gary: give it to larissa. larissa: ohh!s ] lemonis: when i normally write a check, i allow the business owner to deposit that money right into their account for operations or equity. in this case, the check that i'm writing is gonna go into escrow. when the attorneys have confirmed that everything's clear, the money will be dispersed. it'll go to the banks first, the vendors second, and whatever's left after everybody's paid will then go into the business. that ensures that there's no issues -- no fuzzy math, no questions, no risk. sue knew she was supposed to be here today? larissa: yeah. gary: i don't know. lemonis: she's not answering? gary: she's not answering. lemonis: [ sighs ] so, guys, i wanted to get everybody together to kind of tell you -- last night, gary and i made a deal for me to buy this building for $1 million. i'm not buying it to make a real-estate investment. i'm buying it to give gary an opportunity to get the business back on its feet. and so i'm gonna bust everybody's fanny to make sure that we're suc

larissa: i've just been through a lot trying to help everyone, and i just don't know how much more il with. lemonis: if i can't throw them a line, this historic institution may close forever. gary: it's the only hobby i really have. sue: it's ridiculous! lemonis: my name is marcus lemonis, and i fix failing businesses. if you don't like money, don't follow my process. i make the tough decisions.

larissa: just everything -- all the bills and everything that's just been piling up. it's just so much. lemonis: that's fine. and i fix failing businesses. it's been an interesting journey... well, this looks a lot better in here. ...a tough one. -i took you at your word! -gary: bull[bleep] lemonis: 'cause when each episode ends, my work is just beginning. there you go. to date, i've invested almost $20 million of my own money to help these small businesses reach their full potential. stephanie: wow. i mean, i'm blown away. lemonis: along the way, i've taken a few hits. you kind of [bleep] me all along the way. but the real story here is that many of these companies have really flourished. -child: i wanted vanilla. -woman: vanilla? lemonis: i've always loved candy, and earlier this year, i went to jacksonville, florida, and i met another sweet tooth, master chocolatier peter behringer... lemonis: you look like you're a mad scientist with that lab coat. peter: i guess you could say i am. lemonis: ...who opened up sweet pete's, a candy store with a small mail-order busi