- Carmy decides to send Richie to intern at a fancy restaurant to prepare for the opening of The Bear. Once in the establishment, he is entrusted with the drying of the forks.
- Sydney continues to listen to advice from Coach K, Mike Krzyzewski the Head Coach for Duke University Men's Basketball Team, while she oversees restaurant construction and menu design. The key points Sydney learns is that as she changes her limits, she will fail but that it is an opportunity to figure out why and to find solutions. Also, to surround herself with good people who will help out, to learn to listen, and avoid making excuses. During this time, she also emphasizes that the walk-in fridge needs repairs. She makes progress on a dish of sauteed shrimp with paprika oil and salsa.
Richie is awoken by his alarm clock very early in the morning and reluctantly prepares for his first day as an intern at a highly prestigious restaurant in Chicago called Ever.
He saunters through a dark and moody hallway that has an overhanging mobile with food attached on the ends. He continues to walk through the restaurant with nobody in sight. Instead of being impressed by the restaurant, Richie has an eerie feeling. When he arrives at the empty kitchen, he is greeted by Garrett, one of the wait staff and his mentor.
Garrett tells Richie that his duty is to polish forks and instructs him to change into uniform. Richie has been struggling to accept his place in everybody's lives around him and is haunted by a sign hanging below a clock reading "Every Second Counts". After putting on chef whites, Richie haphazardly wipes down forks that have been washed. The repetitive and droning tasks continue throughout the day as other chefs and wait staff arrive in the room. Richie sees this internship as a punishment, but Garrett retorts that he is working in the best restaurant in the world. He asks for more duties, only to find out that the interns' first week consists entirely of polishing forks. Given Richie's stubborn attitude, he accepts the challenge but only to spite Carmy. Garrett has little patience for Richie's disrespect and hostility. When Richie asks to meet with the Executive Chef and owner, Chef Terry, he is reminded that the chef is always watching.
On the second day, Richie slowly wakes up and returns to his station to polish forks the entire time. From his view, he is able to witness the meticulous, precise, and high-functioning kitchen staff produce the refined gourmet dishes. All of the chefs treat their equipment and ingredients delicately, while Richie throws his forks without any regard.
The third day involves the same tasks of polishing forks. Back at The Bear, the team continues to assemble the infrastructure and has no time to waste. At Ever, everything is done with the utmost care and coordination, which is something Richie has never seen before in a professional kitchen. Watching the chefs slowly begins to change his outlook and he begins to assemble the forks in an orderly fashion, while the words "Every Second Counts" continue to flash through his eyes.
As Richie is bored and desperate for a change, he asks to be transferred to washing dishes but is rebuked that he is unqualified to wash dishes to their standards. Richie continues to disobey Garrett and is brought outside for a stern lecture. Garrett gives a passionate speech that he genuinely loves his work and that the restaurant requires perfection to please the guests who are lucky enough to dine there. The pressure is high on a team of over 200 staff to deliver a monumental experience. He asks Richie that if he does not see value in his work, to at least have respect for the guests, staff and himself. Garrett's words make an impact on Richie and he begins to understand the importance.
At the pre-service meeting with the front of house, the General Manager reads out their list of Persons of Note including politicians, celebrities and an ordinary married couple who had dreams of dining at the restaurant. As the General Manager wants to provide an astonishing level of service to the couple, he requests that the staff provide a full tour of the restaurant, order all supplements on the menu and to waive their bill.
The Manager also raises a previous issue about one of the staff members not accepting responsibility for smudging a dish. He clarifies that the act itself is not the issue, but that the lack of accountability harms the team. Despite his assurance that there would be no punishment, nobody acknowledges fault. The meeting is interrupted by an exasperated Head Chef who provides last-minute updates to the menu made by Chef Terry. The chef also yells at the staff that the smudge cost them 47 seconds of time and that the kitchen staff are punished for mistakes made by servers. Before leaving, he curses Garrett where Garrett immediately chides himself in agreement. Richie is shocked at the level of detail that is expected of all staff.
While having a cigarette on his break, he receives a call from his ex-wife, Tiffany. Richie has acquired Taylor Swift concert tickets and invites her to come along with their daughter. She seems genuinely excited but is conflicted. The reason for the call was to tell Richie that she had said yes to a marriage proposal from her partner. Richie is devastated but feigns happiness for her. She tells Richie that she loves him, and he hesitantly reciprocates through his emotional pain.
During dinner service, Richie has spare time to roam the kitchen. He is able to witness the moment that the Manager waives the bill for the couple. The look of sheer joy and astonishment makes an impression on Richie. Richie's days begin very early and finish very late. After the shift, he reflects on his experiences and his behavior.
On the fourth day, Richie leaps out of bed with a newfound attitude. He grooms himself properly and shows up to work to find a suit on his station. Garrett surprises him with news that he no longer has to polish forks and that his new duty is to follow along in the dining room as a server. When Richie puts on the perfectly-fitted suit, he remarks that it feels like armor which significantly increases his confidence. Garrett talks him through the procedure of when to seat guests, changing the temperature of the room, and to communicate without speaking by passing hand-written notes.
As Garrett passes a note to the Expediter, Jessica, she announces in kitchen lingo that there are unpleasant guests and to rush their meals so they leave more quickly. Richie watches her workflow intently and is inquisitive. She explains her system to notify the chefs of allergies, kitchen tours, and specific notes about the guests such as the speed that they eat, and guests who don't like to talk. She also tells him that there is a designated staff member who researches their guests before they arrive in order to find information on their preferences.
She then shows him their very long wait list and explains that if a table cancels on the night, they will send a car to pick up the next guest on the list. Richie is bewildered at the attention to detail and level of focus required to be an Expediter. When it gets busy, she asks him to step aside as she sets a timer to coordinate the kitchen through their workflow. She then tells Richie that her motivation is being able to be the highlight of somebody's day. After observing for longer, Richie sees the pattern on how to be an Expediter.
Garrett serves a visually stunning dish with the surprise being a cloud of cotton candy being melted into hibiscus tea. Richie is just as amazed as the guests who appear to be regulars. A note is passed to Richie that a guest mentioned they regretted not being able to try a deep dish pizza before they left Chicago. The kitchen asks Richie to run down to Pequod's Pizza to pick up the surprise for the guest. The Head Chef plates the pizza by cutting a doughnut shape and garnishing them with basil gel, olive oil and micro basil. Being involved in this process earns Richie the privilege to bring the pizza to the table.
In his usual colloquial demeanor, he thanks the guests for dining at the restaurant and surprises them with the pizza which makes them gasp in awe. Richie takes pride in being able to make somebody's day.
When service is over, he receives further training and is able to accurately identify different gourmet sauces and is quizzed about his knowledge about the restaurant. His upbeat and over-the-top attitude is infectious and the wait staff genuinely enjoy his company. In his spare time, Richie reads the book Unreasonable Hospitality, by Will Guidara, to learn about providing exceptional service in a fine dining setting.
Feeling elated in his new role and outlook on life, Richie speeds through the backstreets of Chicago while passionately singing along to Love Story by Taylor Swift.
On the fifth day of service, Richie and Garrett bond over telling personal stories. Garrett reveals that he was formerly an alcoholic and during his recovery, he learned about acts of service. Being able to serve others brings him joy. He compares working in fine dining with being cared for in a hospital, which is why hospitality shares the same word. Garrett mentions that he has enjoyed his time with Richie. As Richie wants to continue on the path of self-improvement, he asks for a job but Garrett regrettably tells him that it would not be his decision.
Feeling dejected, Richie calls Carmy who tells him that The Bear restaurant failed the fire suppression test and if they failed again, it would be disastrous. Richie displays his insecurities and accuses Carmy of trying to humiliate him by getting him away from their restaurant. Carmy denies this but is unable to comfort Richie due to being distracted by Fak being electrocuted.
On the sixth and final day at Ever, Richie wakes up much later than usual and has lost his sense of purpose. He continues to have shared custody of his daughter and cleans up after their night together. At the restaurant, Richie goes back to polishing forks. Jessica thanks him for his help and invites him to the team meeting, but Richie declines. As she walks away, she lingers in hopes that he will say something.
When Richie looks for the steel polish, he encounters Chef Terry who is quietly peeling mushrooms alone. Chef Terry is a polite, well-spoken and kind woman who invites Richie to join her. Richie apologizes that Carmy had to ask for a favor in order for him to have an internship. Chef Terry dismisses this notion and insists that she does not do favors. She also boosts his confidence when she compliments his work.
Chef Terry teaches Richie about spending his time well and tells him the story of turning her failures and self-pity into success, that it is never too late, even at the late age of 38. They bond over being children of parents in the military and their distant fathers. Richie admits that he sees Carmy's mother as his own.
As Chef Terry tells an anecdote of a life lesson learned from her father, she is interrupted before she can tell Richie the moral of the story. Chef Terry is still very fond of Carmy, as she speaks about him and has a picture of him and Luca on the wall. Also on the wall is a picture of the Executive Chef from New York who tormented Carmy. Her last piece of advice to Richie is that Carmy believes in him and that Richie is good with people. When Richie tries to ask about the end to the chef's story, he realizes that the sign "Every Second Counts" was the answer all along.
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