Ep 13. The Italian Job

In Mystery Diners season 6 episode 13, titled "The Italian Job," the show's team of secret diners and investigators takes on a family-owned Italian restaurant struggling with internal conflicts and financial troubles. The owner, Tony, is worried that someone within his staff is stealing money, but he doesn't know who to trust. With the restaurant on the brink of bankruptcy, he needs to find a solution fast. That's where the Mystery Diners come in.

Charles Stiles, the host and founder of Mystery Diners, sends in a team of undercover operatives to observe the restaurant, the staff, and the customers. They plant hidden cameras and microphones all over the restaurant to capture every interaction and detect any signs of embezzlement. To make sure he has a reliable team, Charles assigns each operative a different role - one is a server, one is a chef, and one is a bartender. They act like everyday employees, blending in with the rest of the staff and trying to find out who the thief is.

As the investigation unfolds, the Mystery Diners discover that the theft is not the only problem Tony's restaurant is facing. The staff members who work the front of the house are not getting along with the ones who work the back of the house. Tony's son, who is the head chef, is disrespectful and bossy towards the servers, causing tension and animosity. In addition, the bartenders are serving drinks to underage customers, violating the law and putting the restaurant's liquor license at risk.

To get to the bottom of these issues and help Tony save his business, Charles and his team devise a plan. They stage a fake food poisoning outbreak, forcing the restaurant to shut down for one night. With the staff out of the way, the Mystery Diners go through the restaurant looking for evidence of the theft and the other problems. They find empty cash registers, doctored receipts, and even a stash of stolen money in a secret hiding spot. They also talk to the employees and customers, gathering intel on the feud between the front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house staff.

When Tony and his son return the next day, they are shocked to find out what happened. They learn about the theft, the food poisoning scare, and the underage drinking. They also see the footage from the Mystery Diners' cameras, which confirms their fears about the bad behavior of some of their employees. Tony is devastated by what he sees and promises to take action. He confronts the employees who were stealing and fires them on the spot. He also talks to his son about his behavior and tells him to treat the servers with more respect.

In the end, the Mystery Diners present their findings to Tony and give him a plan to improve the restaurant's operations. They suggest that he hire a new chef who can work with both the front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house staff, and that he implement new policies and procedures to prevent theft and underage drinking. They also offer him their support and resources, such as new surveillance equipment, to help him keep his restaurant on track.

"The Italian Job" is a tense and dramatic episode of Mystery Diners that showcases the show's trademark investigative techniques and problem-solving skills. It's a good reminder that even the most well-intentioned business owners can fall prey to internal conflicts and fraud, and that sometimes an outside perspective is needed to set things right.