[Robert] The Balanced Chef
was started as a simple way to eat well.
It's gonna be very difficult for you
'cause you think that you're right on everything.
-I'm burning out. -Why are you burning out?
I have brain cancer.
[Robert] I know you're sick,
but I'm too soft, this fails.
I got two meals going up.
Feeding food in a restaurant
that's microwaved!
Our food does taste good.
So, this is a ready to eat salmon...
[imitates retching]
You tell me, "Oh, my family, my family,
I would drop everything for my family."
Yet, you don't.
I don't wanna be that person.
But then you need to change.
[Robert] Come on, let's go!
I am ready for a change, I embrace it. I need it.
[Robert] We're gonna start changing the kitchen.
[owner] Absolutely incredible.
[Robert] Open your eyes.
Ho...ly.
I'm just outside of Syracuse,
heading to the small town of Rome, New York.
I'm on my way to meet Brian,
the owner of The Balanced Chef.
What does that conjure up to me?
Um...
I'm not sure.
But I'm about to find out.
-Buffalo salad. -Thank you.
And the shake is coming out,
I'll get utensils right now.
I'm Brian Donovan,
owner of The Balanced Chef.
I started as a meal prep company in 2015.
We first operated
as an e-commerce company.
The food was frozen,
and customers would go online,
choose their meals
and select the pick-up location.
Or we would ship it right to their house.
It grew year over year.
And after a while, I figured,
since I have my own kitchen,
I'd be foolish not to put a little store front in front of it.
-There you are, folks. -Thank you.
You're welcome.
So, the restaurant started in May 3rd of 2021.
Can I help, who's next?
So, I still kept the meal prep business
and now I also have this restaurant.
Okay, ladies, you're all set. You can sit at a table.
[Brian] So, here at the restaurant,
our menu consists of premade meals
that we heat for our customers who eat here.
In addition to that, we have wraps, sandwiches,
salads, protein shakes, smoothies...
We're kind of took the cross
between fast food and healthy food,
and merged it together.
Growing up, I loved cooking.
I loved making something and serving it to people,
putting a smile on their face.
So, it was in 2007,
I decided to go to culinary school.
And then after graduating
I worked in the kitchen for a big restaurant
for roughly four years.
And later,
I was the executive chef of a state university.
And I was doing great,
but I wanted to be my own boss.
So, that's when I started the meal prep company.
And at that point things were going great,
you know, close to a million dollars in sales.
The business skyrocketed.
So that in January of 2020,
I signed the agreement to start construction
to open this place up.
And a couple weeks later,
I wake up one morning
and I have a headache
like I've never had in my life before.
The next thing I know, I wake up in the hospital.
And I have a doctor telling me
that I have, uh, brain cancer.
When you're told that you have cancer,
it's surreal.
But fortunately,
I had the tumor removed.
And they got all the cancer out.
You know, I had to learn how to walk again.
I had to learn how to do a lot of things again.
So, coming back to work was not easy.
And boom, Covid hits.
It was just, like, the perfect storm
of everything bad happening.
Since then, it's been difficult.
All right, I gotta say it one more time.
Put the covers down.
It's pretty frustrating trying to manage everything.
And I'm struggling.
How you doing?
It doesn't end.
[Tracy] I met Brian at a college.
And he was the executive chef there.
And he asked me to work here.
Why don't you go home? You're tired.
I just got here, though.
[Tracy] Sometimes, you know, he's very stubborn.
It's his business, so he wants to do it all.
And when people want to help him,
sometimes he struggles with that.
[Brian] Since Covid and my cancer,
I'm deeper and deeper into this hole.
In April of this year
is when we started to,
you know, operate in the negative.
And I owe, you know, probably 300,000 dollars.
I started going through personal problems at home
and I'm currently going
through a separation right now.
We have two kids.
And I wanna be there for them.
But my anxiety is through the roof.
I've literally gotten on the floor
on my hands and knees and cried many times
because I just feel overwhelmed.
Lost.
But I don't wanna give up on this place.
I sacrificed my time, my money, my energy,
my family, my friends...
myself.
This restaurant is very important to me,
so if this place ever had to close,
it would absolutely crush me.
[Robert] So, here we are.
Um, at the front it says...
a lot of things.
"Breakfast", "lunch", "salads", "coffee",
"quesadilla", "protein shakes",
"home delivery..."
I mean, a lot of information on that door, um...
maybe too much information for me.
But we'll see, right?
I walk in...
it looks to me like it's a grab-and-go.
Grab-and-go drinks,
grab-and-go food,
protein... stuff.
Then here, this is where you pay.
Obviously, you walk up,
you order your things...
Uh, lots of workout stuff.
That really annoys me, that door,
because that's the first thing I see.
The tables look good,
chairs look pretty good.
And the place is unusually clean.
Normally, I don't find that.
So now, I get the story from Brian.
Brian! Come in the restaurant, please!
-How you doing? -Chef...
-Just take a seat. -Yes, sir.
[Robert sighing]
Well, first of all, place was clean.
-Congratulations. -Thank you.
But what is it?
We started as a meal prep company.
So, customers can order online and we ship.
And I figured, why not build a storefront with it
so customers can come to a restaurant as well.
What's your experience in cooking?
Been cooking my whole life.
I went to culinary school at CIA.
Okay, what does The Balanced Chef mean to you?
The Balanced Chef was started as a simple way to eat well.
If you look on the front window,
you got so much stuff there,
"breakfast", "lunch", "salads", "coffee",
uh, "quesadilla..."
I think you're very confused.
Customers are, too.
Okay.
So, 2021, what was your revenue?
Probably around 600,000 dollars.
What was the net profit?
I don't have those numbers.
What is the revenue versus your food?
You can't tell me, right?
I just knew the bills were getting paid
but, you know, I didn't know the numbers.
So, here's my question, Brian.
You're a trained chef, right?
Correct.
What do we train you in?
-Food cost, labor cost. -Yeah.
Why were you taught it
and why do you not implement it
in your own business?
'Cause you know this
in every place you have worked.
[clicks tongue] I don't have an answer.
Mistake number one, right?
Okay, last year what was your revenue?
Just under 500,000 dollars.
-So you want backwards? -Yes.
Why do you think that is?
[sighing]
I think lots of reasons, but I'm burning out.
Why are you burning out?
Well, in January of 2020
I'd just signed papers
to have construction starting here.
And the next thing I know, I woke up in the ER.
Apparently I had a seizure.
And the seizure revealed that I had brain cancer.
Front left lobe migraine.
-Sorry to hear that. -Thank you.
Um, had the cancer removed.
After a successful surgery,
I went back to work.
But about a week ago,
when I went into an MRI,
um, we found out that the cancer came back.
-And-- -Same place, different place?
Same place, yep.
And it's treatable.
But I don't know how much more I can take on.
I'm supposed to take stress off of my plate...
Are you married?
Going through a separation right now.
You have children?
Yes, we do have two children.
How old are your kids?
My kids are four and six.
How do you balance work life and home life?
[clicks tongue]
I don't.
So, why keep this?
Why... why do this?
I know that I've always wanted to be my own boss.
And I built this beautiful thing
and I don't wanna fail.
Okay.
I wanna see a service.
We'll do what you normally do,
I'll watch, and we'll see how your system is.
Yes, sir.
The number one problem I find right now is confusion.
When you grab in the door
and there's grab-and-go meals,
and there's a menu here,
there's protein powders and bars in the corner,
and clothing.
So, what is The Balanced Chef?
But also, Brian can't tell me
he's made any money whatsoever.
So, you know, one side,
I gotta be sympathetic,
he's going through a divorce,
he's got two kids, he's got brain cancer.
But I'm too soft,
this fails, and then what?
All right, just get ready for all the hot sandwich stuff.
Hi, welcome, everybody.
Hi.
[man] Hello.
Can I help who's next?
[Tracy] I can help the next person in line.
-Can I get this heated up? -Yeah, sure.
[Robert] Right off the bat, I'm confused about the flow
in the front of house.
-Oh, I had the... -Yeah.
Yeah, you have to get your drink out of the refrigerator.
[Robert] And I'm not the only one.
[man] That was a little confusing
about you get your own drinks
after you order and back out again.
It's kind of an odd design.
There's the retail around one side,
but then there's the menu, so...
it doesn't scream restaurant.
I'd like to get this heated up.
Oh, you would like this heated up now to eat?
All righty.
[Robert] Is clear that Brian is running around
doing way too much.
He's working the register...
You said sausage, egg and cheddar, correct?
[Robert] He's serving the tables...
-Very welcome. -And he's in the kitchen.
Kent, you have a Strawberry Banana
and Blueberry Bliss behind you.
Here's your ticket for the Bliss and the Strawberry.
Once it's all finished, please throw out the ticket.
[Robert] No wonder Brian's so stressed out.
It's absolute chaos back here.
And he's trying to do too much.
How long have you worked here?
Since we opened, uh, two years ago,
two-and-a-half years.
What's it like to work with Brian?
I think he's overwhelmed.
And sometimes he just leaves
and then it leaves, like, just really Kent and I there.
We kinda know what we're doing,
but we really don't.
Who's Kent?
Kent is the cook.
Kent is the one that says "Hard work" on his back.
Take this hot dish, serve 'em.
[Robert] Kent seems capable.
The parm is out.
[Robert] He's cooking some fresh food,
but a lot of so-called cooking here
is microwaving the pre-made to-go meals.
I got two meals going up.
-Okay. -I'll try to come back in three minutes.
[Robert] Confusion is the name of the game here.
It's not a restaurant, it's a, um...
I don't know what it is yet.
-I got two meals going up. -Okay.
[Robert] Confusion is the name of the game here.
It's not a restaurant, it's a, um...
I don't know what it is yet.
The systems in the kitchen are a disaster,
but the real problem here
is the food they are serving.
I've never seen a restaurant
serve frozen to-go food to customers.
Let me ask you a question, what is this restaurant?
It's kinda like a grab-and-go meal prep restaurant.
[Robert] So, how do you feel about frozen food?
'Cause you're eating it.
I would have expected to take it home, not eat it here.
The Balanced Chef, when we were born,
it was the grab-and-go meals.
So, why don't you make that food
to order in a restaurant?
You've been in business in restaurants all your life.
You're a trained chef.
[Brian] But every meal prep company out there,
every single one of them, is a microwaveable meal.
[Robert] If you ship food, yes!
Yes, and that's what we're doing.
No, you're feeding food
in a restaurant that's microwaved.
Yes, you could still have that to go,
but why am I not making it for a restaurant
that people come in and eat instead of this?
It's confusing.
End of story.
Thank you all for coming.
[Kent] I agree with Robert
on a lot of the things he said.
So, hopefully Robert can open Brian's eyes up
to help him change.
So, here I am. I just picked two grab-and-go foods
to be microwaved for three minutes.
Then I've ordered a salad
and a French dip sandwich.
And I'll, you know, see how it goes.
I have your cup.
And I have the French dip,
a salmon and feta cheese,
and we have that apple roasted pork.
[Robert] So, this is a ready-to-eat salmon meal.
There's no seasoning whatsoever, it's dry,
and broccoli that's overcooked.
This is the pork.
It's overcooked, you can see.
[imitates retching]
A salad...
made with a dressing that's, uh, you buy.
Of course, you don't make anything here.
It says on the window right there.
"Served fresh and fast."
There's nothing fresh about any of his food.
This is the French dip.
No seasoning.
[retches dramatically]
There is so much salt in that,
it's like the ocean in a bowl.
[retching dramatically]
Wow.
[shouting] Brian!
Come in the restaurant!
Take a big mouthful of that.
-What do you taste? -Salt.
Salt.
The last time I checked,
jus was not supposed to be salty.
Not very good.
None of it has taste.
I feel that our food does taste good.
-Um... -Really?
Get a fork,
right behind you, try it.
Tell me if that tastes good.
They're good, they're just overcooked.
Your execution of the product
is non-existent.
This is what you predicate your success on!
And you're a trained chef.
Who made these recipes?
I made a lot of them,
but the chefs over the years that I've had,
they've also made many of those recipes.
Who makes all the prep?
Myself, Kent.
[shouting] Kent!
So, what is your role here?
Um, I guess you can call it kitchen manager.
And what is your background?
Um, took two years of culinary through high school,
and been in and out of restaurants ever since.
Okay. Is this your first position as a kitchen manager?
Yeah.
So, that means you have to guide him?
And you, and your headspace being somewhere else,
is not watching this.
And this is why this happens.
There's no leadership.
Who does food cost?
[Brian sighs] No one.
[Robert] No one?
[loudly] Bring me the profit and loss statement
and the point-of-sale report.
[sighs wearily]
Let's have a look here.
You know what your food cost is today?
I don't.
Right now, you're at 97% food cost.
So, basically,
you're running a charity.
I'll ask you this question again.
Why do you wanna do this?
'Cause I know it can be fixed.
So, now you give the answer you think I want.
Now give me the answer from your heart.
That is the answer from my heart.
I know we can do it.
So, it's an ego thing?
It... yeah, it's an ego thing.
-I did it before-- -Why do you want to do it?
'Cause I started it.
But there has to be a motive behind the answer.
I know we can get it done.
It's gonna be very difficult for you.
'Cause you think people are attacking you.
I can read your face.
-[Brian] No, I know-- -You don't like people attacking you
because you think that you're right on everything.
There's no way I would come in and buy this food.
No way whatsoever.
Why are we serving stuff
from a microwave in a restaurant?
I don't know.
I think that's... stupid.
The good thing is,
the only way from here is up.
Because this is garbage.
Okay, I gotta figure out what I think we need here.
Thank you.
Brian is going through a lot,
but I still need to be direct with him.
I want him to succeed
and I do not have time to beat around the bush.
-[Lynn] Hey! -[Robert] Hey.
The Balanced Chef.
Yeah, but it's...
it's a little off-kilter.
Well, I'm not balanced either.
If you notice, there's something missing.
-Yes. -There's no Tom.
Where is he?
He is doing some family stuff.
All right, cool.
So, look, you walk in the door,
you hit...
And this big retail...
"non-restaurant" stuff.
So, what's what I'm saying, is this a restaurant
or is it a store?
Well, they do a little bit of takeout,
they do a little bit of this, they do a li...
and they don't do anything well.
So, I don't like any of this pergola.
Tear it out.
[Lynn] Ooh, the kitchen.
It's the first thing I see when I walk in the door.
That's the only thing that looks like a restaurant,
is the kitchen, the rest of it doesn't.
I don't like any of this...
[Lynn] Yeah, it's really not done well.
Somehow, close that off,
move this back,
and make me a door... there.
There, I still wanna do the grab-and-go.
So, maybe that's the corner.
[Lynn] That would make so much more sense.
[Robert] I want it to look very industrial.
-[Lynn] Okay. -Any questions?
Lots of 'em, but let's get emptied and we'll see what happens.
[shouting] Brian, bring in your staff, let's go!
All right, all this stuff, in a box!
All this up here, all the t-shirts,
all this stuff behind here has to go.
[Brian] I'm very overwhelmed right now.
I'm watching everyone take apart my baby.
[Robert] Uh, somebody grab me a ladder.
This place is not that big when you look at it,
but there was so much work,
so there's gonna be a lot of projects
I'm gonna have to figure out.
[Robert] Everything goes.
All right, if you're not doing anything, get out!
How long did it take you to make this?
Countless hours.
You know, you see how long you put into something,
and to have it just torn apart in seconds is crazy.
How does that make you feel?
I don't know how I feel right now.
I came to help you, not to beat you.
But I want you to understand
the gravity of the way you are.
The numbers this morning, the food this morning,
the confusion at the restaurant.
I know you're sick.
But I can't harp on you being sick
and you getting a divorce
to help fix it, because it's not gonna help.
I'm asking you to work smarter, right?
Take one last look around you,
because this is your work for three years,
this is what's left of it.
Yeah, it's crazy.
It's gonna be a long, hard two days for you.
Head on out the door,
it's the last time you'll see
this place till I give it back to you.
I think Brian's overwhelmed right now.
There's an awful lot going on in his life,
but there's nothing good going on in this restaurant.
[Brian] When someone tells you the answer
that you're looking for,
but you don't wanna hear it,
it really hurts, and it hurts my ego.
I sacrificed my health,
my family time with my kids.
They mean the world to me
but whenever I get home now,
they wanna play the whole time
and I don't even have the energy
because I'm working my ass off.
So, to think about that's very overwhelming.
Hearing, you know, the truth,
it's like a punch in the face.
[drilling]
[Robert] I'm at The Balanced Chef
in Rome, New York.
I'm meeting with Kent, the kitchen manager,
to see if he can help me
figure out a path forward for this place.
-Hey, hey. -How's it going?
[grunting]
So, how come you end up here?
Brian, his friend Ryan pointed me in this direction.
I was Ryan's assistant at a produce company.
Okay.
I came in directly after Brian had his last, um...
-Seizure? -Seizures, yeah.
And Ryan, he stepped in, you know, for a few days
to help out the restaurant
'cause Brian obviously was home.
So, Ryan is Brian's best friend?
Yep, they've known each other since birth, pretty much.
Okay.
-All right, man. -All right.
Listen, this morning, you did good in the kitchen.
-Thanks. -You moved fast.
But you're working with what you've got,
I get it, but...
that's Brian's job to teach you
if you don't know, right?
So, head on back to my culinary tent.
I'm gonna mess with some food.
-Okay? -Okay, sounds good.
-All right, appreciate it. -Thank you.
[Robert] While Kent works with my culinary team
to sharpen his kitchen skills,
I meet with Brian's friend Ryan at a local cafe.
Kent told me Ryan helped out when Brian had his surgery.
-You must be Ryan. -Yes, sir.
-How are ya? I'm Robert, nice to meet you. -Good, thank you.
[Robert] I wanna know what he did to help,
and if Brian was receptive to him stepping in.
-Thank you. -Thank you.
All right.
How did you meet Brian?
I've known Brian since before we could walk.
We grew up in the same area.
So, I know when he had his brain cancer,
or he was first diagnosed,
you stepped in to help the business.
I tried.
I went in, I said,
"Brian, first thing we need is food cost."
A week went by,
he was, "Ryan, why didn't you do it yet?"
I said, "Brian, I'm a consultant to you.
I tell you, I'm giving you the roadmap,
I'm leading you to water.
You have to drink."
But it all went downhill.
When you say, "Went downhill," what does that mean?
Brian tends to be a micromanager.
Where do you think that comes from?
I think Brian tended to get his own way.
And being a little bit of a hard head
in the sense of trying to keep an open mind
to new ideas and new ways of doing business.
And it really just became less of a focus on the business
and more of a focus on, "I need to be this."
You know, giving nutritious meals to people is great.
It's just he's lost all sense
of what the business is supposed to be.
He's going through a tough time in his life.
So, if I could step in and help him,
I 1,000% would.
I think for me, at the moment,
this is just kind of a conundrum
because there's a lot of work here to do.
Now I have to try and figure out,
"What do we do from here?"
Appreciate you coming here.
I'd love you to come to the reopening tomorrow...
-Yes, sir. -...if that's possible.
And I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.
Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.
[Robert] I can see now Brian's ego is playing
is playing a big part in the lack of direction
in this restaurant.
He chased Ryan off by refusing his help.
And now he's left with a rudderless restaurant.
Brian's gonna have to make some big changes
if he's gonna turn this place around.
-Hey, hey! -Hey.
[Lynn] Just gotten a lot of it torn out.
What's your plan?
[Lynn] Okay, when you walk into a place like this
that already looks pretty good,
it's even more challenging to make it better.
So, we're gonna rip everything out
and basically start over.
The first thing we're gonna do
is rip out the pergola and the counter.
We're gonna bring in a new counter
with a water tower over it
inspired by old industrial New York
We're gonna close off the existing kitchen door
and add a new door on the other side for the kitchen.
Where the old kitchen door use to be,
we're gonna add a new living wall
and some shelves to really highlight
all of his products,
but not take over the entire space.
We're gonna move the existing coolers
to the other side so they look built-in
and really open up the space.
On the side wall,
we're gonna add some new industrial brick
that really feels old and vintage,
and a hand-painted new mural.
And to sell that city vibe,
behind the counter we're gonna add
some new wallpaper
inspired by old New York buildings.
We're also gonna add all new tables and chairs
And when we're all done,
The Balanced Chef will finally have
its true identity.
-Industrial, funky, fun. -Yeah.
And like a real restaurant, rather than a store, huh?
Who needs Tom Bury?
See ya.
The restaurant fixes are well underway,
but I still have work to do with Brian.
I've asked his wife Cynthia to sit down with us.
I'm hoping her more personal perspective on Brian
will help me open his eyes to the changes he has to make
to keep this business afloat.
How long have you known each other?
Uh, more than half of our lives.
-About 23 years. -[Cynthia] Yeah.
And you're living in separate places, correct?
-[both] Yes. -And you have two children?
-[Brian] Yes. -Four and six.
Brian and Brayden.
So, what do those kids mean to you?
[Cynthia] Everything.
They're my first priority.
-What are those kids to you? -Everything to me.
[Robert] Explain "everything to me."
[Brian] They're the world to me, they keep me going, .
In my roughest days,
I think of them.
Do you believe that?
Uh, yes and no.
Yes, because I truly believe
he loves his children wholeheartedly.
But sometimes his actions don't, you know, work.
[Robert] So, when do you see your kids?
When I get out of work.
And sure, for, you know, a few moments,
a couple hours on the weekends.
[Robert] And that's enough for you?
-You just to-- -[Brian] It's not enough, no.
[Robert] But you just said to me,
"Family's most important,"
yet you spend a couple of minutes after work
and a couple of hours at the weekend.
I'm trying to spend more time with them.
But you can choose.
You tell me, "Oh, my family, my family,
I would drop everything for my family,"
yet you don't.
You say one thing
but do another.
And that doesn't work.
I don't wanna be that person.
But then you need to change.
You're called The Balanced Chef and yet...
there's nothing balanced in there.
Not even you.
And also, too, like...
if there's no heart in it,
that is, to me, the law of attraction
where that is gonna bring you the success,
if you have the heart in it.
Rather than "I just," you know,
"want to be successful" or "I don't want to fail."
Starting with "What is your 'why'?"
That's a great question.
So, why do you do this?
What's this for you?
I don't know.
Just...
I really don't know.
Huh.
You've got a lot of thinking to do.
Yes, I do.
All right.
So, I've got some homework for you.
"Why are you doing this restaurant?"
I don't want, "Oh, I wanna be a successful entrepreneur."
I don't care about that.
'Cause that's already failed.
Why are you doing it?
[Brian] I'm gonna sit down tonight
and really speak from the heart.
Because this is my second chance at my business
to bring it back to where it needs to be.
[Robert] I'm at The Balanced Chef
in Rome, New York,
where Brian's business is anything but balanced.
He's serving prepackaged food to customers
and he's micromanaging his staff
and running himself ragged.
To make matters worse,
he's facing a health crisis
that's threatening his life
and the life of his business.
I have brain cancer.
[Robert] It's time for Brian to show me
that he's ready to make radical changes
to protect his health
and to keep this place from going under.
-Good morning. -Morning, chef.
How are you?
-I'm well, how are you? -Good.
So, I think the first question was,
"What did you get out of yesterday?"
[Brian] I've discovered about myself
these past couple days,
realizing I won't have any of this
if I keep doing what I'm doing.
Why do I keep working as hard as I do
knowing damn well the stress is gonna kill me?
I did fail, I let myself down.
I let my kids down,
'cause I sacrificed working all the time
and not being around for my kids
as much as I should be.
You have to learn to put the ego to one side
-and ask for help. -I know. Yeah.
I just want a new beginning.
And I'm not gonna screw this one up again.
Okay.
I asked you, um, some homework yesterday.
"What is your 'why'?"
Yeah.
Can I look at my computer when I do it?
'Cause I didn't...
I didn't realize how long that one would take.
Yeah.
I've been given a second chance at life
that most people don't get.
And this is what I do know.
I'm ashamed that I'm not there enough for my kids.
And... I'm upset with myself.
It wasn't until you drilled through my head yesterday
that my kids bring me joy,
my kids bring me laughter,
my kids bring me life,
and my kids bring me a sense of purpose.
My kids are my legacy.
My kids are my world.
And my kids are my why.
Are you ready for change?
I am ready for a change.
I embrace it, I need it.
I need it, bad.
Okay.
-All right. -Thank you.
[Brian] I need to slow down
and quit trying to do everything.
And my biggest takeaway from today
is my children ultimately are my 'why'.
And I wanna leave them as my legacy.
[Robert] Good morning!
Hey! Wow, morning came quick.
Yeah, wow.
It was quite a night last night.
So, the plan was
to go with the industrial vibe that you gave me.
And you wanted something really cool here
that really stood out.
What this is gonna be,
it's gonna be an old New York City wood water tower.
And then there's your beautiful door.
[Robert] Oh, yeah. I like that.
[Lynn] It came out amazing.
And then that wall looks amazing, too.
It's just, you know, a wall covering.
And then we're taking it to the next level
by hand-painting a weathered logo
that will say, "The Balanced Chef."
-[Robert] Right, awesome. -Okay.
-I'll catch you later. -See you later.
[Robert] The renovation is in the home stretch,
but Brian still has a lot of work to do.
He needs to de-stress,
and his friend Ryan is willing to help.
Good morning!
I'm hoping Brian has truly set his ego aside
and is ready to let someone else share the burden.
-Hello. -Good morning.
Good morning.
I believe you know this guy, right?
Yes, I do.
-How you doing? -I'm good, man.
[Robert] So, yesterday we had a cup of coffee,
we talked a little bit about you,
I don't know what your deal was here.
And nor do I care, at this point.
What I care about is the plan of action
moving forward.
And who is gonna run this
when you are under for the next month?
What are you willing to do
if he goes into surgery?
I said it before,
I'll say it a thousand times.
I'm here for whatever you need.
I'll oversee Kent
and everything will be waiting for you
when you are ready
and after surgery and everything there.
And then that'll give you time
where you can prepare for everything,
you can get ready,
and mentally, you can de-stress a little bit.
I appreciate that.
So, do you want his help?
Failure is but a minute away.
-Yeah. -Unless there is a plan in place.
[Brian] Yeah, if I can be frank,
I want the help.
But he says this one thing doesn't mean, like...
There's more to it than that.
You said you were gonna do a lot of these things,
and you never did.
You know, it was more of me
coming in to show you,
you said you needed to be led the way.
And it felt like every time I brought you to water,
you said, "Drink."
And it's not for me to drink.
That's not true. That's not true.
But here's the thing.
He's offering you help
and you're sitting there...
If you don't want it, then say no!
He's the only one that can help you right now.
He's sitting here willing to help you.
Ask him for help!
If you don't want it, then say no!
He's the only one that can help you right now.
Do you want him involved or not?
Yeah. I need help.
I want the help.
I realize I've been too picky
on, you know, my ego gets in the way.
Now I'm ready for a fresh start
for the business, for myself.
And you telling me,
"Don't worry about it, you take care of yourself.
And when you do get a little better,
you still take some time away from the business."
That means the world to me.
Absolutely.
[Brian] I'm forever grateful for you,
and I love you, dude.
-I really... I love you. -Always have.
[Robert] Brian has made some huge strides.
He's now fueled by purpose
instead of ego.
And he's ready to accept some help to lighten his load.
Now, I have to focus on the food.
Yesterday's fare was a trainwreck.
The new menu will focus on healthy dishes
that work for dine-in
and takeout.
All right, so!
This is the fun part for me.
We're gonna start the change in the kitchen.
So, the first dish I wanted to show you
is the couscous and chicken thighs.
A little twist to it.
A, because it can go in both to-go
and in the restaurant
with very little difference.
So, watch.
Zucchini, it's just been roasted,
couscous,
chickpea stew,
tomatoes, onions, chickpeas.
Almost a take on Indian.
couscous, zucchini, chickpea stew,
braised chicken thighs.
To finish it, a little herb yoghurt.
All right, try it.
Unreal. It's delicious.
[Robert] Here's the fun part about this.
It cost me two dollars and 11 cents.
Gonna sell it for 16 dollars,
giving me 13 dollars and 89 cents
in my pocket every time I sell it.
And putting 13.89 dollars in my pocket
is all about the food cost,
which you didn't know yesterday.
-Yeah. -You wanna be a chef, right?
-I do. -Start being one.
-Okay. -All right, next thing.
Yesterday, you gave me a French dip that was just...
might as well have just put a bunch of salt
-in my mouth. - [retching dramatically]
So, I'm gonna do a chimichurri steak sandwich.
We're gonna start with a toasted bun.
What I want is a crisp, golden brown.
This pan, shaved beef.
In the meantime, I'm taking carrots,
red cabbage, white cabbage, beets.
And I'm gonna mix that with a harissa dressing.
Okay, so here's how it goes.
Horseradish cream,
then the beef,
chimichurri,
the beet slaw.
That's a sandwich.
Cucumber and onion salad.
Taste the sandwich.
That bun is perfect for it.
Wow. Just... dissolves in your mouth.
[Robert] Cost is four dollars and 40 cents.
When you sell it for 18 dollars,
that's 13,60 dollars in your pocket
every time you sell one of them.
[Kent] It's delicious.
[Robert] All right, so, we'll do one more dish.
Yesterday, you gave me a piece of salmon
I was appalled with.
Does this look like your salmon?
It does not.
So, two things are gonna happen here.
Number one, something you didn't do yesterday,
which was season things, right?
Number two, watch this.
Pan-seared salmon.
Oh, what's that?
That's a beautiful sear.
I'm gonna server that with spaghetti squash,
some Brussel sprouts, salmon.
Red Thai curry sauce.
Fresh mint.
Both, try the dish.
That curry's amazing.
[Robert] Food cost is six dollars and 70 cents.
We're gonna sell it for 20 dollars,
give us 13.30 dollars in our pocket.
That's delicious.
Absolutely incredible.
It's all about knowing what to do and how to do it.
Focus on things that you do well,
-and set up a system... -Right.
...that works for you.
Here endeth the first lesson.
[Lynn] Put it in the center of that wall right there.
It's already four o'clock
and as you can see,
we're still trying to hang and level,
we're trying to paint the walls,
finish the living wall.
Remember, all those refrigerations
were on that wall,
now we moved them to that wall,
we have to box them in.
So, a lot of work to be done.
It just never ends.
It's chaos.
[Robert] It's all hands on deck
to finish the restaurant in time to opening.
Kent's continuing his training to get ready for tonight.
-[trainer] Dice the onion like this. -[Kent] Yeah.
[Robert] And Brian has invited his kids
to be a part of his fresh start.
Come on, let's go!
Now is the crunch time to get things finished.
Two of you, pick up that table and move it out as-is!
Will you start bringing tables in?
[Lynn] This one goes over here.
Okay, that's good.
[Robert] Quick, quick, quick.
What a difference between yesterday.
[Lynn chuckles]
This is it.
Here we go.
[Brian] My journey from yesterday
to today has been a journey.
Robert changed my perspective on a lot of things.
Now, my 'why' is my children.
They're my legacy, they're my life.
They are what bring me joy.
And I've also realized
take stress off of my plate
to make Balanced Chef
the lasting legacy for my children.
Robert has done a great job
of showing Brian more of a balance.
It's amazing.
It's that time.
We're gonna come back for you in a second.
Come over here.
Let's walk straight.
Stop, bring your hands down.
Just gonna turn you around.
Keep your eyes tight and closed.
Are you ready to see
the brand-new Balanced Chef?
I'm ready.
Open your eyes.
Are you ready to see
the brand-new Balanced Chef?
-I'm ready. -Open your eyes.
Ho... ly.
Wow!
Oh, my God.
This isn't even the same space.
Wow.
It's perfect.
Where's the kitchen?
Wow.
[Robert] Brand-new entrance.
[sighs happily]
Out of view of the customer.
All your to-go stuff is right there.
[Brian] Yeah, it has this identity now.
Wow.
People know who we are.
For the first time,
I really feel like I'm the Balanced Chef.
Thank you.
[Robert] Is that okay if I bring your wife in?
[Brian] Absolutely.
-Are you ready? -Yes.
Open your eyes.
[Cynthia] Oh, my gosh!
-This is amazing! - [Brian] I know.
It's simple, it's clean, it's not confusing.
[Cynthia] It's so freaking cool.
[Brian] Look how clean the cooler area is now.
-[Cynthia] Wow. -Try the chairs.
[Cynthia] The look quite comfortable.
Wow.
Probably the most expensive tables and chairs I've ever bought.
And they're comfortable.
Very comfortable.
Yes.
I know you're going through a lot, okay?
[Brian whispering] Oh, my God.
[sighing]
It's the first time I've seen emotion from you.
Oh, my God.
Why are you so emotional?
[Cynthia] Because I'm seeing emotion on him.
In a good way.
I can't believe this.
[Robert] Well balanced, right?
-[Cynthia] Yeah. -Yeah.
No, it's... you've given me a sense of purpose again.
And I know who I am.
I know who The Balanced Chef is.
I'm excited to start over.
When I talked to you,
I had to figure out who you are
or what you stood for.
-This is what you stand for. -Yeah.
But I coulnd't have done it without Lynn.
Lynn, come on in!
Hey, guys.
How's it going?
-Hi. -[Lynn laughing]
[Lynn] You like it?
Yeah, I loved it.
-I loved it. -Cool, I'm glad.
-[Cynthia] It's amazing. -It is.
Do we let people in?
I'm ready.
It's a new Balanced Chef, come on in!
Hi, how are ya?
[Robert] As soon as the doors open,
guests are flowing directly to the counter to order.
[Tracy] All right, you're all set then, ladies.
I'll bring your drinks to you, okay?
[Robert] Unlike yesterday,
there's no confusion about what this place is.
It's unbelievable.
You've turned into a restaurant.
This is, like, a huge improvement.
[Robert] All the changes we've made
have allowed Brian to step back
and relax with his customers.
[Brian] Now it's more of a restaurant.
It gives us more of a sense of identity.
[Ryan] I am proud of Brian for taking this step.
This is awesome.
You got two beefs now.
[Robert] The kitchen is firing on all cylinders.
Steak sandwich, a burger and a salmon!
[Robert] Now that Kent has some proper training,
I wanna see some improvement with his kitchen skills.
[Kent] I got a salmon right here.
I feel confident now with all the entrees.
It feels like a restaurant.
It doesn't feel like everything's throw together.
Great job. Awesome.
[Robert] Yesterday was a bunch of subpar
microwave cooking.
But today's fare is fresh,
fast, and cooked to order.
[woman] Oh, the salmon is delicious!
It's got the perfect amount of the curry taste to it.
And it's just so tender.
[man] This is chicken couscous royale.
It has a lot of delicious flavors.
It's got a little spicy bite to it.
Truly outstanding dish.
[Robert] So, look at this.
Yesterday, nobody was eating any food.
Today, licking the plates.
That's a restaurant!
By moving the to-go items off to the side,
this dining area has a solid identity
as a restaurant that serves fresh food
with a completely separate grab-and-go service.
[Tracy] Thank you.
Thank you!
[Brian] I feel like I'm in a dream.
I do.
Because, you know, love is all around you,
but I've never really
slowed down to appreciate that.
-Thank you for everything. -You're welcome.
It's a good feeling, it's a good feeling.
Thank you.
[Robert] Hey, there you have it.
Another restaurant, another family,
another comunity changed.
That's a wrap.
[Robert] I've been here doing some other work
two-and-a-half hours away.
And yesterday, people told me not to come here.
They said you're not good people.
-Give me fries! -[man] I'll give you the fries
when you find out what table 21 wants!
[Robert] The restaurant is not good.
Wow.
The reason I came is because I believe in second chances.
Come on, hit it.
[woman] Trying to move forward.
[man] I feel like I'm getting a second chance here.
Everyone out, please!
[man] Oh, that looks good.