Ep 13. Spin a Yarn

In Kitchen Nightmares season 5 episode 13, Chef Gordon Ramsay visits Spin a Yarn Steakhouse in Fremont, California. The restaurant was opened in 1964 by owner and head chef Sal, who took over the place from his father.

As Gordon arrives at the restaurant, he notices a rundown exterior and a completely empty parking lot. Inside, he finds Sal sleeping in a booth and a disorganized and dirty kitchen. When Gordon confronts Sal about the state of the restaurant, Sal becomes defensive and denies any wrongdoing.

After observing a dinner service, Gordon realizes that the root of the problem lies in Sal's unwillingness to change. The menu is outdated, the kitchen is unsanitary, and the staff is undertrained.

Gordon decides to meet with the staff to understand their concerns and to find out what issues they have been facing. During the meeting, he discovers that Sal is not paying them on time and often reuses and repurposes leftover food. The staff is frustrated and it shows in their lackluster performance.

Gordon then focuses on revamping the menu. He helps the chefs create new dishes that use fresh ingredients and introduces a seafood section to the menu. He also teaches the staff how to properly clean and organize the kitchen and introduces a new cleaning schedule.

As the restaurant is preparing for its grand reopening, Gordon notices that Sal is absent. When he finally arrives, Gordon confronts him about his absence and his lack of effort to improve the restaurant. After a heated discussion, Sal finally agrees to make the necessary changes.

On the night of the grand reopening, the restaurant is filled with customers eager to try the new menu. The staff is more confident than ever before, and the kitchen is running smoothly. The customers are impressed with the new dishes and the overall improvement in the restaurant.

At the end of the episode, Gordon returns to Spin a Yarn to assess the progress that has been made. He finds that the restaurant is thriving, and Sal has taken a backseat in the day-to-day operations, allowing the well-trained staff to run the restaurant successfully. The episode ends with a note of optimism as the future of Spin a Yarn Steakhouse looks bright.