In this Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service episode, Gordon visits Marvel Ranch in Reading, Pennsylvania.
Marvel Ranch is owned by Cheryl.
Gordon arrives at the back of the cafe and enters through the basement.
The basement is full of junk and smells really bad.
There are mice droppings everywhere and several dead mice.
Gordon sets up a rodent cam to see how bad the issue is.
On the top level, he uses a black light and sees that all the tops, stoves and equipment are lit up.
There is a rodent catcher in a bread warmer.
The three microwaves are all dirty, and a quick test reveals bacterial contamination.
They leave but carry the smell of the place with them into their cars.
In daylight, he can see that the dining room is drab and dank, with boring furnishings.
Owner Cheryl has been at the restaurant for 40 years, taking it over from her father at just 18.
She now owns the building and owes a lot on the mortgage.
Customers are no longer coming in and she is struggling.
The staff call her Mama and she is a motherly figure for them.
The cook Kenny has been there for over eight years.
He feels that the diner is the most unserious place to work.
Rachel is Cheryl’s daughter-in-law, and she reveals Cheryl feeds the staff for free.
She also feeds homeless people and anyone who needs help.
Gordon sees that the male staff in the kitchen are young and engage in a lot of horseplay.
It’s obvious there is no leadership or guidance for the staff.
Customers enter and none of the staff greet them for a long time before a server gets to them.
In preparing a meal, they see food going into a microwave.
The customers do not like the food, with one finding a hair in their food.
When Cheryl is told, she doesn’t find out what happened or hold anyone accountable.
Food is sent back as it is cold in the middle and the customers hear staff making derogatory comments about them.
Rock and Sammi are sent in as his spies and they can smell old oil as they sit down at their table.
They order and their meals are promptly microwaved.
The food brought out tastes canned and once sent back they put it back in the can.
The burgers are off and the omelette was precooked and reheated.
They can’t eat anything for fear of food poisoning.
There is soon an argument in the kitchen and customers can hear it all.
When there are chants of “Fight! Fight! Fight!”, Gordon has seen enough and goes into the restaurant to stop service.
He asks the customers to leave so he can speak with the staff.
Gordon calls them out on their unprofessionalism at work.
The customers can see all of their antics.
He says that they should be referring to Cheryl as boss, not Mama.
Kenny says he is trying his best but Gordon calls out the cleanliness issues and the mice infestation.
He is defensive in the face of all this and Gordon clears out all the staff and cameras.
Kenny explains he doesn’t understand why it is all on him as he does not have any authority.
Gordon reveals Cheryl is on the verge of bankruptcy.
They need to find a way to turn around out of all the loyalty they have for her.
Kenny feels embarrassed about the situation and he wants to step up.
The next day, Gordon has planned some team building for the staff.
They can mess around outside of work and not inside the diner.
Kenny and one of the junior cooks wear balloon gloves in a bouncy castle ring and they wrestle around having fun.
Gordon talks to Cheryl while the team is all distracted.
He tells her she needs to shed the "Mama" image as they were taking advantage of her.
They agree that Kenny should be made the head chef.
Gordon’s team has been hard at work on the refresh of the diner.
The staff are all let in and it is now more warm.
It looks much more upscale with color and ambiance.
In the kitchen, a lot of the equipment has been replaced, deep cleaned.
They have been given new tools and all of the microwaves are gone.
Gordon joins them and trains the kitchen staff on how to make an omelette in just 90 seconds, without using a microwave.
He tasks them with making an omelette each.
They all make them in less than two minutes and they all love the taste.
Cheryl finally hands over the kitchen reins to Kenny officially and he tears up with happiness.
The insider is revealed to be Cheryl herself.
She had recognized that the staff messing around is the biggest problem.
They set up for the relaunch and the customers are let in.
The kitchen is so different as they are all professional and are communicating calmly.
They make perfect omelettes and Kenny is doing amazing, with Cheryl complementing him.
Cheryl is the boss and is strict on cleaning.
Customers love the food and the new decor.
When Gordon enters again, he barely has any recommendations and just says his farewells to Cheryl.
What Happened Next at Marvel Ranch?
Marvel Ranch is open.
Reviews are mostly positive.
The food seems to have better reviews than the service.
Reviews suggest there are still issues with the staff.
As with these shows there are often fake reviews after the episode has aired.
The outside dining area is popular and the updated website is appreciated by customers.
Customers also like the new menu.
Marvel Ranch aired on 18th June 2025.
The episode was filmed in March 2025 and is Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service season 1 episode 5.
All Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service Episodes
Next episode - Wilson's Secret Sauce
Previous episode - MacGregor's
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