Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars Season 2 episode 2 recap: Bottom line, clear winner

After Gordon Ramsay and Lisa Vanderpump picked their teams, the first challenge on Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars Season 2 episode 2 proved to be more chaotic than anyone realized. At the end of the day, only one team truly understood the task.

While each of the contestants on Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars might have a successful business or a viable product, this FOX competition forces everyone to go beyond their comfort zone. Each task showcases a particular talent, piece of knowledge, or ability that is vital to become the eventual winner. No one is expected to be perfect, but growth is mandatory.

For the first challenge, the two teams had competing food trucks. Although cooking might be part of the task, flavor and guest satisfaction was not part of the evaluation. The difference between winning and losing came down to cold, hard cash in the till.

Team Ramsay offered a Mexican food truck. The concept seemed to resonate with the crowd. The line for food was long. But, the cooking was inefficient. Time and again, guests complained that it took far too long to get orders.

Team Vanderpump had an Italian food truck. The idea made sense and had the potential to be successful. In comparison to their competition, this team decided to charge more for its menu. It was a gamble, but it could pay off.

This episode focused on which team made the most profits. They needed to be strategic with pricing. While there was mention on food costs and menu planning, the teams did not necessarily think about how to maximize each purchase. For example, selling more combo meals could be the difference between a win and a loss.

Overall, the biggest difference seemed to be that Team Ramsay was not working efficiently as a group. Regardless of whether the pricing strategy was correct, a line of unserved customers or customers poached by the other team resulted in lost profits. The size of the line should have resulted in a huge tally in the till.

On the other hand, Team Vanderpump adapted better during the challenge. Even though they might have overpriced their menu, they effectively and efficiently served guests. Additionally, they saw every opportunity and took it. From grabbing unsatisfied guests to using their mentor to help promote sales, they looked to every aspect to earn another sale.

Even though this challenge was profit focused, it would have been nice to have some guests’ commentary on the food served. Even if it was just a simple moment whether they felt that the money spent was worth what they ate, that idea could be more telling than just who had the biggest profit number.

While this challenge was profit-centric, the real world has another measure than just dollars and cents. Value for the money spent is a consideration for a successful business. Even though that concept can be difficult to tangibly measure, it is vital to the conversation.

In the end, Team Vanderpump stopped Team Ramsay in profits. Even though pricing might have been a concern, it was ineffective teamwork that was a bigger problem. From lack of marketing to the inability to manage the line, the team never found its groove.

The Team Ramsay member eliminated was Tyler Dirks. He never seemed to gel with the group. From his lack of vision with a marketing campaign to mishandling the communication with the team, he was not ready for the complexities of this challenge.

Can Team Ramsay make a big comeback in the next challenge or will Team Vanderpump continue to domination? A new episode of Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars Season 2 airs Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. ET. Episodes air the next day on Hulu.