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13 Episodes 0 - 2010
Episode 1
Thu, Apr 1, 2010
Mark is a successful chef and restaurateur, running 3 of Toronto's top restaurants. But this driven businessman wants to expand his empire. He wants to open a high-end grocery store named mcewan that will give the city's best a run for their money. Mark can pretty well cook anyone under the table, but he knows nothing about setting up a food store. Can this chef parlay his skills in the grocery world? It's film festival time and One is busier than ever. With Kate Hudson hosting a party, and the swat team threatening to shutdown One, has Mark perhaps bitten off more than he can chew?
Episode 2
Ground has been broken; the base has been built and off mcewan goes! This is Mark's first venture into the grocery world, and he wants to do it right. Watching other local specialty grocers do it, just isn't enough. With Drew by his side, Mark sets off to NYC to see how high-end shops take grocery to a whole new level. From staffing and product searching, to finding the perfect coffee cup, Mark wants to see it all. Back at home, Sash is left to run a massive event at the ROM, but food is running out fast. With Mark being distracted with the grocery store, is it possible that the rest of his world is suffering?
Episode 3
Thu, Apr 15, 2010
Mark has big plans for Ivana. He'd like for her to be the executive chef at the grocery store. At 23 years of age, can Mark really expect Ivana to take this opportunity and run with it? Mark and Drew test Ivana's talents and dedication to the organization. The walls are up at the grocery store and Mark is finally ready to tour Ivana around her new home!
Episode 4
Mark needs to finalize branding for the store, right down to what his staff will be wearing. The grocery store is coming together very fast and final decisions need to be made. What will the overall look for mcewan be? What products will they carry? Who in the city will make Mark's supplier short list? With all these decisions still up the air, Mark doesn't have the time to deal with issues that come up at his restaurants, but he doesn't really have a choice. Mark is informed that a pipe has burst at North 44, just one day away from the start of Winterlicious. Mark needs to switch hats and deal with the issue that could potentially mean losing thousands of dollars.
Episode 5
Thu, Apr 29, 2010
Mark needs to find the best talents in the city to pull this new venture off. He can poach from within, but ultimately he's going to have to hire a whole new team he can trust. On the construction front, the store is now coming together quickly and it's time to really finalize the supplier list. We'll explore cheese and the local story that Mark wants to tell through one of his key suppliers in Jordan, Ontario. Meanwhile, the rumour mill is producing more and more talk. What is the city saying about Mark's very risky venture? Mark has very little time to think about the rumour mill, he has grocery, the restaurants and an event at the distillery to occupy his thoughts.
Episode 6
Thu, May 6, 2010
The clock is ticking at mcewan and Mark's ambitious deadlines are passing him by. Mark is being pulled in a million directions at once. He brings in his butchers to talk about the meat counter at the grocery store. Mark also plans on providing wholesale meat to his own restaurants as well as 6 other restaurants around the city, before he even opens mcewan! With space already at a premium where will all the meat go!? The kitchen hasn't passed its last inspection so Ivana hasn't been able to start cooking. If it doesn't happen soon she'll never get ahead. In the midst of all this chaos Ivana, Drew and Mark have to participate in an event showcasing the Shops at Don Mills. The excitement builds - now Mark's only real fear is being overrun by all of these potential customers. Four weeks until opening day and he's more nervous than ever!
Episode 7
Thu, May 13, 2010
All good things come to those who wait. Mark's relentless drive to meet his ambitious opening deadline weighs heavily on his staff. Departments race to the finish line, however, it may be a goal this dedicated team cannot reach. Ivana starts experimenting with recipes. They start preparing pickles, soups and sauces, but unlike a catering, the numbers are unknown. Drew steps up as mentor and makes sure Ivana and the kitchen are taken care of. Despite having no extra time Mark is asked to judge a bourbon cocktail event at ONE. In the middle of the store's deadline madness the last thing Mark wants to do is sit through a flashy media-driven bartender contest. But, he has to make an appearance (he just doesn't have to like it) it's all just part of the game he's playing! With so much still left to do, things don't look good for mcewan to meet its opening deadline.
Episode 8
Thu, May 20, 2010
Mark is beginning to wonder if his opening will ever happen. He is continually disappointed in the performance of his retail staff and leans more and more on his restaurant staff. Retail may be the final beast that Mark McEwan can't tame. Mark is asked to attend Toronto Taste the weekend before his opening. He doesn't have the time to deal with the details of this event, so he calls upon his "A" team to pull it off. With Mark by their side, we see all the boys in action: Drew, Sash and Brooke. In some ways Toronto Taste has become an island of refuge for Mark.
Episode 9
Thu, May 27, 2010
Doors finally open at mcewan. There has been some serious hype about the opening of the grocery store, so people are lined up to get in. There are many challenges tied to day one. The POS system keeps failing, the lines are building and the prepared food seems to be running out. The kitchen has been working around the clock to stock food, but they can't seem to catch up. They've made jarred items to last 3 weeks, but things are starting to run out and it's only day one. Exhaustion sets in, the opening day adrenaline is wearing thin, but Mark continues to push harder than ever.
Episode 10
Thu, Jun 3, 2010
It's Saturday morning, the day after opening. Mark's staff was completely blindsided by the store's popularity the day before and are now facing their first weekend. Thankfully the kitchen staff managers grabbed 3-4 hours of sleep and are ready to go. Mark is determined to have his first Saturday appear flawless. Mark's chicken soup is given a B- in the Toronto Star and he's not happy. He asks Jordie to track down the cook who made it. On the grocery floor computer system problems still plague floor manager Cheryl. She's on top of the front-end staff to make sure they know that Mark expects restaurant quality service at the store and often uses restaurant terms to train her staff. Each manager struggles to make sure that his or her domain meets Marks' approval. To top it off Mark's world outside the grocery store pulls him back in as North 44 is asked to cater a huge charity event called The Powerball. Mark gladly attends - happy to escape the rollercoaster ride of the store and watch Sash execute a wild event.
Episode 11
Thu, Jun 10, 2010
It's six weeks after opening and Mark and his staff finally have the time to take a breath and assess their circumstances. In a short amount of time a lot of changes have taken place at the store. The kitchen is quieter and notable people are missing, but despite the difficult changes Mark's core staff has shined. Always pushing forward, Mark decides it's time to make menu changes at both the store and his restaurants. With Drew by his side, Mark heads south of the border to NYC to see what's new in food in one of the biggest foodie cities in North America. Inspired by his trip Mark decides to try one of his new ideas out at a very important event for one of his biggest spenders at Bymark. Brooke and Mark get together to revamp some of the menu and see if one of Mark's ideas will translate into a hit or potentially a complete flop.
Episode 12
Thu, Jun 17, 2010
With 3 restaurants and a grocery store under his belt Mark's once small empire is now a fully-fledged brand that's growing everyday. In order to expand that brand he's decided launch a cookware line and create a cookbook. A cookbook has always been one of Mark's dreams. He enlists food critic Jacob Richler to work alongside him to test and write recipes for the book. Mark wants the cookbook to be accessible for every home cook, well used, and not a pretty book that ends up on a coffee table. He decides to take an extra step in the process and enlists Roxanne his wife to test the written recipes. At the grocery store Mark and Ivana launch mcewan catering - a catering arm of the grocery store that Ivana will be in charge of...with no extra staff. As if Mark and his team don't have enough on their plate, mcewan catering takes on an event for some influential clients for a very worthy cause. The staff is tested when they are asked to cater the first part of the evening in a make-up store and then later at the grocery store. Can he lean on his retail team to impress his catering clients, or will the evening turn out to be a huge disaster?
Episode 13
Thu, Jun 24, 2010
Grocery has been an absolute success, so there's no stopping Mark now. He looks to expand his empire with a fourth restaurant located across from his new grocery store. Mark is once again in full planning mode, resting is not an option, at least not one he wants. In fact, just like the grocery store, he's already envisioned the restaurant right from menu to décor and just has to let Drew, and his design team, in on his ideas and make the plans a reality. Mark and Drew have decided to pluck Sous Chef Rob LeClair from ONE to be the Executive Chef at Mark's new restaurant. In the midst of all this new activity North 44 catering is asked to cater a huge charity event for a long-time client of Mark's. Mark attends the event to help Sash and to scout for new talent for his empire. At the event Mark reflects on his journey over the past year. It's been an intense experience but one he feels very proud to have accomplished. Now it's on to the next adventure.