In this 24 Hours to Hell and Back episode, Gordon Ramsay visits Bear’s Den Pizza in Conway, Arkansas.
Bear’s Den Pizza is located in a University town with 12,000 students and faculty.
The restaurant was opened by two best friends Brad and Steven in 2008 and they opened a second bar Brewski's in Little Rock.
They established as a college bar and is one of the only places with a liquor licence in a dry town.
Brad runs Brewski's whilst Steven runs Bear's Den and they are 50% owners of both.
Brad says the owners are completely opposite and Steven is crazy as hell.
The owners built the bar from the ground up and bar tender Stacy tells us that the place used to be jam packed.
But the bar now has a terrible reputation and the kitchen staff have no passion for food and the food is mostly microwaved.
The bar has numerous holes in the wall as owner Steve has either put his fist or a chair through the wall...
Steven drinks a lot at the bar and is constantly drunk.
The staff wish Brad was there more often to be able to see his behaviour.
The relationship between Brad and Steven has begun to suffer as they have taken different paths.
Gordon arrives in disguise as a hippy with two university professors.
His first impressions are not good - he notices a smell and that the decor is falling apart.
The table orders spinach artichoke dip, Big Bear pizza and a pasta dish and whilst they are sat at their table Steven is drinking shots at the bar.
The dip is reheated in the microwave and isn't hot, the pizza is frozen, depressing with store bought dough and the pasta is rubbery and overcooked.
Gordon has seen enough and asks for the kitchen staff to come out whilst he removes his disguise.
He asks Steven to call Brad down to the restaurant.
He asks the staff and customers to come out to his Hell on Wheels truck and reveals hidden footage.
The footage shows black mould, rat droppings, a broken freezer, mouldy produce, dirty appliances, frozen food and an inappropriate owner.
It is also revealed that they are missing 100 bottles of alcohol.
Gordon calls the staff together for a meeting and they tell him that no one cares and Steven has been drinking and misbehaving for years.
The staff can't raise concerns as he starts a fight and is out of control and he throws chairs and tables about.
They raised it to Brad but nothing was done and the staff admit he does scare them when he is in a rage.
Steven is defensive and says he can put holes in the walls because he built the walls.
He also says that the staff are alcoholics.
The decor team strip out the dining room and he inspects the kitchen but notices there is no stove and they have a single burner.
They cook pizzas on a toaster oven and the pizza trays are filthy.
On top of the fridge is a lining of rat droppings and he asks them to deep clean the kitchen.
Gordon takes the kitchen staff out to Hell on Wheels truck to teach them the new menu.
He speaks with Brad, who is shocked at the extent of the issues and he thinks his family falling apart caused his spiral.
Gordon tells him that he needs to decide if Steven can be the face of the business, return to being a good owner and if not then he needs to go.
He refuses to relaunch the restaurant with the Steven that he has seen so far, he needs to change for it to succeed.
Gordon returns to the Hell on Wheels truck and the staff are struggling with the new dough and Jamie thinks they have regressed.
Gordon meets with Steven, who admits he has lost control and thinks the customers want to drink with him.
Steven admits to being anxious and drinking to forget and says he has quit drinking but Gordon can smell alcohol on his breath and tells him to stop lying.
The renovation team finishes ahead of schedule and Brad loves the new decor.
The kitchen has been transformed with new equipment due to a new gas line.
Gordon shows Brad a photo of Steven taken in the morning showing him drinking out of a bottle of tequila at his car.
He believes a relaunch with Steven at the helm would be dangerous to the business.
Brad decides that Steven needs to step aside and tells him the best thing is for him to become a silent partner to get the help he needs.
Steven thinks this is a horrible idea at first but eventually agrees.
Before relaunch Brad announces that Steven is not going to be running the place and Brad will be in charge.
On relaunch night, the customers love the new decor and new food.
The University President says he would be happy to bring clients there for lunch now.
The customers love the new food and the kitchen staff initially keep up with the fast pace but start to fall apart and struggle with the dough.
Pizzas are served to local food bloggers that are under cooked and still doughy and they are impressed with the re-cook.
What Happened Next at Bear’s Den Pizza?
Bear’s Den Pizza is open.
Three months later, the kitchen staff have continued to improve their pizza skills and the customers love the new food.
They have expanded their menu and their restaurant space into the space next door to expand their dining space.
Steven is still taking a break from the restaurant to focus on other ventures. He is doing well and is thankful for Gordon's help.
Bear’s Den Pizza reviews are mostly very positive.
Bear’s Den Pizza Yelp Reviews are mixed with both positive and negative reviews.
It appears from the reviews that they are confused between whether they want to be a restaurant for locals or a college bar from reports of ID checks and asking minors to leave early.
The pizzas remain a big hit with diners.
Bear’s Den Pizza Trip Advisor reviews are dated from before Gordon's visit so there isn't anything to report yet.
Planning a visit to The Park Restaurant and Bar? Check out their website for more info including opening hours.
Bear’s Den Pizza is 24 Hours to Hell and Back season 3 episode 8, was aired on February 25 2020 and the episode was filmed in November 2019.
More 24 Hours to Hell and Back
Next episode - South Boulevard | SoBo
Previous episode - The Park Restaurant and Bar
This was an interesting one. Considering it's across the street from a college, I highly doubt it is currently more than a dive bar. It's hard to not be one when the main clientele are college kids with access to booze. lol.
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