Restaurant Stakeout Episode Rating Graph

Willie helps out Melissa O’Connell, a too-sweet wife, mother and owner of The Pepper Jack Grill in Staten Island. Melissa treats her staff like family, and, like any family, they bring the dysfunction. Their fighting, drinking, and unprofessional behavior is driving customers away and causing business to suffer. Despite the grill’s problem’s, Melissa’s hanging on to the business because of a promise she made to her young daughter. But if Willie can’t help her, she may soon have no choice but close up shop.

After recovering from a terrible motorcycle accident, Ricky swooped in to save the day when his mother and her restaurant were the victims of a massive theft. However, with no money coming in, an entitled staff and only his girlfriend by his side, this novice restaurateur is about to make Restaurant Stakeout history when Willie does the unthinkable.

Willie is called in to help lifelong best friends and current business partners Joe and Gene. Four years ago the former Wall Street hotshots opened Somers 202 in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. While locals initially loved the restaurant, lately business has bottomed out. The owners dream of passing the restaurant down to their children, but without Willie's help, shutting the doors on Somers 202 may be their only reality.

Willie comes to the aid of Rene, co-owner of Barzola Restaurant in Flushing, N.Y. Rene inherited the restaurant from his parents but is now struggling to make ends meet, and has no idea what needs fixing. Willie's surveillance uncovers a lack of knowledge on the menu, bad attitudes on the floor and a serious lack of inventory, that may be dragging the restaurant down.

Willie comes to the aid of Anthony and Toby, owners of Hot Rods Real Pit BBQ in Wharton, N.J. After 10 years, the restaurant is still struggling to succeed and it's robbing Anthony and Toby of precious hours they should be spending with their young daughter. Willie soon finds that bad attitudes and a significant lack of training are among the worst offenders on the floor — and it will take some serious hands-on intervention to turn things around.

Willie helps first-time owner, Michael, fix his struggling Mexican restaurant, Taqueria Autentica, in Bloomfield, N.J. Opening just one year ago, Michael's restaurant has wrestled with novice mistakes, botched food orders and a young staff behaving inappropriately. Now, a wave of negative customer reviews is seriously threatening the restaurant's bottom line. If things don't change fast, the restaurant may have to close its doors for good.

At Ariana Restaurant in Huntington, N.Y., Willie Degel finds a family-run business suffering from too much family and not enough business. The owner's son, Joey, has reached out to Willie to help save the restaurant and convince his father that recent reviews point to a painful truth: The lax atmosphere toward customers is driving business away and threatens to run Ariana's into the ground.

Willie steps in to help Anna Maria, chef and owner of Anna Maria's Italian Restaurant in Larchmont, N.Y. While her food gets raves, her restaurant has developed a reputation for nickel-and-diming the customer and it's driving business out the door. If Willie can't solve the service problems, Anna Maria's dream of running her own restaurant is destined to become a nightmare.

Restaurateur Nicky's daughter fears that if the stale energy and archaic ways of running Villa Monaco in West Islip, N.Y., continue, in just a few short years the restaurant could become extinct! Without an intervention from Willie to help enlighten Nicky to the real problems at the restaurant, he could lose the business and his relationship with his daughter.

Willie is called in to help Riccardo, the young owner of Gina's Bistro in Las Vegas. Italian traditions meet the American Dream as Riccardo attempts to turn his immigrant story into a successful one. Can Willie get this restaurant back on track, before Riccardo is forced to close and move back to Italy?

Willie is called in to Lake Las Vegas to assist Chanthy, owner of Sonrisa Grill, where the once lively Mexican restaurant is suffering at the hands of the staff. Chanthy has borrowed over $300,000 from relatives and sacrificed splitting up her family to keep this desert oasis alive. Can Willie help Chanthy save Sonrisa Grill so she can pay her relatives back and get her family reunited for good?

Willie is called in to help Mohammad, owner of Shiraz Persian Restaurant in Elmsford, N.Y., who has already been forced out business twice before. But with staff infighting, laziness and an owner who is too afraid to lay down the law, Willie quickly discovers that there may be more problems at Shiraz than even he can fix.

Joe, the owners of The Venetian Grille in Somerville, N.J., grew up in the business and took over the family restaurant eight years ago. After an unsuccessful attempt at opening a new restaurant, Joe returned to The Venetian Grille and found business had disappeared. Willie quickly discovers that an unprofessional staff, confused identity and frustrated manager are just a few of the problems that need fixing.

Tommy thought it made perfect sense to take all of his retirement and buy Buon Gusto Italian Restaurant in Las Vegas so that he and his chef son, Joel, could run it together. Without any restaurant experience, Tommy soon found himself in way over his head and now he's seeing his retirement nest egg vanish. Without telling his son, he has called in Willie to see if he can take this Las Vegas gamble and turn it into a moneymaker.

Willie is called upon to help struggling owner and chef Mike, of Trends Restaurant in Staten Island, N.Y. The business is collapsing and Mike is at the mercy of his out-of-control staff. His problems are compounded by the fact that his manager son, Nick, is often missing in action instead of leading by example. Mike's always dreamed of one day passing the restaurant onto his son. But if Willie can't get this kid to step up and take control, there may be no business to inherit.

Willie has his work cut out for him when he stakes out the Oakwood Diner in Staten Island, N.Y. The owner, Mike Jr., has been around the diner business his entire life. Following in his successful father's footsteps, he took over the Oakwood Diner two and a half years ago. Mike inherited an undisciplined staff that treats the place like their living room and drives customers away with rude and inappropriate behavior.

Willie comes to the aid of Luis, who, with his mother, own The Latin Kitchen in the Bronx, N.Y. After a freak accident that nearly claimed his mother's life and the arrival of new competition in the neighborhood, Luis is on the verge of ruin. It's up to Willie to take an unfocused, unguided staff and turn them into the winning team that Louis and his mother so desperately need.

Willie comes to the aid of Dena, owner of BlonDee's Bistro & Bar in Huntington, N.Y. Dena opened BlonDee's a year ago as a way to support her three children, but after an unfavorable review from the New York Times, she spends all of her time at the restaurant and away from her kids. Willie soon discovers that Dena's dedication has turned into a lack of delegation, crippling the workflow of the restaurant in a myriad of ways.

When Brian and Brian opened Oh' Brian's On the Green in Clark, N.J., they thought it would be a hole in one. But their manager is perfecting a disappearing act and the staff is left to fend for themselves while customers grow unhappy. Before their dream of building a restaurant empire gets caught in a sand trap, the two Brians call Willie to save their reputation.

Willie is called in to help the Haven Grill in Port Washington, N.Y. Tough economic times recently prompted this family-run restaurant to move from traditional Italian fare to an American menu with broader appeal. But, with the business still struggling, the restaurant has developed an identity crisis that's taking its toll on the married owners. Their daughter, Stefania, is desperate for Willie to sort this messy situation out and get the Haven Grill on the right track before it's too late.

After 20 years of hard work and chasing the American dream, going from dishwasher to owner, Juan opened Roasted Peppers in Mamaroneck, N.Y., with his business partner and co-chef, Darrell. No matter how hard they try, they can barely make ends meet. Complicating matters, Juan's 11-year-old son was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. Desperate for help, Juan turns to Willie to save his restaurant and keep his dream alive.

Willie is called in to rescue, Pat, the chef/owner of PK's Restaurant & Lounge in Staten Island, N.Y. When Pat opened his restaurant a year ago it was a dream come true, but now it's become a nightmare. Only Willie can help him whip his young, inexperienced staff into shape and get the sprawling menu under control.

Former boxing champ Nikko used his winnings to open his own business, A Plate of Soul, in Jamaica, N.Y. Nikko's family depends on the restaurant for their livelyhood but, despite his passion for soul food, Nikko can't turn a profit. The glacially slow staff, in both the front and the back of the house, are turning customers away. Without Willie's help, A Plate of Soul could go down for the count.

Willie steps in to help Rich and Jeanie, owners of 12 Grapes Wine Bar in Peekskill, N.Y. Five years ago, Rich retired from his corporate job to fulfill his lifelong dream of owning a music venue/restaurant. Rich has invested everything they have into the business, but now, his dream is jeopardizing the couple's financial future. Can Willie wake Rich and Jeanie from this nightmare before it's goodnight for 12 Grapes?

Joe is struggling as a first-time restaurant owner. After his mother's passing, Joe took a big gamble and used his inheritance to open Joe Broadway's Billiards & Sports Pub in Staten Island, N.Y. For the past year, Joe has run himself into the ground simply trying to stay afloat. He's not making any money, his staff is unprofessional and his chef is at wit's end and about to quit. Without Willie's help, Joe's big gamble will go bust.