- Previously on "food stars"...
- [chimes] - I want you to run
A delivery-only restaurant.
I'm gonna be testing your time management,
Ability to advertise, and, above all,
Your quality control.
You didn't make your voice be heard
As an expert in the field,
And for those reasons,
I will not be investing in luther.
We are done.
Tonight...
I've brought you all here to plan
An adventurous outdoor dining experience
For some thrill-seeking guests.
- ♪ give me something new ♪ [people cheering]
- This will test your hospitality skills.
- Hospitality is a team effort.
- I don't think I can handle this part of it.
- If you look stupid, I look stupid, okay?
So cut the bull[bleep]. - Come here. Come here. Wait.
- You know it's crazy when gordon has
To fix your mistakes.
- I've had to make the toughest choice so far.
[dramatic musical sting]
[dramatic western music]
♪ ♪
- Dry heat, hot desert.
- I wonder what it is that we're gonna be doin' here.
- This week, I want to make sure
My remaining nine contestants can deliver
Top-quality hospitality under pressure.
I've asked the cast to join me here in the arizona wilderness,
Where I'll see if they can tap into a market
That is literally hotter than the desert sun:
Adventure tourism.
[engine revving]
[upbeat rock music]
♪ ♪
- Oh. [laughs] - typical.
- Whoo! - Wouldn't have expected
Anything less. - Yes!
Okay, okay. - [whooping]
- Man! We good? - Hey!
- We're great. - Amazing.
- Welcome to the beautiful tanque verde ranch
Here in tucson, arizona.
I've brought you all here today
To plan an epic, adventurous outdoor dining experience...
- Nice, nice. - For a group
Of ten excited thrill-seeking guests.
This will be a huge test on your time management
And hospitality skills...
- Ooh. - And will really show me
That you understand and know your customer
And can tailor an immersive experience
For your clientele.
- Mm.
- Adventure tourism is a $400-billion market.
- Wow. - Your challenge
Is to plan a utv tour through this stunning desert...
Both: Wow. - That features
Exciting activities and ends with a delicious meal.
- Sounds amazing. - All right.
- Please do not leave the trails
Or cause any damage to the environment.
Let's get you broken up into teams.
Tony,
Ashley,
Chris,
And sydney,
You guys are gonna be the red team.
That means caroline,
Lan,
Aaron,
Queen,
And megan,
You guys are the yellow team.
Now, numbers are going down rapidly.
Red team, you may have one less person,
But don't let that be a disadvantage.
That means we step up and take a lot more responsibility.
Each team will be split in two.
One part will create the dining experience,
And the other will learn how to teach your chosen activity
To your guests.
Understand? Both: Yes.
- Yes, chef. - Good.
At the end of the day,
Your guests will judge and rate
The whole experience,
And the team with the best feedback wins.
Now, listen carefully.
I can't invest in anybody
Who does not keep the customer top of mind.
Right, okay.
All of you, one person will be going home
From the losing team.
Make sure that is not you.
Right. You guys ready? - Yes.
- We're ready. - Oh, one more thing.
Watch out for the rattlesnakes.
- [laughs]
- Oh. - Great.
- All of you, good luck. Get cracking.
Let's go! - Whoo-hoo!
- Here we go.
- I'm so excited.
- Snake! - What the--
- Joking.
- [laughing] shut up! [squeals]
- [laughs] - oh, my god.
- [rattling]
[dramatic western music]
- ♪ oh, ah ♪
- Now, these guys have their work cut out for them
Because in business, it's the customer that counts,
And one bad review can break you.
- Look at this. Look at this little
Outdoor experience. - Yeah, this is great.
- So I'll be judging the teams' hospitality skills
And their ability to deliver
A seamless and satisfying customer experience.
- Oh, my gosh.
- If they fully can't immerse themselves today,
Promise you, they may be in trouble tomorrow.
[tense music]
First job, the teams must choose an activity
To teach their guests.
They'll need to choose from reptile wrangling,
Axe throwing, fishing, or hiking.
- Why don't we do, like, a reptile experience...
- I'm up for reptiles. - So they can--we can be--
- Nope. Peace. - [laughs]
- Not a snake guy. - I'm not touching snakes.
- Not a snake guy. - I'm not wrangling snakes.
- I've heard about axe throwing.
- I like that one. - There's no snakes
In that one. - No.
- And we have a weapon just in case we do see a snake.
- Just in case, yeah. - I think that would be
Really fun.
- They have all this energy
Coming off the utvs,
So maybe axe throwing,
Which is, like, super extreme.
- No.
I know my strengths, and I know my weaknesses,
And that's one of them.
I want to do something else.
- Fishing. - Fishing--
- Yeehaw, back in the sticks. - [laughs]
- I don't know how I feel about fishing.
- I like fishing because it's just what I grew up doing.
- If we do fishing, then we can do a fish dish.
- I was a vegan for seven years,
And I've never been fishing in my life.
It's more respectful to, like,
Kill and then eat your food,
But I just don't have it in me.
I would rather starve.
- Aaron, do you feel like you could teach fishing?
- Oh, hell yes, I could teach fishing.
- I love fishing.
Both: Let's do fishing.
[awkward beat]
- [rattling]
- And I've cooked a lot in the desert,
And I've gone camping before.
- Next, the teams must decide their roles.
- I've had some experience
Cooking in the desert.
- I'll do tour guide? - Yeah.
- I am, like, the front-facing person
Of my company with toto,
And so I feel ready to, you know,
Be the hostess with the mostest as well.
- Now it's time to, like, go into the menu, right?
- Maybe even the axe throwing,
There's an element of hunting.
- You think about meat and potatoes.
- Yeah, I was thinking maybe, like, a pork chop?
- Ooh. - Okay.
- That'd be beautiful.
- We can even have them chopping some wood.
- What if we cooked with the wood that they chopped?
- Oh.
- And then maybe, like, cook brussels?
- Brussels? - Well, brussels are--
Would be first course. - It's not really
This type of environment.
- I think we have to try it. Let's do it.
- So I do personal chef experiences all the time,
And this is a personal chef experience.
I specialize in personal chef experiences,
Where I come out to the table
And I let them see myself,
See who's behind the plates, behind the palate.
That's what people look for,
And that's what makes me successful
And be an entrepreneur.
- Queen, I would absolutely love
To help you in the kitchen.
I have a culinary background.
Can I help you out there? - I'm great with that.
I wanna talk about the menu. - Love it.
- I'll tackle the main. - Mm-hmm.
- We'll do a beautiful whole trout.
- What if we did, like, an agua fresca
Using cactus berries?
As soon as everyone arrives,
We give them a nice cold beverage.
It'll be light, refreshing. - Yeah, that sounds good.
I am the only contestant that has been in the grilling
Three weeks in a row.
I think we have a really strong team,
So I hope that we're gonna work together and pull it off.
- We get to drive the utvs?
- And go fishin'!
Rock and roll! - Aah! Oh, my god.
- Whoo! Here we go.
- Just don't kill me.
[upbeat rock music]
- [screams]
♪ ♪
- That's the last time I let you drive.
- [scoffs] - all right?
- You're still alive.
- Hi. - How y'all doing today?
- Good. How are you? - Doing amazing.
- I'm doing fantastic.
- For the activity teams,
I've laid it on two experts
To give them a crash course.
- You guys ever thrown axes before?
- The closest thing I've ever come
To throwing an axe is throwing a high heel
When I was upset.
- [laughs] - is it not?
- You wanna press and hold your button down.
- In business, it's important to research.
- Just step and throw. - All right.
- Ooh. - Sweet.
- The teams must learn how to teach their activities
To their guests tomorrow.
- So I'm gonna start you right about there.
- Okay. - Yup, again, step and throw.
You might find yourself a natural.
- Ooh.
[axe clinks] [laughs]
- Don't do that tomorrow, please.
- I'm just warming up, guys. - Holy crap.
- I'm just warming up.
[light music]
♪ ♪
I've seen it done before,
And I'm like, "you know, how hard can that be?"
Apparently it can be pretty hard.
Chris, if you're so good, you give this a try.
Go ahead. Go ahead, pro. - All right.
- [groans] - not so easy, is it?
- I get it. [axe thuds]
- Ooh. - Oh.
- Back up just a hair.
♪ ♪
- Ahh!
- Just watch that wrist.
Don't flick those wrists. - Yeah.
♪ ♪
- Maybe we should've chose fishing.
Maybe. - Yeah, maybe.
Axe throwin' is a lot harder
Than what people think it is.
I'm worried about it tomorrow.
♪ ♪
- Oh, I got a fishie.
You kiss it for good luck. [smooches]
- Uh-- - oh, come on.
- Attagirl.
- [grunts] - nice work.
- Oh, my goodness.
- Caroline, the only way you're gonna catch a fish
Is if the bait's in the water.
Can you do this? - I don't know.
I'm wondering if I can maybe take on the role
Of just teaching how to do this part.
- You can't teach if you never do it.
- Hospitality is all about making sure
That people are having a great time,
So it's really disappointing
That she didn't wanna fish.
I am happy to be versatile
To make sure that we have a seamless experience.
- I don't think I can handle this part of it.
I really don't.
[dramatic music]
[dramatic rock music]
- Nine of america's top food and drink entrepreneurs...
- [shrieks] sorry. - Are competing
To win my investment of $250,000
Into their business.
Two teams must create an unforgettable experience
For ten thrill-seeking guests...
- Ooh, nice. - In the arizona desert.
- Oh, that's a serious heat right there.
- The team with the best customer feedback wins.
- You ever had to teach somebody how to cook, tony?
- Yeah, a bunch of people last week.
[both laugh]
There's nothing that excites me more
Than cooking outside with live fire.
With that grill pumpin', that is my element.
My product, tony b's steak chips,
It's all about the meat.
It's spicy. It's different. It's bold.
I'm really good at what I do,
And I know how to win.
Look at that. That's gbd right there, ashley.
- What does that mean? - That means
"golden brown, delicious."
- Golden brown, delicious. - [laughs]
[ambient western music]
- It's noon, and temperatures are soaring
To over 100 degrees.
- It is hot today.
- The yellow team are busy
Preparing their sample menu.
I'll be along shortly to taste it.
- As much as I love marketing,
Like, this is where I started,
And this is the reason for my existence.
Like, I love to eat. I love to cook.
- Oh, [bleep]! Yes, that worked.
- Is it beautiful? Let me see.
- That worked!
- I'm not feelin' it about the purple cabbage.
- What are you not feelin' about it?
- It's just too much. This is, like,
Three servings of cabbage to me.
Like, and the star should be, like, the fish.
- That's only about a cup of cabbage in it.
- I think that's way too much.
Do you think gordon will be okay with that?
- I don't wanna have this conversation right now.
- All right. - Okay, thank you.
- Seeing queen's trout,
There was way too much cabbage.
I immediately told her that, and she pushed back hard.
Sometimes I feel like she speaks down
To me a little bit, and I think she needs
To trust me a little bit more.
[insects trilling]
- At the red team's outdoor kitchen,
Tony and ashley are preparing their appetizer,
Brussels sprouts.
- I'm not a chef by any means,
But I definitely like to cook outside.
My kids like to get involved too.
My everyday job: Being a mom
And owning my company, happy grub.
I love it, and that's why I really wanted
To be in the kitchen, too, today.
This is how moms do it.
- There he is!
- Prep time up, the teams reunite.
- No one died...
- All right. - Yet.
[horn honking]
- Hey! - Wow.
Wow, that literally looks like the fish
That we were just fishing for.
- The head's on it.
- Time for me to find out what the teams are planning
For their adventure experience tomorrow.
[utv door clicks open] - all right, gordon's here.
- Hello.
- First up, the yellow team.
So how was the fishing?
- Incredible. - Good.
What we doing? - Megan is going ahead
And making them an agua fresca.
- We're gonna make sure it's nice and refreshing
Right as the guest gets here. - Yeah, lovely.
Right, this looks really awkward.
- Okay. - Anybody tell me why.
- It's filled with cabbage.
[tense music]
- We never stuff cabbage in a trout.
- Oh. - It's the wrong hard garnish
For a soft, oily fish.
- Gotcha. - Okay? Right.
I love the color of the fish. - Thank you.
- Who cooked that? - I did.
- Yeah, so it's cooked beautiful.
Great potential. Trout needs working on.
All of our customers want to leave a review,
And we need to take that seriously in business.
Okay, good. - All right. Nice job.
- Thank you. - And thank you, gordon.
- Thank you, gordon. - Thank you.
- Red team, how we doing?
- We tied the hatchet throwing
Into the food that we were making,
So what you have in front of you now
Is sweet mesquite brussels sprouts.
♪ ♪
- Dull plate of sprouts.
Gotta lift them.
I love the idea of citrus vinaigrette.
The other team have got a frickin' great menu.
Do something exciting with them, okay?
- Gotcha. - Yeah?
- This is our-- our hatchet chop.
- Let's get some fat on that pork chop.
I would never slice like that.
It dries, so be smart.
The big letdown here for me is the appetizer.
- Mm-hmm. - But you've shot yourself
In the foot there with sprouts
Because it's a hard one to elevate.
- Right. - That's the jeopardy.
- Heard that. - Good reviews is something
We all thrive on in business.
- Yeah. - Get that right.
Good luck. - Thank you very much.
- Thank you, gordon.
- The problem with the red team are
Those brussels sprouts as an appetizer.
That's a tough one. It's normally served as a side
And not something I would serve in this desert heat.
They have to make sure
The guests are enjoying that hearty meal.
- I'm upset at myself because I didn't taste
The brussels sprouts.
I have not been grilled yet,
So we cannot lose.
I know how to operate businesses,
And I apply that same method toward whatever I'm doing,
So I hope we're going to win this challenge.
- Today was really rough, y'all.
It was very hot. But you know what?
We got this. He said our menu is good.
He said this is where we're at. - Yes, yes.
- In the kitchen, it's--it's a lot.
We are trying to do a lot.
I am a little nervous on the time perspective,
But if we can get our timing down tomorrow,
I think this is definitely gonna be a win.
Both: One, two, three.
[all cheer]
- Yeah! - Whew.
- I don't doubt that they have good food,
But that doesn't necessarily mean
That they're gonna have good execution.
I don't wanna sit across from that table again.
- No, I don't--I do not wanna get grilled by gordon.
- Yeah.
- I really need gordon's investment
To take smart cups to the next level.
Gordon said our appetizer could be our achilles' heel,
And so we have to really elevate it,
And I'm counting on tony and ashley to do that.
♪ ♪
[dramatic western music]
- It's day two.
- It's a great day for some axe throwin'.
- Oh, my god.
- As temperatures soar in the arizona desert,
Both teams need to keep their cool
If they're to give their best immersive day out
To their thrill-seeking guests.
- I wanna hear about your plan
As far as the adventure part of it.
- I think I'm gonna introduce--
Like, right when the guests come,
Give them a little spiel on how things are gonna go down.
- Excellent. - I also have
A pretty great introduction moment.
- Yeah, I'm happy to have you talk.
[tense music]
But I'll, like, greet them
And tell everyone the itinerary
Because why wouldn't I?
- Lan and I have had an issue a couple times. [laughs]
Last week was really hard for me,
But I told myself this morning when I got here,
Just let it all go.
Gordan kept me around for a reason,
And I really need to, like, prove myself to him.
- The main thing that we have to do today
Is play nice and work together as a team.
♪ ♪
- We're gonna go get... - Awesome.
- The guests, and let's get this thing going.
- You guys got this? - Let's do it.
- Good luck! - All right!
- Catch some fish. - Here we go.
- Today is all about hospitality.
We have to give an experience to these guests
That they've never had before,
'cause if not, we're in trouble.
- Each team has split in two.
As the activity teams travel to greet their groups,
The kitchen teams have just one hour
To prep their camp-side dining experience.
- Let's go, chef. - I'm gonna do the salad.
- Timing is critical.
Everything must be ready for the guests' arrival.
[impressive western music]
♪ ♪
- Hello! Welcome!
- For both teams, like in every business,
Those first impressions are crucial.
- I'm aaron. I'll take you to our first car.
- You're in store for the most memorable day of your life.
- Here we go. - Whoo-hoo!
- Yeah!
- Whoo!
[upbeat rock music]
- Who's ready for axe throwing?
- Yeah! Axe throwing! [all cheering]
♪ ♪
- Now...
♪ ♪
I wonder if I'm staying left. - They're all going that way.
- Yeah, they're goin' fishin'.
- Yes.
[light awkward music]
Chris, you want me to keep veerin' left?
- I don't know if it was left or right.
I was just following you.
- If we get lost, we go--
- We trust you. - We get lost together.
- Yeah. - Yeah, exactly.
- As the red activity team get lost,
Their kitchen team are busy preparing
Their brussels sprout appetizer.
- How do you think they're doing with the axe?
- Oh, I think they're killin' it.
- So that's a good or bad thing.
[both laugh] right?
- That's right.
What needs to be done before service?
Everything.
Gordon, he wants the brussels sprouts
To be something that people will get excited for.
It's not easy to do, but we're gonna make it happen.
Execution is key.
- Over at the yellow team's kitchen...
- We're gonna have to set the table.
- It's queen and megan.
- I really would like to take the lead on this.
This is like my personal chef experiences,
Where I do the table. - I wonder if that's something
You wanna tackle first, just so it's out of the way.
- I'll judge it, and if it gets to a point
Where I need to stop doing what I'm doing and go for it,
We'll have that fine.
Let's get this thing poppin'.
- At the pond... [people cheering]
The other half of the yellow team
Are arriving at their fishing activity.
- And we're just gonna start the day
With some really exciting fishing.
Afterwards we have an exciting meal.
Aaron, he's the expert here, and whoever doesn't know
What they're doing, he's more than happy to jump in.
- Yeah. - The cool thing about
This area is that these trees are called mesquite trees,
And we're actually gonna be using
Some of that mesquite flour
For you guys in your meal,
Which we're very excited about.
- And I'll give you guys a little bit of a presentation
On how we should be fishin'.
You'll know when you have a fish on
Because your line's gonna go tight.
- And then, aaron, what do you shout out?
- Yeah, "fish on!" - fish on!
- So I want everybody screamin', "fish on!"
When you get a fish. - Yeah, okay.
- You guys ready to get started?
- Yes. - Whoo!
- Whoo! Let's do this!
[curious music]
- I know we're supposed to go this way.
Hmm.
I think we are not trying to go that way.
Turn around? [laughs]
Man, oh, man.
Are you having fun yet? All right.
- While the rest of the red team
Continue to search for their activity,
In the kitchen...
- We have 30 minutes left.
- Tony and ashley are against the clock.
- Just trying to execute everything as fast as we can
And elevate the crap out of it.
- Are you thinking bone in, bone out?
- Oh, bone in for sure. - Bone in.
- Feelin' a little bit nervous
Because we don't have a lot of time.
We have a lot of ingredients in our dishes,
So it's just trying to, you know, get ahead of it.
Most of my focus has to be on the grill.
We can't burn anything.
Something burns, we're out of luck.
- Tony, we have 25 minutes.
- Oh, [bleep].
- Preparing her welcome drink...
- I feel like whenever I make agua fresca at home,
It goes way too quickly, so I'm gonna try to make sure
We have plenty for our ten guests.
- Megan.
- Our guests are gonna be in the heat all day,
So we wanna make sure that as soon as they get here,
They'll have something to take the heat away a bit, so...
- Ready? Casting.
And let go.
- Oh, my god. - Look at that!
You did it. [both laugh]
- I've come to check in on the activities.
First up, the yellow team.
Morning, everybody.
- Good morning, gordon. - How are we?
Did you have any luck so far?
- No, we're strikin' out right now.
Oh, did he get one? - Oh!
- Oh, he got one. - No!
Fish on!
- That's the first fish of the day.
- Fishing's going really well.
The fish are biting, so that's created
A lot of excitement.
- You got one! - Oh, he's got--
[people cheering]
Now it's up to lan, caroline,
And aaron to make sure those guests
Are really taken care of.
- I would almost grab closer to the hook,
And then you can use your other hand,
And it makes 'em less floppy. Oh, there you go.
- Ooh. - [laughs] all good.
- Jesus. - [laughs]
[tense music]
♪ ♪
- There he goes. - Perfect.
It was entertaining to teach
Some of our guests how to fish.
I definitely did my missouri hick boy thing.
- [squeals] - fish on!
- Yeah!
- And I think it worked out great.
♪ ♪
[heavy western music]
♪ ♪
- And here we are.
- Apologize for going the long way on this.
- Over at the red team's activity...
- Let me show you how to throw an axe, okay?
- After a slow start,
Things are getting underway.
- You're gonna throw.
It's gonna be eye level.
That's when you release.
Eye level.
- [gasps] [axe clinks]
♪ ♪
- And that is an example as to how not to throw an axe.
Why don't we break up in two teams of five?
- Whoo! - Oh!
[cheers and applause] - good job!
- You see? - Let's go!
- Give me five.
- Hey!
- Let's just say I'm better at teaching people
How to throw axes than throwin' the actual axe, okay?
Yep. - Hey!
- Look at that. - Yeah.
- Nice. - It's time to see
How the red team are doing.
- Whoo! - There we go!
- Oh, so close!
- Red team,
Their axe throwing has gone down so well.
Chris and sydney are really helping
To make their guests feel excited.
[axe thunks] now tony and ashley
Need to make sure that that hearty meal
Also delivers a bull's-eye.
- Who would like to see gordon throw one?
- I would! [cheers and applause]
I would.
Throw it. Throw it. Throw it. - [laughs]
Seriously?
[grand music]
- Oh! - There you go!
[cheers and applause]
- Thanks, guys. - Good job, gordon. Good job.
Bam! Hit the bull's-eye.
What can't this guy do?
He got a michelin star just for throwin' a freaking axe!
He comes in... - [laughs]
- He throws an axe, and he walks out!
♪ ♪
- 1:00 p.M.
- You all right, tony? - Yep.
- And prep time is nearly up.
- I'm gonna do the table.
If you can't stand the heat,
Stay out of the kitchen, but in this case,
I suppose it's the desert.
Tony, we have five minutes!
- Aah! Five minutes.
- Table is done. - All right.
- Sorry, queen, to bring this up again.
- Yes. - We're gonna have
To set the table.
- Ma'am, let me deal with that.
This is more important to get on.
- The fish is important. No, I feel that.
All right.
- Let's get in our cars and let's head back
For a wonderful-- - all right.
- Here we go! - We had so much fun fishing,
And I'm hoping that that, you know, transferred
Onto the guests because I wanna win the 250k.
It is the cash infusion that I need
To take my business, pizza girl, national
And make it a huge brand.
[suspenseful music]
- The guests are about to arrive
For their outdoor dining experience.
[engines revving] - I think I hear the utvs.
We definitely gotta put a hurry on.
- Their feedback will determine this week's winner,
So everything now hangs on the kitchen teams.
- I'm gonna push-- - you didn't set the table.
- Come here. Come here. Wait. - No, I'm gonna set the table.
- You gotta finish your stuff.
You're the first course. - I need you
To set the table. - I got that. Switch.
- [sighs] I knew that was gonna happen.
I knew it.
♪ ♪
Make sure to put some flowers out.
I'm frustrated because I said I would do it first.
Queen said she was gonna tackle it, didn't get done.
♪ ♪
Oh, here they come.
[horn honking]
♪ ♪
I pushed, but sometimes stubbornness--
You can't push against stubbornness.
♪ ♪
- My two teams of food and drink entrepreneurs
Are running their own adventure tour businesses
In the arizona desert.
- Hey! [people cheering]
Hey, party people. How'd the fishing go?
- Fresh from team-building activities in the sun,
Their guests are expecting a top-class lunch.
- Here is your dining experience, guys.
- And we've landed. [people cheering]
- You know, the caravan comes up.
You know, spirits are high.
And I'm thinkin', they killed it.
Now we have to kill it.
- If you enjoyed the first part...
- Just wait. - You're gonna love this part.
[pan sizzling]
[tense music]
- On the yellow team,
In charge of the food, queen and megan.
♪ ♪
- The first thing that I see when I pull up
Is the tables being set by queen,
And then I see megan just racing around in the back.
The agua fresca isn't ready for the guests,
Which was very underwhelming.
♪ ♪
- Can you grab caroline? - Hmm?
- Grab caroline. - I surely will.
Give me a second. - Okay.
- Breathe, sweetie, breathe. - Well, we need someone
To do the agua fresca.
- I understand that, but breathe.
- Is it me that needs to breathe?
- You guys excited to be sitting down,
Having a meal? - Yeah.
- Of course. - It looks beautiful.
- Ice right here,
And we've got glasses on the table.
If you could just add some,
And we've got water over here.
- Well, we're gonna get you guys something to drink,
So just give us a couple seconds, okay?
♪ ♪
- All right, so I just gave caroline a brief on this.
It's been insane back here.
- I'm here. I got you.
We're gonna get these appetizers out.
Megan needed a lot of help
With her agua fresca.
She's saying she didn't feel supported by queen.
There's a lot of miscommunication going on.
It does not look good.
- Caroline, are you whippin' up agua fresca?
- Oh, you know it. I know you guys are hot,
So I gotta make sure that we refresh you, right?
Here we go.
It's just a light agua fresca.
- You ready to eat? - [laughing] yeah.
- You guys should be full by the end of this.
- Exactly.
- So I'm serving a trio of tostadas today.
Enjoy.
♪ ♪
- Here you go. - Over at the red team,
The drinks are flowing.
- And we'll be bringing out the appetizer here very shortly.
- Wonderful. Can't wait. - Yeah.
- Yeah, they're a little crispy, but they're not bad.
- This is a orange balsamic reduction.
- Oh, excellent. - Just to go
With the little brussels sprout salad.
This service is absolutely nuts.
As the leader of the kitchen, I have to keep my poise.
So if, you know, my team sees me freakin' out,
They're gonna freak out.
No, no, no, no, no. Don't do that.
Whoa. [bleep].
You didn't see that.
- Tony, we better not have any burnt chops there.
- Aah!
- Uh-oh.
- [bleep].
[suspenseful music]
Would you eat that? - No.
- No?
- How's it going over there?
♪ ♪
No answer, that's concerning.
♪ ♪
- Sorry, guys.
♪ ♪
- On the yellow team...
- Hello, everyone.
- Serving trout, queen.
- Enjoy. - Yes.
- Thank you. - Thank you.
♪ ♪
- What's up?
- Hers is raw? - Yeah, well...
- Okay. Don't eat that.
You don't wanna eat raw fish. - Yeah.
- Queen, one of 'em's raw.
♪ ♪
Miss kay's is raw.
- Miss kay? Who's miss kay?
- The one in the yellow here-- - in the yellow?
Okay, let me go ahead and take care of that.
♪ ♪
Miss kay, I do apologize about that.
- I don't think she's the only one.
- Okay. What the hell?
The trout was not fully cooked.
That's not how I run my kitchen.
That's not how I run my business.
I'm not that type of chef.
- I'm allergic to fish, so I can't eat fish.
The last time I had fish, I had anaphylaxis
And had to... - Oh, no. That's--
- Tch-tch, you know? [laughs]
Mm, goodness.
- Okay, I'm lookin' at this fish.
You let me know when you want me to take it out.
- Flip it. Flip it. - Okay.
♪ ♪
- [sighs] timing was off on-- - all right.
We got four total here. - On those.
[sighs] four total?
- Yeah. - Okay, one second.
I have to breathe 'cause--
- Gordon's here. - Oh, god.
♪ ♪
- Okay, yeah. Ladies, how we doing?
♪ ♪
[tense music]
- My two teams of entrepreneurs
Are running an adventurous outdoor dining experience
In the desert.
I'm testing their hospitality skills.
♪ ♪
The yellow team has a problem with their trout.
- Hers is raw?
We got four total here.
- One second. I have to breathe 'cause--
- Yep. - Aaron, will you--
- I'm checking in on the teams
To see how the meal experience is going.
Okay, yeah. Ladies, how we doing?
[dramatic music]
- We had a issue. - What was the issue?
- We had a issue was that some of the fish
Was not cooked. - Is that cooked?
Oh, you're kidding me. - I just put it back on.
- It was beautiful presentation, though.
- Stop shouting at me about beautiful presentation.
Let's not fake it 'cause if you look stupid, I look stupid.
You're not making me look stupid
'cause right now, your tables look like
A [bleep] sushi bar.
♪ ♪
- Megan, what game are you playing?
If you're playin' a individual game,
That's not a good look on your behalf.
- Holy [bleep].
- You know it's crazy when gordon has
To fix your mistakes.
- You know, gordon walks over.
Literally "the house is on fire," right?
And megan throws queen under the bus
And then has this smile on her face
Like nothing bad is going on.
♪ ♪
There is a snake in the grass.
- [rattling]
- I've come to check in on the red team.
Right, man, how you doing?
- Doing well, chef. - All good?
You're gonna get a great sear
On those pork chops on there, yeah?
- Yes. - You tasted those yesterday.
Deliver that flavor profile. - Yes, chef.
- Okay, remember, it's an experience
Never to forget, yes?
- Yeah. - Understood.
- Here's your main.
- Wow. [gasps] oh, my god.
- In regards to quality control,
Tony knows how I work now.
I'm not going to send that out to customers.
Especially, oh, my gosh,
If gordon pulls out something
Super burnt, like, no.
Hell no, that's not gonna happen.
[bluesy rock music]
[tense music]
- A little bit of white left,
And then we have red.
- Aaron's job is to primarily be front of house,
Keep people entertained,
But, you know, he's standing there
And not really doing anything.
♪ ♪
- Aaron, what's going on?
It's all going pear-shaped. What are you doing?
- Um-- - be a bit more proactive.
You run a business.
Act like you run a business.
Okay, let's go.
♪ ♪
- What is it? - Another trout
That needs to go back on the grill.
- Are you kidding me?
I'm honestly really worried.
50% of our fish came back
Raw in the middle.
When I looked at the guest's face,
They--they didn't seem too happy.
♪ ♪
- Dining over, it's now down to the guests
To judge each team's adventure tour.
- The hospitality has been beyond.
I haven't had an opportunity
To complain about anything at all, which is really nice.
- I would definitely bring my family next time.
- They'll be judging the activity,
The food, and the hospitality
And feeding back through an app.
- This whole experience has been great.
It was really fun going out and fishing,
Going on the utvs.
- Love the experience. For the meal...
Probably just recommend them
To take a little longer when they cook it.
- The team with the best feedback will win,
And members of the losing team will face the grilling.
- Lan and caroline, thank you very much
For not throwing me underneath the bus,
And I appreciate that.
- Gordon ramsay's investment is the catapult
That my business needs,
And I wanna be that international spice purveyor.
I hope he truly sees that I still deserve
To be in this competition.
- Tomorrow both teams will meet me back in la,
Where I'll reveal the results.
♪ ♪
- Another day in paradise.
- Yeah.
♪ ♪
- Oh, boy. - Ooh, it's gonna be okay.
♪ ♪
- Ready? - Yes.
[indistinct chatter]
♪ ♪
[door clicks shut]
- Okay, welcome back.
This challenge was all about
Providing top-notch hospitality
Even in an extreme environment.
Adventure tourism has one big thing in common
With the rest of the hospitality industry:
You're only as good as your last review.
Each and every one of us in this room live on that.
I can't invest in anybody
Who does not keep the customer top of mind.
Let's start off with the red team.
Sydney and chris, you took charge
Of the axe throwing.
- Yes, we did. - What kind of feedback
Do you think you got back from the customers?
- I think they had a great time.
They all were smiles and were grateful.
- Tony and ashley, you took care of the kitchen.
Brussels sprouts as an appetizer--
Do you think that was the right choice?
- Absolutely.
- It was bold, but I think we nailed it.
- Okay, the yellow team.
Aaron, caroline, and lan,
You led the guests at the lake.
What kind of feedback do you think you got
Back from those customers?
- Overall, I think the fishing experience was good,
And it seemed to be enjoyed by our customers.
- Queen, megan, you both ran the kitchen.
What do you think led to that breakdown?
- I think our time would've been better spent
If we'd collaborated early on
To get those initial dishes out of the way.
- I disagree, and that's not what happened.
The reason why we actually came undone
Was because megan did half of the stuff
That she was supposed to do.
- I do have to back her up on this one moment.
When I walked in and saw that the house was on fire
And everything was going down,
Megan did nothing to help the situation.
She made it all about herself. - Oh, my god.
- This is completely false.
We should've been all hands on deck
Between you and I.
I was ready to ask for help.
- How many times did you make it all about you
When she needed help?
♪ ♪
[tense music]
- We should've been all hands on deck
Between you and I.
I was ready to ask for help.
- How many times did you make it all about you
When she needed help?
- Yellow team, only asked why did it break down?
- This is why it broke down. I apologize.
♪ ♪
- Time to reveal the results.
I took all that guest feedback into careful consideration.
However, there's one clear winner.
This week's winning team is...
♪ ♪
The red team.
[applause]
Well done.
As a team, you four had a 93% approval rating
From your guests. [people cheering]
Those reviews stated
That you were the perfect hosts.
They raved about those frickin' brussels sprouts.
[laughter]
- Thank god.
- Great job, all four of you.
Yellow team... [sputters]
♪ ♪
The scenes were chaotic,
And it's clear you lacked time management.
Now, there were some bright spots
In those reviews.
Caroline and lan,
The reviews mentioned that you both worked very hard
To provide a great experience across the fishin',
So you two are not facing the grilling tonight.
♪ ♪
- [sighs] - thank you.
- Now, queen, aaron, and megan,
Your poor performance was written about
Across those online reviews.
So I need to hear about what really happened back there.
I'll see you in the restaurant.
♪ ♪
- I am genuinely surprised
That I'm going into the grilling.
I thought that I did really well.
I don't think I'm to blame for our issues this week.
♪ ♪
- Queen, sit down, please.
- Yes, sir.
- Aaron, sit down. - Yes, sir.
- Megan, sit down, please.
At week five, first time in the grilling.
- Mm-hmm. - This challenge was about
Your hospitality skills and time management.
What happened there? - As soon as we got back,
Queen was still finishing preparing the tables
And we didn't have the drinks ready.
- Mm-hmm. - And so right off the jump,
Our time management was poor.
- What happened, from your point of view?
- I was not met with the right support from my partner.
I spent the first portion of my time
Creating an agua fresca.
- Same agua fresca that wasn't ready in time.
How can cooking for ten guests go so wrong, in your mind?
- I thought megan and I were on the same page.
Soon as the utvs come up, she was not ready.
- Let's talk about that time management.
What happened there? - Queen's ego
And stubbornness got in the way.
In the kitchen, she repeatedly pushed back
Whenever I tried to give advice.
I was constantly pushing against a brick wall.
- What did you see in that kitchen
Between queen and megan?
- Megan wanted more help,
And queen said she gave it to megan,
But there was this miscommunication,
And they were working on their dishes very individually.
- Across three challenges now...
- Yes. - Your partners that have been
In the kitchen alongside you are telling me
That you will not take their feedback.
It's one thing to stand your ground...
- Yes. - But it's another thing
To shut yourself off to the opinions from others.
- Wow. - I'm here to invest
In your business.
I'm deeply worried the fact
That you're not willing to take advice.
♪ ♪
I noticed that one of your guests
Reeled in a fish.
The fish fell off... - Uh-huh.
- And then you started to boot the fish back into the pond.
- Mm-hmm.
- What kind of image does that curate
When we're supposed to be mindful of that environment?
- Back home, that's essentially what we do
When it comes onto the bank. - You're not back home.
Not a smart move in front of the guests.
Why did you fake it with me
When I asked you, "what is going on here?"
- I saw queen was starting to crack under the pressure.
I didn't want her to crumble...
- I get that. - And that was my intention.
- But if the [bleep] hits the fan in business
And I'm your partner down the line,
Is that how you're gonna tell me the truth?
- Absolutely not.
- You may be one of the youngest
At 20 years of age.
I know you could've stepped up
And used your voice.
Why didn't you use that? - I should've,
And going forward, I will 100% step in.
- Half of the fish served on that table
Were sent back undercooked.
- Correct. - It's easier
Cooking a trout than it is a hamburger on a grill.
- I take full responsibility
For what happened with the trout.
- You do not wanna invest in someone
Who is not going to take your advice.
- Everybody else stepped up but her.
She ran the other way.
- Queen, thank you.
♪ ♪
Thank you, megan.
- Thank you, chef.
- Thank you.
♪ ♪
- Aaron, queen, and megan,
I've had to make a very tough choice.
I think it's the toughest choice so far
In this competition.
The person I will not be investing in...
♪ ♪
That person is...
♪ ♪
Queen.
- What?
♪ ♪
- In this challenge,
You had very poor time management,
But for me, the biggest red flag
Is the fact that when people work with you,
You do not collaborate well with them
When their opinions differ from yours.
And for those reasons,
I will not be investing in you.
We're done.
But I know that you've got the determination
To make indulgent essential spices
A huge success.
God bless. - Thank you, sir.
♪ ♪
It's okay.
♪ ♪
- I can tell that queen has a big heart,
But I cannot partner with someone
Who isn't able to consider other opinions
From her teammates.
- This one isn't for me, but another one will be.
It actually stinks to be goin' home.
This journey has been amazing.
I was able to find myself.
I know I made my mother, my wife, my business proud.
- Gordon said that I need to step in,
Be a leader, and use my voice.
I still am the youngest person here,
And I really do think I have what it takes
To win gordon's investment.
If gordon wants more, I'm gonna give him more.
- $250,000 would be game-changing
For my business.
I wanna be national.
I want to win,
And I'm still here.
- Bye, queen. We love you.
- I love y'all too.
[applause]
- Whoo.
♪ ♪
- Next time...
I'd like all of you to create
Your very own recipe videos for social media.
I'm expecting fireworks, okay?
- This is a hard freakin' task.
- I'm testing your ability
To communicate through digital marketing
And be trendsetters.
- Look at that, those shadows.
- She just tries to overpower everyone with her "knowledge."
- We did our best.
- No, we didn't do our best.
- I swear, like, I just wanted to help make it better.
That was the hardest moment
Of my entire competition. [crying]