Chef Boot Camp

Chef Cliff Crooks works with a businessman who became a chef and owner of his own food truck and a caterer desperate to draw in more clients; he also helps a restaurant owner whose two brothers and co-owners don't take him seriously.

Chef Cliff Crooks has his work cut out for him with three chefs in need of guidance. Dan was an executive chef 20 years ago, but he lost his dream job and had to start over as a line cook at age 53. His techniques are there, but his confidence is gone. Moe's food truck employs her entire family, but her "Messy Moe" nickname in the kitchen is spilling over into the rest of her business. Brandy is all over the place -- even forgetting to set the oven to the right temperature -- and her business is suffering.

Chef Cliff Crooks steps in to help a psychologist who became a chef to help at his in-laws' restaurant and a food truck owner who hasn't paid herself in three months; he also works with a Jamaican caterer who doesn't take criticism well.

Boot camp is a rude awakening for three chefs who have a hard time on Chef Cliff Crooks' line. Becoming a chef was Cody's saving grace from drug addiction, but his skills are not up to being an executive chef at his own restaurant. Antonio struggles to keep his small catering operation running due to lack of support and his inability to cook meats to the right temperature! Morgan is a spitfire in the kitchen who doesn't like to take criticism and thinks she knows it all, a habit that Cliff must break her of if she's ever going to succeed fully in her craft.

Three chefs turn to Chef Cliff Crooks for help getting to the next level. Melody put all her resources into turning her historic home into an event space with catering, but she's struggling to make ends meet. Mel, once the successful owner and operator of a food truck, decided to open a restaurant but discovered that running a restaurant is harder than she thought. Ryan is a line cook who has high hopes for becoming an executive chef. With only a few years of experience under his belt, Chef Cliff's boot camp may be the wake-up call Ryan needs!

Chef Cliff Crooks reaches out to help Kwame, whose first restaurant failed. As the owner and head chef of Chicken Fire, he knows everything about chicken and how to cook and fry it, but he knows little else that will help his second business survive. Inayah dreams of owning a brick-and-mortar location, but she's stuck in her catering business, not knowing how to move forward. From the outside, Vira seems to have it all as the owner of four restaurants, but her goal of branching out to multiple cities is on hold. She may have the culinary chops, but Cliff needs her to realize that a leader must communicate and listen to their team.

Chef Cliff Crooks is up for the challenge of helping three chefs pump the brakes and re-evaluate their career goals. Judy is an experienced executive chef trapped in a job where she's struggling to gain command of her kitchen. Joe has been working as a sous chef for almost 20 years and can't figure out why his dreams of becoming an executive chef have not yet come true. Alex is a young private chef who just started his own business but needs a lesson in humility.

Chef Cliff Crooks offers guidance to three chefs who need to pick up the pace to excel. Fabio has been managing a restaurant for two decades, but he needs Cliff's help learning how to cook on the line again so the restaurant can stay afloat and thriving. Alyssa just bought a food truck and has big dreams of operating her own business, but her lack of experience working with others is holding her back. DuWayne recently changed careers when a death in the family sent him back home. He needs Chef Cliff to help set him up for success in the culinary field so that he can provide stability for his family.