
A square yellow sponge named SpongeBob SquarePants lives in a pineapple with his pet snail, Gary, in the city of Bikini Bottom on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. He works as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab. During his time off, SpongeBob has a knack for attracting trouble with his starfish best friend, Patrick. Arrogant octopus Squidward Tentacles, SpongeBob's neighbor, dislikes SpongeBob because of his childlike behavior.

When the Krusty Krab runs out of mustard, Mr. Krabs sends SpongeBob, Patrick and Squidward to dig up some more; SpongeBob and Sandy have to collect Krabby Patty ingredients, but Plankton follows their every step.

Mr. Krabs sells his restaurant and goes into early retirement; Squidward convinces SpongeBob that he has a laugh-related illness.

When the Krusty Krab is left filthy, a magical fish teaches SpongeBob how to keep surfaces looking spiffy, lickety-split; SpongeBob is recruited to cook in the big leagues, but first, he must prove his worth in the test kitchen.

Plankton closes the Chum Bucket and moves to a new town, but Mr. Krabs suspects he is still up to no good; when SpongeBob accidentally picks up Neptune's magic trident, there is no telling what trouble he may cause.