-lemonis: why? -layne: she actually just got so aggressive on buying a bunch of inventory 'cause she was so excited about the product that she created. she just wanted to sell a ton of it. and me, i was wanting to try a little bit of it and then let's see if it sells. she's kind of like that helium balloon. if you don't grab her, she's just gonna keep soaring away. -[ laughs ] -miranda: it's true. this is our production room here. hey, ashley, can you show marcus how you fill lip glosses? she's way better than i am now. lemonis: i think the thing that surprised me the most was their manufacturing process, if you want to call it that, where they basically line up trays of empty bottles, and, with a syringe, they essentially fill them one at a time. i did one. -[ laughter ] -it's terrible. ashley: you did a good job. lemonis: that's, actually -- honestly, that's not easy. -ashley: no, it's not. -lemonis: you do it with this? -ashley: every single one. -lemonis: in big vats. i mean, i guess it's workin

lemonis: okay. so, there's more expansion land. norton: as long as we keep getting business, we can keep adding on. lemonis: how much is lunch? -norton: $8.95. -lemonis: and dinner? norton: $12.70 for an adult. lynn: plus tax. lemonis: all you can eat, $13.95? norton: yeah, that includes drinks and dessert. lemonis: i mean, that's a heck of a deal. $13.95 for an adult price on a buffet with chicken and ribs? that's a great price, but i don't know how they make that work. can we take a look at the kitchen? lynn: yeah, come on. let's show you the kitchen. this is lynn's world. lemonis: what is in lynn's world? lynn: we make the biscuits, the dessert. lemonis: when do you make the biscuits? can we make them together? lynn: yeah, we can make them together. they're a lot of fun. lemonis: how much time a day does this take you to make? lynn: well, 30 minutes a batch. that includes the prep time. but we're doing eight batches. lemonis: four hours a day, almost. lynn: yep. lemonis: who makes the biscuits he

lemonis: okay. franchising is an incredibly attractive business model because it allows you to get paid once you perfect a concept. my big fat greek gyro only gets about $10,000 when they sign up a new franchise. in success, that fee could grow much higher. better still, each of your franchisees pay the owner a royalty on a monthly basis. that could be anywhere between 4% and 12% of your monthly sales. mike: right now we're making about $60,000, $65,000 annually on royalties. lemonis: they pay an up-front fee. mike: correct. lemonis: you control the branding. mike: correct. lemonis: who picks the locations? who goes out and vets it 'cause it's your brand? mike: i do. lemonis: who developed the menu? kathleen: we did. lemonis: i was gonna take a trip to greece this summer, and i'm looking for tater tots... cheese sticks, cheddar balls, mushrooms. -hummus isn't greek. -andreas: lebanese. lemonis: what do you actually make yourself? mike: we have the traditional gyro. we have steak. we have fresh chick

-lemonis: how you doing? anthony: mr. marcus lemonis. it's such a pleasure to finally -- -lemonis: are you anthony? -anthony: yes, sir, it is. -lemonis: nice to meet you. -anthony: pleasure to meet you. lemonis: you know what i love about highway 17? anthony: it's a lot of signs? lemonis: [ laughing ] all the signs. anthony: yeah, new signs, we do a lot of. we just did one, the car wash. i don't know if you saw it on the way here. big l.e.d. board, it was about 32 grand. we just finished it. lemonis: oh, whoa. anthony: customer's really stoked about it. lemonis: now, i don't know your business, and i'm excited to learn it. and so i know a little bit about it, 'cause i buy a couple million dollars a year worth of signs across all these businesses. anthony: i know a good sign company. -lemonis: i know you do. -anthony: [ laughs ] lemonis: but i got to get comfortable with what you're doing. so, what exactly does asl signs do? anthony: we are a one-stop shop manufacturing plant. so we do high volume, low labor. -lemonis: banners? -anthony:

-lemonis: yep.tephanie: [ sighs ] lemonis: well, you know, i've spent the last couple days asking you guys a lot of questions. while i struggle a lot with the product, you guys have spent a lot of time working really hard, but the business is really in trouble. i mean, you do $5 million of sales. but at the end of the day, last year, you lost money. stephanie: how do you envision the growth of this business? lemonis: it's about changing every single product that you have. you have $900,000 tied up in inventory. half of it should go into the garbage. how long can you survive? nicolas: we're trying to be as lean as possible. i have about three months where i won't be able to pay my rent at home. lemonis: how much money do you think this business needs? nicolas: i believe it needs around $1 million. it's 20% of what we do on an annual basis. lemonis: well, it's 20% of what you sell. my offer is $800,000. i have full control. there's 100% of the stock today. -i'll have 50% of it. -noemi: [ gasps ] steph

lemonis: my name is marcus lemonis, and i fix failing businesses. lemonis: if you don't like money, don't follow my process. lemonis: i make the tough decisions. lemonis: we're closing the store. we're done. i'm not talking about it anymore. lemonis: i back them up, spending my own money. it's not always pretty... man: perfect flavor. lemonis: ...but this is business. lemonis: you got to trust the process. lemonis: i do it to save jobs, and i do it to make money. lemonis: thanks for your business. lemonis: this is "the profit." queens, new york, is a dense and diverse world of cultures and businesses. and it's home to artistic stitch, an embroidery and silk-screening business run by sal loretta and nick meola. the company started 18 years ago in sal's garage. -sal: where we at with this job? -fabio: it'll be done today. lemonis: today, it's become a $2-million-a-year business, the bulk of that revenue coming from uniforms, hats, and custom shirts. fabio: hey, that's one down. here we go. here we go. lemonis: two years ago, sal and nick decided to mo

lemonis: okay. i feel like we've put a great collection together, and i'm excited to see how it goes. i'm marcus. how are you? -steven: i'm steven jones. -lemonis: nice to meet you, sir. allison: hi. i'm allison. lemonis: this hotel is one of the best resorts in all of florida. people from all over the country come here. how many total rooms in the entire property? steven: the property consists of 250 rooms. lemonis: i think it's a real opportunity to not only make money, but get the brand out. steven: if you're looking at our colors, is that something you could incorporate into it? allison: yes. absolutely. john: how do i know if this has been in a room for four months? allison: we would co-date. however, once your guests are tasting it, that's not going to be an issue. lemonis: we sell about $1 million a year just in sea salt caramels. john: wow. -steven: a lot here. -john: yeah. a lot of options and a lot of customization, which is nice, as well. allison: yeah, we would love to work with you. ste

lemonis: what do you think? -dan: no. -lemonis: no.don't know how we can take on more when we haven't perfected what we're doing right now. lemonis: the store managers are basically telling me that there's no discussions about numbers or their financials or their performance. they don't know about any new stores that are opening. it's almost like he's driving the car and not telling the passengers where they're going. i mean, you can sense their frustration. i'd be frustrated, too. giovanni: what's ironic is the acquisition is probably run way better than ours. lemonis: do you see why i'm scared to make that acquisition? you love your employees so much, which i think is amazing, but you love them so much that you don't give them any tools or resources or information. becky: well, we want to make it easy. giovanni: yeah, no, and i know that. becky: we're, like, trying to -- -giovanni: no, i got it. -lemonis: the point that i want to make to you is if you're gonna lead an organization of 5, 10, 15, 25, 30 stores, the only way you can do

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. we're closing the store. we're done. i'm not talking about it anymore. i back them up, spending my own money. it's not always pretty... man: perfect flavor. lemonis: ...but this is business. you got to trust the process. i do it to save jobs, and i do it to make money. thanks for your business. this is "the profit." coopersburg, pennsylvania is about an hour north of philadelphia, in the heart of amish country. and it's home to coopersburg sports, a novelty-and-sports business. scott pino started the business in 1991... scott: i can't find the yankee order out here. lemonis: ...shortly after he secured the coveted license from major league baseball. he eventually was able to place his mini bat, his top seller, in every major league baseball park. business was great, and they were pulling in over $4 million a year and making a hefty buck. but in 2008, a major sporting-good company entered the novelty game, an

lemonis: ...scott is reluctant to let them make changes... ben: there's batteries that have been sitting there for five years. lemonis: ...and sales continue to slide. ben: what are we doing with those? jackie: we need to get our...together. lemonis: if i can get coopersburg sports on the right path, we will definitely knock it out of the park. i wouldn't call coopersburg sports one of the more organized facilities i've ever seen. there are boxes stacked everywhere. there's a fair amount of manufacturing going on, but there's no flow, no process. quite frankly, there's no rhyme or reason to any of it. it's obvious to me there is no ventilation.

lemonis: it's a big idea with huge potential.iranda: and the company's grown from on my stove to a little over $3 million this year. lemonis: i'm impressed. but the owners won't stop developing new products. what is this? miranda: those are light-up tweezers. lemonis: products that no one wants. layne: these right here are all the bottles i can't sell. -lemonis: all the way back here? -layne: yes, sir. lemonis: and their branding is completely chaotic. -interesting? -katia: mnh-mnh. -lemonis: interesting? -katia: no, that's weird. it just feels all over the place. lemonis: if i can't get them to follow my plan... i don't feel like you're trusting me. ...and develop a whole new look... miranda: i see l's. lemonis: i see something that looks like a swastika.

lemonis: my name is marcus lemonis, and i fix failing businesses. i make the tough decisions.

lemonis: if i can stabilize this business... we're not charging enough. ...there's big money to be made. this meal was amazing. these ribs are ridiculous. my name is marcus lemonis, and i fix failing businesses. if you don't like money, don't follow my advice.

lemonis: my name is marcus lemonis, and i fix failing businesses.u don't like money, don't follow my process. i make the tough decisions.

my name is marcus lemonis. i fix failing businesses. this month you lost $150,000. i make tough decisions... you're not gonna come behind every single person and change the deal. >> i didn't agree to this [bleep]. >> and i back them up with my own cash. if you're not gonna put your pride away, well, then i'm not gonna do the deal. it's not always pretty. >> are you okay? >> end it. >> but this is business. you gotta trust the process. i do it to save jobs, and i do it to make money. >> that's all you. >> yeah, buddy. this the profit. [hip-hop music] ♪ 10 miles outside of my hometown of chicago, located in morton grove, illinois, is the home of athans motors. in 2009, pete athans, a car enthusiast and successful real estate investor, who made millions flipping houses, sunk his entire life savings into building his first car dealership. >> i created a place where you want to hang out, buy a car, sell your car... car's worth 30 all day, wholesale. service your car, or just come by and have a cup of coffee. >> the project took 18 months and cost more than $4 million to

my name is marcus lemonis, and i fix failing businesses.e a "half a million dollar" check. i make tough decisions. i'm not willing to do the deal if you're in charge of sales. back them up with my own cash. it's not always pretty.

lemonis: my name is marcus lemonis. man: oh, my god! you're here! oh, my god!nd i risk my own money to save struggling businesses. you should have called "hoarders" before you called me. in the last two years, i've visited over 30 companies across this country and put over $30 million on the line. -my offer is $1.7 million. -woman: wow. lemonis: i'm not just an investor -- i'm a partner, and i'll do whatever

my name is marcus lemonis. and i fix failing businesses.business last year did $50 million of business. unfortunately, we didn't make any money. you guys sell a lot, but there's one thing that you don't do very well. what is that? >> collect. >> collect money. so last night at dinner, i made a deal with alan and howard. and i'm putting in a million dollars. but you know what they forgot to do last night? they forgot to ask me for my money. it's a theme, but it's not funny. because your paychecks and the rent, all get paid when we collect the money, not when the stuff leaves on the truck. there's the money. >> thank you. >> thank you. [applause] >> from this point forward, i'm in charge. the first thing we're gonna do is fix the accounts receivable process, so that i know for sure what meats coming in and what meat's going out. i wanna know how much we're selling, how much we're collecting, and who owes what. we're gonna start by getting on the phone, and calling these customers that owe us money. we need to be paid. and from now on, when we

. >>> leading the news in the new york times, lemony snikt and, the author donate to planned parenthood. and it said good fortune should be share would noble causes. >>> and tesla delivered only six model x's. and the fully loaded model starts at $132,000. there's still no word on whether he got an employee discount, although he can afford it even without the discount. >>> now nbc news can confirm that kim davis did in fact meet with pope francis. the vatican later issued a statement saying it does not defly de deny the meeting took place but denied to give any further details. and these are the rosaries they claim the pontiff gave them during the meeting. >>> and part of a 1,000 mile walk around britain and the goal is to help physically and mentally wounded soldiers returning from war. harry spoke to utv news. >> it's a -- my understanding is not permanent. you can get help. so, we just need to be able to understand that and appreciate bit of support and they can get their life back on track. >>> and one fisherman in texas caught something completely unexpected, an owl, it swooped dow

my name is marcus lemonis, and i fix failing businesses.siness will never function well under the "green tea" name. i make tough decisions... >> it was a mistake. >> this is never gonna happen again. and back them up with my own cash. that's a real check, by the way.

>> yes. >> so am i, lemonis... >> oh. >> it's two greek-- >> so, see, you know how the greeks are, then. >> that's right. i do know how the greeks are. listen, one of the things that i think may be a better angle is for us just to buy the bank's position. so if we just signed a deal to buy the bank's position at $240,000, the economics are the same for you, but they put us in a little better spot, and i want the leverage to have the ability to get something back. when the original borrower took out a loan against the warehouse, he pledged additional pieces of property other than the warehouse as part of the loan. the loan is now in default, and the bank is foreclosing, so when i buy the bank note, i'm not only gonna get the warehouse as collateral, but i'm going to get other pieces of property as collateral as well. my plan is to liquidate those other pieces of property, which will lower my investment from $240,000 to $140,000. >> you are 100% correct. >> do you understand? >> you should. you should! >> to me, th

>> my name is marcus lemonis, and i fix failing businesses.w how you run your business this way. i make tough decisions. i can tell you for damn sure, you're replaceable

my name is marcus lemonis. i fix failing businesses. this month you lost $150,000.h decisions... you're not gonna come behind every single person and change the deal. >> i didn't agree to this [bleep]. >> and i back them up with my own cash.

my name is marcus lemonis.n the past ten years, i've bought hundreds of failing businesses, turned them around, and i've made millions doing it. i'll write whatever check i need to, even if you won't. if you want people to listen, you put money on the table. i'm gonna give you a check for $500,000. i found six struggling businesses, some weeks away from closure. my plan is to turn them around. for the next week, i'm 100% in charge. >> all right. >> let's go get to work. can't run a business if it's not clean. but i'm not just giving them advice.

my name is marcus lemonis. in the past ten years, i've bought hundreds of failing businesses, turned them around, and i've made millions doing it. i'll write whatever check i need to, even if you won't. if you want people to listen, you put money on the table. i'm gonna give you a check for $500,000. i found six struggling businesses, some weeks away from closure. my plan is to turn them around. for the next week, i'm 100% in charge. >> all right. >> let's go get to work. can't run a business if it's not clean. but i'm not just giving them advice. i'm putting up millions of dollars of my own money. if you don't know your numbers, you just don't know your business. i'll work by their side... i'll put in the hours... 'cause i have the same risk that they do. where's accounting? >> she's counting. >> no, where's accounting? >> um... >> oh, my god. this business is a total mess. i judge businesses based on three things: it's pretty damn good. most often, businesses fail because of people. >> i trusted people to man

. >> my name is marcus lemonis, and i fix failing businesses. >> we made $10,000 together. >> i make tough decisions... we'll change the recipes. >> i mean, that would be the last thing i'd want to do. >> and i back them up with my own cash. it's not always pretty. >> do you want me to get in your face? 'cause that's your face. >> but this is business. >> i've lost faith. we need to change dramatically. >> i do it to save jobs. awesome. and i do it to make money. this the profit. sweet pete's is a candy store located in jacksonville, florida, specializing in chocolates and candy handmade by master chocolatier peter behringer. >> so you guys like candy? >> mm-hmm. >> pete's love of sweets began at the age of 12, when he started making candy for his mom's shop-- peterbrooke chocolatier. >> i wouldn't do anything else. >> family business was thriving, and life was good for pete and his wife, allison. but after a dispute, pete left the business and was forced to start over from scratch. >> the last $10,000 we had, we put into this business. >> starting over required the help of a financi

>> my name is marcus lemonis, and i fix failing businesses. i don't know how you run your business this way. i make tough decisions. i can tell you for damn sure, you're replaceable. and i back them up with my own cash. there's your check. it's not always pretty. everybody's working hard, not just you. but this is business. >> i was just gonna try to stop you in your tracks. >> you'll never to stop me in my tracks. i do it to save jobs, and i do it to make money. >> ching-ching. >> this is the profit. [upbeat music] ♪ worldwide trailers designs, builds, and sells concession trailers, mostly to food vendors. tom etheridge and nancy pappas started the company in 2001, and took it from a backyard start-up to a multimillion dollar business. >> you got 50%. i got 50%. >> tom and nancy were a couple, and although their relationship came to an abrupt end three years ago, they have continued to work together. >> working with nancy is difficult. nance, you never agree with anything i say anyway, so what's the point? >> i not only run the company, but i