At 11:47 PM, Chef Rudy storms in. The last ticket is in. The dining room is empty.

He says that every Thursday.

The kitchen is a warzone. Steam hisses from the industrial dishwasher. Pots clatter in the sink. The —three line cooks on punishment—are elbow-deep in grease.

We break the cycle tonight. We don’t just wash. We rebel .

The DDC sits on milk crates. Jenna hands out bruised plums from the walk-in.

Kid. Grab an apron. We’ve got a lot of plates.