The Restaurant — Season 1, Episode 5: Stage Fright
Reality • 60 min • 2 seasons, 12 episodes • ★ 10.0/10
Episode synopsis
The staff is angry that their paychecks haven't arrived - some of them can't even pay the rent. Rocco's overworked Mom gets sick. Then three of his cooks can't come to work because they got in a bloody bar fight, and Rocco wonders if the bad news will ever end. Bringing food to his sick Mom, Rocco realizes he has been pushing everyone too hard. He decides to work as a server and demonstrate he's part of the team. That night he works with Uzay. Struggling to keep up, Rocco earns the staff's grudging admiration. He also gains a new appreciation for how difficult their jobs are.
About The Restaurant
The Restaurant is a reality television series that aired on NBC in 2003, with a second season broadcasting in 2004. The series had encore presentations on CNBC and Bravo. Celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito opened the Gramercy Park, New York City, restaurant Union Pacific in August, 1997. The NBC series, it was announced, would follow DiSpirito as he launched and operated a new Manhattan restaurant. The first season revolved around the construction and opening of Rocco's on 22nd, scheduled to open in five weeks. Some 7.5 million viewers tuned in for the July 20, 2003 premiere focusing on the search for a location and construction work for the new restaurant. Among the 2000 people who showed up hoping to be hired were various actors, models and show business hopefuls. In addition to Rocco's mother, Nicolina DiSpirito, known for her famous meatballs, the show's on-camera personnel included David Miller, Alex Corrado, Domiziano Arcangeli, Heather Kristin, Natalie Norman, Topher Goodman, Lisa Wurzel, Brian Allen, Gideon Horowitz, Heather Snell, Amanda Congdon, Pete Giovine, Uzay Tumer, Emily Shaw, Lonn Coward, Carrie Keranen, Colleen Fitzgerald, Caroline Matler, Brian Petruzzell, Lola Belle, Susanna Hari, Tony Acinapura, John Charlesworth, Laurent Saillard, Perry Pollaci, Matt DiBarro and Tim Donoho.