Zlatý Mlyn

The restaurant & setting. Martin Novák sets out to revive his third restaurant near Topoľčany, in the village of Ludanice. It is called Zlatý Mlyn, though until recently it bore the name Altana, because the owners moved here from nearby Nemčice and only rent the premises. When Martin arrives it is just past one in the afternoon and the dining room is deserted. „Reštaurácia, keď nemá ľudí, tak asi problém viedla," he remarks straight away.

The people. The owner is Roman Števanka, who runs the restaurant with his partner Alenka. In the kitchen stands cook Janko, a Slovak from Vojvodina, who has been there only about two and a half months and in his own words „prišiel do katastrofy". On the floor are several waitresses, among them the spirited Beátka and Majka, who is upset right now because she feels excluded from the team. Roman admits he is not from the hospitality world and is doing all of this for the first time.

Why they called Martin. The reason is simple: people stopped coming. After moving from Nemčice, where their rent was nearly tripled, the place cannot find its footing and carries debts of up to ten thousand euros. The restaurant survives only on lunchtime set menus, and Roman especially misses families with children. „Berme to, že posledná šanca," he tells Martin.

The first visit. Martin sits down as an ordinary guest and orders à la carte, even though the place does not cook à la carte on weekdays. Service drags, the food keeps him waiting, the dessert is burnt. The Caesar salad has nothing to do with Caesar, the schnitzel in flatbread is rubbery and tasteless, the salmon is defrosted and overcooked, „suchý a drobivý". A cordon bleu with a spice mix stuffed inside and ruined meat sends Martin „do roku 99". He waits forty minutes for the main course. „Nečakal som nejaké extrémy, ale to je jedna veľká tragédia," he concludes.

The diagnosis. In the kitchen Martin finds chaos he compares to the Wild West: convenience products instead of fresh ingredients, no stock-taking, grime on the machines and tables, home-made cherries from 2018 and cold cuts with no date. „Keby toto bola moja reštaurácia, zavrem ju," he says. When he confronts the staff, excuses and fear come to the surface, and Martin names the core problem: the boss has no authority and no one respects him. Roman gets angry at himself and promises a proper clean-out.

The reset. Martin gives Roman an ultimatum to find someone capable, and brings a system of his own. First a three-day deep clean, then stock-taking and goods control, so the place knows where its money and ingredients are leaking. A touch-screen till arrives to replace handwritten orders, and the cooks finally start cooking from fresh. Roman recruits a new cook, Lukáš, and a new manager, Katka.

New concept & menu. No rebrand, but a completely new menu, designed for whole families and kept affordable. Martin prepares smoked beef tongue, which becomes the star, a Hokkaido pumpkin soup, an alphabet tomato soup for children, a proper Caesar salad, pork neck with bread dumplings and a local pike-perch from nearby ponds with cauliflower purée. „Top ten je údený jazyk, klobúk dole," Roman praises.

The big night. For the grand reopening the place invites guests over the village public-address system, and people pour in so numerous that not everyone fits. The kitchen and the floor are under pressure, soups wait, some guests leave, but the team pulls together and holds. The guests go home satisfied, one bill reaches six hundred euros, and Janko finally enjoys cooking rather than reheating. „Konečne som mal ten pocit, že varím," he admits.

One month later. The closing of the episode shows that after Martin left, the restaurant began to prosper. It is full on weekends, families with children come in, and Roman and Alenka's dream has come true. Katka has settled in as manager, she and Majka now accept each other and help one another at work. Janko regularly makes fresh halušky and has started baking his own burger buns. The place still faces a big challenge, though, as the electricity bill came in 2300 euros higher.

Verdict: The transformation of Zlatý Mlyn ranks among the successful ones. An empty dining room full of convenience food and grime became a clean family restaurant where people returned and where the cook finally works with fresh produce. Roman is determined to fight so that Zlatý Mlyn in Ludanice survives despite rising costs. (The first season of the show did not yet use the knife rating, so Martin gives only a verbal verdict without a score.)