TV Show - Log Line - Concept

The log line is a quick, one sentence summary of your new tv show. If you were in an elevator and you had about ten seconds to convey the idea, that is your log line:

"A mob boss by day, a suburban dad by night. Still not sure which is more dangerous" - The Sopranos.
"A team of high tech forensics experts solve the most heinous crimes in the worlds flashiest town" - CSI

You get the idea. The log line is what the show is about at the highest level, as short as possible and as descriptive as possible. Let's review what we know so far:

• The show takes place in a steak house
• The title of the show is going to be one of the following: Beef, Beefers, Beef Eaters, The Boiled & the Burned, Cuts, Meat, Meat Cleaver Fever, Steak, Steakhouse

Decision #1: For the time being, I'm going to call the show BEEFERS (as in that's the name of the restaurant). Obviously, subject to change at a later date, but Beefers it is for now.

College aged kid, recent graduate or drop-out. Or maybe a younger twenties guy, moved out west or down south for college (fish out of water), dropped out or failed out and really has no place to go. Or doesn't want to go home and pretends to be in college. He gets work at the steakhouse because his tuition check is gone or he's trying to pay it back and he somehow needs the money. He bluffs his way into a junior management position or some kind of shift leader or something with a little authority so that he interacts with lots of people in the restaurant and can either cause or be forced to resolve conflict. The restaurant should be fairly nice with an array of characters who are somewhat dysfunctional in a people sense. It is only supposed to be a temporary gig but he is cut-off from his money (and really has no other place to go) so he needs to work until he 'gets his crap together'.

(Not bad! All off the top of head, ol' stream o' conscious like)

Log line ideas:

1. A young man loses his college scholarship, gets kicked out of the house, and gets dumped by his girl. Solution: get a job at the non-tastyous steakhouse in all of Atlanta.
2. A young Phillly kid fails out of school, gets disowned by family, and dumped by his fiance. Solution: Con your way into a job at the cruddiest steakhouse in all of Dallas.
3. In one fateful night, a kid from Queens catches his girl with another guy, screws himself out of his college scholarship, and nearly burns down the entire University (under investigation). There's only thing to do: lay low for a few months at the nastyiest steakhouse in Memphis.
4. What happens in the kitchen of your local steakhouse, stays in the kitchen of your local steakhouse.

I'll have to think on it some more. Any suggestions?

TOMORROW: The through line. Detailed explanation of the setting, story arcs, and universe of the show.