>> male narrator: in the culinary world, there are always innovators with new ideas and products, but turning a dream into a reality requires money-- lots of it. now they'll have a chance to get both funding and guidance from two of the industry's heaviest hitters. joe bastianich owns 30 restaurants and co-owns eataly, a high-end italian market. tim love is a celebrity chef with five award-winning restaurants and a retail empire. they're both looking for the next food visionary, and they're willing to put their money where their mouth is. each week, joe and tim will give just one team $7,500 and 36 hours to turn this empty space into their dream restaurant. then they'll open the doors to the public. >> it's really good. i really like it. >> narrator: if one or both think there's serious profit to be made... >> the food's good. >> narrator: they'll offer to bankroll the business with their own money.

tonight, two teams that see big bucks in small-plate concepts. >> what do people say about your food? >> it's better than sex. >> oh! >> i love nothing more than taking down a whole pig, making it into various different charcuteries. >> narrator: will one of them walk out with a deal that could change their lives? [exciting music] ♪ this is... first up, anne chen and cindy pao, best friends who pair traditional taiwanese dumplings with unusual fillings. >> we are... >> both: bling bling dumplings. >> both cindy and i are originally from taiwan, and our dumplings are the best in l.a. we combine traditional taiwanese family recipes with modern american flavors. >> hi. i am anne.

>> i'm cindy. we are bling bling dumplings. >> we are true foodies. we learned traditional chinese cooking by our taiwanese mother and grandmoms. >> this whole idea came about when we went to taiwan to visit, and we realized in america, there wasn't much that tastes like home. so we decided to start crafting our own dumplings. >> inventing flavor like cheeseburger, chicken taco dumplings. >> it makes us very unique because of the traditional and then the new. we are selling our dumplings through different grocers in los angeles, and now we're ready for a flagship restaurant. >> in order to make our dream come true, we're asking for $300,000, exchange 20% our business, so we have money, have a secure space, and equipments to make bling bling a real thing. >> what do people say about your food? what's the word on the street? >> better than sex. >> oh! >> better than sex? >> and they will call, like, our dumplings like crack sauce. >> crack sauce. >> crack sauce? >> they would just--yeah. >> sex in your mouth with crack sauce. let's taste it.

>> so tell us. what did you give us? >> we have the cheeseburger dumpling. second one is the chicken taco dumpling. >> chicken taco. >> yeah. >> and the third one is? >> is our vegan dumpling. >> all right. i'ma check this out. >> so our cheeseburger dumpling has mozzarella, cheddar, caramelized onions, and we use all free-range meat. >> the texture of the meat's really good. >> yeah. >> i feel like it could be a little bit more cheesy for a cheeseburger. >> cheeseburger dumpling is a little bit dense. i think you have to figure out a way to lighten up a little bit. >> so the next one is... >> that's the chicken taco dumpling. >> chicken taco. this is the one i was looking forward to. >> the chicken taco dumpling has green onions, cilantro, and there's jalapeño in there too. >> yum. >> that one's really good. >> the chicken taco? >> yeah. the jalapeño gets you a little bit on the back of the throat, which i love a lot. >> yeah. >> i've never had chicken taco inside of a dumpling, which is pretty exciting. >> the sauce is delicious. >> yeah, it's great sauce. >> you make your own sauce? >> yeah. >> uh-huh. >> it's delicious. >> what's in it? >> everything. >> you don't have to tell me a secret recipe. just give me an idea. >> it's a secret recipe. >> if i give you $300,000, will

you give me the recipe? >> then that's different. >> then you know the secret. >> if i give you 300,000, i'm gonna have all the recipes. >> the last one is? >> our vegan dumpling, which has seven different types of vegetables. >> the vegetarian one tastes really good with the sauce. >> yeah. >> i like the vegetarian one. i think it's very light. really good. >> yeah. >> let's talk about your logo. >> i think the graphics are pretty good. >> yeah, i like it. >> yeah. >> it tells me exactly what you're selling. food. >> what about the history of the company? what do the numbers look like? >> the first year, it was really low 'cause were both working full-time. it was, like, maybe 15 grand. >> what'd you do last year? >> because we went full-time last year, we did 60 grand. >> okay. >> so how much does a package cost? >> both: 15. >> we sell $15. >> 15. so how many dumplings are there? >> eight in there? >> ten. >> ten, okay. >> so a buck fifty apiece? >> yeah. >> what does it cost per dumpling to make? >> about 50¢. >> that's pretty good. >> what was the revenue last year in the wholesale business for the dumplings? >> wholesale was about half. >> how much? >> 30,000. >> 30,000 you grossed in wholesale. >> right. >> all right. so break down how you're gonna

spend my $300,000. >> the front of the house will cost about 20 grand. the back of the house will be probably around 20 grand. and then all our equipment, that will cost about 100 grand. signage, uniforms. >> i think 10,000. >> plus the rent which will run about 100 grand for the whole--i'm estimating for the whole year. >> and what size restaurant are you thinking? >> i'm thinking it's going to be between 4,000 to 6,000 square feet. >> that's pretty big. >> okay. your numbers are a little bit all over the place, but your food is actually quite good. >> all right, ladies. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> all right. >> up next, gavin and jessica mills, a husband and wife team that sell their own line of pates and gourmet potted meats. they hope to open a small cafe that also sells their products. >> mills & company is a charcuterie and provisions company. i'm a chef. i make pates, mousses,

rillettes. me and my wife have always wanted a business. >> we're ready to boom. >> my last job, it didn't really work out. this is my chance to reinvent myself as a chef. >> we just need the money to be able to go to the next level. >> hello. my name is gavin mills. >> and i am jessica mills. >> we own mills & company. we are a local los angeles based creator of artisanal classic charcuterie. we also do whole animal butchery. i love nothing more than taking down a whole pig, making it into various different charcuteries. amazing feeling. >> he's an english chef. he's actually michelin-trained in london. >> i went to culinary school and started working in michelin star restaurants in london. >> are you cooking now? >> i consult on a restaurant in agoura hills, and i work part-time at the bakery where i make this. >> after leaving his last job, gavin decided he didn't want to work for anyone else anymore. so we started mills & company, and we have been extremely successful since day one. >> right now, we're in farmers' markets, and we need to take our business to the next level. >> we really want to create an

artisanal charcuterie and cafe. we want people to come and be able to purchase our pates, our mousses, and rillettes. but we also want people to be able to come and sit down. >> so it's a market cafe. >> exactly. >> i know a little bit about that. >> i thought you might, yeah. >> just a little bit. >> we are here for $500,000 for 20% of our company. >> can we taste some stuff? >> absolutely. >> sure, let's do it. >> we have our chicken liver mousse topped with our pickled, spiced blueberry. like peanut butter and jelly, some say. >> that's very good. >> thank you. >> great texture, very smooth. >> we've converted a lot of liver haters into liver lovers. >> yeah, exactly. and the blueberries are a great contrast for it, though. >> very rich. it has a nice chicken-liver flavor. it's really good. now, what are you calling this? >> this is our duck pate, port-poached cherries, smoked duck breast, and pistachio nuts. >> it's properly done, but it doesn't really tantalize me and get me excited. it just feels like it doesn't have any salt.

>> it's too sweet. >> okay. >> what are you calling this? >> pork rillette. >> rillette. >> a little bit of white wine, and lots of pork fat. >> i taste the white wine especially. all three of the items have great texture. it's just a lovely dish, really is. >> thank you. >> so you're selling in farmers' markets, and how much have you sold? >> last year in four months, we sold 15,000. this year in three months, i believe we've sold about $12,000. but we're on track to sell over $60,000 this year. >> what does a jar like that wholesale for? i'm just curious. >> this is about 6 bucks. >> 6 bucks. >> what does that cost you? >> that costs me 2 bucks. >> 2 bucks including the jar. >> yeah. >> that's not bad. >> yeah. >> what do you do? >> i do marketing and p.r. for a catering company here in los angeles. >> okay. >> so i bring the sales. i bring the marketing. >> who did your logo? >> a friend of ours. >> friend of ours. >> i don't love it. >> the name has to say something that says food to me. i don't think that's good for a shop at all. it doesn't say, "come in here and have a glass of wine," at all. >> how do you guys work together as a husband and wife team? >> it took us ten years to work

out our marriage, so, you know, working at our business--well, you know how it is. >> who's got the final word? when i have the hard meetings, who am i gonna talk to, you or her? i figured that. >> yeah. >> yeah. she wears the pants. >> let's talk about numbers. you got some numbers together? >> both: yeah. >> let's see what you've got. we're looking for a 3,000-square-foot place. we want 500 front of house, so very small, very compact. >> have you priced that? >> it's about 14,000 a month. >> what do you think your sales are gonna be? >> we are projecting 120,000 per month. that's based on 10,000 pounds of charcuterie per month. >> how many pounds? >> both: 10,000. >> we're butchering six pigs at 300 pounds a pig per week. >> here's the thing. you are not valuing your own asset fully. your greatest value to me is cooking hot dishes of food that we can sell and make money on. >> yeah. >> when i think about what you're trying to do, i think about charcuterie done better with a steak frites, a salmon, a lentil, and a red wine sauce, and a coq au vin on the menu, real bistro style.

and i think that is a formula that works. when i invest in something, i want to invest in the valuable assets, not in your dreams and your aspirations. >> right. >> you need to open a restaurant first and make a name for yourself before you try to market your retail. make sense? >> yeah, it does make sense. >> we'll talk about it. >> great. >> and we'll let you know what we're gonna do. >> thank you. thank you so much. >> thank you very much. >> so we've heard two very compelling pitches, mills & company, and bling bling dumpling. but clearly, we can only have one go through to give them the opportunity. >> for bling bling, it's very obvious that you're very passionate and that your life experiences within food is something you bring to the table in a big way. >> i think the dumplings are really good. it's scalable, marketable. i see how it could grow. there's a real opportunity there. but, you know, your business sense, it makes me nervous, really nervous. for mills & company, you bring a lot of real life cooking

experience, and the food that we tasted had a very clear vision to it. however, i think that going to any experience at night has to involve getting a meal. is charcuterie with a couple of pickled vegetables what people would consider dinner? >> you're a cook. i'm a cook, too. but i have some indecision about your ability to run this. anything that kind of involves, like, running the business, you seem to veer to her, and that worries me a little bit when i'm talking to you. >> who are we gonna launch here in l.a.? is it gonna be bling bling dumplings, or is it gonna be mills & company charcuterie?

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>> so we have two very, very different products here. with bling bling dumplings, you have southeast asia dumplings, a very much ethnic, asian-based street food whose ambition is to go to brick-and-mortar restaurants. and then with mills & company, you have very eurocentric, old world charcuterie. >> but we can only move one of you forward and give you $7,500 and 36 hours to test your concept right here in l.a. i have to say, this is a very tough decision, but we're gonna have to go with... mills & company.

>> thank you so much. >> bye, guys. thanks for coming. >> this could change our lives. it means everything to us, and it's gavin's opportunity to shine. >> congratulations. >> thank you so much. >> chef. so you need to create a restaurant menu that goes beyond just a charcuterie plate. we want to see the best of what you've done in the past, and we'd like to see your aspirations for the future all put on the plate right here. we're gonna have our friends come in, chefs, food critics, taste the food, have the experience, be very critical, and then we'll decide. okay? >> absolutely. >> good luck. >> thank you so much. >> congrats. >> this is huge for me. i can actually stop working two jobs, and i can focus solely on making my dream a reality. this is perfect. i cannot believe this. ten years, babe. >> [laughing] i know! >> ten years, and we're gonna get $1/2 million. >> this is gavin's dream.

we're gonna listen to joe and tim. we're gonna focus on the restaurant, expand the menu, and not worry about the retail at all. >> i am so excited. we're gonna do a gastropub-- amazing food, rustic look. it's gonna be incredible. this is perfect. jess! >> yeah. >> look at this. you should see all this stuff. they've got everything we need. i'm so happy. >> hello, mills & co. >> hi. >> what's going on? >> narrator: consultant waylynn lucas works for joe and tim, a pastry chef and entrepreneur who's opened her own bakery. she'll help gavin and jessica prep for their restaurant launch. >> as you know, joe and tim have given you $7,500 and 36 hours to transform this space. here is a ledger to account for your spending. >> good. you're a penny pincher, so... >> yes. >> somebody has to be. >> yeah, right. >> they will be looking at three very important key things. >> okay. >> taste. joe and tim love the taste of

your food; however, they want you to expand your menu because you need to serve more than just appetizers. next, branding. does your logo speak true to your concept, and can you create an inviting restaurant space? and lastly, growth potential. you need to have a solid business plan and show that your business can grow and make money. so i'm not gonna waste any more of your time. get to it. >> narrator: with much to do, and little time, the mills team decides to divide and conquer. jessica will take care of the logo and signage while gavin heads over to a butcher shop. >> here you are. >> nice. look at the little beauty. just what i'm looking for. how much is it? >> this one is 225. >> perfect. i think i'm actually gonna take both. >> okay. >> i love working with whole animals 'cause i can get it cheaper, 'cause i can butcher it myself. the profit margins are just so much better. when i butcher a pig, i do snout

to tail. nothing goes to waste here. >> narrator: the two pigs total $463, but there's a lot more food still to buy. >> joe and tim weren't too excited about the logo itself. >> the name has to say something that says food to me. it doesn't say, "come in here and have a glass of wine," at all. >> gavin wants to try to incorporate a pig. >> okay. >> yeah. >> were you thinking to incorporate that in the storefront logo, or-- >> mm-hmm. >> and it really--it plays up the, you know, this is a food, a charcuterie. i guess we'll just talk more later. >> all right. thanks, sharon. it was great to meet you. >> great to meet you. >> thanks, bye. >> narrator: back at the restaurant, gavin meet up with a designer to share his vision for mills & company. >> uh, we want to do a gastropub, casual environment, but really good food. >> mm-hmm. >> big union jack right here. >> big union jack. >> of course. it's british. we need as much british as we can. >> okay. >> like the table top... >> furniture with union jack on it. >> of course. >> and you know you have a budget, right?

>> [laughs] yes. >> so i need to get all your numbers in order. >> all right, yes. jess is gonna love this. she's gonna wish she'd thought of it. then she's gonna take credit for it. >> narrator: with only 30 hours left, gavin must begin butchering the pig to prepare his charcuterie. >> i love working with whole animals. there's something very beautiful about taking a whole animal and just using every part of it. gonna use the head for the head cheese. we're gonna use the back legs for the bangers. we're gonna try and use as much as we can. >> narrator: jessica returns, and with no time to spare, mills & company needs to agree on their final menu. >> all right, appetizers. >> charcuterie and cheese. >> obviously, yeah. >> want to do a watercress? >> oh, right. okay. we want to do the bangers and mash, which is very... >> english. >> english. but--no. sorry. should we do fish? >> why don't we do fried chicken livers? >> it's america, sweetie. it's not england.

i just kind of feel like we need one that's gonna be a little bit simple, little bit easygoing. and scallops is one of your signatures. >> you're really making my life difficult, woman. >> it's what i aim to do, honey. >> on the menu, i want to do liver. i want to do sweetbread, but jess, she thinks we need a more safe menu. >> narrator: gavin compromises and shifts his menu towards jessica's more conservative approach. >> so let's order everything. >> okay. >> narrator: and while they send off their grocery list to waylynn, the furniture gavin ordered arrives. >> you'll love it. trust me. >> [laughs] no. >> yes! hey, look, i'm english. >> england just threw up in here. what the [bleep] is this? >> no. >> it's horrible. >> it's not horrible. >> narrator: coming up... >> we're not going to lose $500,000 because you put us over budget. >> yes, i get it. >> i was gonna say, he said, "gnocchi." this is not gnocchi. >> you guys got to get your

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>> having made all the interior design decisions on his own, gavin's style of furniture isn't sitting well with jessica. >> i'm gonna have to say i may have been wrong on the "jess is gonna love it" thing. she hates it. >> i'm about to throw up in here. it's horrible. >> it's not horrible. >> you do know it's going back, right? >> no, it's not. >> yeah, 'fraid so. >> well, we've already rented it. >> so now you've wasted our money. get out. >> no. >> get out and go to the kitchen where you belong. >> you always get your [bleep] way. >> this isn't a wonderful, cozy english gastropub. it's freakin' austin powers. >> narrator: with 28 hours left till launch, jessica takes control of the interior design, giving roy a more practical vision. >> i'm thinking about warm and cozy and comfortable, but it's also rustic. >> i do have some walnut tables that are actually-- >> okay. um, barstools. well, those are within the same vein.

is that something that's gonna be within that budget? >> narrator: the price for the new furniture is $3,942. when the $562 fee for the returned furniture is figured in, it brings their design budget to $4,504, leaving a budget balance of $2,533. just as the furniture makes its way back to the truck, new logo samples arrive for gavin and jessica's review. >> how about we start with you taking a look at some of the ideas. >> these are awesome. >> i really like that. >> okay. >> i really like that, just very natural, very simpleness of it. >> okay. that's great. it looks like we have a logo. tim and joe i think are really gonna love the new logo, and we really took to heart what they said about a food centric logo. i really think they're going to see that we paid attention and listened. >> narrator: the total cost for the logo and signage is $1,100, leaving $1,433 remaining in the budget.

as gavin's food order comes in, gavin and jessica begin working on their business plan. >> babe, i'm trying to figure out the monthly amount for staff. how many servers? >> we need ten servers. >> okay. >> budget, that's jess. she's great in numbers. me? this is where i shine, the kitchen. my domain. >> hey. >> hi. >> how's it going? >> so tomorrow is a very, very big day. there is absolutely zero room for error. so i'm gonna give you two hours to come up with your complete menu exactly how you're gonna present it to joe and tim. >> let's do it. >> okay. >> see you then. >> thank you. >> so you wanna peel me, like, 15 yukon gold potatoes? >> gavin, this peeler's awful. >> you've got to go faster than that, baby. >> i know, gavin. i'm going as fast as i can. >> all right, charcuterie board's done--i've got the pickles, got the mustard, got the blueberries, got the chicken liver, got the headcheese. i'm doing the polenta now. >> so i've still got a lot of potatoes left. i'm sorry. you're gonna be done with all

your [bleep], and i'm still gonna be peeling. >> probably so, yes. >> [groans] >> i'm gonna do the charred tomato vinaigrette. if you can find the watercress next, right? it feels great to be back in the kitchen running my own restaurant, doing what i do best. this feels amazing. i'm on such a high right now. ready? >> yep. >> narrator: two hours later, waylynn returns to taste the menu. >> god damn it. >> talk me through it. >> all right. >> let's go dish by dish. >> all right. so first we have a pan-seared diver scallop. >> okay. >> it's on soft polenta with a roasted tomato, caper, and basil vinaigrette with just a little arugula salad. >> what's your food costs for this item? >> about 4.50. >> what are you going to charge? >> uh, $16. >> so that's like a 30% food cost. that seems a bit high, don't you think? >> we make it up in the bangers, which is a lot cheaper. so i try and balance out the menu. then we have a classic gastropub, bangers and mash. we did a robuchon potato, so

they're super creamy and very buttery, very rich. >> what's your food cost? >> probably about 2.50, 3.00. >> and what are you charging this as an entree dish on your menu? >> we're gonna charge that $19. >> that's a good profit margin. >> yeah. >> waylynn was quizzing me on food costs. she wants to make sure that i know and understand numbers. it is imperative that joe and tim understand that i know how to run a good food cost. these are the backbones of every restaurant. >> good food. >> awesome. >> very impressed on the flavor of the food, and very impressed on how you two worked together. all right. i do have your food cost budget. >> great. >> so everything that was on this list that you provided, we bought. and here is that total including the two pigs you bought. >> whoa! >> $2,151. >> narrator: the total food cost including the pigs is $2,151. gavin and jessica are now over budget by $255.

>> if they want an investment from joe and tim, they better figure out how to manage a budget. >> narrator: as the restaurant begins to take shape, jessica and gavin try to resolve their budget issues. >> so first you had to buy your austin powers bull[bleep], $600. $600, and now you overbought? >> i don't want to run out. do you want to look like a [bleep] schmuck that runs out? >> we're over budget on our food because gavin is trying to play it safe, but i really don't want this to come and bite us in the ass. we're not going to lose $500,000 because you put us over budget. >> i mean, for [bleep] sake, it happens. i'm frustrated at myself too. you don't have to [bleep] rub it in. >> it's $500,000, gav. >> yes, i get it! i feel awful right now. i have jeopardized our one chance of getting investment. this could be really bad. >> narrator: coming up... >> jessica has no idea what

she's doing in front of the house. blech. i'm not impressed. i don't like it. how's the watercress? >> overdressed. >> if you really wanted to show how overdressed it is, you'd take it, and you'd do this. told you. >> it's foul.

>> narrator: with food costs putting them $255 over budget, gavin and jessica need to figure how to cut expenses. >> i've got an idea. you got my phone? we've got to hustle. we've got to figure out some way to get under budget. i have a whole pig left. i've got a friend in town that does whole animal butchery. i'm gonna try and sell this thing. bruce. quick question for you. how do you fancy buying a whole pig from me? i have one for sale. i've just got to get rid of it 'cause i ordered too much. okay. like 300 bucks. is that cool? [laughs] i've just sold the pig. we're actually under budget. >> this is a huge relief. >> narrator: selling the pig at $300 drops the food cost to $1,851, leaving them a positive balance of $45. it's launch day for mills & company.

their menu is set, and interior is taking shape. if they can impress the investors, gavin and jessica could realize their dream of owning a gastropub in l.a. [laughter] >> surprise. >> wow, that is amazing. you managed to make it look classier than i--than my furniture. [laughter] oh, wow. it really has a rustic feel. it has a pub feel. it looks just like a proper british gastropub. jess did an awesome job, and she got my union jack in there. this is probably one of the most important days of my life. i have so much work still to do. >> narrator: with the launch just hours away, the staff arrives to lend jessica and gavin a hand. gavin and his cooks get started preparing for the dinner rush... >> we'll make the mash and the gnocchi the first. >> okay. >> and when we've got that going, i'll give you the rest of the jobs, okay? >> narrator: while jessica assigns the front of the house. >> we've done the menu. we've done everything that joe and tim wanted.

hopefully, it'll be enough that they're gonna want to invest in our dream. >> narrator: joe and tim arrive. >> i'm kind of excited about this one. >> me too. this is gonna be a good one. >> narrator: they'll be watching closely to see if gavin and jessica have been able to transition their concept from just charcuterie to a full gastropub. >> hello, waylynn. >> what's happening? >> gentlemen, what do you think? >> i think it looks fabulous. >> yeah. >> they clearly paid attention to what we were saying about the logo. the name's good. i like the pig up there. >> how did they do, operationally? >> they did great. this guy is a restaurant guy. he's a chef. he knows what he's doing. that's not the issue. the big issue, i would say, would be the money management. >> i'm as concerned in his ability to make profit and be able to manage a budget as i am his ability to cook. >> let's go inside and check it out. >> all right. >> ooh, that looks pretty good. >> i feel like i've been transported to the west side of london in a gastropub. >> we haven't really seen a room kind of come together like this yet, and so i'm--it's impressive to me.

and the woman of the hour. >> hi, jessica. >> you've done a great job here. >> thank you. >> we really like the look of it--really do. i think you kind of took our advice well. the place looks delicious, you know. >> i think that the rebranding of the logo is really good. i think that it's kind of consistent messaging throughout, from the packaging to the storefront. so in my mind, i walk in here, i know what the food's gonna be. i know what my experience is gonna be. i'm looking for a pint of hand-drawn ale and bangers and mash. so i'm already, like, thinking that that's--that's already in my brain, so... >> let's go take a look in the kitchen. >> all right. >> let's see what gavin's up to. >> cool. >> hello. >> what's happening? what's happening? >> living the dream. >> yeah? what is this? >> it's our charcuterie and cheese board. >> that's the one on the menu. and it's gonna come out like this? >> yeah. >> so let's walk through the rest of the menu--just talk me through it. >> okay. then we've got the watercress salad. in england, we use a lot of watercress. we mixed it with some wild arugula. also doing a quick-sear scallop and polenta... and "nocky", potato gnocchi. >> "nokey". >> and then we've got halibut filet, and then we have our bangers and mash.

>> the menu, like, it doesn't really say different. who's directing the service out front? >> jessica. >> bing, bing, bing. >> jessica hands over here. >> the little firecracker. >> [laughing] yes. >> but all kidding aside, she doesn't really have a lot of front of the house experience. are we really set up to deal with the front of the house? >> yes. >> yep. >> we're excited to see you, man. >> me too. good luck today. you're gonna need it. >> thank you. >> narrator: the doors are finally open, and joe and tim's vip guests start arriving. they include some of l.a.'s finest chefs. melina davies, owner and chef at olive & thyme, chad colby, chef at chi spacca, and elia aboumrad, owner/chef at gorge restaurant. their reaction and the reaction of the other diners will certainly have an impact on joe and tim's decision to invest. >> i really like the logo. i love the red pig, and i love how the lettering is kind of blurred on the edges. i think that's really, really cute. >> [laughing]

>> that's two charcuterie boards, please. right away, i get in a flood of orders. i've just got to make sure the servers use the correct table numbers and don't make mistakes. i need two charcuteries, one very quickly, okay? it's got to get out quicker, man. >> okay. >> table seven. >> narrator: gavin and jessica have never run their own restaurant, so it's crucial the launch runs smoothly to prove to joe and tim they're worth an investment. >> they need to have plates. how do they expect people to eat that? >> uh, you're sending out these boards with no plates. like, they don't have anything to eat on. >> you should have--anytime you send out a share item, tell the waiters to-- >> you know what i'm saying? >> yeah. >> so when they--whenever they send out a share item like this, they should always drop two plates or else they have nothing to eat it off of. >> i don't have a table eight. >> jessica, you got people coming in. >> um, i'll see what i can do. >> okay. >> let me check. >> all right, scallops?

i was gonna say, "he said gnocchi"--this is not gnocchi. >> yeah. >> yeah, all right. um, let me--i'll be right back. >> i feel like back here seems very simple and in control. out there, i feel like we're a little lacking. >> jess, you know, it's her first time. i think she's doing a great job. i think jess is just stressed out. i mean, she's never done this before. >> how are we doing with getting stuff out? >> were you told to come and harass me right now? >> no, it's just that we've got to start turning these tables. >> okay. >> jessica, we're running food to the wrong tables which is screwing up some of this timing. you guys got to get the stuff straight out there. >> narrator: coming up... >> where the hell did it go? >> well, it's cold now. >> okay. >> you left it out there. >> i'm sorry, gav. i-- >> they're gonna hate that. >> restaurants without opinions are called diners, and we don't invest in diners. >> if you think you have the next hot food concept, apply now for restaurant startup. visit...

>> narrator: mills & company is filled with customers, but jessica's lack of experience has led to chaos with the orders. >> jessica, like, four tables have been fired to the wrong table. >> what's going on? why are we--why is this happening? >> yeah, that's what i did. >> what i'm gonna do now is i'm gonna go through my tickets and cross off what i've already gotten so i know exactly where my food is. >> yeah, okay. so we're good now? >> yes. >> we are having a couple of hiccups with deliveries to wrong tables. we discussed the game plan to try to fix it.

we've put it into play, and i think this is going to remedy the situation. >> jessica, as nice as she is, has no idea what she's doing in the front of the house, and quite frankly, i don't think she's even that trainable. >> yeah, i think she's more of a cheerleader than she is an operator. >> totally. >> all right, two scallops up. >> narrator: as jessica regroups, joe and tim tour the tables to get the pulse of the guests. >> hey, guys. so that's his charcuterie board. what do you think? >> i think the testa's excellent. >> and the chicken liver mousse, did you try that? >> i loved it. >> you loved it. >> loved it. >> super. >> i mean, it's exceptional. it's absolutely delicious, and i like the fact that it's in the little jar. >> is it kind of a fusion place of, like, the bangers, and then you have the gnocchi, and then there's the charcuterie. i mean, delicious all on their own, but how does it all come together? >> narrator: having heard the customers' opinions about the menu, the investors now want to try the food. >> well, why don't we start off with the charcuterie cheese board? >> sounds good.

and then i'll give you a minute to take a look at the rest of the menu. >> i like the sauce. >> i like this cheese too. >> yeah, is it good? >> yeah, it's really good. >> that's for the boys. >> how's it going? >> good. >> good. >> how you doing? >> i'm hanging in there. >> what is your experience like running the front of the house? >> it's hectic. >> did we see the best of your talents today? or would you have been better off to bring in someone who really knows how to run the front of the house? >> um, that's a great question. i don't have an answer for you. >> okay. >> it's tremendous pressure. what if it doesn't work out because of me. >> this is tim and joe, yeah? >> well, that initial didn't go very well. >> why? >> they want to know why we didn't get a real gm to run the front. >> you never worked front of house. >> yeah. >> you're doing a great job. don't worry. i'm on your side. >> okay, here we are. >> great. >> looks super. >> that's much better than the pitch. this is tremendous.

the texture's right. the fat hits the... >> perfect. >> palate right. i mean it's--the probably one of the best testas i've ever had. >> that's very good. >> scallop watercress. >> so good. yeah. >> scallops. >> that's me. >> and watercress. >> thank you. >> yeah. my egg's a little overcooked. >> is it? >> how's yours? for him to put a scallop appetizer on the menu is just like, "whoa, what, why?" who cares about scallops? this is an amateur show appetizer. i'm not impressed. i don't like it. >> i guess mr. wonderful ain't wonderful all the time, right? >> how's the watercress? >> overdressed, but-- >> if you really wanted to show how overdressed it is, you'd take it, and you'd do this. told you. >> okay. >> okay, gav. the egg was overcooked. it didn't run. >> i'm really nervous right now. we could lose this 'cause of me. >> here's fish and chips.

>> the batter's nice, right? >> the tartar sauce is great. the problem is he's authentic. >> yeah. >> i think on some of these dishes, we're not seeing any authenticity come through. >> jess, you left it out there. >> i know. i'm getting it right now. where the hell did it go? i have to take it now. >> i don't even want to send this out. it's overcooked. i've just got--there's no choice at this point. they're gonna hate that. >> ho hum. >> there you go. >> awesome. >> thank you. >> there's not any texture on the plate. >> a bunch of highs and a bunch of lows. he wrote a menu that he thought would be kind of like what people wanted to eat in l.a., and that's not what i was looking for. >> we were looking for his food. >> yep, like more authentic. >> yeah. >> which just leaves me more perplexed than ever to what to do with this guy. quite frankly, i thought it

would've been better. >> yeah. >> narrator: after a stressful launch, the restaurant is finally clear. it's now time for decisions from joe and tim. >> hey. >> hello. >> hey, guys. talk me through how you felt like it went today. >> there was a few mistakes with table numbers, and misfirings, and things. >> quite frankly, i thought you fell on your face today. we wanted to see the charcuterie throughout, and i feel like that really doesn't get reflected in this exact style of menu. >> the menu and your food was not very opinionated. you maybe created a menu of what you thought people would want to eat instead of creating a menu that some--with something very personal that reflected you. i mean, your greatest asset that you have, whether you realize or not, is you and your authenticity. >> we feel like the menu's a bit scared. >> right. >> it feels like you're cooking scared because there's a lot of people who can cook good food. there's a lot of people who can sear scallops, and a lot of people who can make gnocchi. you know that. >> yeah. >> yeah, i mean, very well executed, but what makes this place unique? >> right. >> so then a couple of things go through our mind.

is his heart really not into being a restaurant chef anymore? >> no. i think that was us trying to please everyone and not doing what we're passionate-- >> i think that's exactly what it was, yeah. >> so you don't want this menu. >> no. >> not that menu. >> what we're looking for is gavin. >> well, you're--exactly. >> we didn't see gavin. >> right. >> you know, the scallops polenta, that actually is, you know, jess. and it is about us. >> well, all due respect, i mean, if we're here, we're here to invest in him. you're very nice. you're his wife. you come as a team, but quite frankly, we're really interested in him. i think that maybe--i'm just guessing that the input that you had kind of steered him to a more safe menu instead of really doing the kind of food that's very in his dna to do. i mean, you've been--st. john, fergus henderson. i mean, that's kind of what i'm thinking. >> right. >> i would love to do that. >> when i think of you and what the potential is-- >> well, wait. if you say you'd love to do that, why didn't you do it? >> because i was playing it safe. >> you need to have a restaurant that says who you are. that's what makes good food.

>> restaurants without opinions are called diners, and we don't invest in diners. >> for another heaping helping of restaurant startup, visit the show online. go to... xkç

>> restaurants without opinions are called diners, and we don't invest in diners. >> so we want to kind of go over the pros and cons and where we're at.

pros are this. the charcuterie we had today was, i thought, excellent, and the place looked great. i like the way the branding happened. i'm like, "oh, my gosh, this is gonna be--this guy's really exciting." and then i also think that you are excited and passionate about this particular product. on the negative side, on the cons, you know, running a restaurant is clearly not your forte. >> no. >> joe, what do you think? >> i think the number one pro that you have is you. you're authentic. you're real. you're a british chef. no one can ever take that from you, and no one can buy that. the cons are that today, we didn't see a great example of what you are as a chef, unfortunately. >> i just feel like scallops, salad, you know, gnocchi, it doesn't really convey a gastropub. >> we're still here at the table because we like you, and we think you're investable. and i think that everything we've seen so far is causing us to have a lot of confusion about

what to do with you. >> today was not the best representation of me, but you obviously can see what i can do. i have a skill set, and it is butchery. it's meats. it's producing good, soulful food. >> you kind of checked out of the restaurant world? >> no, it was good, actually, to be back in the kitchen. it felt really, really good. >> how long has it been since you haven't cooked? >> i mean, i've been cooking, but not like that. and it's been about eight months, nine months? almost a year. >> yeah. >> that you haven't been working in a kitchen. >> no, not like that. >> so why'd did you get out? >> i'm gonna be honest. i got fired. >> ah. >> and that was a huge wakeup call for me. >> do you think that knocked you out of the restaurant? >> i think it knocked my confidence. >> do you miss it? >> oh, yeah, a lot. >> you're asking for $500,000 for 40%. >> yes. >> i mean, in your heart of hearts, after this whole experience, could you think that's a reasonable request? >> no. >> we'd like to give you a chance, a second chance.

my proposal would be to find a space in one of these off neighborhoods and find an existing off space that's got a kitchen in it. >> how much money you got, tim, to give him a chance? >> i mean, i'm willing to give it a $50,000 chance. >> okay. i got 50, too. that's 100 grand. this, i think, for us, is $100,000, but it's also a chance of redemption. >> a chance for you to do what you know you're good at. >> so i think that if we give you 100 grand, we want to have the first money out of any profit. you pay yourself a market salary. we'll see about her. and you pay us back 100% of the money with a market pref on it. >> 8% pref. >> and then we split the equity, what, 50/50 after we get paid back our money, maybe a little bit--maybe 60/40. how much are we going on? >> yeah. 60/40, and then after a couple years, give him a buyout to 50/50. you don't have to take this deal. this is just the deal that we can offer you. you guys may say, "you know what?

we're gonna walk on down the road and try and figure out something else." >> so what do you think? [laughs] >> i mean, yeah. i would love it. having a small place is always my dream to start and get a name out there. >> yeah. >> i love it. >> all right. ready? >> yeah. yeah. >> so we've got a deal. congratulations. >> thank you. our dream is finally coming true. i get to be a restaurateur. i've dreamt about this since i was 15 years old. >> all: cheers. >> me and jess have been together ten years. we've thought about this for ten years, and it's here. we've got it. this is unreal. >> all right. >> i like it. >> i'm excited to go to this place now. i'm already excited to come and eat there.

>> coming up on "the suze orman show"... my top five signs that you are living beyond your needs. also... >> i don't have a sufficient retirement fund, i'm in the red every month, and i really need help. >> you don't need to eat $44 a month of chocolate. and you ask me, "can i afford it?" >> my husband doesn't think i should spend that amount of money on shoes, but what do you think? >> are you kidding me? hi, everybody. i'm suze orman, and you are watching "the suze orman show." for years, i have sat on this show, and i have told all of you