In this 24 Hours to Hell and Back episode, Gordon Ramsay visits Phoenix Emporium in Ellicott City, Maryland.
Ellicott City was hit by floods in both 2016 and 2018 and business has suffered as a result.
In order to save the restaurant and two others in the town Gordon is turning off the 24 hour timer and they will have a number of days for the job.
Rachel from Phoenix Emporium tells us that after the second flood a number of businesses weren't able to reopen and the town didn't recover.
After the second flood, Phoenix Emporium was scheduled to be torn down to create a flood channel to avoid further disasters.
Mark bought a new location for the restaurant on Main Street and is attempting to merge two businesses together - The Phoenix and The Ellicott Brewing Company.
Gordon goes undercover as a historian with a group of locals and are shown Phoenix Emporium and the levels that the water rose to.
Gordon arrives at The Ellicott Brewing Company and is confused by the German influence menu. His table orders the schnitzel, rib eye steak, battered rock fish and pork chop.
The schnitzel is bland, the rib eye is full of gristle and is tough,the batter is good but the rockfish is dry and the German potato salad is ice cold.
Gordon asks the staff to bring the kitchen staff out the front and removes his disguise to cheers from the diners.
Gordon asks Mark to get all of the townspeople to come outside to the Little Market Cafe.
Outside Phoenix Emporium Gordon tells them that he will be doing whatever it takes to restore the town and that he needs the towns help.
Mark explains that the old restaurant acted like a flood wall and new flood litigation plans called for the restaurant to be demolished along with other buildings.
As he wanted to remain in the town he bought the Ellicott Mills Brewing Company with plans to merge the businesses.
Tim has been Manager of the Ellicott Mills Brewing Company for 23 years and feels like another family is moving into his house.
Gordon meets Mark in Phoenix Emporium, who tells him of the devastation of the 2016 flood and receiving the call about the flood and rushing to the restaurant.
During the 2018 flood Mark, his employers and customers were in the restaurant and it was painful for him due to the terror and panic.
The final blow to Mark after the trauma of the floods was being told that the building was to be demolished.
Gordon asks to meet all of the staff from both businesses that are to merge for a team meeting as there is one chance to get it right.
Gordon is critical of the food and says that it needs to change. There is currently no Head Chef at the Brewing Company and he wants to bring in a new chef Phoenix chef Julio's daughter Cynthia.
Tim recognises that they need to bring people in to fill the ability holes of the brewing company but Mark makes it clear they are starting from scratch with something new.
Gordon makes it clear that everyone will be fighting to show him that deserve a place in the new restaurant.
Along with designer Theresa, the Maryland University football team are brought in to help and begin removing everything from the restaurant.
Gordon inspects the walk-in and says it has a foul smell. He finds a pot of pork soaking in blood and a tub of goulash with no date and a rusty pan used as a ladle.
Tim is shown the pork and Gordon is told that it is the pork that he ate at lunch and Cynthia starts cleaning the kitchen.
Mark is shocked to discover how bad the kitchen is and is dismayed at the state of the kitchen.
Gordon is concerned about the menu for the restaurant and calls the staff to his Hell on Wheels truck and wants to test out Cynthia's capability.
He asks her to take a look in the fridge and cook him a dish with the ingredients in there. She cooks a seared chicken with succotash.
Gordon likes the flavour of the dish and is seasoned nicely, he only has a small criticism on presentation.
Gordon introduces the new menu to the staff and shows them how to cook a mussel dish. The rest of Gordon's team will teach them the rest of the menu.
Gordon is concerned about whether Mark is invested om the move to the new building and they sit down for a chat.
Mark admits that he is overwhelmed and Gordon reveals that he has brought in restaurant consultants to help Mark to gain expertise in business.
Gordon takes Mark to see the stripped out restaurant and he admits it is very hard to leave the restaurant despite him looking forward to the new restaurant.
Mark and his wife board up Phoenix Emporium to close the chapter on the restaurant with the support of the town cheering him on.
Gordon reveals that he has invited The Iron Man, Cal Ripken JR to help with team work ahead of the relaunch of the restaurant.
Gordon takes all of the owners to the home of the Baltimore Ravens where they will be displaying a huge billboard advertising the town during the first home game of the season.
Phoenix Upper Main is revealed to both Mark and the town with new tables and chairs and brighter colours.
There are community tables, a new POS system, all new kitchen equipment and a new bar.
On relaunch night, Gordon gives the team at Phoenix a pep talk before reopening and the staff are excited.
At first the food leaves the kitchen at a good pace and the customers are happy but soon the tickets begin to line up and the kitchen gets behind.
Jeff drops a portion of fries on the floor and customers are left waiting for food. Cynthia struggles as they discover that the tickets are the wrong way around.
Once they recover and correct the order they get back on track and the customers love the new food.
The staff worked together well and despite the small hiccup the relaunch was a success.
What Happened Next at Phoenix Upper Main?
Shortly after Gordon visited Ellicott city they temporarily closed their restaurants to diners due to COV-19.
Phoenix Upper Main offered curbside pickup during the summer of 2020.
Reviews on Facebook and Google are very positive since Gordon visited with customers loving the food and friendly service.
Yelp Reviews are mixed with some complaining of the limited menu put in place in early March.
Phoenix Emporium featured in 24 Hours to Hell and Back season 3 episode 10, was aired on May 12 2020 and the episode was filmed in February 2020.
More 24 Hours to Hell and Back
More from the episode - The Little Market Cafe and Jaxon Edwin
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