Million Pound Menu (2018–…): Season 1, Episode 3 - Hollings and The Cheese Wheel - full transcript
I'm Fred Sirieix.
I've worked in the restaurant
industry for 25 years.
Right now, the UK's
restaurant scene is
the envy of the world.
And all it takes is
one great idea to make
a fortune on the high street.
But has the next generation of
restaurants got what it takes
to become a multi-million
pound business?
Over the next six weeks,
here in Manchester,
the food capital of the north,
12 of the most exciting
new restaurant ideas
are in with the chance of
a life-changing investment
from some of the UK's
most respected investors.
These are the men
and women who can turn
an idea into a national brand.
We're looking at putting
a lot of money into
the absolute best concept.
This is the kind of model
that you dream of.
If I find the right operator,
I'll be fighting for it.
[Fred] Each week,
the investors will
give the people
behind two great food ideas
a unique opportunity...
Ah, this is brilliant.
-[Fred] ...their own
pop-up restaurant.
-[bell dinging]
-Right. Rock 'n' roll, man!
-[Fred] They'll have just
three days to prove...
Nobody seems to know
the table numbers...
-[Fred] ...they've
got what it takes...
-It's a disaster.
[Fred] ...to make it
on the high street.
When you start to rush,
that's when you start
to make more mistakes.
-[clangs]
-There's a big backlog of
customers at the door.
-[woman] Yeah, yeah.
-What are you
gonna do about it?
If I was to invest,
it'll take half a million
to £750,000.
Time to make some dough.
[Fred] After the three days,
will the investors walk
back into the restaurant...
-[sighs deeply]
-[Fred] ...and make them
an offer?
It's a £600,000 lunch.
We are not gonna leave
without an investment.
I'm sorry.
Your time is up.
The doors are open
for business.
Welcome to
Million Pound Menu.
Today, two new restaurants
arrive in Manchester
to open their doors
to the paying public
for the very first time.
Will they be able
to secure an investment
or will they leave
empty-handed?
And these are our lovely momos.
Well worth the wait.
[narrator] The men
and women behind
some of the most
successful businesses
on the high street...
We call it "Hug in a Box"
and we create a hug in
a box, like comfort food.
[narrator]
...met to choose some of
the best new restaurant ideas
for a three-day,
trial run pop-up.
This is our signature
Libertine Burger, double ground
beef patty and friend pickles.
There's an explosion
of these concepts that
are really successful.
[narrator] They were looking
for the two entrepreneurs
with the strongest food,
brand and business plan.
I think this is a very good
plan that he's put together.
It ticks a lot of boxes
in terms of being on trend.
[narrator] Then each
investor had to decide
whether they liked
the concept enough
to try it in Manchester.
[sizzling]
James is a proper grafter,
so he leads from the front
which is something
that's very important to me.
[narrator] The first idea
to get the investors excited?
An experienced chef
and bartender duo
who want to bring
great food and drink
to commuter belt towns.
Hollings is a neighborhood
restaurant with central
London service standards
and produce,
pulled out
to the commuter belts.
[Ronnie] When I go back home
to Buckinghamshire,
James is out in Essex
and there's good takeaways,
there's good Indian,
Chinese, there's good pubs...
But the next level is,
you know, going back
to the quiet dining rooms
with the big chairs...
And it's stale
and it's stagnant.
There's very much a gap
there, and we're the perfect
people to fill that.
[narrator] Chef Ronnie
and barman James
want £200,000 to set up
their first Hollings.
Certainly where I live,
in Surrey,
you're bored of all the good
concepts being in London.
This is definitely
a concept that could
scale to multiple sites.
Could you see ten Hollings?
Absolutely.
The bar and restaurant
scene in major cities
is hyper-competitive.
That means that you need
to generate a very high level
of profit to make a return.
Actually, if you step away
from that market
into suburban towns,
where your rents are lower,
it's a compelling
strategy, if you can
get the offering right.
I obviously run three
suburban restaurants,
so I understand
their passion, where
they're coming from.
And I understand
the economics of it.
Hollings is a place where
people feel that
it's their
neighborhood restaurant,
where they know the chef,
where they know
the front of the house
and they can walk in there
any time to have a chat
or have a drink.
You can definitely make money
like that, because people
don't patronize you
just for a day,
they patronize
you for their life.
Because you become
part of their life.
I wouldn't be amazed if
there'll be an arm wrestle
between me and Imbiba,
but let's see.
[laughs]
[Graham]
Guys, this is our signature
fettuccine Alfredo.
It's slathered on
a giant wheel of cheese.
It's gonna blow your mind.
[narrator] Next, an Italian
idea with a twist.
Fresh pasta finished off on
a 40-kilogram cheese wheel.
We are making fresh pasta,
then slathering it in
a massive wheel
of Grana Padano
to infuse the flavors.
[narrator] South African
born Graham is looking
for £500,000 investment.
[Graham] It's been a massive
hit on Instagram and the videos
have gone viral.
I think everyone has
a secret fetish for cheese.
Conceptually,
it's very simple to do.
It's got a lot of theater.
It really connects
with millennials.
They don't have any
Italian experience.
-They're not Italian.
-It doesn't matter.
For me that matters
because I am Italian.
That key signature
dish is really strong.
Cheese, fresh pasta,
you know... Seriously,
what's not to like?
The impact of the cheese wheel,
I think it's potentially
a great hook.
Every restaurant needs
a unique selling point,
something that
differentiates it.
You know, this guy's got
a great idea, great passion.
So, yeah, I'd like to see.
[narrator] Two ideas
have been chosen.
The Cheese Wheel's hopes
rest on just one person,
but two investors
could end up fighting
over Hollings.
[Fred] Today,
Manchester welcomes
two new restaurant hopefuls,
The Cheese Wheel and Hollings.
The next three days could
well change their business
fortune forever.
[narrator] The two
ideas will take over
identical existing restaurant
sites 100 yards apart.
This morning, Graham
and James and Ronnie
are about to see their new
restaurants for the first time.
It looks good, actually.
It does look really good.
-[James] After you.
-[Ronnie] Thank you.
[James]
Oh wow, look at that.
[narrator] Over the last month,
they've been working
with a designer to bring
their restaurant to life.
[Ronnie] That's great.
-Looks bangin', doesn't it?
-[Ronnie]
Looks really nice, actually.
[narrator] James and Ronnie
have worked for some of the
country's best restaurants,
but this is their first time
in their own place.
We're super excited
to see Hollings
actually become real.
The first diners sit down,
first check comes through,
first martini goes
to the table...
It exists then,
so that's exciting.
[narrator]
Thirty-eight-year-old Ronnie
has spent 20 years as a chef.
His current main project
is running a supper club from
his home in south London.
Slow-cooked here,
140 degrees, pressed it.
Yeah, I'm very fortunate,
I get paid a living
to do my hobby,
which is lovely, you know.
My earliest memory
is knocking around
on my grandma's floor
with an old set of
balance scales
weighing up dry pasta.
pretending to cook
with a spoon and stuff, so...
My mom was a cook for 29 years
in a school kitchen.
Yeah, it was sort of
in the family.
[narrator] 28-year-old
James is a rising bar
and cocktail star.
He met Ronnie when they worked
together at an upmarket
London restaurant.
I am, sort of,
the beverage side and front
of house side of Hollings
and I've been in hospitality
in London for about 11 years.
I think we make Hollings
credible for an investor.
Between the two of us,
there's a large wealth
of experience.
[narrator] Now,
Ronnie and James are
looking for £200,000
to kick-start Hollings.
And the right person
to back them.
I think an ideal
investor for us would--
It's gotta be somebody
who's gonna, sort of,
fit our character.
We've got to like what
they've got on offer.
They've got to like
what we've got on offer.
It's like a marriage.
If it doesn't feel right,
don't do it,
because it's gonna end messy
and it's gonna end in
a nasty divorce and someone's
gonna lose everything.
But equally, I think,
it's probably as important
that the 120 covers
we've got booked over
the next three days
have a good time.
If we do that right,
then the investment
will probably come.
-[Graham] Yeah, let's do it!
-[narrator] Opposite Hollings,
Graham is also about
to see his restaurant
for the first time.
This looks awesome!
So cool.
Cheese Wheel!
Cheese Wheel!
Unbelievable.
Look at the kitchen. Whoa!
Get your pasta fresh, my sir!
[narrator]
Thirty-five-year-old
Graham had a cheese wheel
in Italy when on holiday,
then brought the idea back
to Camden Market in London.
Now, he's serving hundreds
of dishes a day.
[Graham] An average week,
we're looking at about £8,000.
Our best sales,
we're looking
at about 11 grand.
Pretty mega for
a tiny little stall.
We've had customers
online, on Facebook,
that actually have said,
"The Cheese Wheel is
not just a gimmick.
We've gone and tried it.
It's fresh-rolled pasta.
It's a convenience.
It's something that's,
that there's not
enough of out there."
[narrator] Now, Graham
wants £500,000
so that The Cheese Wheel
can take its share of
the 24 million visits
that were made to Britain's
Italian restaurants last year.
I've got a wife and two
kids and I dream of
giving them a better future,
of building something for them,
for the future also.
So it's something I want
to achieve in my life
if possible, you know.
That's what
I'm aiming for.
[narrator]
Tomorrow, in just
24 hours,
the investors will be
arriving for a private lunch.
Right, rock 'n' roll, man.
Let's go.
[narrator] So tonight,
each restaurant has
just one practice run
to get their menu
and service right.
[Fred] Tonight,
both restaurants open
to the paying public
for the first time.
It's their soft launch.
I've done so many in my time
and believe me, they never
go according to plan,
but that's the point,
because they must
learn from tonight.
Tomorrow, there will be
no room for error when
the investors arrive.
Hey, buddy.
[narrator] Both restaurants
have brought their own teams
to help in the kitchen
and with front of house.
[groans]
[narrator]
And the man with the cheese
wheel is Graham's twin brother.
Johnny, you're doing
a sterling job, mate.
Buongiorno!
How are you?
-Oh, you're making pasta.
Oh beautiful!
-[Graham] I love pasta!
-What a very good
quality, this pasta!
-[Graham] Thank you.
Tell me about
this cheese wheel,
because I'm really intrigued.
I mean, do you actually
serve all your pasta in
a Parmesan wheel like this?
So what we do is we cook
our fettuccine Alfredo nice
and hot and put it on top
-and it infuses the flavors
from the wheel...
-Really?
And it makes a cheesy
white wine Alfredo
type of sauce.
[Fred] So how many wheels
like this do you go
through a week?
[Graham]
I only go through one
every few days, I'd say.
But it's not too
expensive to do that?
-We make our mark up on it.
-Oh, really?
-Yeah, yeah.
-Yeah, there's a lot
of dough in pasta, isn't there?
Good, good, good.
Well, today you have
your first service here.
-I hope it goes well for you.
-Thank you. Thank you.
-And enjoy it. Ciao. Ciao.
-Lovely to meet you. Take care.
[narrator] The Cheese Wheel's
star dish is
fettuccine Alfredo.
Fresh pasta is cooked
in double cream,
then swirled hot on the wheel
to pick up melting cheese.
It's £6,50,
with toppings
like sheep's milk cheese extra.
But Graham's decided to add
dishes to his Manchester menu.
[Graham]
We've taken some risks,
we haven't played it safe.
I really wanted
to show the investors
this isn't just a fad,
a one trick pony.
This can be developed into
something much more beautiful.
[narrator]
Fresh pappardelle
with lamb ragu is £9,25,
and squid ink spaghetti
with fresh clams in a white
wine sauce is £10,25.
Right, boys, you got bacon
sandwiches ready, yeah?
A bit of brekkie.
Most important is to make sure
that everyone is looked after.
Happy, happy staff.
-How are you guys?
-Just in time for
a bacon sandwich.
-Good. How are you?
-Very well, thank you.
How are you?
Good. Very good. Thank you.
Nice to meet you.
So what is Hollings then?
-That's a very good question.
-[James] Yeah. Absolutely.
It's authentic, sort of,
British cuisine,
a bit of provenance,
quality service
and amazing drinks.
But I suppose
the USP or the hook is that
we're gonna pull it
to commuter belts,
out of central London.
It's slightly more
than a pub,
it's slightly
more affordable than
the fine dining restaurants.
Very good.
And what about drinks, then?
You say fantastic drinks.
What have you got in there?
We're not labour-intensive,
shaky-shaky cocktails
anymore, right?
The world's moved on.
Just quality products and just
a really simple serve, really.
Good. All right, well guys,
have a good day
and I'll see you later on.
-[James] See you later.
-Take care, take care.
Bye.
[Ronnie] Right, well.
Let's do a little checklist.
-Sweet corn.
-Yeah, right.
[narrator] On average,
we now eat out 100
times a year in the UK.
-Tatar sauce we need to mix.
-Yeah.
[narrator] And the long
Hollings menu is designed for
familiarity and repeat visits.
-Wait, let's put..
-So add seaweed salt.
[narrator] Its 26 items
include a crispy
lamb-belly snack at £3,50,
Rump of beef carpaccio
at £7,25,
and Alfie's Fish 'n' Chips,
named after one of Ronnie's
proteges at £14,50.
And James' drinks are
a big part of the offering.
Four of his Teeny Tinis,
miniature versions of
classic martinis, cost £10.
[James] Ron. 6:30.
-See you on the other side.
-See you on
the other side, mate.
[Fred] In my own
restaurant, I love that
feeling before service.
Everything must be ready,
the waiters must be
standing to attention,
and when the first customer
walks through the door...
-Hello.
-[woman] Hi.
-How are you?
-The battle is on!
I was going to say,
"Have you been
to Hollings before?"
-But I know you haven't.
-[laughter]
[narrator] Tonight's
soft-launch features
half-price food,
so both restaurants
are booked solid.
Table nine, yeah?
Fettuccine, pancetta,
fettuccine, pancetta.
Thank you.
-We're both gonna
get the Alfredo.
-Okay, yeah.
[narrator] In the Cheese Wheel,
most of the customers want
to try the signature dish.
-I'll go with
the fettuccine Alfredo.
-[waiter] Yeah.
-Can I have
the fettuccine Alfredo as well?
-[waiter] Yeah.
-[woman] I'm gonna go
for the same.
-Yeah.
Fettuccine Alfredo
with pancetta,
Fettuccine Alfredo
with smoked pork.
-It's all fettuccine tonight.
-[bell dings]
We've just come back from
Rome, and the pasta
there is, like, amazing,
but that measured up
to it as well.
Like, it was literally,
one of the best pastas
I've ever had.
Hi, guys, how are you?
Can I sit at the bar?
Thank you.
How are you doing?
-You all right?
-Very well. Thank you.
Okay, come on guys.
Fettuccine Alfredo,
fettuccine Alfredo with pesto.
I like the menu. In fact,
I love it. I want to eat
everything on it.
But the thing is, there's
only one dish that's cooked
using that wheel.
-How's it going, Graham?
-It's going very good.
Thank you.
[Fred]
How popular is
the wheel tonight?
Uh, I'd say 80% of orders.
-[Fred] 80%?
-Yeah.
People have come for
the cheese wheel
experience, I think.
[Fred] Thank you very much.
Oh!
What flavor!
So well-integrated.
It's beautiful.
Now, if you'll excuse me.
-I'll put the fettuccine
straight in, Chef.
-Good.
And yeah, Pepe,
fettuccine Alfredo,
pancetta, sauteed mushroom.
Okay, two fettuccine
ready to go!
-Graham, thank you very much.
-[Graham] Thank you.
Have a wonderful evening.
-See you later.
-Two fettuccine
coming out right away!
They're done. Ready to go.
We've got
no more cream left.
Okay, well, that means
Alfredo's off the menu.
Yeah, let's have a look.
[waitress] What's going on?
What's happened?
Uh, we've run out
of white-wine cream
because we've been so busy
with the fettuccine.
[sighing deeply]
Back, back, back...
[narrator] In Hollings...
-Venison, mac and cheese.
No messing about.
-[laughter]
[narrator]
...the menu is proving popular.
-So two hummus,
three carpaccio, yeah?
-Yes, Chef.
Fuckin' hell.
We're fucking up!
It needs to be
a lot easier than this.
[narrator]
But 45 minutes into service,
no mains have
left the kitchen.
[waiter]
How's everything here so far?
-I know you haven't eaten
anything to eat yet, but...
-Oh, very good.
It's on the way.
It's gonna be worth the wait.
Um, you're food is
about seconds away,
I believe.
It's the first day
so it's always gonna
be a bit ropey.
-Give me a lemon wedge.
-Lemon?
Uh, lemon wedges.
[Ronnie] What we didn't have
time to do was
go through the flow
and where everything works,
so we're running around
doing 50 miles walking,
probably that we don't need to.
-Hi, you guys.
-Can I sit you at the bar?
Is that all right?
-Just yourself?
-[Fred] Yeah, just me, yeah.
-[waiter] Lovely.
-Thank you.
-How are you, Chef?
-I don't know. Fuck me!
-Chef, how's it going?
-Sorry. Sorry.
-Table-- What's that?
-How's it going?
Oh, good, thank you.
Yeah. Sorry. Table three.
Mac, fish 'n' chips...
That's the first
main course out.
It's all right. It's all right.
-I have your wines
here for you.
-Thank you.
There's a lovely
atmosphere here in
Hollings. I really like it.
Behind the scenes though,
it's manic.
Check on one carpaccio,
one smoked salmon,
one venison and one chicken.
Wait, you got truffle
on this mac?
-Yeah.
-So give me two salmon now.
I'm gonna do three carpaccio.
-[James] Hello, lovely people.
How are you doing?
-Very well, thank you.
Fucking hell. Do I have
to do everything?
Do we have the starters next?
-Sorry, Chef.
Coming right up!
-Starters, starters!
Right.
I say we double up here.
Two mac, two steak.
-One venison.
-Yeah.
And then we'll go
that as well. Same time, yeah?
Yes, Chef!
-There's a little nibble, Fred
while you're waiting.
-Thank you very much.
A little crispy lamb belly
and a sweet corn fritter.
Right. Jus, steaks, chips.
I'm just waiting
for my main course,
but the chef is very kind
and sent me these little
things to nibble on. This is
really good, really class.
-Hi guys.
-Hi.
Just to let you know,
the fettuccine that
you've ordered,
they're out of the cream
white wine sauce.
-Okay.
-Um, so it will be done
with the mushroom sauce.
[narrator] With customers
still ordering,
Graham has had
to improvise a new dish
for The Cheese Wheel.
We've sold, like,
about 80 to 90%
of fettuccine tonight.
Hiya, ladies. I'm sure
you've heard about
the problem with, uh...
The cream sauce
and fettuccine.
We just apologized
to the customers
and changed the sauce
to mushroom cream
and gonna finish off
the night on a high note.
-[Ronnie] No need to stay that
long 'cause we've got it, yeah?
-[waiter] Yes, Chef.
We give you a venison
and a venison.
[waiter]
Has Table two gone yet, Chef?
[narrator] In Hollings,
Ronnie and James have
got service back on track.
[James] Hello, lovely people.
Help yourself here--
Chips coming up
for that steak right now!
My dad once told me
that if you know how to drive,
you can drive any car.
Well, it's the same
for restaurants.
It doesn't matter whether
it's your first night or not,
or whether you know
the restaurant or not,
if you know how to do it,
you know how to do it.
These guys know.
-[James] How's everything?
Worth the wait?
-[woman] Very nice.
[man] Oh, look at that bad boy.
The service is great,
the food's delicious.
Even, like, where we lived
in a small town, it would work.
Last check. Done. Done.
-[Ronnie] Big day today, so...
-[man] Yes, Chef.
It's only a few people but
nonetheless, possibly the most
important people of the week.
-We've got about an hour
and a half till service.
-[Ronnie] No problem.
Last night's service put
both kitchens to the test.
Today, the investors expect
a lunch par excellence.
Their first impression
of each business is all
about the food on the plate.
They must get it right if
they are to stay in the game.
[narrator] Over the next
two days, the investors
will test the restaurants
on their service
and business plans.
But today's private lunch
is all about the food.
Ronnie's trying to treat it
as just another day
at the office.
I think certainly, once you get
in a kitchen, it's a fantastic,
friendly atmosphere.
It can be a little bit,
you know, hostile during
the middle of service,
but you know, generally,
everybody wants you to do well
and everyone helps you out,
so I think that's probably
taught me a lot.
Yeah, I think sometimes
it has been a little bit of
a struggle having a disability.
I was a classic victim.
I mean, I'm in the supermarket
and they said,
"Do you want to pack
your bags?" It's got
nothing to do with my arm,
it's because they want
to pack your bags...
Five years ago, I would've
gone, "No, I'm all right.
I can pack my own bags."
You know, my parents were
great in bringing me up
and they taught me to be
very independent,
so I think sometimes
people are just
genuinely being nice
and you take it a little bit
the wrong way.
-Morning.
-[James] Good morning.
-How are you guys?
-How you doing, Fred?
Very good, thank you.
-Are you ready for lunch?
-[Ronnie] Yeah.
You had a good soft launch
yesterday, but today is all
about the food.
-[Ronnie] Yeah, yeah.
-The food has to be perfect.
-There's no room for error.
-It's a little bit, a little
bit daunting,
but I've got belief
in the brand, belief
in the product.
And I think that
the only thing we can do
now is do the job right,
and then, if we walk
away without it
at least you can turn
around to yourself and say
you've done your best.
-Can you make them
fall in love with Hollings?
-Absolutely.
-Yeah. I hope so.
-All right. Well,
good luck, guys.
-[James] Thank you. Cheers.
-Good luck. See you later.
Right, rock 'n' roll, man.
-A little pick-me-up
Negroni before service.
-Nice!
[clicks tongue]
That's the one, mate.
[narrator] Hollings is hosting
Darrel Connell of Imbiba
and partners Fraser Bradshaw
and Simon Wheeler.
They've invested over
50 million pounds in
hospitality start-ups.
When we first saw Hollings,
the thing that really stood out
was the pedigree
and the quality of
James and Ronnie,
proven operators who have
been doing it for years
who want to take that
big leap and go at it alone.
We offer no qualms about
making an investment
of between half a million
and a million pounds
initially in Hollings,
but with a view then
to putting a further
five million into Hollings.
What I'm really looking forward
to seeing is have the guys
got the appetite for that?
Do they want
to build Hollings into
a great British business?
Are these guys
money makers?
[narrator] Imbiba
face competition.
Michelin starred
restaurateur, Atul Kochhar,
who's looking to expand
his UK restaurant portfolio.
[Atul] Finding new ideas
is always exciting
because it kind of
connects you to the future,
what's coming next.
I always look at ideas
in different ways.
It's just not
whether the financial
sense is there or not,
but also whether
we are working with
the right ethos or not.
All that is very important
to me. And people,
their commitment,
whether they are really
hard graft or not, and if
that's not going to work out,
then you might as well
just don't make
the investment.
I'm quite excited about
Hollings. I'm pretty much
sold on the idea.
And I do hope that
they fare well, to be
honest, because...
It's almost like
it's theirs to lose.
[Darrel] I know
Atul's expressed
an interest in Hollings.
If we have to go head-to-head,
we have to go head-to-head.
After you.
-[James] Hello.
How are you doing?
-Hello, hello.
-Darrel.
-Welcome to Hollings. James.
-Nice to meet you.
-Very nice to meet you.
-Hello, there.
How are you doing?
-Fraser.
[James]
Fantastic. You wanna
take a seat?
-Thanks very much.
-Thank you.
[James] I'm sort of
predominantly drinks, and to
start there's some Teeny Tinis,
little miniature versions
of, sort of, longer drinks.
There's your classic Negroni...
And there's a little
bergamot Bellini,
and then there's
a pepper with gin martini.
It's a nice idea, actually.
-Kind of canopy drinks.
-Canopy drinks. Yeah,
I definitely think so.
[narrator] On the menu today,
26 different items
from smoked salmon
to mac 'n' cheese to
apple pie and custard.
-Gosh, it's quite a--
-Quite a lot, yeah.
It's quite an extensive
menu, isn't it?
If you do a calculation
across Tiny Tinis,
and across your snacks
and starters and mains
and including wine,
it ends being a pretty
strong expense per head.
-[Atul] Yeah, a good £60.
-Yeah, a good £60.
-Gents, are we ready
to order?
-Yeah.
This is one of the biggest
services of our lives.
The easiest way to put it,
it's a half a million
pound service, isn't it?
We're gonna have one of
all of the starters and then,
just share it around.
-So one of every starter?
-Yeah.
And for the mains?
-Let's do one thing. Let's
have all six, and we'd try it.
-I think we'll do all.
-Fantastic. They're gonna
have one of each starter.
-Yeah.
-Again, one of each main.
-Yeah.
And then, just a selection
of sides, whatever you like.
-So, the whole lot,
yeah? The whole lot.
-I think so.
-Yes, Chef.
-Well! Check on.
-Yes, Chef?
-The whole menu.
-Yeah?
-Get busy.
-[chuckles]
-Fantastic.
[Graham]
Oh, they're looking good,
Chef, they're looking good.
[narrator] In the Cheese Wheel,
Graham's making sure
everything is perfect
for today's
make-or-break lunch.
I'm a little bit nervous
but definitely on track.
[narrator] Graham's one shot at
investment is Jeremy Roberts,
CEO of Living Ventures.
He runs a string of over
40 bars and restaurants.
[Jeremy] I think
the two main things
from a pure investment
point of view are
customer acceptability...
Italian food has almost
become a default.
British food, you know,
we all understand it.
The second thing is,
the profitability side
of The Cheese Wheel offer
should be really positive.
Pasta isn't very expensive,
but if a cheese wheel is
the only thing it's got,
then I would be
slightly concerned,
so we need to see what
the breadth of the offer is.
-Hello.
-Hello.
Lovely to meet you.
My name's Graham.
-Nice to meet you, Graham.
-And this is our famous
cheese wheel.
-I've heard a lot
about it. Yeah.
-Come have a look.
So this is our aged,
40-kilo Grana Padano wheel.
And our specialty in
Camden Market is actually
making a fettuccine Alfredo.
So what would you
recommend, Graham?
Our signature dish
is something I'd really
like for you to try first--
We've gotta try that.
[narrator]
Before he can use
the cheese wheel each day...
So I'm to stand back.
[narrator]
...it has to be sterilized
with brandy.
So this is not
integral to the flavor
of the dish in any way...
-No.
-It's just a question
of sanitizing the surface.
-Yeah, exactly.
-[Jeremy] Cool. Sure.
-Just-- Just try it.
-Yes.
-Happy?
-Yes.
Not bad, yeah.
-[Jeremy] Good?
-I think you're gonna like it.
-Okay. This is our
fettuccine Alfredo.
-Yeah.
[Graham] This is where
the magic happens.
-[Jeremy] So that goes
straight on there?
-Yes, so we...
-We're not gonna--
-Knock it around...
-We burnt off all the alcohol
so they don't get any flavor.
-Yeah.
-It certainly
gets the taste buds going.
-[Graham] Yeah.
-[Jeremy] I'm trying to do
this elegantly.
-[laughs]
Thank you.
Yeah. It's just
picking up the, um...
It's picking up some alcohol.
I was worried about that,
-because we had
a bit of a dip there.
-Hmm.
It, uh... Yeah, okay.
-[man] About a minute
on the soup, Chef.
-Perfect.
[waiter] So, here you have
the onion dish,
and then you also have the
beef rump carpaccio as well.
-[Atul] Sounds good.
-Thank you.
He's looking at me
funny 'cause I'm looking
at him funny.
[laughter]
-It's brilliantly
prepared, isn't it?
-Really tasty.
It's absolutely delicious.
Absolutely delicious.
There's smiles and empty
plates and empty glasses.
They're in for the marathon,
'cause there's a lot to go,
if they're gonna have
one of everything,
there's a lot to go.
Beautifully balanced.
Every element
speaks for itself.
Right. Chicken burger.
Not just
any chicken burger,
a Hollings chicken burger.
The food so far
all right?
[man]
It's just so broad and varied.
[Atul] With your experience
and your exposure,
you could have found
the finance anywhere.
Why did you come to this?
We came to this for
a very good reason, so...
James and I have done
lots of things, lots of
outside events.
I've got my own business
doing pop-ups and consulting.
But what we need is some help,
some guidance, some advice.0
And will you focus 100%
on Hollings if you get
some capital, you know--
The honest answer is no.
I'll have some other stuff
on the go because that's
the way I operate best.
If I focus 100%
on one thing, I've found
out in the past, I get too...
Too emotional,
too attached
and not objective enough.
Anyway, I'll let you get
back to your food,
otherwise we'll be here
till three o'clock
in the morning.
He'll be in the kitchen
thinking, "I wish I had
never said that."
-[chuckles]
-I hope you don't
go against this,
but I gotta be honest, I said,
it ain't gonna be 100%.
We know that.
We know
that conversation anyway.
There's two here.
This is the one
you're cooking,
and just a little bit extra
in there just in case
you needed it.
[narrator]
In The Cheese Wheel...
[man] Smells good.
Lovely clams, yeah.
[narrator] Jeremy's second dish
is Graham's new
squid-ink spaghetti.
Looks great.
[Graham] Enjoy.
Hmm...
-Yeah, that's really good.
-[Graham] You like it?
-That's wonderful.
-Yeah.
[Jeremy] He clearly
is talented in terms of
his ability to cook.
The main course dishes that,
that I've tried today
have been fantastic.
Yeah.
The only slight issue is
that they're probably better
than the signature dish.
Yeah, it's a bit of a concern.
-Thanks very much.
-I hope you enjoyed it.
-Pleasure to meet
you, Jeremy.
-And you.
[Graham] Feeling quite
relieved that that part
of the service is over.
In an ideal world, Jeremy
will come back tomorrow
and taste the dish for what
it is without...
A bit of brandy flavor
coming through.
I mean, it is a crowded market,
the Italian market...
The cheese wheel
front and center is
the thing about this.
If it is going to be their
unique selling point,
they need to make more of it
and it needs to be
the star of the show.
Even though that version
of the signature dish
I tried today
didn't quite come off,
I'm really keen
to try it again, because
conceptually it should work.
And clearly, in Camden,
it's working very well.
Great meal, all in all.
-Yeah.
-Yeah, I really--
Shame about the company, but...
-[all laughing]
-Thanks, Atul.
There is absolutely
no doubt to us and Imbiba
that Ronnie is a great chef
and that James is a great host
and a great drinks guy.
But big question is,
are they business people?
Ronnie, what an amazing
meal, thank you so much.
-[chattering]
-He's such a great chef.
The service was charming
and the hospitality
was just perfect.
But one thing worries me.
Ronnie, while talking to us,
mentioned that he will have
other things on the go.
I'm not that kind of investor.
Others might be okay,
I'm not.
-[Fred] How did it go?
-[Ronnie] It was very, very
good. Very good.
Did they fall in love
with Hollings?
-Yeah.
-[James] I think so.
[Fred]
But you do realize
that if you go with it,
they just want your full,
undivided attention
on that project.
I mean, you have a lot
of projects going on.
I mean...
-Yeah.
-Are you ready to give
them up just for Hollings?
[James]
Let's be clear.
If we open Hollings,
from day one,
first six months,
we're gonna own that.
-[Ronnie] Yeah.
-But I don't think we're gonna
give up the other stuff.
[Fred] But do you think
they'd be prepared to give you
half a million pounds,
a million pounds
if you're juggling
other responsibilities?
We've said right
from the beginning
that it's about
the right partnership
and the right investment.
-It's gotta work all around.
-Right.
Okay, well, good luck in your
financial meetings later on.
-Thank you very much.
-[Ronnie]
It's gonna be interesting.
-[Fred] See you later, guys.
-Thank you.
Cheers, Fred.
[narrator] Tomorrow
lunchtime, the pressure in
the restaurant increases.
The investors will get to see
how well they cope when they're
full of paying customers.
Thank you.
Couldn't have
done it without you, boys.
[narrator]
But today isn't over.
Graham and Ronnie
and James still face private
meetings with the investors
to talk through
their financial strategy
for the business.
Hollings are first.
[Fred] I've seen many
business plans in my time,
but this one
clearly lacks detail,
especially around the numbers.
James and Ronnie have
predicted half a million pound
turnover in year one,
but a restaurant like that
should take double that,
a million pounds.
They have to show that
they can run a business
as well as a kitchen.
[narrator]
As they're in competition,
each investor will have
an hour alone with
James and Ronnie.
The financial side of the bar
and restaurant business
is the less sexy bit.
You know, the great
cocktails or, you know,
the delicious steaks,
that's all the stuff that
everyone wants to talk about,
but for us as investors,
we need to understand that
the people that we're backing
take the numbers
and the financial side of
these businesses very,
very, very seriously.
'Cause without that,
my money could
evaporate very quickly.
[narrator] Hollings are asking
for an investment of £200,000.
-How was your day?
-Long day for
a four-cover lunch.
[both laughing]
And thank you so much
for fantastic food
and great service.
[Ronnie] Great.
-Numbers.
-[Ronnie] Yeah, numbers.
[Atul] If I look
at the numbers, the labor cost
is sitting somewhere
around £200,000.
There's money in the budget
for a head chef or GM,
and then obviously,
you know, bar and--
[Atul] So,
how much are you paying?
Because I don't have
the breakdown of the wages.
I would expect that you would
need to find 40 to 45 grand
for head chef,
and somewhere similar
for a GM.
-[scoffs] 80 grand is gone.
-[Ronnie] Yeah.
-So, what's left in
the budget is £120,000...
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
-We can't get rest of
the stuff in £120,000.
What we haven't been is
owners of a restaurant before,
so it's based on the theory
of other people's...
-[Atul] Okay.
-Other people's numbers.
From a weekly
sales perspective,
just taking
some headline numbers...
Your expectation is 12,
12 and a half grand a week...
For us, I mean, looking at this
and looking at the concept,
you need to generate
a 25 to 30 grand a week.
We understand that at the end
of the day, you need to
cover your opening cost
and turn a profit.
-The bits in between certainly
needs to put in some work.
-[Simon] Yes, so...
Who prepared the spreadsheet?
Predominantly myself,
and then we went
over it together.
I guess the slight surprise
was that it didn't add up.
Unless we've missed
something, it still doesn't
look like it does.
[Simon] I'm concerned about
the business plan
they presented to us
and the inaccuracies
in that plan.
There wasn't the diligence
to check them,
and I would have thought,
in a meeting like this,
that they would've gone
through those numbers
very, very carefully.
Now, let's take a step back
away from numbers.
Imaginary restaurant is ready,
I have invested.
Initially, you will
fulfill the head chef role?
No, I'd like to go in
with a head chef.
Mentor a head chef.
How much time you guys
will spend on it?
I see us getting
our hands dirty
for the first six months,
I'd imagine, until this is...
Until it's up and running
and where we need it to get to.
I'm glad that you know that
and you understand that.
That's what I wanted
to hear from him today
and he exactly committed.
He said if it takes six months,
I'll be there for six months
or maybe more.
I was a bit confused about
you guys, I have to say that.
Ronnie has got
an edgy personality,
no doubt about It.
But I think it's a good
edgy personality.
Uh, I'm warming up
to him now. I...
He's confident, he knows
his product well, and I think
he can be trained.
For you, Ronnie, especially,
being a chef and a very
confident chef,
I felt that you were
a little arrogant,
but you're not.
-I was wrong.
I read you wrong.
-Thanks.
[Ronnie]
I don't know where he got
his opinion from.
What you see is what you get.
I haven't changed.
I haven't changed
my style in ten years, so...
I don't know where he gets
that from.
It was unjust.
[narrator] At the end of
the meeting, the investors
can choose to spell out
the offer they'll make
if and only if they decide
to invest tomorrow.
From finding the site
and fitting it out,
I envisage it'll take us
easily anything between
half a million to £750,000.
Yeah.
We will be looking
at putting up to four,
five million pounds
behind you potentially
to scale the business
into a brand.
You know, we're not
single site investors,
if that makes sense.
-Yeah.
-Over a three, four,
five year period,
let's open six,
seven, eight sites.
If everyone gets it right,
there's a big pot of gold
at the end of the rainbow.
Yeah.
We didn't expect that
when we walked into
the room, to be honest.
[Ronnie]
We started with no restaurant,
no food even being on a plate.
And now, we're talking
about somebody putting
four, five million quid
and having that belief
in our product.
You know, that's...
Hold on a minute...
Let's go back 48 hours.
This is somewhat unbelievable.
[Darrel] We're certainly going
to tomorrow's service
with an open mind.
For me, it's not so much
about how good, you know,
how good the venison is,
it's more about just spending
some more time with the guys
just to see how they think,
how they react to things.
I want to get more
confident in them as
commercial business people.
[narrator] Now, it's
The Cheese Wheel's turn.
Graham's looking for
a £500,000 investment.
[Jeremy]
He's very competent
in the kitchen,
but his aspiration is to be CEO
of this business.
So he needs to convince me
that he's capable
of doing that.
-So those dishes that I tried
today, which were fantastic...
-Right.
Have you a feel for what
the gross profit
on those are?
We're looking at a food cost
of around 22 to 24%.
And that's why it's--
I'm just slightly
confused on your
gross profit figure there...
-You mentioned 25% in there?
-Yeah, we'd--
-Your model's talking
about 35%.
-35% food cost?
-Yeah.
-I've got my numbers
wrong because it's--
-What we're operating
is definitely around--
-It's a big difference.
Yeah, it's a major difference,
but maybe my full cost
is not spot-on correct.
But I could tell you
what we're doing now,
and that is, um, we're looking
at 24 to 27%--
Okay, fine.
So that's what
you're doing in Camden.
-Yeah. Yeah.
-Yeah, that makes
a bit of sense.
So going forward,
we're looking at
65% gross profit.
-Okay. It's, uh...
-Which is okay.
-But it's not ideal.
-Yeah, it's not...
The concept is one thing,
but if I'm gonna back him,
then I need to be confident
that he is gonna be able to
make that concept profitable.
You're gonna explain what
this restaurant looks like.
A floating sort of
kitchen kiosk
with people working in
the middle and people
sitting all around it.
We'd like to try to bring
more wheels in, too,
so we can have more than just
the fettuccine Alfredo
onto the wheel.
We've actually managed
to source another cheese
wheel for tomorrow.
Adding an extra wheel
in for tomorrow's service
is a really good, positive
move that he's made there.
He's recognized
that unique selling-point
is something that he needs
to capitalize upon.
[narrator] Jeremy's got
a view on what his
potential offer could be.
-You're looking for
an investment of £500,000...
-Yeah.
To take you to that
first stage. The conclusion
at the moment
is that it probably is gonna
cost a little bit more.
You're probably
gonna need potentially,
£600,000 or £700,000.
Okay.
So tomorrow, I'm keen to see
how the second wheel can help
that interaction
with the customer,
because I think,
one is a little bit limiting.
I'm keen to see if the team
can cope with those dishes.
And also, I think,
I'm keen to see some of
the reaction from customers.
-Good.
-I'm still feeling nervous.
-Have a lovely evening.
Nice to see you.
-Cheers. Bye-bye.
[Graham] Jeremy's not
giving anything away,
so definitely not walking
out feeling confident,
but definitely not walking out
feeling like it's over.
So it's, yeah,
on the fence.
Hollings and Cheese Wheel
are in with a chance of
a life-changing investment.
But the investors have serious
questions about both ideas.
Need to rock 'n' roll
those arancini faster.
We need to finish that job
like ten minutes ago.
[Fred] Today's final service
for the paying public will be
what makes up their mind.
Right now, everything
hangs in the balance.
-First table?
-About half past 12:00.
We've had a good
lunch yesterday,
we've had a good meeting,
and now they want to see
if we can deliver the goods
in a real environment,
so it's crucial
that we're ready.
-Morning, guys.
-[James] Morning.
-[Fred] How are you?
-[James] Yeah, good. Yourself?
-Morning, Fred!
-So, you ready for lunch?
-[both] Yeah.
-Foxed.
Food's gotta be good,
but the operations
also must be perfect.
Hopefully it's gonna be
a great atmosphere today
and everybody'll soak up
the whole Hollings experience.
-Well, good luck.
See you later.
-[Ronnie] Thank you.
-See you later.
-Cheers.
So heavy. 40 kilo.
[laughs]
This is the second cheese
wheel now, so you're gonna
see two up on the pass.
It's gonna look fantastic.
It's the first time for us to
have two at the same time.
Fully booked house,
so it's time for us
to up our game
and have a good service.
Voila!
-How are you, Graham?
-Hi.
-You okay?
-Very well. How are you?
-Good, thank you.
-I see you've got another
cheese wheel here.
-[Graham] Yes, we decided
to put two dishes on.
-Uh-huh.
The mushroom rigatoni
dish on here and the
fettuccine Alfredo on there.
-It's very good you've done
that because this is your USB.
-Yeah.
You know, this is what
Jeremy is looking for.
He wants to see
whether there's a restaurant
idea here that can go around
with that cheese wheel.
-We're hoping he sees
something in it.
-Okay, well look.
-I wish you good luck.
See you later. Thank you.
-Thank you very much. Okay.
Ten minutes before service,
the investors are back in.
I think it's really clear
that we want everyone to have
the same Hollings experience.
-They're all VIP, James.
-[James] All VIP.
-Some nice boiling
water there for us.
-Yeah, it's almost up to ten.
[narrator] Graham and Ronnie
and James are opening to
the public for the last time.
-Afternoon, guys. How are
you doing? You well?
-Hi. Yeah.
-[man] Good. Thank you.
-How are you today?
-Good, yeah.
-Great.
[narrator] Today, the investors
will watch the restaurants
in full service.
-How was that, ladies?
-[woman] Excellent.
-All good?
-[woman] Thank you, thank you.
[narrator] They'll expect
to see a smooth operation
and happy customers.
He wants to move his
product from a successful
street-food business
into something
with wider appeal.
To do that,
he needs to extend that menu.
He's capable of that,
as a chef, without doubt.
What I'll try
and understand today is
how he can translate that
into the cheese wheel,
which is his chosen vehicle.
That connection is where
I'm a little bit concerned,
so it's gonna be
really interesting to see
how that progresses.
Nice fritters, William.
Very nice fritters.
[Atul] It's far
from a done deal,
to be honest.
I'm quite excited from
yesterday's chat and it'll
help me to see them in action.
The quality of
what we consumed
yesterday was super.
The reality now around
seeing them as a team that
we could invest in and develop,
it's lead us to a lot of
deliberation overnight.
Anything is possible.
We're prepared to invest
another two hours of our time
to go and spend
some time with the guys.
We have an open mind.
[narrator] If Atul and Imbiba
both like what they see today,
they will go head-to-head in
a bidding war to sign Hollings.
-Hello.
-Hello, sir. How are you doing?
-You came back!
-One sweet corn,
one focaccia, Will.
We've got some pews at the bar
if you'd like to
jump down, sir?
-I'll take this one.
-Fantastic.
-[waiter] The dish is very hot.
-Thank you.
There's your
sweet-corn tempura.
-Give me one fried oyster
and one portion of lamb.
-Oui, Chef!
-There's certainly a buzz
about the kitchen.
-Definitely.
-So fish 'n' chips and the
venison, have gone, yeah?
-Yeah.
Mmm. Nice.
[James] It's probably best
to pick a couple of snacks
and pick up a couple of
Teeny Tinis and then
just go from there.
-[man] Table two.
-Yes, please. Table two.
-[man] Anything else?
-That's it.
-Two cheese wheels!
-Two cheese wheels today,
yes.
Wow! So, how are you
using the second wheel?
[Graham] We changed our menu
a little bit to adjust
for the new one.
-Okay, good.
-[Graham] We've added on
the mushroom rigatoni.
It's a lovely little dish.
It's gonna be fantastic
on the wheel.
-Great.
-Okay.
-Rigatoni, yeah?
-Rigatoni.
-Okay. Here we go.
I hope you enjoy.
-Lovely. Thank you.
-How are you enjoying it?
-Yeah, it's very good.
Okay. Better
without the brandy?
[Jeremy] Better without
the brandy.
[chuckles]
[Jeremy]
The new dish that Graham
put on in the second wheel
was very, very good actually.
It's certainly good to see
that he's capable of
coming up with solutions.
In the context of
business problem-solving,
that's very important.
Chicken burger.
There you go, sir.
-Thank you so much.
-Thank you.
[waiter] I've got your fries
to go with it.
Delicious. I can't fault it.
-I can't fault it.
It's really good.
-Thank you.
[waitress]
Are you not feeling...
The chicken burger...
[woman] The meat
isn't actually that nice.
It's with thigh meat, isn't it?
Not chicken breast?
[waitress] You're not
enjoying it? Do you want me
to take it away for you?
[woman] Yeah.
Unfortunately, the guys
have just had a meal
returned from the table.
James, do you have
champagne here with you?
-We've got English
bucket wine to sample.
-Can I request four glasses?
-Yes, certainly.
For yourselves?
-On that table.
-Uh, well, in the corner?
-Yeah.
The restaurant is
about hospitality.
It's about generosity.
It's about making people happy
and giving them a good time.
-I'm Atul Kochhar.
-[woman] Hi.
-We've got a difficult,
difficult table over there.
-[laughter]
[Atul] I heard that your food
didn't go well,
so apologies on the house.
-[woman] Oh!
-That's very kind.
-[Atul] And we've got you
a glass of bubbly.
-Thank you very much.
[Ronnie] If chicken thigh
is good enough for my dogs,
it's good enough
for the burger.
[scoffing]
If you do chicken thighs
as a burger,
one in hundred's gonna
come back because
they eat at KFC.
I was a little disappointed,
I think, from the reaction
from both of them.
I would have expected
a little bit more warmth
and that lacked.
If you put it on the menu
that it's made with chicken
thighs, then people can choose.
[Graham] How's the customers?
Everyone enjoying themselves?
-[waiter] Everyone.
-[Graham] Okay, good stuff.
[woman] I don't know.
It's just,
like, typical pasta and cheese.
I don't know if
it's blowing my mind,
but it's nice.
It's something that
I would like to eat on,
like, a winter evening.
It's really nice.
It's starting
to get a bit tamer now,
but that's because
I didn't have any toppings.
Um, and that was my choice.
-All right, Jeremy?
You okay?
-Very well.
-Are you having a good lunch?
-There's some really
good cooking going on here.
Do you think there's a business
based on these cheese wheels?
[Jeremy]
Certainly.
Um, it's very visual,
you see people
smiling as they walk past,
which is always a good sign.
It's just whether
the business translates into
a real restaurant scenario.
-Tough decision
you gotta make, Jeremy.
-It is a tough decision.
-I don't want to be
in your shoes right now.
-[laughing]
There is absolutely no
doubt the guy can cook.
Bye, now.
The Cheese Wheel
can be a very good
visual feature,
but I'm not 100% sure really
yet whether it is enough.
I think the big thinking
I've gotta do this afternoon,
is to understand whether I can
overcome, in my mind,
Graham's slight inexperience
as a businessman
to run that business,
over his ability as a chef.
Cheers, mate.
Thanks very much.
James, great job.
-Thank you. Sure.
-Great job. Thank you
very much. Thank you.
[Atul] I definitely like
the product. I definitely
like the people.
Maybe attitude
could be an issue,
but we can work on it.
-They seemed pretty chuffed,
though.
-Yeah, they ate a lot of food.
Whether I go with full-blown
investment or I do a small
investment on them,
I need to weigh up how
much training I would give them
to run a proper restaurant.
I need to go away
and do my numbers as well.
[James] There was really
good feedback. Lots
of happy faces.
-We've done our bit, so...
-[Ronnie] So now we're waiting.
-Yeah.
-Like beginners.
[Fraser]
For us, if we could
find them an MD
and if we could work with them
on a business plan,
that's a different story.
But on face value today,
their business plan
isn't finished, and they're
not the finished product.
And so that makes it
really conflicted
because we'd like to try
and do something with them.
-Nice one.
-That's it. We're done.
-Fantastic, mate.
-Great.
[narrator]
Lunch is over.
Now the pressure
is on the investors.
They have to decide
whether the idea is
worth their money.
-How was lunch?
-It was really--
It went very smooth for us.
[Fred] Look, well. That's it.
It's the end of
the three days.
But now,
the pressure's on them.
Well, Jeremy Roberts
has a deadline,
he has one hour to come back
and make you an offer.
-If he comes back,
game on.
-Fingers crossed.
If he doesn't come back,
it's game over.
Let's see how it goes.
[narrator] Graham came here
looking for £500,000.
If Jeremy Roberts
doesn't return with an offer
of investment by 6:30,
he'll walk away
with nothing.
Have you ever had a moment
in your life like this where
everything could change
in a space of minutes?
I've never had
this moment in my life.
Never, um,
come to a position
-of competing like this
in anything, you know.
-Hmm.
How does it feel now?
Tried to cook as hard
as we could,
so hopefully it was enough.
Yeah.
-Graham?
-Yeah.
The time is up. I'm sorry.
This means I'm going back
to the drawing board,
putting some more work
into the concept...
-That's the way it goes.
-Yeah.
[Jeremy] Graham's concept,
on a street food level,
is really strong,
but translating that into
a full-service restaurant
based around that...
I think that there's just
not quite enough there.
It's not something that
I can invest in right now.
It's just too much of a risk.
Look, you had a go.
It was really good to see
the food going out,
and happy customers,
feedback was fantastic...
And that's what gives us
inspiration as a team
-if we get our own little
restaurant going, you know?
-Mmm-hmm.
We'll try and grow it
more organically.
I think that might be
more suitable for us.
[narrator]
Now, it's Hollings turn.
James and Ronnie came here
looking for £200,000.
The deadline is eight o'clock.
Will one or more investors
walk through the door?
What's your gut feeling?
I think someone's gonna
walk through the door.
-[Fred] You think?
-Yeah.
What's it like to be
so close?
It's like sitting outside
the chef's office for
my first interview.
-[both chuckle]
-I was 16.
I mean, yeah.
Yeah, he made me wait,
and all.
Five minutes.
-[James] Five minutes.
-Oh, well.
-It's ticking on.
-Oh, well.
-Hi, guys.
-[Fred] Atul.
You are sitting dry
inside, nice and warm.
-Nice to see you.
-How are you?
-Nice to see you.
-Grab a chair.
-Pick a seat.
-Thank you.
[clears throat]
So, you've come here
to make an offer?
Out of courtesy for
the second investor,
we'll have to wait a second
until the time is up.
[narrator] Imbiba have
one minute left to walk
through the door with an offer.
Gentlemen, the time is up.
[Darrel] There's something
special in Hollings.
That said, Hollings' business
isn't ready for investment.
It would be remiss
and negligent of us
to look to invest
at a point where
the business simply
isn't ready for investment.
So guys, let me start by
saying, it's been a pleasure
meeting you both.
-[James] Thank you.
-Thank you.
-I do have an offer to make.
-[Ronnie] Okay.
[Atul] I could get
your restaurant, Hollings,
in exactly the locations
you wanted,
up and running,
within a few months.
-Yeah.
-[Atul] I'm working with
a hotel chain
and it will need an investment
of about £200,000
-Mmm-hmm.
-[Atul]
It'll be your Hollings...
-You have to drive it.
-Yeah.
[Atul] I will only be
the pillion rider.
But more than money,
I need your commitment.
Yeah.
If we make one
successful, we can really
roll out this concept.
Who knows, you know,
ten years down the line,
you could be sitting
on your 10, 12 Hollings.
You know what I'm saying?
Okay, we did a good deal here.
Um, it'll probably be remiss
of us not to confer.
-Would that be okay?
-Yeah, absolutely.
[narrator] Atul's new offer
is to set Hollings up as
a flagship hotel restaurant
and then roll it out
on the high street.
[indistinct conversation]
[exhaling]
I don't know.
And the fact I don't know,
something's that's nagging me.
If it's gonna work,
we can't have that.
That's my problem.
That's my problem.
-So...
-I'm not overly excited.
He wants 100%
on this project.
-Yeah.
-I've got 100% commitment to it
and passion to it,
it doesn't mean I need to be
there six days a week,
doesn't mean you need to be
there six days a week.
And I think he wants blood.
Hmm.
[exhales]
Hotel?
-Mmm-hmm.
-I'm against that.
[indistinct]
We'd be naive not to explore
a little bit more.
-[Ronnie] Sorry to keep you.
-Yeah, thank you
for your patience.
-[Atul] No problem.
-[Ronnie] It's obviously...
Obviously a big decision
and we need to make sure
that we get it right for
all parties concerned.
Our gut feeling...
Is that
I think we'd probably,
somewhere along the line,
I think that we might fall out.
-We don't what to set out on--
-What's scaring you
that we'll fall out?
[Ronnie] I'm not scared
by any stretch of
the imagination, but...
It's very difficult
to describe.
We just don't quite
have the right...
-Feel for it.
-I understand.
And I think it would be
unfair for us to get into
an agreement...
With that,
you know,
nagging against us.
[Atul] If you already
don't have a gut feel,
don't go into it.
-It's fine by me.
-[James] That's appreciated.
-Honored to have
eaten your food.
-[Ronnie] Pleasure to meet you.
[James] Pleasure having you
in our restaurant.
Good luck. Have
an exciting journey.
See you soon.
-[James] Bye.
-[Ronnie]
Take care. Thank you.
[Atul] Actually, I'm quite
stunned. I don't know
what happened there.
In their shoes,
anybody would actually
jump at this offer.
I would want to work
with me and I'm giving
them their restaurant.
But if it was
a commitment issue,
then I'm actually very happy
that they declined it now,
than me running after them
and screaming after them
that you guys are not
focusing on the business.
-He had £200,000
on the table...
-Yeah.
-To set you up
for your first Hollings...
-Yeah.
And he was talking
about 10 years down
the line with 10, 12 Hollings.
-Yeah.
-What's wrong with that?
There was just some
sort of nagging thing
in the back of our minds.
Good call. Well done.
-Right decision.
Definitely.
-Yeah.
Yeah, it was really
flattering, obviously...
Respected restaurateur,
and if he's interested in
Hollings, that's fantastic.
-That's massive! Massive deal!
-Yeah, but you've
gotta trust your gut.
-[James] Fancy a pint?
-[Ronnie] Yes, very much so.
[chuckling]
This is the red curry
with tofu and butternut squash.
-[woman] Yeah.
-Tofu, generally...
-[woman] You don't like...
-Pretty bland.
This is worse than
the actual kitchen
at home.
We've got a new set
of servers coming in
in 20 minutes,
which means
that every single dinner
in this restaurant
-has to be out
in 20 minutes.
-[laughs]
I've worked in the restaurant
industry for 25 years.
Right now, the UK's
restaurant scene is
the envy of the world.
And all it takes is
one great idea to make
a fortune on the high street.
But has the next generation of
restaurants got what it takes
to become a multi-million
pound business?
Over the next six weeks,
here in Manchester,
the food capital of the north,
12 of the most exciting
new restaurant ideas
are in with the chance of
a life-changing investment
from some of the UK's
most respected investors.
These are the men
and women who can turn
an idea into a national brand.
We're looking at putting
a lot of money into
the absolute best concept.
This is the kind of model
that you dream of.
If I find the right operator,
I'll be fighting for it.
[Fred] Each week,
the investors will
give the people
behind two great food ideas
a unique opportunity...
Ah, this is brilliant.
-[Fred] ...their own
pop-up restaurant.
-[bell dinging]
-Right. Rock 'n' roll, man!
-[Fred] They'll have just
three days to prove...
Nobody seems to know
the table numbers...
-[Fred] ...they've
got what it takes...
-It's a disaster.
[Fred] ...to make it
on the high street.
When you start to rush,
that's when you start
to make more mistakes.
-[clangs]
-There's a big backlog of
customers at the door.
-[woman] Yeah, yeah.
-What are you
gonna do about it?
If I was to invest,
it'll take half a million
to £750,000.
Time to make some dough.
[Fred] After the three days,
will the investors walk
back into the restaurant...
-[sighs deeply]
-[Fred] ...and make them
an offer?
It's a £600,000 lunch.
We are not gonna leave
without an investment.
I'm sorry.
Your time is up.
The doors are open
for business.
Welcome to
Million Pound Menu.
Today, two new restaurants
arrive in Manchester
to open their doors
to the paying public
for the very first time.
Will they be able
to secure an investment
or will they leave
empty-handed?
And these are our lovely momos.
Well worth the wait.
[narrator] The men
and women behind
some of the most
successful businesses
on the high street...
We call it "Hug in a Box"
and we create a hug in
a box, like comfort food.
[narrator]
...met to choose some of
the best new restaurant ideas
for a three-day,
trial run pop-up.
This is our signature
Libertine Burger, double ground
beef patty and friend pickles.
There's an explosion
of these concepts that
are really successful.
[narrator] They were looking
for the two entrepreneurs
with the strongest food,
brand and business plan.
I think this is a very good
plan that he's put together.
It ticks a lot of boxes
in terms of being on trend.
[narrator] Then each
investor had to decide
whether they liked
the concept enough
to try it in Manchester.
[sizzling]
James is a proper grafter,
so he leads from the front
which is something
that's very important to me.
[narrator] The first idea
to get the investors excited?
An experienced chef
and bartender duo
who want to bring
great food and drink
to commuter belt towns.
Hollings is a neighborhood
restaurant with central
London service standards
and produce,
pulled out
to the commuter belts.
[Ronnie] When I go back home
to Buckinghamshire,
James is out in Essex
and there's good takeaways,
there's good Indian,
Chinese, there's good pubs...
But the next level is,
you know, going back
to the quiet dining rooms
with the big chairs...
And it's stale
and it's stagnant.
There's very much a gap
there, and we're the perfect
people to fill that.
[narrator] Chef Ronnie
and barman James
want £200,000 to set up
their first Hollings.
Certainly where I live,
in Surrey,
you're bored of all the good
concepts being in London.
This is definitely
a concept that could
scale to multiple sites.
Could you see ten Hollings?
Absolutely.
The bar and restaurant
scene in major cities
is hyper-competitive.
That means that you need
to generate a very high level
of profit to make a return.
Actually, if you step away
from that market
into suburban towns,
where your rents are lower,
it's a compelling
strategy, if you can
get the offering right.
I obviously run three
suburban restaurants,
so I understand
their passion, where
they're coming from.
And I understand
the economics of it.
Hollings is a place where
people feel that
it's their
neighborhood restaurant,
where they know the chef,
where they know
the front of the house
and they can walk in there
any time to have a chat
or have a drink.
You can definitely make money
like that, because people
don't patronize you
just for a day,
they patronize
you for their life.
Because you become
part of their life.
I wouldn't be amazed if
there'll be an arm wrestle
between me and Imbiba,
but let's see.
[laughs]
[Graham]
Guys, this is our signature
fettuccine Alfredo.
It's slathered on
a giant wheel of cheese.
It's gonna blow your mind.
[narrator] Next, an Italian
idea with a twist.
Fresh pasta finished off on
a 40-kilogram cheese wheel.
We are making fresh pasta,
then slathering it in
a massive wheel
of Grana Padano
to infuse the flavors.
[narrator] South African
born Graham is looking
for £500,000 investment.
[Graham] It's been a massive
hit on Instagram and the videos
have gone viral.
I think everyone has
a secret fetish for cheese.
Conceptually,
it's very simple to do.
It's got a lot of theater.
It really connects
with millennials.
They don't have any
Italian experience.
-They're not Italian.
-It doesn't matter.
For me that matters
because I am Italian.
That key signature
dish is really strong.
Cheese, fresh pasta,
you know... Seriously,
what's not to like?
The impact of the cheese wheel,
I think it's potentially
a great hook.
Every restaurant needs
a unique selling point,
something that
differentiates it.
You know, this guy's got
a great idea, great passion.
So, yeah, I'd like to see.
[narrator] Two ideas
have been chosen.
The Cheese Wheel's hopes
rest on just one person,
but two investors
could end up fighting
over Hollings.
[Fred] Today,
Manchester welcomes
two new restaurant hopefuls,
The Cheese Wheel and Hollings.
The next three days could
well change their business
fortune forever.
[narrator] The two
ideas will take over
identical existing restaurant
sites 100 yards apart.
This morning, Graham
and James and Ronnie
are about to see their new
restaurants for the first time.
It looks good, actually.
It does look really good.
-[James] After you.
-[Ronnie] Thank you.
[James]
Oh wow, look at that.
[narrator] Over the last month,
they've been working
with a designer to bring
their restaurant to life.
[Ronnie] That's great.
-Looks bangin', doesn't it?
-[Ronnie]
Looks really nice, actually.
[narrator] James and Ronnie
have worked for some of the
country's best restaurants,
but this is their first time
in their own place.
We're super excited
to see Hollings
actually become real.
The first diners sit down,
first check comes through,
first martini goes
to the table...
It exists then,
so that's exciting.
[narrator]
Thirty-eight-year-old Ronnie
has spent 20 years as a chef.
His current main project
is running a supper club from
his home in south London.
Slow-cooked here,
140 degrees, pressed it.
Yeah, I'm very fortunate,
I get paid a living
to do my hobby,
which is lovely, you know.
My earliest memory
is knocking around
on my grandma's floor
with an old set of
balance scales
weighing up dry pasta.
pretending to cook
with a spoon and stuff, so...
My mom was a cook for 29 years
in a school kitchen.
Yeah, it was sort of
in the family.
[narrator] 28-year-old
James is a rising bar
and cocktail star.
He met Ronnie when they worked
together at an upmarket
London restaurant.
I am, sort of,
the beverage side and front
of house side of Hollings
and I've been in hospitality
in London for about 11 years.
I think we make Hollings
credible for an investor.
Between the two of us,
there's a large wealth
of experience.
[narrator] Now,
Ronnie and James are
looking for £200,000
to kick-start Hollings.
And the right person
to back them.
I think an ideal
investor for us would--
It's gotta be somebody
who's gonna, sort of,
fit our character.
We've got to like what
they've got on offer.
They've got to like
what we've got on offer.
It's like a marriage.
If it doesn't feel right,
don't do it,
because it's gonna end messy
and it's gonna end in
a nasty divorce and someone's
gonna lose everything.
But equally, I think,
it's probably as important
that the 120 covers
we've got booked over
the next three days
have a good time.
If we do that right,
then the investment
will probably come.
-[Graham] Yeah, let's do it!
-[narrator] Opposite Hollings,
Graham is also about
to see his restaurant
for the first time.
This looks awesome!
So cool.
Cheese Wheel!
Cheese Wheel!
Unbelievable.
Look at the kitchen. Whoa!
Get your pasta fresh, my sir!
[narrator]
Thirty-five-year-old
Graham had a cheese wheel
in Italy when on holiday,
then brought the idea back
to Camden Market in London.
Now, he's serving hundreds
of dishes a day.
[Graham] An average week,
we're looking at about £8,000.
Our best sales,
we're looking
at about 11 grand.
Pretty mega for
a tiny little stall.
We've had customers
online, on Facebook,
that actually have said,
"The Cheese Wheel is
not just a gimmick.
We've gone and tried it.
It's fresh-rolled pasta.
It's a convenience.
It's something that's,
that there's not
enough of out there."
[narrator] Now, Graham
wants £500,000
so that The Cheese Wheel
can take its share of
the 24 million visits
that were made to Britain's
Italian restaurants last year.
I've got a wife and two
kids and I dream of
giving them a better future,
of building something for them,
for the future also.
So it's something I want
to achieve in my life
if possible, you know.
That's what
I'm aiming for.
[narrator]
Tomorrow, in just
24 hours,
the investors will be
arriving for a private lunch.
Right, rock 'n' roll, man.
Let's go.
[narrator] So tonight,
each restaurant has
just one practice run
to get their menu
and service right.
[Fred] Tonight,
both restaurants open
to the paying public
for the first time.
It's their soft launch.
I've done so many in my time
and believe me, they never
go according to plan,
but that's the point,
because they must
learn from tonight.
Tomorrow, there will be
no room for error when
the investors arrive.
Hey, buddy.
[narrator] Both restaurants
have brought their own teams
to help in the kitchen
and with front of house.
[groans]
[narrator]
And the man with the cheese
wheel is Graham's twin brother.
Johnny, you're doing
a sterling job, mate.
Buongiorno!
How are you?
-Oh, you're making pasta.
Oh beautiful!
-[Graham] I love pasta!
-What a very good
quality, this pasta!
-[Graham] Thank you.
Tell me about
this cheese wheel,
because I'm really intrigued.
I mean, do you actually
serve all your pasta in
a Parmesan wheel like this?
So what we do is we cook
our fettuccine Alfredo nice
and hot and put it on top
-and it infuses the flavors
from the wheel...
-Really?
And it makes a cheesy
white wine Alfredo
type of sauce.
[Fred] So how many wheels
like this do you go
through a week?
[Graham]
I only go through one
every few days, I'd say.
But it's not too
expensive to do that?
-We make our mark up on it.
-Oh, really?
-Yeah, yeah.
-Yeah, there's a lot
of dough in pasta, isn't there?
Good, good, good.
Well, today you have
your first service here.
-I hope it goes well for you.
-Thank you. Thank you.
-And enjoy it. Ciao. Ciao.
-Lovely to meet you. Take care.
[narrator] The Cheese Wheel's
star dish is
fettuccine Alfredo.
Fresh pasta is cooked
in double cream,
then swirled hot on the wheel
to pick up melting cheese.
It's £6,50,
with toppings
like sheep's milk cheese extra.
But Graham's decided to add
dishes to his Manchester menu.
[Graham]
We've taken some risks,
we haven't played it safe.
I really wanted
to show the investors
this isn't just a fad,
a one trick pony.
This can be developed into
something much more beautiful.
[narrator]
Fresh pappardelle
with lamb ragu is £9,25,
and squid ink spaghetti
with fresh clams in a white
wine sauce is £10,25.
Right, boys, you got bacon
sandwiches ready, yeah?
A bit of brekkie.
Most important is to make sure
that everyone is looked after.
Happy, happy staff.
-How are you guys?
-Just in time for
a bacon sandwich.
-Good. How are you?
-Very well, thank you.
How are you?
Good. Very good. Thank you.
Nice to meet you.
So what is Hollings then?
-That's a very good question.
-[James] Yeah. Absolutely.
It's authentic, sort of,
British cuisine,
a bit of provenance,
quality service
and amazing drinks.
But I suppose
the USP or the hook is that
we're gonna pull it
to commuter belts,
out of central London.
It's slightly more
than a pub,
it's slightly
more affordable than
the fine dining restaurants.
Very good.
And what about drinks, then?
You say fantastic drinks.
What have you got in there?
We're not labour-intensive,
shaky-shaky cocktails
anymore, right?
The world's moved on.
Just quality products and just
a really simple serve, really.
Good. All right, well guys,
have a good day
and I'll see you later on.
-[James] See you later.
-Take care, take care.
Bye.
[Ronnie] Right, well.
Let's do a little checklist.
-Sweet corn.
-Yeah, right.
[narrator] On average,
we now eat out 100
times a year in the UK.
-Tatar sauce we need to mix.
-Yeah.
[narrator] And the long
Hollings menu is designed for
familiarity and repeat visits.
-Wait, let's put..
-So add seaweed salt.
[narrator] Its 26 items
include a crispy
lamb-belly snack at £3,50,
Rump of beef carpaccio
at £7,25,
and Alfie's Fish 'n' Chips,
named after one of Ronnie's
proteges at £14,50.
And James' drinks are
a big part of the offering.
Four of his Teeny Tinis,
miniature versions of
classic martinis, cost £10.
[James] Ron. 6:30.
-See you on the other side.
-See you on
the other side, mate.
[Fred] In my own
restaurant, I love that
feeling before service.
Everything must be ready,
the waiters must be
standing to attention,
and when the first customer
walks through the door...
-Hello.
-[woman] Hi.
-How are you?
-The battle is on!
I was going to say,
"Have you been
to Hollings before?"
-But I know you haven't.
-[laughter]
[narrator] Tonight's
soft-launch features
half-price food,
so both restaurants
are booked solid.
Table nine, yeah?
Fettuccine, pancetta,
fettuccine, pancetta.
Thank you.
-We're both gonna
get the Alfredo.
-Okay, yeah.
[narrator] In the Cheese Wheel,
most of the customers want
to try the signature dish.
-I'll go with
the fettuccine Alfredo.
-[waiter] Yeah.
-Can I have
the fettuccine Alfredo as well?
-[waiter] Yeah.
-[woman] I'm gonna go
for the same.
-Yeah.
Fettuccine Alfredo
with pancetta,
Fettuccine Alfredo
with smoked pork.
-It's all fettuccine tonight.
-[bell dings]
We've just come back from
Rome, and the pasta
there is, like, amazing,
but that measured up
to it as well.
Like, it was literally,
one of the best pastas
I've ever had.
Hi, guys, how are you?
Can I sit at the bar?
Thank you.
How are you doing?
-You all right?
-Very well. Thank you.
Okay, come on guys.
Fettuccine Alfredo,
fettuccine Alfredo with pesto.
I like the menu. In fact,
I love it. I want to eat
everything on it.
But the thing is, there's
only one dish that's cooked
using that wheel.
-How's it going, Graham?
-It's going very good.
Thank you.
[Fred]
How popular is
the wheel tonight?
Uh, I'd say 80% of orders.
-[Fred] 80%?
-Yeah.
People have come for
the cheese wheel
experience, I think.
[Fred] Thank you very much.
Oh!
What flavor!
So well-integrated.
It's beautiful.
Now, if you'll excuse me.
-I'll put the fettuccine
straight in, Chef.
-Good.
And yeah, Pepe,
fettuccine Alfredo,
pancetta, sauteed mushroom.
Okay, two fettuccine
ready to go!
-Graham, thank you very much.
-[Graham] Thank you.
Have a wonderful evening.
-See you later.
-Two fettuccine
coming out right away!
They're done. Ready to go.
We've got
no more cream left.
Okay, well, that means
Alfredo's off the menu.
Yeah, let's have a look.
[waitress] What's going on?
What's happened?
Uh, we've run out
of white-wine cream
because we've been so busy
with the fettuccine.
[sighing deeply]
Back, back, back...
[narrator] In Hollings...
-Venison, mac and cheese.
No messing about.
-[laughter]
[narrator]
...the menu is proving popular.
-So two hummus,
three carpaccio, yeah?
-Yes, Chef.
Fuckin' hell.
We're fucking up!
It needs to be
a lot easier than this.
[narrator]
But 45 minutes into service,
no mains have
left the kitchen.
[waiter]
How's everything here so far?
-I know you haven't eaten
anything to eat yet, but...
-Oh, very good.
It's on the way.
It's gonna be worth the wait.
Um, you're food is
about seconds away,
I believe.
It's the first day
so it's always gonna
be a bit ropey.
-Give me a lemon wedge.
-Lemon?
Uh, lemon wedges.
[Ronnie] What we didn't have
time to do was
go through the flow
and where everything works,
so we're running around
doing 50 miles walking,
probably that we don't need to.
-Hi, you guys.
-Can I sit you at the bar?
Is that all right?
-Just yourself?
-[Fred] Yeah, just me, yeah.
-[waiter] Lovely.
-Thank you.
-How are you, Chef?
-I don't know. Fuck me!
-Chef, how's it going?
-Sorry. Sorry.
-Table-- What's that?
-How's it going?
Oh, good, thank you.
Yeah. Sorry. Table three.
Mac, fish 'n' chips...
That's the first
main course out.
It's all right. It's all right.
-I have your wines
here for you.
-Thank you.
There's a lovely
atmosphere here in
Hollings. I really like it.
Behind the scenes though,
it's manic.
Check on one carpaccio,
one smoked salmon,
one venison and one chicken.
Wait, you got truffle
on this mac?
-Yeah.
-So give me two salmon now.
I'm gonna do three carpaccio.
-[James] Hello, lovely people.
How are you doing?
-Very well, thank you.
Fucking hell. Do I have
to do everything?
Do we have the starters next?
-Sorry, Chef.
Coming right up!
-Starters, starters!
Right.
I say we double up here.
Two mac, two steak.
-One venison.
-Yeah.
And then we'll go
that as well. Same time, yeah?
Yes, Chef!
-There's a little nibble, Fred
while you're waiting.
-Thank you very much.
A little crispy lamb belly
and a sweet corn fritter.
Right. Jus, steaks, chips.
I'm just waiting
for my main course,
but the chef is very kind
and sent me these little
things to nibble on. This is
really good, really class.
-Hi guys.
-Hi.
Just to let you know,
the fettuccine that
you've ordered,
they're out of the cream
white wine sauce.
-Okay.
-Um, so it will be done
with the mushroom sauce.
[narrator] With customers
still ordering,
Graham has had
to improvise a new dish
for The Cheese Wheel.
We've sold, like,
about 80 to 90%
of fettuccine tonight.
Hiya, ladies. I'm sure
you've heard about
the problem with, uh...
The cream sauce
and fettuccine.
We just apologized
to the customers
and changed the sauce
to mushroom cream
and gonna finish off
the night on a high note.
-[Ronnie] No need to stay that
long 'cause we've got it, yeah?
-[waiter] Yes, Chef.
We give you a venison
and a venison.
[waiter]
Has Table two gone yet, Chef?
[narrator] In Hollings,
Ronnie and James have
got service back on track.
[James] Hello, lovely people.
Help yourself here--
Chips coming up
for that steak right now!
My dad once told me
that if you know how to drive,
you can drive any car.
Well, it's the same
for restaurants.
It doesn't matter whether
it's your first night or not,
or whether you know
the restaurant or not,
if you know how to do it,
you know how to do it.
These guys know.
-[James] How's everything?
Worth the wait?
-[woman] Very nice.
[man] Oh, look at that bad boy.
The service is great,
the food's delicious.
Even, like, where we lived
in a small town, it would work.
Last check. Done. Done.
-[Ronnie] Big day today, so...
-[man] Yes, Chef.
It's only a few people but
nonetheless, possibly the most
important people of the week.
-We've got about an hour
and a half till service.
-[Ronnie] No problem.
Last night's service put
both kitchens to the test.
Today, the investors expect
a lunch par excellence.
Their first impression
of each business is all
about the food on the plate.
They must get it right if
they are to stay in the game.
[narrator] Over the next
two days, the investors
will test the restaurants
on their service
and business plans.
But today's private lunch
is all about the food.
Ronnie's trying to treat it
as just another day
at the office.
I think certainly, once you get
in a kitchen, it's a fantastic,
friendly atmosphere.
It can be a little bit,
you know, hostile during
the middle of service,
but you know, generally,
everybody wants you to do well
and everyone helps you out,
so I think that's probably
taught me a lot.
Yeah, I think sometimes
it has been a little bit of
a struggle having a disability.
I was a classic victim.
I mean, I'm in the supermarket
and they said,
"Do you want to pack
your bags?" It's got
nothing to do with my arm,
it's because they want
to pack your bags...
Five years ago, I would've
gone, "No, I'm all right.
I can pack my own bags."
You know, my parents were
great in bringing me up
and they taught me to be
very independent,
so I think sometimes
people are just
genuinely being nice
and you take it a little bit
the wrong way.
-Morning.
-[James] Good morning.
-How are you guys?
-How you doing, Fred?
Very good, thank you.
-Are you ready for lunch?
-[Ronnie] Yeah.
You had a good soft launch
yesterday, but today is all
about the food.
-[Ronnie] Yeah, yeah.
-The food has to be perfect.
-There's no room for error.
-It's a little bit, a little
bit daunting,
but I've got belief
in the brand, belief
in the product.
And I think that
the only thing we can do
now is do the job right,
and then, if we walk
away without it
at least you can turn
around to yourself and say
you've done your best.
-Can you make them
fall in love with Hollings?
-Absolutely.
-Yeah. I hope so.
-All right. Well,
good luck, guys.
-[James] Thank you. Cheers.
-Good luck. See you later.
Right, rock 'n' roll, man.
-A little pick-me-up
Negroni before service.
-Nice!
[clicks tongue]
That's the one, mate.
[narrator] Hollings is hosting
Darrel Connell of Imbiba
and partners Fraser Bradshaw
and Simon Wheeler.
They've invested over
50 million pounds in
hospitality start-ups.
When we first saw Hollings,
the thing that really stood out
was the pedigree
and the quality of
James and Ronnie,
proven operators who have
been doing it for years
who want to take that
big leap and go at it alone.
We offer no qualms about
making an investment
of between half a million
and a million pounds
initially in Hollings,
but with a view then
to putting a further
five million into Hollings.
What I'm really looking forward
to seeing is have the guys
got the appetite for that?
Do they want
to build Hollings into
a great British business?
Are these guys
money makers?
[narrator] Imbiba
face competition.
Michelin starred
restaurateur, Atul Kochhar,
who's looking to expand
his UK restaurant portfolio.
[Atul] Finding new ideas
is always exciting
because it kind of
connects you to the future,
what's coming next.
I always look at ideas
in different ways.
It's just not
whether the financial
sense is there or not,
but also whether
we are working with
the right ethos or not.
All that is very important
to me. And people,
their commitment,
whether they are really
hard graft or not, and if
that's not going to work out,
then you might as well
just don't make
the investment.
I'm quite excited about
Hollings. I'm pretty much
sold on the idea.
And I do hope that
they fare well, to be
honest, because...
It's almost like
it's theirs to lose.
[Darrel] I know
Atul's expressed
an interest in Hollings.
If we have to go head-to-head,
we have to go head-to-head.
After you.
-[James] Hello.
How are you doing?
-Hello, hello.
-Darrel.
-Welcome to Hollings. James.
-Nice to meet you.
-Very nice to meet you.
-Hello, there.
How are you doing?
-Fraser.
[James]
Fantastic. You wanna
take a seat?
-Thanks very much.
-Thank you.
[James] I'm sort of
predominantly drinks, and to
start there's some Teeny Tinis,
little miniature versions
of, sort of, longer drinks.
There's your classic Negroni...
And there's a little
bergamot Bellini,
and then there's
a pepper with gin martini.
It's a nice idea, actually.
-Kind of canopy drinks.
-Canopy drinks. Yeah,
I definitely think so.
[narrator] On the menu today,
26 different items
from smoked salmon
to mac 'n' cheese to
apple pie and custard.
-Gosh, it's quite a--
-Quite a lot, yeah.
It's quite an extensive
menu, isn't it?
If you do a calculation
across Tiny Tinis,
and across your snacks
and starters and mains
and including wine,
it ends being a pretty
strong expense per head.
-[Atul] Yeah, a good £60.
-Yeah, a good £60.
-Gents, are we ready
to order?
-Yeah.
This is one of the biggest
services of our lives.
The easiest way to put it,
it's a half a million
pound service, isn't it?
We're gonna have one of
all of the starters and then,
just share it around.
-So one of every starter?
-Yeah.
And for the mains?
-Let's do one thing. Let's
have all six, and we'd try it.
-I think we'll do all.
-Fantastic. They're gonna
have one of each starter.
-Yeah.
-Again, one of each main.
-Yeah.
And then, just a selection
of sides, whatever you like.
-So, the whole lot,
yeah? The whole lot.
-I think so.
-Yes, Chef.
-Well! Check on.
-Yes, Chef?
-The whole menu.
-Yeah?
-Get busy.
-[chuckles]
-Fantastic.
[Graham]
Oh, they're looking good,
Chef, they're looking good.
[narrator] In the Cheese Wheel,
Graham's making sure
everything is perfect
for today's
make-or-break lunch.
I'm a little bit nervous
but definitely on track.
[narrator] Graham's one shot at
investment is Jeremy Roberts,
CEO of Living Ventures.
He runs a string of over
40 bars and restaurants.
[Jeremy] I think
the two main things
from a pure investment
point of view are
customer acceptability...
Italian food has almost
become a default.
British food, you know,
we all understand it.
The second thing is,
the profitability side
of The Cheese Wheel offer
should be really positive.
Pasta isn't very expensive,
but if a cheese wheel is
the only thing it's got,
then I would be
slightly concerned,
so we need to see what
the breadth of the offer is.
-Hello.
-Hello.
Lovely to meet you.
My name's Graham.
-Nice to meet you, Graham.
-And this is our famous
cheese wheel.
-I've heard a lot
about it. Yeah.
-Come have a look.
So this is our aged,
40-kilo Grana Padano wheel.
And our specialty in
Camden Market is actually
making a fettuccine Alfredo.
So what would you
recommend, Graham?
Our signature dish
is something I'd really
like for you to try first--
We've gotta try that.
[narrator]
Before he can use
the cheese wheel each day...
So I'm to stand back.
[narrator]
...it has to be sterilized
with brandy.
So this is not
integral to the flavor
of the dish in any way...
-No.
-It's just a question
of sanitizing the surface.
-Yeah, exactly.
-[Jeremy] Cool. Sure.
-Just-- Just try it.
-Yes.
-Happy?
-Yes.
Not bad, yeah.
-[Jeremy] Good?
-I think you're gonna like it.
-Okay. This is our
fettuccine Alfredo.
-Yeah.
[Graham] This is where
the magic happens.
-[Jeremy] So that goes
straight on there?
-Yes, so we...
-We're not gonna--
-Knock it around...
-We burnt off all the alcohol
so they don't get any flavor.
-Yeah.
-It certainly
gets the taste buds going.
-[Graham] Yeah.
-[Jeremy] I'm trying to do
this elegantly.
-[laughs]
Thank you.
Yeah. It's just
picking up the, um...
It's picking up some alcohol.
I was worried about that,
-because we had
a bit of a dip there.
-Hmm.
It, uh... Yeah, okay.
-[man] About a minute
on the soup, Chef.
-Perfect.
[waiter] So, here you have
the onion dish,
and then you also have the
beef rump carpaccio as well.
-[Atul] Sounds good.
-Thank you.
He's looking at me
funny 'cause I'm looking
at him funny.
[laughter]
-It's brilliantly
prepared, isn't it?
-Really tasty.
It's absolutely delicious.
Absolutely delicious.
There's smiles and empty
plates and empty glasses.
They're in for the marathon,
'cause there's a lot to go,
if they're gonna have
one of everything,
there's a lot to go.
Beautifully balanced.
Every element
speaks for itself.
Right. Chicken burger.
Not just
any chicken burger,
a Hollings chicken burger.
The food so far
all right?
[man]
It's just so broad and varied.
[Atul] With your experience
and your exposure,
you could have found
the finance anywhere.
Why did you come to this?
We came to this for
a very good reason, so...
James and I have done
lots of things, lots of
outside events.
I've got my own business
doing pop-ups and consulting.
But what we need is some help,
some guidance, some advice.0
And will you focus 100%
on Hollings if you get
some capital, you know--
The honest answer is no.
I'll have some other stuff
on the go because that's
the way I operate best.
If I focus 100%
on one thing, I've found
out in the past, I get too...
Too emotional,
too attached
and not objective enough.
Anyway, I'll let you get
back to your food,
otherwise we'll be here
till three o'clock
in the morning.
He'll be in the kitchen
thinking, "I wish I had
never said that."
-[chuckles]
-I hope you don't
go against this,
but I gotta be honest, I said,
it ain't gonna be 100%.
We know that.
We know
that conversation anyway.
There's two here.
This is the one
you're cooking,
and just a little bit extra
in there just in case
you needed it.
[narrator]
In The Cheese Wheel...
[man] Smells good.
Lovely clams, yeah.
[narrator] Jeremy's second dish
is Graham's new
squid-ink spaghetti.
Looks great.
[Graham] Enjoy.
Hmm...
-Yeah, that's really good.
-[Graham] You like it?
-That's wonderful.
-Yeah.
[Jeremy] He clearly
is talented in terms of
his ability to cook.
The main course dishes that,
that I've tried today
have been fantastic.
Yeah.
The only slight issue is
that they're probably better
than the signature dish.
Yeah, it's a bit of a concern.
-Thanks very much.
-I hope you enjoyed it.
-Pleasure to meet
you, Jeremy.
-And you.
[Graham] Feeling quite
relieved that that part
of the service is over.
In an ideal world, Jeremy
will come back tomorrow
and taste the dish for what
it is without...
A bit of brandy flavor
coming through.
I mean, it is a crowded market,
the Italian market...
The cheese wheel
front and center is
the thing about this.
If it is going to be their
unique selling point,
they need to make more of it
and it needs to be
the star of the show.
Even though that version
of the signature dish
I tried today
didn't quite come off,
I'm really keen
to try it again, because
conceptually it should work.
And clearly, in Camden,
it's working very well.
Great meal, all in all.
-Yeah.
-Yeah, I really--
Shame about the company, but...
-[all laughing]
-Thanks, Atul.
There is absolutely
no doubt to us and Imbiba
that Ronnie is a great chef
and that James is a great host
and a great drinks guy.
But big question is,
are they business people?
Ronnie, what an amazing
meal, thank you so much.
-[chattering]
-He's such a great chef.
The service was charming
and the hospitality
was just perfect.
But one thing worries me.
Ronnie, while talking to us,
mentioned that he will have
other things on the go.
I'm not that kind of investor.
Others might be okay,
I'm not.
-[Fred] How did it go?
-[Ronnie] It was very, very
good. Very good.
Did they fall in love
with Hollings?
-Yeah.
-[James] I think so.
[Fred]
But you do realize
that if you go with it,
they just want your full,
undivided attention
on that project.
I mean, you have a lot
of projects going on.
I mean...
-Yeah.
-Are you ready to give
them up just for Hollings?
[James]
Let's be clear.
If we open Hollings,
from day one,
first six months,
we're gonna own that.
-[Ronnie] Yeah.
-But I don't think we're gonna
give up the other stuff.
[Fred] But do you think
they'd be prepared to give you
half a million pounds,
a million pounds
if you're juggling
other responsibilities?
We've said right
from the beginning
that it's about
the right partnership
and the right investment.
-It's gotta work all around.
-Right.
Okay, well, good luck in your
financial meetings later on.
-Thank you very much.
-[Ronnie]
It's gonna be interesting.
-[Fred] See you later, guys.
-Thank you.
Cheers, Fred.
[narrator] Tomorrow
lunchtime, the pressure in
the restaurant increases.
The investors will get to see
how well they cope when they're
full of paying customers.
Thank you.
Couldn't have
done it without you, boys.
[narrator]
But today isn't over.
Graham and Ronnie
and James still face private
meetings with the investors
to talk through
their financial strategy
for the business.
Hollings are first.
[Fred] I've seen many
business plans in my time,
but this one
clearly lacks detail,
especially around the numbers.
James and Ronnie have
predicted half a million pound
turnover in year one,
but a restaurant like that
should take double that,
a million pounds.
They have to show that
they can run a business
as well as a kitchen.
[narrator]
As they're in competition,
each investor will have
an hour alone with
James and Ronnie.
The financial side of the bar
and restaurant business
is the less sexy bit.
You know, the great
cocktails or, you know,
the delicious steaks,
that's all the stuff that
everyone wants to talk about,
but for us as investors,
we need to understand that
the people that we're backing
take the numbers
and the financial side of
these businesses very,
very, very seriously.
'Cause without that,
my money could
evaporate very quickly.
[narrator] Hollings are asking
for an investment of £200,000.
-How was your day?
-Long day for
a four-cover lunch.
[both laughing]
And thank you so much
for fantastic food
and great service.
[Ronnie] Great.
-Numbers.
-[Ronnie] Yeah, numbers.
[Atul] If I look
at the numbers, the labor cost
is sitting somewhere
around £200,000.
There's money in the budget
for a head chef or GM,
and then obviously,
you know, bar and--
[Atul] So,
how much are you paying?
Because I don't have
the breakdown of the wages.
I would expect that you would
need to find 40 to 45 grand
for head chef,
and somewhere similar
for a GM.
-[scoffs] 80 grand is gone.
-[Ronnie] Yeah.
-So, what's left in
the budget is £120,000...
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
-We can't get rest of
the stuff in £120,000.
What we haven't been is
owners of a restaurant before,
so it's based on the theory
of other people's...
-[Atul] Okay.
-Other people's numbers.
From a weekly
sales perspective,
just taking
some headline numbers...
Your expectation is 12,
12 and a half grand a week...
For us, I mean, looking at this
and looking at the concept,
you need to generate
a 25 to 30 grand a week.
We understand that at the end
of the day, you need to
cover your opening cost
and turn a profit.
-The bits in between certainly
needs to put in some work.
-[Simon] Yes, so...
Who prepared the spreadsheet?
Predominantly myself,
and then we went
over it together.
I guess the slight surprise
was that it didn't add up.
Unless we've missed
something, it still doesn't
look like it does.
[Simon] I'm concerned about
the business plan
they presented to us
and the inaccuracies
in that plan.
There wasn't the diligence
to check them,
and I would have thought,
in a meeting like this,
that they would've gone
through those numbers
very, very carefully.
Now, let's take a step back
away from numbers.
Imaginary restaurant is ready,
I have invested.
Initially, you will
fulfill the head chef role?
No, I'd like to go in
with a head chef.
Mentor a head chef.
How much time you guys
will spend on it?
I see us getting
our hands dirty
for the first six months,
I'd imagine, until this is...
Until it's up and running
and where we need it to get to.
I'm glad that you know that
and you understand that.
That's what I wanted
to hear from him today
and he exactly committed.
He said if it takes six months,
I'll be there for six months
or maybe more.
I was a bit confused about
you guys, I have to say that.
Ronnie has got
an edgy personality,
no doubt about It.
But I think it's a good
edgy personality.
Uh, I'm warming up
to him now. I...
He's confident, he knows
his product well, and I think
he can be trained.
For you, Ronnie, especially,
being a chef and a very
confident chef,
I felt that you were
a little arrogant,
but you're not.
-I was wrong.
I read you wrong.
-Thanks.
[Ronnie]
I don't know where he got
his opinion from.
What you see is what you get.
I haven't changed.
I haven't changed
my style in ten years, so...
I don't know where he gets
that from.
It was unjust.
[narrator] At the end of
the meeting, the investors
can choose to spell out
the offer they'll make
if and only if they decide
to invest tomorrow.
From finding the site
and fitting it out,
I envisage it'll take us
easily anything between
half a million to £750,000.
Yeah.
We will be looking
at putting up to four,
five million pounds
behind you potentially
to scale the business
into a brand.
You know, we're not
single site investors,
if that makes sense.
-Yeah.
-Over a three, four,
five year period,
let's open six,
seven, eight sites.
If everyone gets it right,
there's a big pot of gold
at the end of the rainbow.
Yeah.
We didn't expect that
when we walked into
the room, to be honest.
[Ronnie]
We started with no restaurant,
no food even being on a plate.
And now, we're talking
about somebody putting
four, five million quid
and having that belief
in our product.
You know, that's...
Hold on a minute...
Let's go back 48 hours.
This is somewhat unbelievable.
[Darrel] We're certainly going
to tomorrow's service
with an open mind.
For me, it's not so much
about how good, you know,
how good the venison is,
it's more about just spending
some more time with the guys
just to see how they think,
how they react to things.
I want to get more
confident in them as
commercial business people.
[narrator] Now, it's
The Cheese Wheel's turn.
Graham's looking for
a £500,000 investment.
[Jeremy]
He's very competent
in the kitchen,
but his aspiration is to be CEO
of this business.
So he needs to convince me
that he's capable
of doing that.
-So those dishes that I tried
today, which were fantastic...
-Right.
Have you a feel for what
the gross profit
on those are?
We're looking at a food cost
of around 22 to 24%.
And that's why it's--
I'm just slightly
confused on your
gross profit figure there...
-You mentioned 25% in there?
-Yeah, we'd--
-Your model's talking
about 35%.
-35% food cost?
-Yeah.
-I've got my numbers
wrong because it's--
-What we're operating
is definitely around--
-It's a big difference.
Yeah, it's a major difference,
but maybe my full cost
is not spot-on correct.
But I could tell you
what we're doing now,
and that is, um, we're looking
at 24 to 27%--
Okay, fine.
So that's what
you're doing in Camden.
-Yeah. Yeah.
-Yeah, that makes
a bit of sense.
So going forward,
we're looking at
65% gross profit.
-Okay. It's, uh...
-Which is okay.
-But it's not ideal.
-Yeah, it's not...
The concept is one thing,
but if I'm gonna back him,
then I need to be confident
that he is gonna be able to
make that concept profitable.
You're gonna explain what
this restaurant looks like.
A floating sort of
kitchen kiosk
with people working in
the middle and people
sitting all around it.
We'd like to try to bring
more wheels in, too,
so we can have more than just
the fettuccine Alfredo
onto the wheel.
We've actually managed
to source another cheese
wheel for tomorrow.
Adding an extra wheel
in for tomorrow's service
is a really good, positive
move that he's made there.
He's recognized
that unique selling-point
is something that he needs
to capitalize upon.
[narrator] Jeremy's got
a view on what his
potential offer could be.
-You're looking for
an investment of £500,000...
-Yeah.
To take you to that
first stage. The conclusion
at the moment
is that it probably is gonna
cost a little bit more.
You're probably
gonna need potentially,
£600,000 or £700,000.
Okay.
So tomorrow, I'm keen to see
how the second wheel can help
that interaction
with the customer,
because I think,
one is a little bit limiting.
I'm keen to see if the team
can cope with those dishes.
And also, I think,
I'm keen to see some of
the reaction from customers.
-Good.
-I'm still feeling nervous.
-Have a lovely evening.
Nice to see you.
-Cheers. Bye-bye.
[Graham] Jeremy's not
giving anything away,
so definitely not walking
out feeling confident,
but definitely not walking out
feeling like it's over.
So it's, yeah,
on the fence.
Hollings and Cheese Wheel
are in with a chance of
a life-changing investment.
But the investors have serious
questions about both ideas.
Need to rock 'n' roll
those arancini faster.
We need to finish that job
like ten minutes ago.
[Fred] Today's final service
for the paying public will be
what makes up their mind.
Right now, everything
hangs in the balance.
-First table?
-About half past 12:00.
We've had a good
lunch yesterday,
we've had a good meeting,
and now they want to see
if we can deliver the goods
in a real environment,
so it's crucial
that we're ready.
-Morning, guys.
-[James] Morning.
-[Fred] How are you?
-[James] Yeah, good. Yourself?
-Morning, Fred!
-So, you ready for lunch?
-[both] Yeah.
-Foxed.
Food's gotta be good,
but the operations
also must be perfect.
Hopefully it's gonna be
a great atmosphere today
and everybody'll soak up
the whole Hollings experience.
-Well, good luck.
See you later.
-[Ronnie] Thank you.
-See you later.
-Cheers.
So heavy. 40 kilo.
[laughs]
This is the second cheese
wheel now, so you're gonna
see two up on the pass.
It's gonna look fantastic.
It's the first time for us to
have two at the same time.
Fully booked house,
so it's time for us
to up our game
and have a good service.
Voila!
-How are you, Graham?
-Hi.
-You okay?
-Very well. How are you?
-Good, thank you.
-I see you've got another
cheese wheel here.
-[Graham] Yes, we decided
to put two dishes on.
-Uh-huh.
The mushroom rigatoni
dish on here and the
fettuccine Alfredo on there.
-It's very good you've done
that because this is your USB.
-Yeah.
You know, this is what
Jeremy is looking for.
He wants to see
whether there's a restaurant
idea here that can go around
with that cheese wheel.
-We're hoping he sees
something in it.
-Okay, well look.
-I wish you good luck.
See you later. Thank you.
-Thank you very much. Okay.
Ten minutes before service,
the investors are back in.
I think it's really clear
that we want everyone to have
the same Hollings experience.
-They're all VIP, James.
-[James] All VIP.
-Some nice boiling
water there for us.
-Yeah, it's almost up to ten.
[narrator] Graham and Ronnie
and James are opening to
the public for the last time.
-Afternoon, guys. How are
you doing? You well?
-Hi. Yeah.
-[man] Good. Thank you.
-How are you today?
-Good, yeah.
-Great.
[narrator] Today, the investors
will watch the restaurants
in full service.
-How was that, ladies?
-[woman] Excellent.
-All good?
-[woman] Thank you, thank you.
[narrator] They'll expect
to see a smooth operation
and happy customers.
He wants to move his
product from a successful
street-food business
into something
with wider appeal.
To do that,
he needs to extend that menu.
He's capable of that,
as a chef, without doubt.
What I'll try
and understand today is
how he can translate that
into the cheese wheel,
which is his chosen vehicle.
That connection is where
I'm a little bit concerned,
so it's gonna be
really interesting to see
how that progresses.
Nice fritters, William.
Very nice fritters.
[Atul] It's far
from a done deal,
to be honest.
I'm quite excited from
yesterday's chat and it'll
help me to see them in action.
The quality of
what we consumed
yesterday was super.
The reality now around
seeing them as a team that
we could invest in and develop,
it's lead us to a lot of
deliberation overnight.
Anything is possible.
We're prepared to invest
another two hours of our time
to go and spend
some time with the guys.
We have an open mind.
[narrator] If Atul and Imbiba
both like what they see today,
they will go head-to-head in
a bidding war to sign Hollings.
-Hello.
-Hello, sir. How are you doing?
-You came back!
-One sweet corn,
one focaccia, Will.
We've got some pews at the bar
if you'd like to
jump down, sir?
-I'll take this one.
-Fantastic.
-[waiter] The dish is very hot.
-Thank you.
There's your
sweet-corn tempura.
-Give me one fried oyster
and one portion of lamb.
-Oui, Chef!
-There's certainly a buzz
about the kitchen.
-Definitely.
-So fish 'n' chips and the
venison, have gone, yeah?
-Yeah.
Mmm. Nice.
[James] It's probably best
to pick a couple of snacks
and pick up a couple of
Teeny Tinis and then
just go from there.
-[man] Table two.
-Yes, please. Table two.
-[man] Anything else?
-That's it.
-Two cheese wheels!
-Two cheese wheels today,
yes.
Wow! So, how are you
using the second wheel?
[Graham] We changed our menu
a little bit to adjust
for the new one.
-Okay, good.
-[Graham] We've added on
the mushroom rigatoni.
It's a lovely little dish.
It's gonna be fantastic
on the wheel.
-Great.
-Okay.
-Rigatoni, yeah?
-Rigatoni.
-Okay. Here we go.
I hope you enjoy.
-Lovely. Thank you.
-How are you enjoying it?
-Yeah, it's very good.
Okay. Better
without the brandy?
[Jeremy] Better without
the brandy.
[chuckles]
[Jeremy]
The new dish that Graham
put on in the second wheel
was very, very good actually.
It's certainly good to see
that he's capable of
coming up with solutions.
In the context of
business problem-solving,
that's very important.
Chicken burger.
There you go, sir.
-Thank you so much.
-Thank you.
[waiter] I've got your fries
to go with it.
Delicious. I can't fault it.
-I can't fault it.
It's really good.
-Thank you.
[waitress]
Are you not feeling...
The chicken burger...
[woman] The meat
isn't actually that nice.
It's with thigh meat, isn't it?
Not chicken breast?
[waitress] You're not
enjoying it? Do you want me
to take it away for you?
[woman] Yeah.
Unfortunately, the guys
have just had a meal
returned from the table.
James, do you have
champagne here with you?
-We've got English
bucket wine to sample.
-Can I request four glasses?
-Yes, certainly.
For yourselves?
-On that table.
-Uh, well, in the corner?
-Yeah.
The restaurant is
about hospitality.
It's about generosity.
It's about making people happy
and giving them a good time.
-I'm Atul Kochhar.
-[woman] Hi.
-We've got a difficult,
difficult table over there.
-[laughter]
[Atul] I heard that your food
didn't go well,
so apologies on the house.
-[woman] Oh!
-That's very kind.
-[Atul] And we've got you
a glass of bubbly.
-Thank you very much.
[Ronnie] If chicken thigh
is good enough for my dogs,
it's good enough
for the burger.
[scoffing]
If you do chicken thighs
as a burger,
one in hundred's gonna
come back because
they eat at KFC.
I was a little disappointed,
I think, from the reaction
from both of them.
I would have expected
a little bit more warmth
and that lacked.
If you put it on the menu
that it's made with chicken
thighs, then people can choose.
[Graham] How's the customers?
Everyone enjoying themselves?
-[waiter] Everyone.
-[Graham] Okay, good stuff.
[woman] I don't know.
It's just,
like, typical pasta and cheese.
I don't know if
it's blowing my mind,
but it's nice.
It's something that
I would like to eat on,
like, a winter evening.
It's really nice.
It's starting
to get a bit tamer now,
but that's because
I didn't have any toppings.
Um, and that was my choice.
-All right, Jeremy?
You okay?
-Very well.
-Are you having a good lunch?
-There's some really
good cooking going on here.
Do you think there's a business
based on these cheese wheels?
[Jeremy]
Certainly.
Um, it's very visual,
you see people
smiling as they walk past,
which is always a good sign.
It's just whether
the business translates into
a real restaurant scenario.
-Tough decision
you gotta make, Jeremy.
-It is a tough decision.
-I don't want to be
in your shoes right now.
-[laughing]
There is absolutely no
doubt the guy can cook.
Bye, now.
The Cheese Wheel
can be a very good
visual feature,
but I'm not 100% sure really
yet whether it is enough.
I think the big thinking
I've gotta do this afternoon,
is to understand whether I can
overcome, in my mind,
Graham's slight inexperience
as a businessman
to run that business,
over his ability as a chef.
Cheers, mate.
Thanks very much.
James, great job.
-Thank you. Sure.
-Great job. Thank you
very much. Thank you.
[Atul] I definitely like
the product. I definitely
like the people.
Maybe attitude
could be an issue,
but we can work on it.
-They seemed pretty chuffed,
though.
-Yeah, they ate a lot of food.
Whether I go with full-blown
investment or I do a small
investment on them,
I need to weigh up how
much training I would give them
to run a proper restaurant.
I need to go away
and do my numbers as well.
[James] There was really
good feedback. Lots
of happy faces.
-We've done our bit, so...
-[Ronnie] So now we're waiting.
-Yeah.
-Like beginners.
[Fraser]
For us, if we could
find them an MD
and if we could work with them
on a business plan,
that's a different story.
But on face value today,
their business plan
isn't finished, and they're
not the finished product.
And so that makes it
really conflicted
because we'd like to try
and do something with them.
-Nice one.
-That's it. We're done.
-Fantastic, mate.
-Great.
[narrator]
Lunch is over.
Now the pressure
is on the investors.
They have to decide
whether the idea is
worth their money.
-How was lunch?
-It was really--
It went very smooth for us.
[Fred] Look, well. That's it.
It's the end of
the three days.
But now,
the pressure's on them.
Well, Jeremy Roberts
has a deadline,
he has one hour to come back
and make you an offer.
-If he comes back,
game on.
-Fingers crossed.
If he doesn't come back,
it's game over.
Let's see how it goes.
[narrator] Graham came here
looking for £500,000.
If Jeremy Roberts
doesn't return with an offer
of investment by 6:30,
he'll walk away
with nothing.
Have you ever had a moment
in your life like this where
everything could change
in a space of minutes?
I've never had
this moment in my life.
Never, um,
come to a position
-of competing like this
in anything, you know.
-Hmm.
How does it feel now?
Tried to cook as hard
as we could,
so hopefully it was enough.
Yeah.
-Graham?
-Yeah.
The time is up. I'm sorry.
This means I'm going back
to the drawing board,
putting some more work
into the concept...
-That's the way it goes.
-Yeah.
[Jeremy] Graham's concept,
on a street food level,
is really strong,
but translating that into
a full-service restaurant
based around that...
I think that there's just
not quite enough there.
It's not something that
I can invest in right now.
It's just too much of a risk.
Look, you had a go.
It was really good to see
the food going out,
and happy customers,
feedback was fantastic...
And that's what gives us
inspiration as a team
-if we get our own little
restaurant going, you know?
-Mmm-hmm.
We'll try and grow it
more organically.
I think that might be
more suitable for us.
[narrator]
Now, it's Hollings turn.
James and Ronnie came here
looking for £200,000.
The deadline is eight o'clock.
Will one or more investors
walk through the door?
What's your gut feeling?
I think someone's gonna
walk through the door.
-[Fred] You think?
-Yeah.
What's it like to be
so close?
It's like sitting outside
the chef's office for
my first interview.
-[both chuckle]
-I was 16.
I mean, yeah.
Yeah, he made me wait,
and all.
Five minutes.
-[James] Five minutes.
-Oh, well.
-It's ticking on.
-Oh, well.
-Hi, guys.
-[Fred] Atul.
You are sitting dry
inside, nice and warm.
-Nice to see you.
-How are you?
-Nice to see you.
-Grab a chair.
-Pick a seat.
-Thank you.
[clears throat]
So, you've come here
to make an offer?
Out of courtesy for
the second investor,
we'll have to wait a second
until the time is up.
[narrator] Imbiba have
one minute left to walk
through the door with an offer.
Gentlemen, the time is up.
[Darrel] There's something
special in Hollings.
That said, Hollings' business
isn't ready for investment.
It would be remiss
and negligent of us
to look to invest
at a point where
the business simply
isn't ready for investment.
So guys, let me start by
saying, it's been a pleasure
meeting you both.
-[James] Thank you.
-Thank you.
-I do have an offer to make.
-[Ronnie] Okay.
[Atul] I could get
your restaurant, Hollings,
in exactly the locations
you wanted,
up and running,
within a few months.
-Yeah.
-[Atul] I'm working with
a hotel chain
and it will need an investment
of about £200,000
-Mmm-hmm.
-[Atul]
It'll be your Hollings...
-You have to drive it.
-Yeah.
[Atul] I will only be
the pillion rider.
But more than money,
I need your commitment.
Yeah.
If we make one
successful, we can really
roll out this concept.
Who knows, you know,
ten years down the line,
you could be sitting
on your 10, 12 Hollings.
You know what I'm saying?
Okay, we did a good deal here.
Um, it'll probably be remiss
of us not to confer.
-Would that be okay?
-Yeah, absolutely.
[narrator] Atul's new offer
is to set Hollings up as
a flagship hotel restaurant
and then roll it out
on the high street.
[indistinct conversation]
[exhaling]
I don't know.
And the fact I don't know,
something's that's nagging me.
If it's gonna work,
we can't have that.
That's my problem.
That's my problem.
-So...
-I'm not overly excited.
He wants 100%
on this project.
-Yeah.
-I've got 100% commitment to it
and passion to it,
it doesn't mean I need to be
there six days a week,
doesn't mean you need to be
there six days a week.
And I think he wants blood.
Hmm.
[exhales]
Hotel?
-Mmm-hmm.
-I'm against that.
[indistinct]
We'd be naive not to explore
a little bit more.
-[Ronnie] Sorry to keep you.
-Yeah, thank you
for your patience.
-[Atul] No problem.
-[Ronnie] It's obviously...
Obviously a big decision
and we need to make sure
that we get it right for
all parties concerned.
Our gut feeling...
Is that
I think we'd probably,
somewhere along the line,
I think that we might fall out.
-We don't what to set out on--
-What's scaring you
that we'll fall out?
[Ronnie] I'm not scared
by any stretch of
the imagination, but...
It's very difficult
to describe.
We just don't quite
have the right...
-Feel for it.
-I understand.
And I think it would be
unfair for us to get into
an agreement...
With that,
you know,
nagging against us.
[Atul] If you already
don't have a gut feel,
don't go into it.
-It's fine by me.
-[James] That's appreciated.
-Honored to have
eaten your food.
-[Ronnie] Pleasure to meet you.
[James] Pleasure having you
in our restaurant.
Good luck. Have
an exciting journey.
See you soon.
-[James] Bye.
-[Ronnie]
Take care. Thank you.
[Atul] Actually, I'm quite
stunned. I don't know
what happened there.
In their shoes,
anybody would actually
jump at this offer.
I would want to work
with me and I'm giving
them their restaurant.
But if it was
a commitment issue,
then I'm actually very happy
that they declined it now,
than me running after them
and screaming after them
that you guys are not
focusing on the business.
-He had £200,000
on the table...
-Yeah.
-To set you up
for your first Hollings...
-Yeah.
And he was talking
about 10 years down
the line with 10, 12 Hollings.
-Yeah.
-What's wrong with that?
There was just some
sort of nagging thing
in the back of our minds.
Good call. Well done.
-Right decision.
Definitely.
-Yeah.
Yeah, it was really
flattering, obviously...
Respected restaurateur,
and if he's interested in
Hollings, that's fantastic.
-That's massive! Massive deal!
-Yeah, but you've
gotta trust your gut.
-[James] Fancy a pint?
-[Ronnie] Yes, very much so.
[chuckling]
This is the red curry
with tofu and butternut squash.
-[woman] Yeah.
-Tofu, generally...
-[woman] You don't like...
-Pretty bland.
This is worse than
the actual kitchen
at home.
We've got a new set
of servers coming in
in 20 minutes,
which means
that every single dinner
in this restaurant
-has to be out
in 20 minutes.
-[laughs]