Ep 1. Partner Problems

Mystery Diners is a reality television series that follows the owner of a restaurant or bar who suspects that their staff might be stealing, or that there is some kind of mismanagement happening behind the scenes. The owner calls in a team of "mystery diners" to pose as customers and secretly record what's really going on. In each episode, the mystery diners go undercover and use hidden cameras to uncover the truth about what's happening in the restaurant.

In the first episode of season 10, titled "Partner Problems," a restaurant owner named Lisa is concerned that one of her business partners might be stealing from the company. Lisa runs a successful Italian restaurant in San Diego called Pinoli's, which she co-owns with her brother and her friend Michael. Lisa has noticed that the restaurant's profits have been decreasing over the past few months, and she suspects that Michael might be taking money from the cash register.

To get to the bottom of the issue, Lisa calls in Charles Stiles and the Mystery Diners. Charles is the owner of a company that provides undercover surveillance for restaurants, and his team of mystery diners are experts at uncovering theft and other kinds of employee misconduct. Lisa explains the situation to Charles, and he agrees to send in two mystery diners to investigate.

The two mystery diners who are sent in are named Ben and Mollie. Ben is a former restaurant manager with years of experience, while Mollie is a professional chef who can spot any problems in the kitchen. They arrive at the restaurant and are greeted by Michael, who is running the front of house. Ben and Mollie are posing as a couple on a date, and Michael shows them to their table.

At first, everything seems normal. Ben and Mollie order some appetizers and drinks, and Michael takes their order. However, as the night goes on, they start to notice some unusual things happening. For example, Michael seems to be overcharging them for their food and drinks, and he also seems to be pocketing cash that should be going into the register.

Ben and Mollie realize that Michael is definitely up to something, but they need more evidence to prove it. They decide to interact with the other staff members and see if they can find out more information. They speak to the bartender, who tells them that Michael has been acting strangely lately and seems to be hiding something. They also speak to the kitchen staff, who tell them that Michael has been taking food out of the kitchen and giving it to his friends for free.

After their investigation, Ben and Mollie report back to Charles with their findings. Charles then sets up a meeting with Lisa and her co-owners to reveal the truth about what's been happening in the restaurant. During the meeting, Charles shows them footage of Michael stealing cash from the register and giving away free food. Lisa and her brother are shocked by what they see, and they immediately confront Michael about his actions.

Eventually, Michael admits that he has been stealing from the restaurant and agrees to leave the business. Lisa and her brother are grateful for the help of the Mystery Diners, and they vow to be more vigilant in the future. The episode ends with the restaurant back on track and the staff working together to make Pinoli's a success.