The Dream Becomes a Nightmare

The morning after the official opening, one of the waiters shows up with his wounded arm in a sling and Rocco treats him badly. Reflecting the staff's unhappy mood, another waitress talks about quitting. After an apathetic pep talk - while his kitchen is going through hell, his hostesses are at war, his bartenders are understaffed, and his waiters are forced to give bad service - Rocco ignores the problems and focuses on schmoozing. Customers continue to complain, but now even Rocco and his Mama can't make them happy. The situation goes from bad to worse when a key newspaper critic is unhappy with her food, and Rocco unfairly vents his frustrations on the staff and leaves. At the end of the night, the entire front of house staff meets for a gripe-fest about Rocco. Completely oblivious, Rocco dances 'til dawn at a chic nightclub across town. The next morning, he reads the critic's negative review and realizes his restaurant is in trouble.