Il Padrino The Restaurant Man

The only thing that stands between success

and failure at the moment is chance.

'Many of us fantasise about opening our own restaurant

'but, with restaurants up to three times more likely to fail

'than any other business, it is not for the faint-hearted.'

Opening a restaurant just to make money is wrong,

but it's very important that it does make money.

'I'm Russell Norman.

'After years of dreaming, I set up a series of acclaimed restaurants that

'now serve half a million customers a year

'in the cut-throat London market.'

I'd definitely say there are rules to opening

and running a successful restaurant.

You must know your numbers,

you must do your research,

you must be prepared to work very long hours.

'Now I'm helping six first-timers,

'gambling their life savings to start their own restaurant.'

I've got no food and I'm opening in less than 48 hours.

It is work in progress,

but it needs to be work that ISN'T in progress quite soon.

'From floor plans to finance and menus to marketing,

'I'll have to shatter a few illusions.'

I mean, this is cute, but very impractical.

I'm going to have to show it to him. It's almost inedible.

Well, what's the solution, Russell? Tell me. You get another plumber?

That's exactly what you do.

'Each of these plucky entrepreneurs is hoping their new venture

'will give them a better life.'

This is all mine, and isn't it gorgeous?

Thank you.

'But unless they get every detail spot on,

'it could mean bankruptcy and personal disaster.'

I'm scared now, yeah. I'm very scared.

'This time, Italian hairdresser Tony dreams of opening Il Padrino,

'a traditional Italian family-run restaurant in Gravesend.'

For me, it is a dream, but it's a gamble as well. Especially at my age.

'He and his family are laying £45,000 of their savings

'on the line.'

Because we are using the family money, it's got to work.

'And with no restaurant experience...'

If you can't guess the numbers that will walk through that door,

what chance have I got?

'..their lifelong dream,

'their savings and this family's relationships are all at risk.

'But Tony is not like anyone I've ever met in business.'

-What you're doing now is bulldozing me.

-It's got to be done my way.

'Will this controlling patriarch relinquish his power

'and allow the family to work together...'

-Stop.

-He doesn't ever listen.

'..to get this restaurant open against all the odds?'

If Russell came down today, trust me, he'd have a heart attack.

There's a pizza revolution under way in the UK, marking a shift away

from deep pan to the thin crusts of authentically Neapolitan pizzas.

Focusing on freshness, simplicity and authenticity, pizzas

are no longer only seen as junk food, but as a high-quality option.

'It's this authenticity which Tony

'and his family want to bring to Gravesend.

'And I'm off to meet them.

'Having moved to the UK in 1960,

'Tony dreams of a restaurant

'which recreates the food of his childhood.'

My passion for food I think stems from when I was a child in Italy.

I remember my grandmother, God rest her soul,

actually making fresh pasta. You know, carrying on the tradition

is very important to me.

'After 35 years of running a successful hairdressing business,

'Tony now wants to follow his passion.'

If you ever do get the chance, go to Naples.

I mean, that is the home of the pizza.

The taste, everything they put on there,

-that's what makes it taste good.

-You're making me feel hungry.

'But, at 62, he is also keen to provide a legacy for his family.'

The idea is that obviously I'm going to start this, but I'm hoping

the two boys coming into it, one day they can take it one step further.

'Wife Megan seems to be a great cook,

'but she's yet to convince Tony she is capable of crafting the menu.'

Simple food, cooked really well, fresh ingredients -

everything tastes amazing in Italy.

'Daughter Michelina is her number-one fan.'

Anyone that tries her food, they're obsessed with it.

I'm really excited about bringing what we do at home

into the restaurant.

'But the family will have to work together to make this a reality.

'And sons Enzo and Antonio have their reservations.'

I've learned a hell of a lot from my dad,

but he is a hard person to work for.

He's very, very hard-headed, very stubborn.

It is literally his way or no way. There is no other option.

It's just him, that's what he's like.

He just likes arguing, he likes to think he knows best.

I think Michelina calls him Caesar.

That's not what I call him!

'Gravesend may be just a short train ride from my London restaurants,

'but this small commuter town feels worlds away.

'With a higher-than-average unemployment rate,

'business here is not booming.'

From what I've seen so far, it's run down,

businesses aren't thriving, there are a few places that have closed.

I'd be nervous about opening a restaurant here.

'But as a long-standing business owner in the town,

'Tony at least has a head start knowing the area and its people.

'So today is about me getting to grips with

'the nuts and bolts of this business.'

-Hello, Tony. Pleased to meet you.

-Pleased to meet you too.

Megan, I'm Russell. How are you?

'First up, the food.'

-So what is on the menu?

-It's going to be a pizzeria.

So what you're thinking of serving is simple Italian, is that right?

-Yes.

-I think the nearest pizzeria which has a wood oven,

I think it's in Maidstone, which is about 15, 18 miles away.

Your wood-burning oven, is this something that you're very keen on?

-That's going to be the main feature.

-That's going to be your USP.

Yeah, basically.

'It's great that they're not going to stray too far

'from Neapolitan pizza as their core food offer.'

It sounds great, I'm getting hungry already.

'Tony's heritage will underpin this,

'and can only add value to the business.

'It's early summer,

'and Tony has set himself a deadline of 10 weeks to transform this

'hair salon into a bustling, traditional Italian trattoria.'

This is all coming down here. Behind it, there is actually old red bricks.

-Really?

-Do you remember that time we went to Rome, to the Colosseum,

we came out of there.

We were just walking down the road and we saw just a little place,

we saw the old red bricks, with the fake marble done up the wall.

I thought about it straight away,

and I thought, if we're going to do a restaurant, that's what I want to do.

This is the worktop which I want to put on the counter.

That's too patterned.

-Sorry?

-It's too patterned.

-But I like it.

-Is it the first time you've seen it, Megan? Is it really?

-Yes.

-When did you buy it, Tony?

-I bought this about three weeks ago.

-Three weeks.

-I've actually had it cut to size.

So it's going to be this one.

Sounds like you are telling people already that it's going to be

this way, and it's my way or the highway.

Yeah, basically.

'It's good that he has a strong vision for the decor,

'but I'm clearly going to have my work cut out with Tony.

'I'm beginning to understand why he's calling the restaurant

'Il Padrino. It means "the godfather".

'Before I even consider opening a new restaurant,

'I stalk the location night and day.

'It can provide you with vital

'information about your potential customers.'

When you go out, what sort of food do you like to eat?

Well, we like Italian.

So, if I was to tell you there's another Italian

opening in Gravesend, is that a good thing?

I think it's a good thing, definitely.

What about Italian food, is that represented at all?

No, it's not, in this area.

'Gravesend is well served by pizza takeaways,

'but of the 50 restaurants in town there is only one other Italian.'

I think he could do well, because they've done it up nicely here.

So there is a call for good restaurants in Gravesend.

This is probably the best part of the area, because you've got

the main car park - everyone, to go to town, parks and walks past.

-I see.

-So you get a lot of passing trade.

-Great.

There's a lot of potential round here.

'And with a £75 million regeneration project under way,

'this will bring more customers and more restaurants to the area.

'Tony should get in on the act now.

'He owns this building,

'giving him freedom to build the restaurant of his dreams.

'To keep money coming in,

'the hairdressing business is now in leased premises next door,

'so I need to find out who will be doing what

'in the family restaurant.'

Is the idea that you're in charge, you're the host?

I don't really see myself as working here full-time.

You see it as a family business?

-Yes, I hope it's going to be a family business.

-Who's going to run it?

-One of the boys.

-And what will Megan be doing?

What will you be doing, Megan?

Hopefully I'll be going over the menus with the chef.

Megan, why do you say hopefully?

-If anyone knows Tony, he changes his mind all the time.

-Oh, really?

'Eldest son Antonio has been managing the family

'hairdressing business for 15 years.'

Antonio, how are you? Good to meet you finally.

I've been with Dad, and he's been telling me

the plans for the restaurant next door.

I just wondered what your thoughts are about your involvement

next door in the restaurant.

Right, well, can I ask you what he said, first of all?

Well, he's told me you're going to be running the joint,

you're the main man. Is that not the case?

Well, I don't really want to run the actual restaurant

from the managerial side of things,

because I know how hard my dad is to work under.

I'm not saying that he's impossible,

but he's kind of sort of close to that.

'I'm alarmed the family all have such different

'views on what their roles will be.

'Good communication is vital to the running of any business,

'but these guys are chaotic and confused.

'So I've called a family meeting.'

This is going to be a family restaurant, is that right?

-Is everyone agreed with that?

-Yes.

I would just preferably like to work there,

but not actually manage the restaurant.

My brother doesn't want to manage it, I don't want to manage it,

because there's no getting through to him. He doesn't listen.

His idea of a family restaurant is he's in charge

and you do what I tell you.

Tony, you tell me your wife may or may not have

involvement in the kitchen.

When I was speaking to these guys earlier, they were saying to me

that Megan is going to be the one writing the recipes.

I haven't listened to this lot

because they really haven't got a clue about the business.

The other day, when Mum said...

She got excited, she made this really nice dish for you,

she said, "What about this in the restaurant?"

And you went, "You're having nothing to do with it."

The whole point of this - you know, we're just starting the restaurant.

Not really.

You're two months from opening, that's hardly just starting.

How can it be a family restaurant where everybody's input is valid,

and yet on the other hand, Tony, there's you saying,

"Well, actually, I'll listen,

"but I'm the one who makes the decisions"?

Together, I think we could pull it off

and make it work really well, but you just need to listen to us.

You know, you have an opportunity to do something fantastic,

for lots of reasons.

But, just one second, but...

You also have the potential to screw it all up unless you

involve these guys and allow them to have an input into it too.

Tony is definitely the biggest challenge here, there's no question.

Really great kids, really motivated, fantastic space.

Good idea - wood-fired oven, traditional Italian,

not too fancy, right for the area.

Tony is the fly in the ointment.

'With the family at cross purposes,

'I'm hoping Tony is clearer about his finances.'

The way that businesses generally, but particularly the way

restaurant businesses start is usually with a business plan.

And I'm wondering whether I'll be able to see your business plan.

-At the moment, no.

-Right.

You know, you need some realistic timescales,

you need some realistic figures, you need to start thinking

about the money that this business is going to make, and whether that

works for you in terms of the money you're going to spend to run it.

I want this restaurant to be a success.

I really want it to be a success.

-We're not just jumping into it, this is the thing.

-It feels like it.

-At the moment, I don't think the time is right.

-You're so slippery.

-You make me sound like Arthur Daley, for God's sake.

-No, like an eel.

What I've seen today is there is a long way to go.

-What worries me is there is only 10 weeks.

-Maybe longer.

You've got that luxury in that you don't have rent to pay,

so you can make that period longer and longer, but you could also

make it longer and longer and longer and longer

so it ends up being next year

and you end up running out of money, because you haven't prepared.

It's much worse than I thought.

Tony's financial planning is absolutely non-existent.

Without intervention,

this restaurant runs the real risk of failing before it's even open.

But you know what? As stubborn as he is, I think I can match him.

And I'm actually looking forward to it.

'After just one day, the problems are clear.

'I need to tackle the staffing structure, the menu,

'and most importantly Tony's planning - or lack of it.

'I think the way to do this is through his family,

'but if he doesn't listen, his dream could turn into a nightmare.

'What encourages me is that Tony's core food offer has exploded

'in popularity in Britain

'since Pizza Express opened its doors in 1965.

'Cheap base ingredients of flour, water and salt

'also make this a lucrative market.

'Charging £8 for a basic margarita

'when it costs only one pound to make means a 700% mark-up for Tony.

'And with sales reaching a whopping £700 million last year,

'Italian food is big business.

'But Tony has to get the basics right before he can even begin

'to stand out from the crowd.

'At the moment, nobody can agree on who is doing what.

'It's my second day, and my priority is staffing.'

In order to see how they operate, I'm going to give them

a very simple food business to run.

I'm giving them an ice-cream cart for the day. I've got two carts.

Tony is going to run one and the kids are going to run the other.

I just need to see how they cope, and in particular

I need to see how the kids fare without Tony around.

How hard can it be?

So, the experiment I've lined up for this afternoon involves you,

Tony, running a very simple and very small food business.

You won't have anybody else with you, it will be you and you alone.

And that business is situated just behind us. It's an ice-cream cart.

'By forcing Tony to work on his own,

'I want him to realise he can't do everything himself.'

What your dad doesn't know is that

-I've got an identical ice-cream cart set up for you three.

-Wow!

And I'm going to ask you to do exactly the same as what I've just

asked your dad to do.

'Both teams have been given prime spots 200 metres apart

'in the town centre.'

I feel like a right twit trying to sell ice cream.

'As budding restaurateurs, I'm looking for confidence,

'initiative and good communication.'

So, let the ice-cream selling commence!

HE TOOTS HORN

Cool yourself down with some traditional ice cream here today.

Guys, can I interest you in traditional ice cream?

Traditional ice cream, guys.

-Thank you, have a good day.

-Enjoy, madam, have a lovely day.

-Chocolate heaven, mint chocolate chip.

-Wow, it's pretty!

-Enjoy that.

Cool yourself down today with some traditional ice cream. Ice cream.

Madam, would you like to try some traditional ice cream?

Yes, it's all going really well in quite a short space of time.

Antonio is the natural leader, I think.

Sir, would you like a taste of ice cream today?

It's going good. Like any business, you've got to work at it.

So just got to get stuck in and give it your best shot, really.

'I'm keen to see

'if Tony is embracing the challenge with quite as much enthusiasm.'

I can see Tony, I can see that he's standing quite defiantly,

his body language is combative, it's not welcoming.

He doesn't look like someone who wants to sell ice creams!

-How are you?

-Russell, don't talk to me.

You've got a great little set-up here. Have you got your prices up?

-One pound and two pounds.

-It doesn't say what it's for though.

-It just says one pound and two pounds.

-I'm not an ice-cream man.

-It's just two prices, it doesn't say!

-Which one do you want?

What does it mean, though? Am I the first person?

You're the first person to be picky, yes.

To be honest, you picked the wrong guy to sell this.

As I said to you, my sons are going to run it.

They're the ones that are actually going to be doing it.

Last time we spoke, I think it's fair to say that that wasn't clear.

I think the best thing you can do is actually ask them.

I've sort of made my own mind up, actually,

probably after the last day of talking to yourself.

Purely because I just felt that I wanted to work together a bit more

with the family, and I guess I was kind of missing

the concept of what we were doing, was a family business.

The idea of co-managing it together, sharing the load,

is much more appealing, definitely to myself,

rather than taking it all on board, me just having to deal...

-With our dad.

-I didn't want to say that!

'This is a good start, but I think sharing the management role

'with younger brother Enzo is a mistake.

'A restaurant needs one manager, and that should be Antonio.'

Hello? I'm still here, you should have been here at 10 o'clock.

You're not here, so where the hell are you?

'It's day one of the refit,

'and Tony's builders are already four hours late.'

That's very good.

You were supposed to be here at 10 o'clock.

'Summer is a good time for eating out.

'To make the most of it, Tony needs to stick to schedule.'

So what I'm saying to you is, don't bother coming,

I'll get someone else to do it and you get yourself another job.

'True to form, with the help of his sons,

'Tony decides to start the job himself.'

There we go. Here's the magic bricks. Look at that.

'I'm pleased to see Tony is taking control of the project.'

Give it us here.

'I hope he's tackled his finances with equal gusto.'

Well done.

'It's a huge risk to start building a restaurant

'without doing your sums. I've turned down many premises

'because the numbers simply didn't add up.'

Until you know whether a restaurant concept is a profitable one,

you're wasting your money and time. The numbers never lie.

'Before we go any further, I need to know whether Tony's numbers

'stack up, as unlike him I'm not prepared to leave it to chance.'

-Hello, Tony, hello, Megan.

-Hello, how are you?

-Nice to see you.

And you've started, my goodness.

Tony, the thought that occurs to me, looking round at this

impressive start to your building works, is that you've pressed

the green button, you're going ahead with building the restaurant,

so you've done your numbers and you know it's going to be a goer.

I'll be honest, I haven't.

'I need to get Tony thinking like a professional restaurateur.'

I can't discuss those figures because I really don't know what they are.

Well, that's the thing. You should know what they are.

You can guess at these figures. Basically, that's all it is.

But you have more than one chance of guessing.

You can guess in a pessimistic way, you can guess in a realistic way,

and you can guess in an optimistic way.

And you can put those three separate guesses through the grinder

and see what happens at the end.

So with all those three guesses,

basically that's all it is, guess, guess, guess.

If your pessimistic guess gives you a figure in your hypothetical week

that enables you to run the business profitably

then you're in a good place.

'Even basic figures from Tony would allow me

'to calculate a simple revenue projection.'

Have you worked out what your average customer will spend?

A meal for two on a Wednesday evening, for example?

-Basically I think you're going to be looking at about 40, maybe.

-For two.

-So about £20 a head. What did you decide in terms of covers?

-36.

'By multiplying the number of customers you will have

'in a bad week by the predicted spend per head,

'you can work out your takings in a worst-case scenario.'

So, with your first set of figures,

your weekly revenue projections...

..come out at 4,470. Remember, that's your pessimistic projection.

Which I imagine enables you to operate this business at a profit.

I am actually quite pleased to see it,

-because I don't know what you've got in your head.

-These drawings?

-No, no, it's actually on paper.

-It's not paper, it's on a board, actually.

I'm glad that he finally came round to the conclusion that what

we were looking at was a business that was viable.

One of the keys to the success of my restaurants is my customers

know what to expect when they walk through the door.

Having a clear vision of the menu from the start

and sticking to it is vital.

Your customers need to know what sets you apart

and what your restaurant stands for.

'What will give Il Padrino the edge are its wood-fired pizzas

'and Megan's traditional Italian recipes.

'As the cook of the house, Megan is best placed to be in charge

'of the menu, but Tony is still not keen on her being involved.

'In order to try to convince him, I've set up a little test.

'I've invited him to have lunch with me at one of my restaurants.

'But what Tony doesn't know is Megan will be cooking his lunch.'

Today, by putting Megan in the kitchen,

giving her the opportunity to put one of her dishes

on the specials board, I'm going to get an opportunity to see

whether Tony sees her dishes as being of restaurant quality.

-How are you? Nice to see you.

-So how long has this one been here?

-This is only a year old.

-Really?

We're going to put cherry tomatoes in there as well, yeah?

'Working with my chef director, Tom, Megan combines her family's

'favourite, Nonna's tomato sauce, with sausage and polenta,

'to create an Italian feast.'

I'm looking forward to this.

'Megan's tomato sauce is a modified version of a classic,

'passed down through generations of Tony's family.'

I'll start whizzing these up.

'One of the secrets is the use of home-made garlic oil.'

Yes, I don't want it burned.

'Megan steeps a few cloves of garlic in olive oil

'for several weeks, which really infuses it with flavour.'

I think it's delicious. With the sausages, the polenta -

winner.

-Hi, how are we going?

-Good, we're ready.

We're going to have the special, the sausage ragout.

And were going to have the fritto misto.

OK, table 30, one fritto misto and we've got one of our specials, OK?

Brilliant. Tony's on table 30, so I think that's his.

In terms of authenticity,

do you think it is important to have a chef who is Italian?

I'll let you know after the meal. Is your chef Italian?

My chef is not Italian.

Beautiful.

'With so many high-street Italian restaurants offering the same

'generic dishes, being authentic

'and original is a way for Il Padrino to really stand out.'

So, pizza is obviously very important.

We don't have a wood-fired oven, we have just a little gas-fire job.

It's quite nice.

Before it gets cold, just as an experiment, tell me how the sauce

on this dish compares to Megan's sauce, for example.

Because I know the kids said she makes a fantastic sauce that

goes with pasta or lasagne.

It's very good.

-And your chef prepared this?

-Our chef prepared this.

He's made a bloody good job. You've got a really good chef.

Make sure you keep hold of him.

Tony, we've eaten the food, happy with the authenticity?

-Mm-hmm.

-Let's go meet the chefs.

-I'd love to meet the chefs.

'Tony is clearly impressed by the food,

'but will he still admit it when he finds out who my chef is?'

Chef? Come out for me, please.

-Tony.

-How did you like the food?

-How did you get here?

-Surprise!

-Surprise? This is a shock.

OK. You had some food upstairs

that I think you were quite impressed with.

I was very impressed. I think the sauce was very good.

-I guess that's yours.

-That's my sauce.

-Megan was the chef.

Megan came in this morning,

she spent the whole day preparing that dish.

So what is it that you want me to say?

I want you to say that you trust Megan, that you believe that she

knows a great deal more about food, authenticity, and in particular

Italian cooking than you do, and therefore, as a family-run business,

the person within the family that is best qualified to do that is Megan.

-Right.

-That's what I want you to commit to.

She's going to say, you know, look, we're going to have this dish,

-that dish.

-I have a lot of say.

-In the cooking side of it, yes.

-Nothing else.

-Progress! Fantastic. I think we have an agreement.

I'm really pleased. I really had a good day,

it was really an eye-opener to work in a professional kitchen.

I really enjoyed it.

What I don't understand is why Tony makes it so difficult for himself.

It could be really easy, he's got everything around him that he needs.

He's got a family that are keen and enthusiastic,

a site for the restaurant, a really good idea,

and a wife that loves food and is used to preparing food

and will engage with the chef, and engage with the kitchen and

the menu, and yet he seems to want to make it difficult for himself.

'Summer is slipping by, and Tony's deadline is looming.

'But there is little progress at the restaurant.'

Russell asked me last time to sit down and do a plan.

Have I done that plan? Nope. I've actually stuck to my guns.

We know what we're doing,

so there's no need for me to sit down and write things on paper.

'Poor planning always leads to delays, and in this business

'delays mean loss of revenue.

'If Tony doesn't change his ways,

'he will miss his end-of-summer deadline.

'A restaurant, like any business, needs a strong leader.

'It can be the chef, the owner, the manager,

'but it must be just one person.'

Too many cooks can definitely spoil the broth.

'Tony has made it clear that when he eventually gets the restaurant

'open, he will not be in charge of running it.

'From what I saw during the ice-cream task,

'this family has only one candidate.'

The situation at Il Padrino at the moment is too vague for my liking.

Antonio is going to share responsibility with Enzo,

but Antonio needs to take charge.

'But running a restaurant is completely different

'to cutting hair.

'If Antonio is going to have any hope of managing Il Padrino,

'he needs to start with the very basics - waiting on tables.'

This is Antonio.

'So I've sent Antonio to Quo Vadis,

'one of the top 25 restaurants in the country.'

You've got another table now.

'Under the watchful eye of general manager Jon Spiteri

'and his son Fin, Antonio will learn how front of house works.'

Hello, guys, you all right there? Welcome to our restaurant today.

I will give you a menu.

There is a real cause and effect in a restaurant.

If one thing goes wrong here, then you can have a domino effect

or a chain reaction that can cause a disaster over this side.

Bread and water. I'm going to do table nine.

'Good service needs people who can react quickly

'and calmly to ever-changing customer demands.

'That's what I'm looking for.'

Still water for the table? OK, thank you. God, it's so hard.

It's all right, you get used to it.

He's going to have to get used to everything happening at once,

cos that's how it is. Especially at lunchtime.

Everyone comes in at one, everyone is hungry at one,

and it all comes out at the same time.

'And he's about to get even busier.'

-Hello, how are you?

-How's it going?

-Yeah, good, thank you.

-Listen, I'm here for lunch.

-So I guess I'll see you a little bit later.

-Will do. Cheers.

-How are you?

-Very good, thank you.

-OK, don't panic. Water, bread.

-OK.

-Is this what you expected, Antonio?

-Um, no, not really.

The intensity and obviously the whole... Everything is so crazy,

you know?

Do you feel like you need another pair of eyes

and another pair of hands sometimes?

Eyes, hands, head, brain, legs, everything.

-Would you like some more water?

-Yes, please.

'When a customer changes his order at the busiest point of service,

'Antonio shows the initiative I've been waiting for.'

-Did you want to cancel your order?

-Yes.

-OK, so you want the...

Shall I just go down there myself? I'm going to go down there myself.

Excuse me, sorry...

I don't know who to talk to. Hello.

Sorry, my table has cancelled their order.

'Antonio is responding well to the demands of a busy service.'

He's good with the customers, talking to them,

taking their orders, he's really good with them.

'Today suggests that Antonio has some of the basic skills

'and instincts to be the sole manager of Il Padrino.

'But will he have the pluck to go it alone under his father?'

If you look at your family,

there really is only one candidate who can run this restaurant.

And I think that it's you, and I sort of want you to tell me

-too, that you think that it's you.

-I appreciate what you're saying.

I do think I can do it, but, I mean, I also do think

that there will be other people giving their input, their influence.

That's fine. But there needs to be one person at the helm,

-doesn't there?

-Where the buck stops.

-Is that person going to be you?

That's going to be me and it's going to be Enzo.

'This is not what I wanted to hear.

'This family seems to avoid making those tough decisions that

'you have to confront in business.

'With resistance from Antonio and the build stagnating, I think

'Tony is losing sight of the dream

'that he's held so dear for 25 years.'

'I can't bear to see such a good idea go to waste.'

'So I've arranged an inspirational trip that

'I hope will really reignite that Italian fire in him.'

'I've brought him back to his roots, southern Italy.'

-Italia!

-Italia.

'Nothing is more important to an authentic Neapolitan

'restaurant than the humble tomato.

'And I've found the oldest supplier in Campania to whet Tony's appetite.

'Nestled in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, Don Antonio's

'family have been running this tomato farm since 1887.

'There really is no better place for Tony to source

'his San Marzano tomatoes.'

So, you remember making this sort of stuff?

Well, not me making it,

-but I remember my mum, my grandmother making it, my aunties.

-Amazing.

It's unbelievable, actually. I didn't realise it still went on.

You remember I told you I can't cook?

But I'm just going to prove it to you that I can actually do something.

Tomatoes, olive oil.

WOMAN SPEAKS ITALIAN

She said, break the bread with the hands, it's got a better taste to it.

Nice.

This is great, isn't it? It's so simple. Tomatoes, oil, bread.

I love that smell.

These are the real McCoy. These are San Marzano tomatoes.

'San Marzano tomatoes are the essence of Neapolitan cooking.

'Fewer seeds, thinner skins and 30% less acidity make these

'tomatoes tastier, sweeter and easier to cook

'than any other variety.'

He says this is the best one for the pizzas.

What I love about these tomatoes is they're so authentically Italian.

They are THE tomato of Italy. San Marzano.

And what interests me about them is the whole question of authenticity.

You know, you've mentioned to me

several times that you want Il Padrino

to be an authentic experience.

This is your intention? Using San Marzano tomatoes.

-That would be fantastic.

-That's only going to add value to your business.

This is authenticity at its best and tastiest, and most real, I suppose.

There it is.

If we can actually produce this kind of food in Gravesend, I think

it will be quite successful.

'I do believe that Tony has just agreed with me.

'I'm glad it's on such an important point.

'For proper Neapolitan pizza there is only one tomato. San Marzano.

'Sourcing vital ingredients from authentic suppliers will give

'Il Padrino the edge on its competitors.'

Russell, to be honest with you, this morning has been fantastic.

I've really enjoyed it, you know?

I've disagreed with you in the past, but I disagree with most people.

No, I've really enjoyed it. Fantastic.

How you found this spot, it's fantastic, it really is.

'I'm delighted to hear Tony has got his passion back.'

We actually make quite a good team.

THEY LAUGH

So the song was...

# I had antipasti twice just because she was so nice, Angelina

# Da-ba-da-ba ba-da ba-da

# Angelina! A waitress at the pizzeria... #

# Angelina, waitress at the pizzeria... #

They said it couldn't be done.

'After the food, I now want Tony to think about

'the other most important aspect of Il Padrino.

'The family.'

We're here.

'At eight years old, Tony's move to the UK was not easy,

'but he still has strong connections with his family.'

-Is she happy to see you?

-Looks like it.

-Are they ringing the bells for you?

-They rang the bells for me.

-This is genuinely for you?

-Genuinely for me.

'It was as a child behind these doors that Tony first tasted

'the home-made pizza and pasta

'that he hopes to replicate at Il Padrino.

'This has been a reconnection with his homeland for Tony,

'and I have one more thing to share.'

Megan gave me this.

-I know you hate surprises.

-Oh, God.

-Do you recognise it?

HE SOBS

Just tell me who you see there.

This is my grandfather.

This is my grandmother.

And this is my mother.

They actually worked very hard for me.

This is me.

-It does bring it all back, actually.

-Tony, you've got a wonderful family.

-Thank you.

-Not just this family, but the family back in the UK as well.

And a fantastic opportunity, I think,

-to open a really wonderful family restaurant in Gravesend.

-Right, OK.

But not just a family restaurant, an authentic restaurant as well.

-That's the important thing.

-I'd agree.

-It's got to be authentic.

It's got to be. Otherwise I wouldn't do it.

I think this is a really lovely end to a wonderful day.

'I feel that I've really turned a corner with Tony on this trip

'and he has a renewed purpose and passion.'

'But passion alone will not get this restaurant open.

'His summer deadline has slipped deep into autumn.

'Tony is losing out on a possible £4,500 in his till for every week

'that the opening is delayed.'

Hello.

'On top of that, the £45,000 of family money

'is disappearing rapidly.'

This project isn't going to build itself,

this restaurant isn't going to build itself.

It needs people behind it that are pushing it forward,

that are driving it.

You know, just in terms of your main contractor,

why don't you sit down with him for 20 minutes, piece of paper, just...

Russell, I've said to you before, I don't put anything on paper.

-Why don't you put anything on paper?

-Because I've never done that.

There need to be deadlines that you and he must meet, rather than

just watching the project get further and further away.

Russell, listen, OK? I've told you and I will tell you again.

I'm very concerned about the project, about getting it finished

and everything else. Christmas is just around the corner.

OK, I'm not a restaurateur like you, but it's not rocket science.

As you know, Christmas time is a busy time, and all the time

the place is not open, you know, we're not obviously making any money.

OK?

There is pressure there. There is a great deal of pressure.

God.

When you're in the restaurant business, you can't afford to

sit around and wait for things to happen,

you've got to make them happen.

And Tony is not making any of these things happen.

'It may be two weeks later than promised, but while Gravesend

'makes preparations for Christmas, Tony unveils his own miracle.

'The pizza oven has finally arrived.'

The oven is the most expensive part of the restaurant.

Then again, the oven is the most important thing to me,

because I didn't want to do a normal pizzeria.

I didn't want to do electric, I didn't want to do gas.

It had to be a wood oven.

'This oven could be a real money-spinner for Tony.

'At cooking temperatures of 500 degrees Celsius,

'these pizzas take 90 seconds to cook,

'which means Il Padrino could be churning out 160 of these an hour.'

At the moment, I wouldn't say I'm excited about it,

because it's probably about five lumps of concrete.

Bloody expensive concrete, that.

'Costing around £10,000...

Have you got a spare one,

just in case you do drop it? I hope you have.

'..this is a big outlay, at nearly a quarter of Tony's budget.'

If Russell came down today, trust me, he'd have a heart attack.

By looking at this place, you'd think, well,

this is never going to open.

But I can actually see beyond all this rubbish.

Hopefully, we will be opening before Christmas.

Unless something really comes up. We have to wait and see.

Our plan is to get it open.

'With money running short,

'Tony desperately needs some cash coming in.

'But he risks missing out on the lucrative Christmas season.

'Opening in January, the quietest time of the year for restaurants,

'could mean financial disaster.

'It's mid-December,

'and three days to go before Tony's re-scheduled opening date.

'In one of my restaurants,

'three days before opening there would be massive activity.

'It really is very frenetic indeed.'

I really felt that I got through to Tony in Italy, I really

felt that he came back with a renewed sense of purpose.

And so bringing that back to Gravesend, with that energy

and with that passion reignited, should've manifested itself

and I'm really looking forward to seeing the restaurant.

'But Tony's passion is nowhere to be seen.

'The exterior of the building at least doesn't look

'like a restaurant that is ready to open to the public.'

I've got a really bad feeling about this.

It doesn't fill me with anything like...hope.

'I was right not to hope.

'Aside for some extra columns,

'this place has barely changed since my last visit.'

-Hello? Tony.

-Russell.

-Hello.

-How are you?

-I'm very well, good to see you.

Nice to see you.

I've got to say, I'm concerned. This is not looking good for Saturday.

No, it definitely won't be open on Saturday. Definitely not.

-When do you think you will be open, Tony?

-Well, hopefully a week later.

-It looks a lot worse than it is.

-This is the pizza oven.

-That's the pizza oven.

-So where's the kitchen, can you show me?

It's not a kitchen at the moment.

Yes, you're kind of right there.

This is a long way off.

Well, once we get all this stuff out of there,

then obviously the kitchen can be done.

Do you have a list of things that need to be done between now

and opening day?

I know you've told me in the past you don't like writing things down.

-I don't like writing things down.

-Can I write things down for you?

You know, what you have here is a restaurant with several things

that need to happen before it can open.

But I'm worried that all of those things in your head are going

to happen in a linear way, rather than in a layered way.

The only way you can make sure that you use the time that you've

got left to the best possible use and advantage is by preparing,

using a pencil and a piece of paper, preparing a critical path.

So you've got your timeline at the top,

and then what you need to do is plot on that timeline

when there are things that are going to happen or need to happen.

Because at the moment, I'm worried that, you know,

if, for example, Steve the plumber can't make it on Saturday and Sunday

and comes on Monday and Tuesday, that will have

a devastating effect on the timeline,

and I'm worried that this is what's happened so far with this build.

You've already said to me...

Russell. No, Russell, listen to me, OK?

-This is comical!

-You're not going to win this conversation.

No! It's not a competition! I'm just asking you to listen.

-This business, Russell...

-What you're doing now is you're bulldozing me.

It's got to be done my way. My way is the only way it's going to be done.

Tony, what's happened so far with your way is that this project

has taken 10 times longer than it needed to.

Russell, the plumbing will be done, OK? The kitchen arrives on Friday.

Last night, we were here until 11.30pm.

Tony, all I hear from you every time I come and see you

is excuses as to why things have happened.

Russell, it's not an excuse.

You've got that wrong, it's not an excuse, OK? Right.

PHONE RINGS Steve.

'But work is about to be delayed even further...'

Oh, pain in the arse.

'..when Tony agrees for his plumber to help out a friend instead.'

-Tony, please come back and calm down.

-Russell, I am calm, trust me.

That was a guy with a burst pipe, OK?

I just phoned Steve and asked him to go to this guy's house to put it

right, because the family can't walk around in a puddle of water.

Of course, there are problems, but then you find solutions.

Well, what's the solution, tell me? You get another plumber?

Yes, that's exactly what you do.

These people have helped me out in the past - I'm a loyal person, OK?

If they help me, I will stick with these people, OK?

If somebody pisses me off, then that's it.

And I'm telling you, Russell, it's not going to be your way,

it's going to be my way, and that's it.

In my time.

OK, can I say a few words now, please, Tony,

-without you shouting at me?

-Carry on.

What you're confusing is your compassion and your willingness to

help someone - I'm not going to talk to you if you're walking away.

-Russell.

-No, really.

-I can hear, OK?

I'm serious, I'm going to walk around the block.

Seriously, when I come back, I'd like you to be calmed down.

The block is there, walk around the block.

I'm really pissed off with Tony.

That restaurant could have been built in the summer,

which is originally when he planned to open it.

Yet we're standing here in the middle of bloody winter.

'Tempting as it is to jump on the 10.21 back to Charing Cross,

'I can be stubborn too, and I do understand that

'the financial pressure on Tony is enormous.

'Having both calmed down, Tony and I finished the plan.'

All I was doing here is trying to get from your head -

because everything on this project is in your head, isn't it?

All I'm trying to do is put it here,

so I can see what's in your head, and then say, do you know what?

You need to make sure this is done before this,

then that can be done there.

Because that's what a critical path is.

'While there is still a lot to be done, if Tony sticks to

'his plan, it is possible that this restaurant could open next Thursday.

'But getting the building completed is not the only task.

'I still haven't set eyes on a menu.

'I'm hoping that after cooking at Polpo, Megan is confident enough

'to create authentic dishes for Il Padrino with her new chef, Ernest.

'I can't wait to hear what they've come up with.'

-Megan, how are you?

-Hello, Russell, nice to see you.

-Nice to see you.

-You have pizza!

-At last.

-At last, I know.

-So is this just out of the oven?

-Yes, try.

-Shall we have a little?

That's lovely.

'There are strict guidelines to making the true Neapolitan pizza.

'The distinctive, light dough is formed using highly refined flour.

'The skilled pizzaiolo spreads the dough from centre to edge,

'forming the crust.

'The thickness of the centre should be no more than four millimetres,

'giving these pizzas their unique thinness.'

You've obviously had quite a bit of experience cooking pizzas,

-haven't you?

-20 years.

-OK. It shows.

Megan, I'm really excited to see the pizza oven.

But I'm even more excited to hear about the menu.

So, can I see it?

Well... You can't actually see it.

So, at the moment, all that's on the menu is the pizza?

You remind me a bit of your husband, because he's always got stuff

that he never writes down, and you've had several months now

to take this stuff out of your head, the ideas, and put them on paper.

I know what I want on the menu, but Ernest is the chef,

so I need to speak to him.

Megan, it's clear you and Ernest haven't really spoken a great deal.

-I guess Tony has kept Ernest to himself, I think.

-Say that again.

Tony has kept Ernest to himself - why doesn't that surprise me?

'Tony's controlling influence is still all over this project.'

There's not even a menu.

I've spent years working out menus.

The most recent of my restaurants had a menu

that was in development for about eight months.

They need to be clever in order to get customers,

and leaving a menu to the last minute is not clever.

'What they do have is an experienced chef and a working pizza oven.

'It's crucial we find some customers.'

While Ernest is here, we have an opportunity, and that is to put some

more dough and some more toppings into that lovely oven behind you.

I think we should get out onto the streets

and try these pizzas out on Gravesend.

'To entice their customers in,

'they have to convince Gravesend to swap deep pan for Neapolitan.

'While I hit the streets with Megan, I send Antonio to spread the word.'

Would you like some pizza?

We're opening a pizzeria up Stone Street, Il Padrino.

That's nice, that's really nice.

This is Megan's.

-You can taste the quality.

-You can, can't you?

-You can, yes.

This is from Megan's restaurant which is opening next week

-just across the way.

-That's nice.

-The best bits are the edges, in my opinion.

-I love the edges too.

So you're used to this sort of pizza around here, obviously.

-Yes, that's what I know pizza as.

-That's what you know pizza as.

-So, which do you prefer?

-Obviously, I prefer that one.

-Fantastic.

-You've converted a member of the local authority already.

-Thank you.

I'm the next best thing to Father Christmas. Dig in!

-Thank you very much.

-I don't like too much base, but that is lovely.

Come and visit us, we'll be open next week.

Even with a little bit of gentle marketing today, we've already

discovered Gravesend actually has been looking for

something like Il Padrino for quite a while.

So now we've just got to get the place open, I guess. Next week.

-Yes, we have. Next week.

-Thursday.

'The marketing has gone well. It's given me a glimmer of hope.'

I've given them everything I possibly can to open

that restaurant on Thursday. I've given guidance,

I've given advice, I've given them all the tools.

If they don't open on Thursday, they have to shoulder that

responsibility, and they only have themselves to blame.

'It's two days to go,

'and as people finish off their Christmas shopping, it's all hands

'on deck for last-minute preparations in the restaurant.'

Yeah, the kitchen... Well, the extractor fan has arrived,

-but unfortunately it's the wrong one.

-Why am I not surprised?

The correct fan will need to be redelivered and fitted

before they can cook food on Thursday.

Characteristically, Tony doesn't seem too concerned.

As they say in Italy...

Domani.

Tomorrow. We don't know.

'There's always tomorrow.

'That might suit Tony, but in order to start taking money

'he needs to get this place open now.'

'Tony assured me he'd be open today, just a few days before Christmas.

'I wonder if he's ready.

'I've offered this family all of the advice I can give,

'so whether this restaurant is open or not,

'this is going to be my last day in Gravesend.'

Nothing would please me more than to walk in there now

and find a restaurant ready to throw open its doors this evening

to a hungry public.

But I think that would be a classic case of the triumph of hope

over experience.

'Sadly, I'm right.

'Rather than following the timeline we created,

'it appears Tony has been focusing on paintwork.

'This restaurant is nowhere near ready.'

-Tony?

-Mm-hm?

-This is my last day here with you.

I feel as if I've given you everything that I can.

-Mm-hm.

-You know, I really wish it were different.

I really wish we were standing here getting ready for a big

opening night where you fling the doors open.

I appreciate everything you've said.

I really wanted it to be that way, but it isn't.

-I find it very hard to take people's advice.

-Now you tell me!

All the way through this project, I've never really had an idea,

a clear idea, of when Il Padrino is going to open.

And I still don't have any idea at all when it's going to open.

That's because you are doing it your way rather than doing what

I suggested all along, which is to plan.

Doing it your way means that you end up with a restaurant that

isn't finished on the day that it's supposed to open to the public.

Yes, it probably would have opened tonight

if I had listened a bit more to you.

But unfortunately this is doing it the Italian way, or certainly my way.

For me, I have to say, that wouldn't compute in business terms,

because this is a business.

For every week this place isn't open,

I see that as lost revenue, you know?

I see that as £4,500-£5,000 a week that isn't going into your till.

'Now, 14 weeks behind his original schedule, it's a potential loss

'of takings of £63,000.

'And Tony's £45,000 budget has all gone.

'If he wants to get open, he will need to borrow even more money.'

I really hope you do open Il Padrino, and when you do,

I wish you the best of luck. It's going to be fantastic.

I just wish I could have seen it, Tony.

Today was supposed to be the grand opening, which is

obviously not going to happen. So, from that side of it,

I wish probably I did listen a little bit more to Russell.

But because this place means so much to me,

I want to make sure it's done my way.

And I'm sure it will open fairly shortly.

-Hi, Megan.

-Hello, Russell.

-I've come in to say goodbye.

I've worked with Tony for six months now and I'm still

none the wiser when he's going to open the restaurant, if at all.

It's incredibly frustrating.

But they now have all the tools that they need. It's now over to them.

-Thank you very much, I appreciate it.

-See you soon.

Thank you so much. Lovely Christmas.

I guarantee Russell that this will be open

in a few weeks' time. I guarantee it.

'Next time, I'm helping bring home-style Indian cooking

'to Coventry.'

I did try to keep it a little bit mild.

It's good, I like it. I like heat.

'But when planning fails...'

-The plan? There is no plan.

-'..and panic sets in...'

-Who's running the show today?

-No-one.

'..her family's finances are at stake.'

-It's really bad.

-How bad?

-We've taken £3.49 so far.

It means everything to me to make a go of this.