Ep 9. Too Many Cooks

In this episode of Mystery Diners, titled "Too Many Cooks," the team is called in to investigate a family-owned restaurant in California that appears to be struggling despite a busy location and a loyal customer base.

The restaurant, which has been open for over 20 years, is run by a husband and wife team along with their two adult children. The family is known for their traditional Italian cuisine and the restaurant has been a go-to spot for locals and tourists alike.

However, the restaurant has seen a drop in business recently and the family is concerned that they may have some internal issues that are contributing to the problem. They suspect that one of their cooks may be responsible for theft and poor quality food, and they want the Mystery Diners team to help them get to the bottom of the issue.

Charles Stiles, the show's host, brings in two undercover agents to pose as new hires at the restaurant. One of the agents poses as a line cook while the other acts as a server. The hope is that they will be able to observe any suspicious behavior from the existing staff and get a better understanding of what might be going wrong at the restaurant.

As the investigation progresses, the team uncovers a number of issues that could be contributing to the restaurant's problems. They discover that the family's son, who is responsible for managing the kitchen, may be overworking the cooks and causing the quality of the food to suffer. In addition, they find evidence that one of the cooks has been stealing food and ingredients from the restaurant.

The Mystery Diners team also finds that the restaurant's front-of-house staff may be contributing to the problem. They observe the server staff being rude to customers and not providing the level of service that the restaurant's regulars have come to expect.

Once all of the evidence has been gathered, Charles Stiles brings the family together to reveal what has been going on. The family is shocked to learn that their own son is part of the problem, and they are saddened to discover that one of their longtime employees has been stealing from them.

With the help of the Mystery Diners team, the family is able to come up with a plan to address the issues and get their restaurant back on track. They put new systems in place to prevent theft, adjust the kitchen schedules to give the cooks more time to prepare food properly, and provide additional training to the front-of-house staff to improve customer service.

At the end of the episode, the family expresses their gratitude for the Mystery Diners team's help, and they are hopeful that their restaurant will be able to thrive once again. The episode serves as a reminder of the importance of being vigilant in the restaurant industry, and the impact that even small issues can have on a business.