All language subtitles for Restaurant Impossible - 17x09_track3_eng

"restaurant impossible"
is intense.

You better shut up
talking to me.

It's emotional.
This is done.

I'm not angry.
I'm disappointed.

And it's incredibly rewarding.

-Oh.
-Aah!

It's beautiful.

Woman: It looks like a whole
different place.

This kind of stuff
doesn't happen to me.

But it's all over
in just 48 hours.

Come on, guys! Let's go!
Come on. Let's push.

What happens when I leave?
Do the changes stick?

Are the owners doing their job?

Are they making money,
or are they still struggling?

After all these years,
I'm on my way to find out.

♪♪

[ sledgehammering ]

I'm back!

2014, I first visited mama e's
restaurant in oklahoma city.

And shortly, I'll be going
back to revisit them.

There's a couple of things
that stand out the most

about this episode --

first of all, the disgusting
nature of the restaurant itself.

It was just like a pig sty.

I have never seen such a crap
place in all my life.

But the second part about that
was the tumultuous relationship

between keith and stephanie,

the two owners
of this restaurant.

They couldn't even look
at each other in the face,

they couldn't talk
to each other.

Every time you decide that you
want to make a quick decision,

I have the fall from it.

I was more a marriage counselor

than I was thinking
about the restaurant.

No, I didn't.
I didn't, so...

All the stuff that happened,

all the blow-ups,
the drama, and all that --

I guess I wanted to try to wipe
that out of my memory.

Ooh, yeah.

[ laughs ]

okay.

[ laughs ]

mentally getting my mind
set for this, okay?

Producer: Okay,
let's get into it.

Let's get into it and see.

♪♪

I'm in oklahoma city to give
a down-and-out restaurant,

mama e's, a second chance.

I've been running mama e's
for the last nine years.

We are a soul-food restaurant.

Here's your chicken
and waffle.

It was his wife, stephanie,
who urged him

to open up a restaurant
in honor of his late mother.

Keith: Mama e's is my mother,
evelyn patterson.

I named the restaurant
after my mom

because she was the best
soul-food cook in the world.

Irvine: Before long,
business was better than

keith or stephanie
could ever imagine.

"diners, drive-ins and dives"
came to our restaurant

and did wonders for us.

It's time to check out mama e's.

Wings and waffles...

Pure awesomeness.

...Like his mama made.

This is gonna be
an adventure.

Being on that show
really changed our lives --

I mean, dramatically.

We just never thought
we would make money like that.

When guy fieri comes in,
you've made it.

Sales go through the roof,
and they become very successful.

When robert irvine comes in,
you're closing,

or you're having a really hard
time, or you're about to close.

With more money than know-how,

keith overexpanded his business,
closing for renovations

until his customers
were lost for good.

As far as the business
side of it,

neither one of us know
what we're doing.

It got so bad here
that I had to go back

to work at a country club

as an executive chef
to make ends meet.

Irvine: In his absence,

keith left stephanie
to run his business.

I just feel like
he started this,

and then he just put it on me.

I do feel trapped

because it's like
he doesn't really push me

to do what I want to do.

God.

Mm.

Just brings back
a lot of memories, man.

Brings back a lot of pain.

When restaurants are doing
great, they get guy.

And when they're failing,
they get me.

Watch out, mama e's.
I'm coming to get you.

♪♪

why do I get this funny feeling

that I'm gonna
hate this right now.

Disgusting, dirty, filthy.

Oh, bugs dropping out of this.
That's disgusting.

I was literally horrified.

It was the worst restaurant
I've ever seen on any show

I've ever done -- seriously.

What on earth is this?

I freaked out, flipped.

What is a hairdressing
piece of equipment

doing in a restaurant, period?

Hair and food
do not go together.

My feet are sticking
to the floor.

Oh, there's my buddy, guy fieri.

Keith! Stephanie!

Come in this pig sty
you call a restaurant!

Good morning.
Good morning.
Good morning.

I was scared.
What's gonna happen?

What is he gonna say?
I didn't know what to expect.

I have to say something

'cause I've got to get it
off my chest.

This is the worst restaurant
I've ever seen in my life.

And I mean that.
Can you hear my feet?

And you have people
come in here to eat.

How do you let it
get like this?

I pastor a church,
and I work two jobs --

this place and a country club.

Whose fault's that?

It's mine because we've allowed
the restaurant to go down,

and we have to do it
to keep surviving.

No wonder nobody
comes in here, keith.

Do I sound angry?
Yes, you do.

I am because this is a business
that can hurt people!

My goodness.
Oh, give me a minute.

I've got to calm down
because this is ridiculous.

While I am venting
my frustration outside,

keith is inside,
ready to throw in the towel.

Yes, we've had problems.

But you're not gonna
disrespect me.

You won't disrespect me.

And so, they can get
their cameras

and go on down the road
'cause I won't do it.

I was boiling at this point.

I was like,
"I don't want to do this,"

because now I'm looking like
a fool on national tv.

And I lost it.
I lost it.

Where did he go?

Are you leaving me again?
I'm trying to --

he's not gonna disrespect me.
I don't care.

But I'm right here. He's talking
to both of us this way.

Yeah, disrespect
you gave me.
That was disrespect?

That was disrespect.
In what way?

Yeah, I have problems but I work
to keep this thing alive.

And I don't care.

You're not
keeping it alive.

How are you
keeping it alive?

Is that how
you call that alive?

Are you going with me?
That is disgusting.

Well, he can
disrespect me.

Listen,
turn your cameras off.

I think it was the fastest time

that anybody threatened
to leave.

The truth is
it's a pig sty,

and it needs to change
for you to stay in business.

And if you can't
handle the change,

I'm okay with that.

Yeah, we can handle it.

That wasn't disrespectful.
That was telling you the truth.

And the truth
sometimes hurts, keith.

It hurts.
It hurts very bad.

It hurt me to the core
for you to have to say that.

The country club you work at,
keith, does it look like this?

No.

No.

No, now you're not
gonna talk to me.

That's okay.

Hey, you want me,
you let me know

what you want me to do.

I'll be outside.
You let me know.

Sometimes, the truth does hurt.

And robert was just
brutally honest.

And now I sit back,
and I'm looking --

I'm like, "you almost threw away
a chance to better your place

because of your pride."

the place is a mess.

Come on, why are we
in denial of that?

There's nothing wrong
with getting help.

I don't get it.

If they don't want me here,
that's fine.
Robert: Mr. Rob.

Can I say something?
Yeah, of course you can.

We appreciate you coming down.
We do know it's like that.

But he can't seem
to take criticism.

But he know
he wanted you here.

Then I want to hear it
from him.

The cook, robert, came out,
and he said, "listen,

the guy is a great guy.

He's not sure what's happening.
He's scared."

da-da-da.

And that kind of made me
think again, saying,

"hey, okay, I understand
why you're scared,"

but he shouldn't be
scared of somebody

that's here to help him.

And that's why I stayed,
'cause of robert.

Listen, I want you
to understand something.

I know. You know why?
It's okay.

You know why it hurts?
Because it's the truth.

It is,
and I've tried, robert.

I've tried. I've tried
to make my restaurant.

I took this place
from nothing, man.

This was a dump
when I first got it.

I'm not a nasty person.

No, I'm not saying
you're nasty. Listen.

I'm one person. That's what
I keep trying to say.

I'm one person, man.

It's not
about pride, okay?

This is not about pride

because it's not about me,
and it's not about you.

It's about a restaurant
that's failing.

Yes.

Okay, because
if it's failing --

it's for a reason.

And that's all I care about.

And I apologize, man,
but I just -- it hurts.

The truth does hurt.

I have to eat humble pie.

[ laughs ]

that's what it felt like.

That blow-up wasn't for him.

It just that you happened to be
there at that time.

And I apologized to him
and forever apologize to him

because he didn't deserve that.

Stephanie!

And I want to apologize
to you, too.

I'm sorry.
Come here.

All right.

What did you just say?

I apologized to her
for walking out

'cause I do walk out.

I do get mad, and I --

that's anger.
That's just getting in the way.

Does he do that a lot?

Yes.

How long
have you been married?

18 years
this past Saturday.

18 years?

Good years?
Tough years?

It's been some good years,
and it's been some tough years.

17 good ones.
One bad -- devastating.

One bad.

Let's talk
about the business.

So, you run it
day to day?

Yes.

Irvine: Things got worse
when keith left stephanie

to run his business
without any training at all.

But she put other talents
to use,

creating a catchy,
local jingle for mama e's.

Stephanie:
♪ I want me some mama e's ♪

♪ and some of that
mac and cheese ♪

♪ and, oo-ee,
some of those greens ♪

I would rather he do it
because this is his passion,

his dream,
and this is his field.

He knows what he's doing.

I don't.
I mean, I'm a hair stylist.

You set up a hair salon
in a restaurant?

I did.

My wife doesn't
stick to one thing.

Like, tomorrow
she was like,

"this season right now,
it's hair."

and next season,
it may be, "I want to do --

I'm done. I'm done.
Hey, hey, whoa, whoa.
Come here.

No, I'm good,
I'm good, I'm good.

That's not --
yeah, no, I'm good.

So, I just get over
keith walking out,

keith coming back,
and all of a sudden,

stephanie gets up and walks out.

It was crazy,

jut to try and get them
both to stand in one room

together
so I could get the answers

I need to make a plan
to fix the restaurant.

This is tumultuous
to say the least, right?

Oh, my goodness.

18 years.
Why did you marry him?

Why?
Yeah.

Because I love him.

Why did you marry her?
'cause I loved her.

Actually, you said, "loved."
"loved"?

Wow.

No, no, no, no.
Sit down.

Oh, no, no, no,
no, no, no, no, no.

Bye-bye. Bye.

Man: Steph.
Steph, steph.

♪♪

well, there you go.

I've never seen a couple
that have been together 18 years

be so explosive with each other.

I could fix the restaurant,
but not with both of them in it.

The relationship? Ha!
I don't know about that one.

That was gonna be
a tough one.

It was six years ago
when I first visited mama e's,

and I'm heading
back there today.

I truly believe
this was the episode

that I wouldn't
be able to fix it.

So, I'm not quite sure
what to expect.

But we're gonna find out
really soon.

Irvine: I'm revisiting mama e's
in oklahoma city,

a restaurant I first visited
six years ago.

Mama e's was the worst,
with a capital "w,"

restaurant I have ever visited,

and I literally
called it a pig sty.

Oh, bugs dropping out of this.
That's disgusting.

I walked in the door,

and my feet instantly stuck
to the carpet.

And married owners
keith and stephanie

were in serious turmoil.

I'm done, I'm done.

Hey, hey, whoa, whoa.
Come here.

No, I'm good.
I'm good, I'm good.

That's not --
yeah, no, I'm good.

They couldn't talk
to each other.

Keith ran off one minute,

then stephanie ran off
the next minute.

Why did you marry her?
'cause I loved her.

Actually, you said, "loved."
"loved"?

Wow.

No, no, no, no.
Sit down.

Oh, no, no, no,
no, no, no, no, no.

Bye-bye. Bye.

♪♪

I truly believe
this could be the one

that I cannot fix, period.

Can I get stephanie back?
She just drove off.

She's over it.

My head is about to explode.

I've got to figure this out,
big time.

I think,
when stephanie drove off

keith realized that he'd
opened mouth, inserted foot.

The realize came after that.

This is how
it's been for months.

I think he felt really bad
that he said something

that he really didn't mean.

It's some deeper issues.

It's some --
we need inner healing.

We need inner healing.

I thought, if we could
fix the restaurant,

we could fix the marriage.

But it's deeper than
just fixing a building.

While I was waiting for keith
and stephanie to figure out

who, what, why, when, and where,
I gather the staff.

I just ask them --
"tell me what's going on."

so, what I've
got you here for is

I'm trying to fix
the restaurant.

Why is
the restaurant failing?

Lack of communication.

Irvine: Just when I'm getting
the staff's take

on the restaurant's problems,
stephanie has decided to return.

Hey, whoa, come here!
Miss stephanie, come here.

All right, you guys, go
and get ready for a service.

Thank you.

I apologize
for what I said outside.

You know, I did not
mean to offend you.

I do love you.
I love you.

Miscommunication has a whole lot
to do

with me and stephanie's
relationship

because we don't communicate,

and when we do talk, either
I blow up or she'll blow up.

I know you're hurt
right now, right?

It's like I try to give,
and the more I give,

the more I give, it's like
he does not appreciate me.

I mean, I don't have a clue
what I'm doing here.

I'm always
looking out for him,

but it's like,
when it comes to me,

he doesn't offer that,
and I just -- that hurts me.

She has to know
that you support her.

Like, she has
become second to you.

You don't mean to do it,
I don't think.

I think you do it because
you're an old-school pastor,

and now you treat her
like one of your disciples.

Oh, my god.

That's how I see it.

Why are you upset?

[ crying ] that's exactly how
he treats me, and I hate it.

That's the biggest thing
that hurts me so much

is that my husband does not
acknowledge me as his wife.

It's like I'm just a member
just like everybody else.

It hurts.

That has been
my biggest complaint.

I want you to go to lunch.
I want you to talk.

Come back here at 1:00,
and tell me

whether you're in
or you're out.

All right?

As simple as that.
Okay?

The whole day 1, I didn't feel

we achieved anything
in the restaurant.

I played marriage counselor.

So, I sent them to lunch
to try and defuse

the animosity between them,

thinking if they sat
across each other

and they had something to eat,
maybe that would help them.

All right, you all are ready
for service, right?

Usually, watching service is
one of the first things I do.

But with the constant
fighting today,

I'm getting to it
hours behind schedule.

I love coming to mama e's,

and when I come
I feel like I'm at home.

When you walk in,
you get a warm impression --

you know, kind of a loving,
peaceful spirit in here,

and the food is great.

Irvine: Mama e's is known
for their chicken and waffles

and despite the filth out front,
the kitchen is pretty clean --

with one exception.

Where do you make
all the waffles? Oh.

Right here.

How old is that?

It's old.

When was the last time
this was cleaned?

Well, they tried to clean it
the other day.

Ooh!

Oh, it was very embarrassing.

And I understand because we're
serving something to somebody

that they're gonna consume.

We should have that much respect
for our food.

When he sees my waffle iron now,

he won't
be able to call it disgusting.

[ laughs ]

look at this.
That is rotten lettuce.

Irvine:
Despite everything I'm finding,

the customers are definitely
not finding fault with the food.

For the price,
these portions are huge.

I ordered the chicken
and waffles. It was good.

The waffle was very sweet.
The chicken's good.

Woman: I had baked chicken
and dressing -- very tasty,

and the macaroni cheese
was very good.

Irvine: It's clear to me
that food and customer service

are not their issues.

Keith and stephanie's biggest
hurdle is their relationship.

Now I need to know if
they're willing to work on it,

or is this all for nothing?

How was lunch?
Thank you.

It was great.

Yeah?

Mm-hmm.

♪♪

now I'm stressed because
we're so far behind.

I've only come close to not
doing a restaurant once before.

So, you want to do it?

Irvine:
It's been six years

since I last saw keith
and stephanie

at mama e's restaurant
in oklahoma city.

Confronted with
a disgusting restaurant

and the explosive relationship
between the owners,

I was certain
this would be a restaurant

we wouldn't be able to save.

My head is about to explode.

I've got to figure this out.

In a last-ditch effort,

I sent keith and stephanie
to lunch

to decide once and for all
if they were in or out.

What did we discuss?

Stephanie:
Moving forward.

We're much better together
than apart.

So, you want to do it?

Yes.
We want to do it,
yes, sir.

I love mama e's.

Do you want her here?
Yes, I do.

I truly believe in her.
I believe in him.

I believe
in our marriage.

Okay. Are you willing
to give 150% here?

Yes.

Get all your staff inside.
I'll be there in a minute.

Listen -- it can work
if you want it to work, right?

And if he wants it, too.
It's not only him.

Right.

And you have
a great voice.

And I'm sure you have
some great ideas.

He has a great voice, too.

He does?
Yes!

Keith and stephanie:
♪ ...A better home awaiting... ♪

I have to tell you this --

it's the first time
I've ever been serenaded

and the first time I've actually
been bowled over with goosebumps

and wowed with a song.

I could not believe
the beauty of them

and the harmony of them
singing together.

Wow!

Why can't you --
look, I get goosebumps.

That was awesome.

The harmony that you have
when you sing

is the same harmony
you need in life,

in this business.

I'm serious.
That was beautiful.

Robert had us sing together.

It took us into
a whole nother place.

It felt at that moment
like, "this is ours,"

and that we were really
making things work

in that time and space.

And it felt good.
It really did.

Now I feel better.

Me too.

Tom! Lynn!
Come in here.

What's going on?

They're in it
for the long haul, all right?

We're gonna
do the restaurant.

So they're in.
We're in, right?
Absolutely.

Are you ready
to change?
Ready to change.

I can't hear you.
Are you ready to change?!

Yes. Yes.
Yes. Yes.

Now let's empty the place.

That's what I want --
the energy.

Empty this place out.
Everything goes!

Where do you want
to go first?
Just take everything,
put it right out the front door.

Let's just
take it all down.

♪♪

this is a very small space,

and a lot of work's
got to be done --

the floors, the ceilings,
the lighting, the painting.

♪♪

I hope day 2 at mama e's
in oklahoma city

gets off to a better start
than day 1 did.

We made some great
progress yesterday,

but there's still
a long way to go.

Now I need to make sure
the owners of mama e's

have a financial plan
to make a profitable restaurant.

So, did you sleep?
Sleep well.

Do you feel any different
towards each other?
Yes.

A whole lot.
A whole lot.

In a good way?
In a good way, yeah.

Well, to make this successful,
you have to be here.

I know you've got another job,

and somehow you've got to get
yourself out of the job

and spend time here because
it's not fair to stephanie.

She doesn't have the training --
right? --

Yeah, I don't have it.

...And the know-how
to do this.
Right.

A couple things I want
to show you just quickly.

Here's what you're
gonna have to do.

So, every plate of food
that you have

has a cost associated to it.
Okay.

Now, the lucky part for you is
your overheads are low here.

After going through a typical
meal at mama e's buffet,

I show keith and stephanie
how not costing the plates

has cost them money.

We've been
undercharging.

Well, he has no clue --
that's why.

And it's okay, as long as you
don't go forward without a clue.

That was eye-opening

because it was like you can keep
just spending and spending

and not realizing that
you're not making nothing.

Is this easy enough
to remember?

Oh, yeah.
I got that right there, yeah.

I think we're gonna be
making some money now.
I know we are.

Let's go in the kitchen. I'm
gonna show you some new dishes.

Come on.
I'm excited now.

Next up is the menu.

Keith's soul food
is the real deal.

So, I'm just going to show them
some tricks

to take it to the next level

without losing the magic
that is mama e's.

I'm gonna redo
one of your classical dishes

which is
the waffle and chicken.

Then I'm gonna show you
my way of making collared greens

and peach pie.

Get that flavor going.

Smell that?
It's like an aroma.

Secret ingredient --
apple juice.

Apple juice, oh.
Ah!

Irvine:
I've even got a couple of gifts

up my sleeve
for keith's kitchen.

Look to your right.

A new waffle iron.

A new waffle maker --
two of them,

instead of that disgusting,
old one you got.

This is what I call sexy.

Whoo-ooh!

That looks good.

Go for it.

Oh, my god.

The spice
is really good.

Irvine: With updates
to keith's best dishes

and my signature peach pie,

mama e's soul food
will be heaven on earth.

Oh, my god.

That's when I trusted robert.

I figured out that he was for me
and not against me.

He was actually working
to help us get back on track,

and so then I trusted him
the rest of the ride.

It was six years ago
when I first visited mama e's,

and I'm heading
back there today.

Hey, keith!

I got a bone
to pick with you,

and it's gonna be
your leg bone in a minute.

Irvine:
Today, I'm going back

to revisit mama e's restaurant
in oklahoma city.

When I first visited in 2014,
my mission almost didn't happen.

If you think
that's disrespect --
listen,
turn your cameras off.

But after finally getting
the owners on board,

we could get
some real work done.

Restaurants are not successful
unless people know about them,

so I decided to take them
to a tv station.

♪♪

it's a twofold mission.

It's, one, marketing
to get the word out there

that there's a new renovation

and it's gonna be great,

and two is to give stephanie
that feeling

of being part of the restaurant
so she can be creative.

I'm gonna have her sing
because that catchy commercial

that they have on the web
right now is really good.

My producer told me,
"she's got to sing the jingle."

so, take
it away.
All right.

♪ I want me some mama e's ♪

♪ and some of that
mac and cheese ♪

♪ and, oo-ee,
some of those greens ♪

♪ and can I get some
kool- aid, please? ♪

I love it!

I think that's
very sweet.

I know, hey,
any song

that you can incorporate
mac and cheese --

I'm sold.

Oh, we got plenty of business
from that.

People came in,
and it helped us tremendously.

It helped us.

That short amount
of time,

even though it was only
three minutes

is enough to hit three
and a half million people,

both on the web and tv.

Wow.

So, that's the beginning

of getting the name out
of a new restaurant.

After so much pain,
I want to create a new beginning

for keith
and stephanie's relationship.

So, I've got a surprise for them
to keep them in harmony

when times get tough.

So, we got a recording studio
and some help

and I'm gonna have you
record that song.

But before you record it.

I want to ask you
each a question.

Give me three things
that you love about this woman.

I love stephanie
because she's a go-getter.

I love stephanie because
she's always got my back.

And I love stephanie
for her personality.

I love keith because
he's a very honest person.

I love keith because he has
a really big, gigantic heart.

And I love keith because
he's such a great provider.

Thank you.
You're welcome.

Okay, and I've got goosebumps
'cause I'm all excited.

I decided to take them to lay
that song down on a track

because I felt,
if they ever got into problems,

they could play this song
and it would be kind of cool.

Keith and stephanie:
♪ build a circle ♪

the song was unbelievable,

and when they sung
and they closed their eyes,

I got goosebumps.

It was unbelievable
to listen to,

and I still listen to it now.

Yeah.

Hey, glory hallelujah!

What do you feel right now?

Just feel good, man.

Why do you feel good?

I got just an inner peace
that's just -- it's good.
Amen.

What about you?

I'm just like --
I finally got to do something

that I love to do
with my husband.

You complement
each other so much.

I see two completely
different people in front of me

than I saw yesterday.

That was one of the best days
that we had,

me and her together,
in a long time.

That day.
I'll never forget that day.

It was like when
we first got married.

It was like we knew
what we wanted.

We knew how to come together
and make this thing happen.

And robert irvine
did that for us.

That's my dude, robert irvine.

Now we got to get back
to the restaurant.

I've got the restaurant
to finish.

Oh, goodness.

[ exhales sharply ]
wow! Thanks, guys.

Thank you.
Thank you. Robert.

See you back there.
All right.

Irvine: Let's start
wiping everything down.

Servers, come and clean all this
and start setting this up.

Let's get a broom in here,
and let's brush this out.

Then I can actually move here
and start to set it.

♪♪

this is one mission that almost
never got off the ground.

But I think when stephanie
and keith see the new mama e's,

they're gonna be pretty happy
that they stuck around.

I thank god for robert

because no one has ever
really cared for me like this.

He said I'm gonna give you
this second chance

to do it right.

And this time, we won't mess up.
I promise.

I know it's been
a tough two days,

but believe me, I'm very happy.

Are you ready to see the new
and improved mama e's?

Yes.
Yes, we are.

Open your eyes.

What in the world?

♪♪

this is so nice.

[ sobbing ]

♪♪

oh, keith,
look at all this.

Oh, my god!
I love it! It's crazy!

This is so nice!

This here is phenomenal.

This is phenomenal.

Look behind you.

♪♪

[ crying ]

♪♪

look at the door.

[ crying ]

♪♪

mm.

Out of everything
that robert could have done,

that was the best.

And I knew my mom
would be happy.

And I knew
she would have been like,

"my picture on the door,"
you know?

We got a new place,
and that...

[ sobbing ]

...And that her name
is on something that is ours

and we're working it --

me and stephanie have come back,
and we can all work it.

You believe that?

Yes.

[ both sobbing ]

this is ours.

I'm so proud
of the transformation

that you both have made
in this short period.

And I know it's a lot
of work, okay?

If this is sound -- this, you're
gonna make a million bucks.

Pfft!

There's a lot of people
that want to come in.

Are y'all ready?

Are y'all ready?

[ cheering ]

you're not gonna believe
what's inside this place.

First thing I noticed
was the floors.

I love the floors.

It's just beautiful.

I think they did a good job,

and the wall
over there is outstanding.

Before, you could scribble on
the walls, but now it's classy.

The meatloaf
and chicken.

Man:
I ordered from the buffet.

It's some of the best meatloaf
I've ever had.

Woman: My favorite thing
is the collared greens

'cause they taste like
they were soaked in bacon.

Woman: I ordered
the chicken and waffles.

The waffle is amazing.
The chicken is crispy.

It's delicious.

Girl: I love the food!

I would definitely come back.
I love it!

It's new, it's fresh,
and it's a whole big change

for this restaurant, mama e's.

I'm asking you
one question, guys.

Can I get an, "amen"?

Amen!
Amen!
Amen! Amen!

[ cheering ]

♪♪

it was six years ago
when I first visited mama e's,

and I'm heading
back there today.

Keith and stephanie had the most
tumultuous relationship

I've ever seen.

I truly believed this was
the episode that I would fail,

I wouldn't be able to fix it.

The big questions I have heading
back there now are simple.

Is stephanie doing hair
in the restaurant?

Is the restaurant clean?
Is keith working full-time

and doing
a great job in the kitchen?

And do they have
a lot of business?

You know, a lot can happen
in six years,

so I'm not quite sure
what to expect.

But we're gonna find out
really soon.

♪♪

♪♪

it was six years ago
when I first visited mama e's,

and I'm heading
back there today.

The biggest thing that sticks
out about this restaurant --

it's the only one
that's been featured

on "triple d,"
guy fieri's show,

and "restaurant impossible."

it was the worst restaurant
I've ever done

or attempted to do
on "restaurant impossible."

so, I only hope,
six years later,

all those lessons that I gave
them. They've learned,

put into action,
and are doing great.

All those questions I have are
gonna get answered right now.

♪♪

[ indistinct conversations ]

♪♪

well, here I am, back at
mama e's, six years later.

Beautiful floor --
I remember this

when I came in six years ago,

I couldn't literally
lift my feet up.

The buffet looks good.

I remember, guy fieri's poster
was on this wall that we re-did.

So, one of the questions
I had --

was keith here full-time,
and what is stephanie doing?

I don't know, but we're gonna
find out in a minute.

Keith! Stephanie!
What are you doing, buddy?

Just trying to make it happen.
Good to see you.

Where's stephanie?

She's out doing her job.

What do you mean,
doing her job?

She works doing petitions.

Oh, well, we'll talk about that
in a minute.

Listen, are you
doing good now?

Oh, yes, I am.

I want to try
the chicken now,

and I want
to try the cobbler.

Now.
Now.

I don't care -- right now.

Some chicken
and the cobbler.
Chicken, cobbler,
and collared greens.

Just like that, and we'll
sit down in a minute and chat.

Last time
I saw robert was fear.

This time is excitement.

I hope he sees
the hard work that I do

and this place be
a successful place.

Hey, keith!

I got a bone
to pick with you,

and it's gonna be
your leg bone in a minute.

Why is that so big, and why
is mine small and I'm hidden?

They just --
I fixed you!

I got cake
in front of me.

And we're gonna get you
a big picture this week.

When I walked into mama e's

and saw they had a big picture
on the wall right there,

I laughed to myself.

What do you mean, "this week"?

It's been six years you've been
closed. Look, look.

I get this --
the miserable-looking guy.

And he gets this.

Guy and I are best friends.

Guy was also my best man
at my wedding.

So, we're very close.

I'm really upset right now.
I'm gonna fix this right now.

Hang on.
Stay there.

I know you getting
something.
Oh, you know it, dude.

Guess what? He's gonna
have a huge picture of
robert irvine on the wall.

I'm gonna make sure of that.

Guy who? Guy who?
Guy who?

This is what goes on
that wall -- right there.

[ laughs ]

we got you.
We got you.

Guy was my best man
at my wedding.

Okay.

But I'm way cuter
than he is.

I'm cuter.
Am I cuter?

See?

[ laughs ]

well, guy fieri,
congratulations.

I've just matched you.

He has a passion for food.

People travel for miles
and miles and miles

to come and see keith
and try his food.

The moment
I've been waiting for.

Oh, man.

I want to taste the food

because I want to see
if he's kept up

with how he started off
six years ago.

Sit down. Let's have a chat
while I eat.

Let's do that.
It looks delish.

♪♪

well, I'm gonna tell you
that chicken's great.

I mean, it's moist.

It's flavorful,
seasoned correctly.

The collared greens
are great.

But this dessert,
the cobbler, they went wrong.

Ice cream on this?

I want ice cream on mine.
I want a full, you know --

it's like a full thing.
I appreciate that.

I can see why -- I can see
why people love the food.

I mean that, seriously.
Thank you.

You talk about stephanie --

what's stephanie doing
nowadays?

She's pursuing her dreams.

She's doing
what she likes to do.

She's doing hair.
She's doing makeup.

She's also doing
government work.

Okay.

And how hard is this business
on your relationship?

We're in a good place now.

We're like
any typical other couple.

Everybody
has their problems.

But when I came six years ago,
you were like this.

Oh, yeah.
We were clashing.

And, you know,
we still have our days.

We have our moments.
But we work them out in the end.

She's off doing her thing,
so make sure you say hi to her.

I definitely will.

When I came in
and I was really abrupt with you

and very direct with you, you
didn't like it, right?
No.

Was I truthful with you?
You were very truthful.

And that's the part that hurt.
The truth hurts.

There was a turning point that
you started to understand --

"he's here to help me."

that was day 2.

And that was after I saw
who you really were.

You didn't come here to hurt me.
You came here to help me.

And that's when
I felt your heart.

And that's when we knew.

Were the life lessons
and food costs

and cooking and time --
were they worth it?

It was very much worth it.

What did you learn?

I learned
how to make sure

that I'm focusing
on portion.

I learned how to make sure
that, at the end of the day,

I'm winning
and not losing.

I'm not just giving
my product away.

I'm actually making a profit
off of what I'm doing.

So, six years ago,
food cost was what?

About 60, 70%.

It was a little bit
more than that if I remember.

Yeah, you're right.

Yeah, it was almost like 100%,
if I remember.

Because we were
giving everything away.

Yeah, your portions
were ridiculously big.

Now I'm glad to see
they're manageable

and that's still
plenty of food

for a guy like me,
and I eat a lot.

What are they now?

Now I'm at 34, 35% food costs.
It's looking good.

I'm able to make money,
put money up, and live.

So, making money.

Give me some kind
of round figure --

what you were making
six years ago.

Six years ago, we went from
maybe a couple hundred a day

to maybe $2,000 or $3,000
a day.

You know what I'm saying?
Wow, that much.

It was a good change.

You know, it was a step from --
I can now pay a bill

and not worry about
if it's gonna have enough

in the bank
to cover everything

and still have something
left over

to be able
to pay me and her.

You know,
I would never have thought

that mama e's
would make that.

Paid off all your debt?

Paid off all the debt,
living like I want to live,

being able to enjoy life,
and don't stress.

I appreciate everything.
I can't thank you enough.

So, what is
your next venture?

Oh, my next venture

is this food truck
that I'm working on.

This isn't enough
for you?

You've got to get
another business?

I want another business.
Yeah, I'm greedy.

[ both laugh ]

I'm kind of intrigued
to see this food truck.

Let's go do it.

Food truck is a great business
because it's much cheaper

than it is to run
a brick and mortar store.

Truck's
right around here.

But keith will need to use
everything that I've taught him

if he's gonna
capitalize on that successfully.

Irvine: I'm revisiting mama e's
in oklahoma city,

and owner keith
seems to have turned a new leaf.

Paid off all the debt,
living like I want to live,

being able to enjoy life,
and don't stress.

But now he's on the verge
of opening a food truck.

Let's hope it doesn't
turn into the disaster

mama e's was six years ago.

So, where's
this truck then?

Truck's right
around here.

On this side of the truck,
I've got my mom's mural on it.

You paid
how much for this?

I paid $500 for this.

500 bucks?
$500 bucks.

Yeah, it's still
got some work.

I'm just gonna
put a new seat in,

and just take a look.

Irvine:
Oh, you got a sink in there.

Yeah, I've got everything
in there, yeah. We're ready.

Yeah, I just need somebody to
do what needs to be done to it.

I can roll after that.

You've got
$10,000 of work in here

and it's a brand-new truck.
Yeah.

And the truck runs, right?
It's got an engine in it?

Oh, it runs. I put a new
transmission and a motor in it.

With a food truck, instead
of having people come to you,

you can go out
into the masses of people

that would never venture
to your area.

And I think
that's really important

because it grows new business.

And at the end of the day,
people thrive on new business.

I'm excited.

I just need you
to give me some input

on what you think
would work.

Well, you've got to play
something off waffle

because you're known
for that, right?
Yes, yes.

So, you've got to have something
with waffles.

We'll go in the kitchen.
We'll play a little bit.
I like that idea.

I do like this, though.

And for 500 bucks, and you're
putting all new equipment in.

Not only is keith
doing amazing,

but he was asking me
for some dishes

that would be unique
to that food truck

that you can't get at mama e's,
which I think is really cool.

So, I thought
about two dishes --

a deep-fried shrimp on waffle

and a vegetable with jalapeños,

broccoli, and deep-fried
brussels sprouts.

So, I've got a waffle working
over there.

I've got cooked shrimp.

Gonna start
with some seasoned flour,

egg wash,
panko breadcrumbs.

The coolest thing about this
is, for the food truck

you're not putting raw products,
and it's fast.

Shrimp in,
drop it in nice.

While that's in, the waffle
is getting nice and warm.

Use ketchup, soy sauce,
spice, and some vinegar.

I've got my waffle.

♪♪

take a little bit of the sauce.

Try that now.

Oh, my god.

Oh, my god.

Mmm! Now that...

My god.

I get that.

Keith:
The shrimp is a million dollars.

I can't wait to get them
on my food truck.

We're gonna do
another dish.

So I thought
we'd take jalapeños,

brussels sprouts roasted in
the oven with broccoli.

We made a gochujang sauce
with ketchup.

The idea of this is it's got to
be really quick -- in and out.

There it is,
fried up right.

I'm gonna take
my gochujang ketchup.

All right -- look,
you didn't even wait.

I didn't. I'm sorry.

'cause it just -- this one
caught my eye real good.

Oh, my goodness.

Mmm-mmm-mmm!

Mmm!

This one's money.

That's money.

These are two dishes that are
gonna fly that food truck.

This here is money.

Six years ago,
I walked in this place.

I was horrified.

I come back six years later,
you're killing it.

You paid off all your bills,
got money in the bank,

you bought a food truck,
you're happy.

Very much so.
Which is really good.

It's a real pleasure
to see that.

I really appreciate him,
and I know he cares about me.

I know he cares about
my success and mama e's

because if he didn't
he wouldn't have came back.

And to share these things here,
it's priceless.

I couldn't come in
without bringing a gift.

So, before I leave, I bought you
another waffle iron.

Oh, my god.

You can use it on the truck
or use it in here.

Thank you.
All right, buddy.

You made me very proud.

Thank you.

What are you
crying for now?

I don't know. Just happy.
Just happy, bud.

I'll see you soon.
All right, pleasure, man.

Thank god for robert irvine.

♪♪

hoo!

[ indistinct conversations ]

I came here
before robert was here.

The place wasn't that great.

But after he got here,
it's beautiful. I love it.

The food's good.
The service is great.

Who wouldn't want to come here?

Who had catfish dinner?

Mama e's is the best soul-food
restaurant in oklahoma city.

♪♪

this is the buffalo shrimp
and waffle -- amazing.

Everything is complementary

because you have the tanginess
of the cheese

against the hot sauce.

Man: Mama e's makes the best
chicken and waffles.

When my wife was pregnant,
she had me come here

every day for over two months --
I'm not exaggerating --

'cause she had to have
mama e's greens.

Woman:
I would come to mama e's

just for the fried brussels
sprouts and broccoli.

Fantastic.

Your order of chicken
and waffles is ready.

I like working for keith
because he's an awesome person.

He works extra hard to make sure
the legacy stays alive

because he's just always
doing something.

Today's visit with robert
means the world to me.

[ indistinct conversations ]

that I was feeling
that I wasn't doing right,

and he assured me
that I was on the right path.

Now I can stand and say,
"a legend said it's good."

irvine: Six years ago, I stepped
into this place, mama e's.

It was the worst place
on the planet.

And when I came back,

I find a thriving,
energetic, happy man,

and here we are with
a restaurant that's thriving,

and it started
with this young lady here.

I wish keith
and mama e's the best.

See you later, keith.

♪♪