for either of you or your son.
And I'm not the Prophet of Doom.
I'm just giving you the reality of where we are.
Okay?
Take one last look around and let's see where it goes.
How can we deliver consistently good food in a great environment
and then, at the same time,
teach Tyrone how to run his business?
This is what I'm faced with.
This is the shell. Now the magic has to start.
I'm in Memphis, Tennessee, at a restaurant called Big Dawgs.
One, two, three...
We're busy changing the interior of the restaurant,
but it's not clear what they want it to be.
What started as a hot dog business has lost its unique identity.
So I want to talk to Chuck about the vision moving forward
and why his dad, Tyrone, is so stuck.
Tell me about your dad.
He kind of struggles and goes through the motions
of owning a restaurant, but he loves to cook.
Yet he doesn't cook?
He cooks, but I mean...
So, if he loves to cook, then he should be in there cooking
and putting out great food instead of allowing other people...
to control his destiny.
Right. Understandable.
You started...
with your dad, doing hot dogs on a cart.
-Yes, sir. -What do you think this...
place should be or what it should be focused on?
I think it should be focused on the things that work,
but I feel like it needs guidance
because my mom put a lot of money into...
the restaurant to keep it afloat.
Do you feel that creates a lot of strain on all of you?
Your mom, you and your dad?
Yes, sir.
We see my dad go through this, but we also feel it too
because he just isn't in the best of moods at times.
So it's not as fun as it was to me growing up as a kid.
What do you feel about the restaurant?
Do you want to take it over?
Do you not want to take it over?
-What's the... -I definitely want to take it over
because I know it's something I want to be able to pass down to my son and his children.
[sighs]
Well, we've got a lot to do.
-I appreciate the time. Thank you. -Thank you.
[Robert] Looks better already.
Hey, hey!
-Good afternoon. -[Robert] Hey.
Wow. Well, the ceiling is...
half black and half white. [chuckles]
And still terrible.
So, let's talk about design.
Overall, where do we go from here?
It's gonna be all about the walls, basically.
So, the first thing I'm gonna do is
paint the ceiling all black so that it completely disappears.
I'm gonna put a new paint scheme throughout the entire space
and bring in some oversized vintage-inspired restaurant signs
to add a pop of color.
On the side wall, I'm gonna bring in some decorative panels,
add some new wall sconces and add new rustic wood along the back.
To tie the bar in, we're bringing in a new butcherblock top
and facing the front with corrugated metal.
New lighting, new chairs and new tabletops will round out the space
and when we're done, Big Dawgs is gonna be fun, casual and comfortable,
just like good American food.
Well, I like the concept. I do.
My last real question is the bar?
Well, we're working on it. I'm trying to salvage the bar from what we had.
So we took the front panels off.
We ripped off the bar top.
We're now cutting this down
and the rest of the bar will be up at 42 inches,
-which would be a typical -[Robert] Which is typical
-bar height. -for the height of the ceiling.
I like the way we're going.
I know there's a lot of work
-but, hey, let's keep going, huh? -All right, thanks, Robert.
[Robert] So, while there's a lot of work underway here in the restaurant,
I'm not feeling anything from Tyrone.
You know, I don't' feel his passion.
I don't feel that he likes to cook
although people say he likes to cook.
You know, if he can't give me the direction,
he can't show me passion, I can't help him.
I'm gonna grab him now and talk to him outside,
and see where we go from there.
Here's what I'm having a problem with, Tyrone.
-Mmm-hmm. -I don't see any passion,
I don't see any excitement, I don't see anything from you.
I understand what you're saying.
I apologize how I come off.
-I don't mean to. -The most passion I saw you with
was this morning talking about your son when he was 11 months old.
Right, this was my passion passion,
but him going through the stuff that he had to go through as a child,
I didn't want him to be less.
Like, people just push him, "Oh, he a handicap", or whatever.
I want him to stand up as a man
-and see me show him these things. -Okay.
But when it come down to cooking it is a passion for me.
-No, but you say that -I always, like...
but you didn't cook once this morning.
-You were getting ice, you were cleaning, -I didn't cook... Yeah.
you were, right?
You were doing a lot of stuff but you didn't cook.
Because it just felt like I would be in the way.
That's why I was just trying to stay out of the way of everybody.
But you knew that food was for me,
and you could have gone in there.
You know what?
-To be honest with you, -I want honesty.
-That's why I'm here. -when I went in there, I looked at the Memphis Dog.
That's my signature.
And when I looked at it I said, "Why is it made up like this?"
-[Tyrone] What you doing? -[man]
[Tyrone] Memphis Dog?
You want me to do it or you got it?
All right.
-But you let him serve it to me. -The guy...
I wanted to say something, but I didn't want to be overbearing.
"Hey, don't do them like this. Do that."
You can't not say something.
-As a leader, your job is to inspire, train, -Is to lead.
-Right. -and be alongside them when they're in battle, right?
-So battle meaning cooking. -Cooking, right.
You may be a great dad, a great husband,
but you're a failure in the restaurant business.
But, at the same time,
you're here because I'm asking for help to turn this thing around,
-to do better. -I can't hear you.
-I can't hear you, I can't hear you. -All right, that's my goal.
-That's what I want to do. -I can't hear you,
-I want to change this thing around.
-What? I can't hear you? Oh, oh, oh. -I want to...
-I want to turn this thing around. -Oh, oh!
-I can't hear you! Oh! -That's what I want to do.
-Now! -Now you want to change!
-That's the energy I want. -That's what it is, right.
That's the energy I want.
-Right. -I want excitement, I want change,
-I want to show you some. -Yes.
And I want to learn everything you've got to show me.
-All right, we'll see how ready you are. -All right.
Go in that kitchen, cook me something with a heart.
I don't care if it's on your menu
or something from, I don't care what it is.
Go and cook me something with heart.
-With heart. I can do that. -Heart.
-I can do that. -Right, off you go.
I can definitely go and do that for you.
I'm gonna prove him wrong. I'm gonna cook him something to make it right for him.
Oh, yeah, that's it. Taking it all the way to another level.
Oh, yeah, that's it.
This is a mac and cheese chill dog.
It's brand new.
Earlier wasn't where I was at because I felt like a failure,
but right now, I'm feeling myself right now.
I know this gonna be right.
The dog looking good and seasoned right, yes, sir, yes, sir.
Chili there and mac and cheese.
Robert's gonna enjoy this one. That's from the heart right there.
[Robert] All right, so, I'm excited.
What do we have?
You got a Memphis mac chili cheese dog
-from love, real love. -Okay.
It's a lot to take in at one time.
[Robert] I love it.
-That was a good job. -Thank you so much, sir.
-All right? -Appreciate you.
[Robert] What I like the most, actually,
-is the chili. -[Tyrone] Okay.
And the taste on the dog has got a nice crunch to it.
-How do we take that and make it world famous? -Yeah.
Because that's what I intend to do,
to be able to transform this from what it was this morning
to what it can be tomorrow with what I give you in there.
-Exactly, that's right. -But I can only do that
if you have the energy that you have now.
-It's what I'm waiting on. -All right.
-I'm waiting on that. -Okay.
I will catch up with you shortly.
I'm gonna check in with my design team.
-All right, good job. -All right.
Oh, yeah, I feel a whole lot better now.
Robert inspired me very much.
But just that conversation that we had gave me hope.
[Robert] Day one is coming to an end
and this restaurant still needs direction,
but I want the identity to be something
Tyrone is truly passionate about.
So, homework.
Oh, gosh.
I want you to write down what is your vision
for the future of this restaurant.
Okay.
O'Neka, I want you to write him a letter
of your 26 years of marriage.
Tell him what you think about that 26 years of marriage
-without him seeing it until tomorrow. -I can do that.
All right, I appreciate today.
-Tomorrow's gonna be an even longer day -Yeah.
because tomorrow we open a restaurant.
Have a good night.
-All right, you too. -Thank you, you too.
[Tyrone] I'm lost,
and I can tell there's tension in the room.
-Are you good? -Yeah, of course. I'm good.
[Tyrone] Today was just really tough.
I messed up. I got to figure out how can I correct this?
[Robert] It's day two at Big Dawgs,
and the crew is working tirelessly
to get this place ready for tonight's reopening.
I have a lot to teach Tyrone and his wife, O'Neka,
but before the lessons begin I need to check in on my design team.
[Robert] Morning, guys.
-How we doing? -We're doing. We're getting there.
First of all, I am loving the new bar.
You know what the best part about it is? Try to push it like yesterday.
-[Tom] Nope. -[Lynn] Strong.
[Robert] That's not going anywhere.
What's going on here?
[Lynn] Most of the wall is gonna be covered with some panels
that are gray.
So you're just gonna see just a pop of the orange
at the top and the bottom.
-It's gonna be really subtle. -[Tom] And there's lights.
There's all lights in the panels.
Right now, I just feel it's bigger, it's cleaner.
It's all coming together, it's piecing together nicely.
Okay, good.
[Robert] Yesterday when I left Tyrone
he was all excited, he got pumped, he felt the energy.
I hope he kept that overnight
because today, if he has that energy,
I have an awful lot to teach him,
starting with homework.
-Good morning. -[both] Good morning.
So, first and foremost, how do you feel today?
How is your energy? How is your outlook?
-How is your feelings? -I'm feeling better.
[shouting] I can't hear you!
-I'm feeling a whole lot better, -[O'Neka laughs]
and charged up, and ready to roll.
Yeah.
All right, so, let's start with some homework. Tyrone first.
Start with me.
I want to make this thing go well
for my family, for myself, and for my staff, everybody,
-but I need more help on the business part of it. -[Robert] Right.
I'm gonna show you money, I'm gonna show you setup, I'm gonna show you accounting,
I'm gonna show you everything today.
And O'Neka,
-I want you in everything that we're gonna do today. -Okay.
-All right, I did ask you for your vision of the future. -My vision, right.
I want to focus more on the hotdogs,
and not so much as just push everything off my menu.
I can serve other things, but be more focused on hotdogs.
Me and Chuck, that was our thing, you know? Just bun and that's it.
I really been thinking about this quick menu.
I just mean if I had a quicker menu
maybe the people would come more.
[Robert] Nice, I love it.
O'Neka, I asked you to write and tell me about your 26 years marriage
to this young man.
When I met you at our first job in 1993,
I had no idea that you'd be my husband, make me a mother,
and love me endlessly.
We've had some awesome highs and some sad lows,
but I'm glad we experienced God's might to bring us together
and to stay together through it all.
You are everything to me.
You, Chuck,
make my world a light, and I'm glad we're together.
I love you.
I love you, too.
-How does that make you feel when you hear that? -Not like a failure.
Feel empowered to not let my family down
and myself.
I want to make this thing work.
All right, appreciate it.
-Thank you so much. -Thank you.
-See you shortly. -All right.
There's a lot to learn today and I'm ready for it.
I'm charged up and I'm ready to make it happen.
[Robert] It's day two at Big Dawgs in Memphis, Tennessee.
This restaurant has been searching for its identity,
and Tyrone has decided on hotdogs.
I need to let the design team know our new direction.
So, I'm gonna go in that vein of hotdogs, cool food,
-casual fun. -[Lynn] Cool.
[Robert] Owner Tyrone struggles to turn a profit.
During the service yesterday
they were using handwritten tickets and only accepting cash.
I need to show 'em why cash is not good business.
Everything has to have a paper trail.
I'm gonna get a machine in there
that prints tickets,
and at the end of seven days, week one,
I press your point of sale
and it spits out everything you have sold.
I then put it into week one and any other invoice I have.
And we do the same for week two, week three, week four,
-and if there's a week five, a week five, right? -Right.
That way, you know exactly where you are.
I feel now that I will be able to make money
after listening to Robert breaking it down.
[Robert] Each one of them segments is worth 33.33 percent.
-Your cost of food is 3.50. -[Tyrone] Mmm-hmm.
-What am I gonna sell that at? -Three times 3.50.
So 10.50. This is like hallelujah moment.
I'm just overjoyed, and I'm so glad my wife and I both got this experience.
[Robert] Tyrone is energized,
but the cooking staff hasn't been properly trained.
So I need to show Tyrone a simpler menu
that his team can execute.
I wanted to enhance on the passion that you have for hotdogs,
so the first thing I'm gonna do
is a jalapeno popper hotdog.
-Jalapeno popper? -[Robert] Yes.
[Robert] Starts with jalapenos, fresh, a little corn starch.
We're taking all the flour off.
I'm gonna drop them into the fryer.
Meanwhile, I'm gonna warm the dog.
I've got my coleslaw mix, cabbage, carrots, scallion, parsley.
And I'm gonna take some dressing.
It is mayonnaise-based.
This is the side. This is not going on the dog.
Why am I not putting it on the dog?
-That's a good question. -Because it's gonna hide the dog.
-Okay. -Makes sense.
[Robert] Gonna start with a little pimento cheese and bacon.
There's the dog, jalapenos, chipotle sauce,
coleslaw.
Go for it.
Mmm.
It's really good.
[Robert] Food cost is $1.90.
We're gonna sell it for $10,
giving us a 90 percent food cost,
giving us $8.10 in your pocket
every time you sell one of these.
-Wow. -That's a good thing there.
All right, so the next one I'm gonna do,
where are we?
-We're in Memphis, right? -We're in Memphis.
[Robert] Remember you had a Memphis Dog
-on your menu yesterday -[Tyrone] I did, I did.
and I couldn't see what it was.
-It just... They all tasted the same, basically. -Right.
[Robert] So, it's gonna start with a sliced onion, cornstarch.
In it goes.
Hotdog.
In my warm bun.
Barbecued pulled pork, a cheese sauce,
fried onions, barbecue sauce.
And then, I like warm potato salad,
I do not like cold potato salad.
That's different.
[Robert] In goes my dressing.
-[laughs] -That's what I'm talking about.
I'm ready to taste that.
-[O'Neka] Oh, my God, wow. -[Tyrone] Oh, that's good. That's got to be good.
[Robert] Go for it.
Man, this is the best potato salad I've had.
[screaming] Yeah!
[Robert] Memphis Dog, $2.05.
We're gonna sell it for 11.
That gives us $8.95 in our pocket.
I mean, everything goes together.
Right, now, I'm only showing you three dishes, right?
But I also want to be different.
If I don't want a hotdog, this is slightly different but really unique.
A Korean-fried chicken sandwich.
We're using the thigh,
-which is very fatty in the chicken -[Tyrone] Right.
and is inexpensive.
-A little avocado dressing. -[Tyrone] Oh, look at that.
On goes the chicken.
On goes kimchi, cucumbers, Korean barbecue sauce.
You're in for a treat.
Mmm-mmm.
Kimchi, I've never had that, but that is good.
I love that.
[Robert] So, Korean fried chicken which costs us $2.96,
we're gonna sell it for 14
at $11.04 in your pocket every time you sell it.
And believe me,
this is will be one of your biggest sellers on the planet.
-Wow. -So exciting.
Let's focus and give Chuck what you want to give him,
which is a legacy that works.
-I'm ready. -[Robert] No, I'm serious.
I am, too. I am so ready.
-Why are you crying? -It's exciting.
-It's, this right here... -It's okay, emotion is good.
This is what I've been praying for.
To be able to do these things,
to be able to be a better father
where I can do, you know, financially better.
I don't want to be struggling all the time.
I should have some peace at some time.
There should be peace somewhere.
I'm tired of it, but I think I got it now.
-You've got a great woman, and I mean a great woman. -The best, the best.
-Remember that. -That's right.
-Remember what she wrote you this morning. -Right.
-Right? -Right.
All right, I'm gonna leave you with that.
I'm gonna check in with my design team.
-Enjoy. -[Tyrone] Thank you.
So, here we are, it's 4:30 in the afternoon.
Tables got to come in, computer system has to be set up,
and we've got everybody and their cat and dog painting right now
because the color keeps showing through.
Watch this, it's still wet.
[Robert] We're now cleaning the floor
at the same time we're painting.
-[Robert] Is that yellow you've got there? -[staff] Yes.
[Robert] Can you just give me one more hit right here?
[Robert] The back of the house staff
is getting familiar with the new menu.
Needs more cheese sauce.
Korean fried chicken sandwich.
Korean barbecue sauce, avocado mayo, pickles.
[Robert] And the front of house staff
is learning how to operate the new ordering system.
You're gonna get a runner who's gonna be stood there,
and you're gonna say, "Table one"
and he'll pick up the table number and bring it back to you.
You know your mark right there, right?
[Robert] Everybody out, please. Everybody now, let's go.
That's the last job in this amazing restaurant.
Now they're gonna see it.
[O'Neka] Before Robert came to help us, we were all over the place.
The last 48 hours, I've seen Tyrone go through quite a few emotions
that I haven't seen in a while.
But it's a good thing.
He got the push he needed, he's inspired.
I think he feels upbeat now, like he can do it.
[Tyrone] The word "failure" stung,
but, you know, the push he gave me these last 48 hours
has been what I needed.
Now my identity to the restaurant is crystal clear.
I'm gonna take you guys in first,
-and then I will come back in a short while for you. -Okay, sir.
Step up here.
You can walk.
You can turn slightly.
Put your hands down and keep your eyes closed.
Are you ready to see the brand new Big Dawgs?
[both shouting] Yes!
Open your eyes.
Oh, wow. [laughing]
-[sobbing] -This is amazing.
[Robert] Are you ready to see the brand new Big Dawgs?
[shouting] Yes!
Open your eyes.
Oh, wow. [laughing]
-[sobbing] -This is amazing.
-[O'Neka] It looks so good. It looks so different. -[Tyrone crying]
It's okay. You've been through a lot.
-Thank you. -Oh, you're so welcome.
-[Tyrone] Can't believe this. -[O'Neka] It looks so good.
[Robert] Look at your ceiling.
All new lights, all new panels,
all new tables, new chairs.
[O'Neka] Whoa.
[Robert] Look at this.
-Oh, it didn't move! -It doesn't move.
[Robert] And it's all brand new.
-Man. -You can see the vintage homage to hotdogs.
-[O'Neka] It looks fun. It's inviting. -[Tyrone] It's inviting.
[O'Neka] And you know we sell hotdogs.
It's an old school touch. It's nice.
[Robert] Isn't it cool?
-[O'Neka] The neon, yeah. -[Tyrone] It looks cool.
-Hey, hey, guys. -[O'Neka and Tyrone] Hey.
-What's going on, man? -You've blown me away.
-No problem, brother. -Thank you so much.
-What do you think? -Congratulations.
-I love it. I love it, yeah. -You do?
[Robert] All right, there's one other young man that I want to bring in.
Keep your eyes closed.
Open your eyes.
-Whoa! [laughs] -[Tyrone chuckles]
Dang!
[O'Neka] Look at it, though.
[Chuck] This is crazy!
-[laughs] -Unbelievable.
[Chuck] This is amazing.
You can cry if you want to, baby.
-It's okay. [laughs] -[Tyrone] You don't have to be strong.
-You don't have to be strong all the time. -Come on.
[Robert] Chuck, I take it that you like it, dude? Is that good?
-It's all right. -[all laughing]
This compared with what you had is like night and day,
and if you have the energy that you have now
there is nothing to stop you doing whatever you want.
-The debt [scoffs] is nothing. -Yeah.
-Wow. -The legacy is everything.
That's what I'm working toward. I'm ready for this.
And I'm holding you personally responsible
-and make sure he does it. -Got you.
-You ready to let some people in? -Yes.
Let 'em in.
Welcome to the Big Dawgs.
-Come on in. -Come on in!
-Wow! -Oh, my...
I love it. I love it.
The lighting, the decor, it's amazing. I just love it.
-Oh, it look good. -It looks really good.
[man] Can I have the Memphis dog, coleslaw, potato salad?
[Robert] Tonight's the ultimate test.
While O'Neka is gonna help with the finances,
this is Tyrone's time to shine,
and I need to see his energy and passion.
-Everything moving fast, everything going fast. -[woman] Yeah.
-We good, we good. -Thank you so much.
-We'll make this thing work. -[woman] We will.
[man] Can I get those fried potato right there?
Yeah.
-Want some of that. -There you go, sir.
And they're the receipts? Oh, wow. Thank you, man.
Table 11.
[Robert] Tyrone is doing his job.
Now I just want the customers
to connect with his new identity.
And the jalapeno hotdog, oh, my gosh, it's amazing.
The flavors are fantastic. It's a perfect amount of little crunch.
The new chicken sandwich, I must say that this is very delicious.
It's not something we had in Memphis already so I love it.
That's how it works. Okay.
We got a plan, we have an identity,
and our dream, it's coming true.
This is amazing.
It's sweet. Uh-uh.
[O'Neka] I'm proud of Tyrone.
His will to push, and drive, and keep going, and not stop,
-it means everything to me. -Appreciate it.
-I'm so proud of him. -Thank you, thank you.
[Tyrone] The kitchen is doing good, the front house is doing good,
food is coming out in a timely manner,
and I know my finances, I know I'm making money.
Yesterday when I arrived, you had no passion, you had no identity.
-Today, I see the identity of the restaurant -Right.
and I see the passion.
That's how you run the business.
[Tyrone and O'Neka] You got it.
All right, give me a hug. I'm out of here.
I appreciate you,
-both of you. -All right.
-[customers applauding] -Okay.
[woman] I love to cook, it's my passion,
but bookkeeping is not my forte.
Sounds to me like you have zero clue.
The place is a pigsty, the food is tasteless.
I ain't gonna listen to-- No more.
You're gonna lose this restaurant,
and you're gonna lose your own life
if you don't do something different.
[Robert] Let's go. Get open.
You cook food like this in that restaurant I'm making over there,
-nobody can touch you. -Wow.
[woman shouting] I'm so ready! [laughs]
Open your eyes.