Swamp Tales - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer has asked Jason Santos to visit Swamp Tales Bar and Restaurant in Carlyle, Illinois.

Swamp Tales is owned by Sarah and Nick.

They bought it from Sarah’s uncle in 2022.

They put up their farm as collateral.

They were misled, as they thought it was making money, but the reality was different.

Since they had the farm and a young family, they hired Chloe as a manager.

Former cook, Bree, also became a manager.

Neither of the managers have any training.

Everything is falling apart due to all the incompetence of the management team.

The couple is in danger of losing everything if the bar fails.

Jason is in the surveillance truck with Expert Chef Tatiana Rosana and Expert Mixologist Alli Torres.

He briefs them on the owners and how they were made promises.

Jason tells the experts that the owners are now $793,000 in debt.

Chloe is only 21 and is the front-of-house manager.

The cocktails are served in Styrofoam cups.

The decor is a mix of various gimmicks.

The spies are comedians who eat on the road a lot.

They make fun of the decor and ask for popular New Orleans drinks that they cannot make.

The drinks they receive are bad, and they order food from the menu.

The kitchen is worse, as the grill is dirty.

Gloves are thrown on the floor, and prep practices are poor.

The food served is dry, and the spies hate it.

Jason has seen enough and goes in to meet the owners.

He takes them to the kitchen to show them its poor condition.

The owners try to admit fault, but it is obvious they are too laid back.

He confronts them with the food storage and the state of the kitchen.

Jason tasks them with cleaning the kitchen out overnight.

The next day, Jason meets with the staff, introducing himself.

The staff all think consistency and service are the bar's major problems.

The staff are defensive of the alligator meat they serve.

The owners drive eleven hours to get it.

The issue is that they mistreat the meat, serving it overcooked and dry.

Their Partender report shows they lost $1,700 a weekend, or $93,000 a year.

The owners do not know about any of the food or operational costs.

The experts are introduced, and to begin, Alli takes the bartenders through making the drink they served to the spies.

She sees they do not measure the ingredients properly, leading to a lack of consistency.

Alli takes them through making a basic Daiquiri, which they had said they could not make earlier.

In the kitchen, Tatiana watches them make nachos and gives them a note on cleanliness.

She teaches them to make a Cajun Poutine, which is easy and fast to make.

For the stress test, the owners have been tasked with helping where they see support is needed.

Customers are let in, and it gets instantly busy.

The bartenders are all cramped around a well.

Nick is lost as to what to do.

Chloe looks miserable and is just focused on her task rather than directing.

Drinks have been made and left sitting on the bar with no one claiming them.

Chloe is offered help, but she is too stressed to even accept it.

Nick is directed to coach her, but she rolls her eyes at him.

In the kitchen, Bri is doing better, cooking well and cleaning up after herself.

Jason has seen enough, and they shut the night down.

The next day, Jason sits with the two managers.

He praises Bri and tells Chloe everything she did wrong.

Chloe explains that she was nervous, which is why she could not relax.

Jason talks to the owners about food costs and how to price the dishes on their menu.

He tells them that they are losing lots of money on their alligator meal.

They either need to reduce the portion sizes, garnish, or charge more so they can break even.

Alli trains the bartenders to make a Hurricane, a basic drink for their location.

Then they take some time to practice.

Jon's team works hard, and they renovate the bar.

The staff are gathered around the bar at night for the unveiling.

The bar has been renamed to Swamp Town Cajun Kitchen and Cocktails.

There is a new lit up sign that no one can miss.

Inside, the space has been brightened up with warm lights and more coordinated decor.

They are excited to see two ice wells.

They have new bar tools with real glassware, new SkyTab POS systems and tablets.

There is a subscription to Partender, and a merch wall.

They love it all and can't wait to open.

On relaunch, customers are let in, and orders come through.

The staff are all too happy to serve.

Chloe has a better disposition and is smiling whilst making drinks.

Bri is busy in the back, keeping up with orders with great ticket times.

Nick and Sarah are working, helping with food and drinks without being prompted.

Jason commends them for stepping up.

He assures them that if they keep it up, they will get through their debt.

What Happened Next at Swamp Tales Bar and Restaurant?

Six weeks later, customers love the food and drinks.

The upgraded menu is bringing in new customers.

Chloe and Bri are thriving as managers and provide great customer service.

Swamp Tales is open.

They didn't keep the new name and reverted to their old name.

Reviews are mostly positive.

A few have mentioned the alligator not being available consistently.

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Tropic - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Tropic in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Tropic is owned by Hyacinth Nembhardt.

She opened the bar after selling another bar, wanting a Jamaican-themed bar.

Hyacinth sold her home to raise funds to renovate the bar.

She put her daughter as GM, who then hired her friends to work at the bar with her.

The staff are all too laidback and take advantage.

Hyleah is fully pregnant and resistant to her mother.

Jon has asked Bobby, a basketball player from the Milwaukee Bucks, to join him in the surveillance truck.

Jon says how she had been successful previously but is now in a lot of debt.

Bobby’s brother and his trainer are the spies.

They go into the bar but no one attends to them for a while.

They order drinks and only one is served first.

He does not like it, especially when the bartender tells him how to drink it.

They are then the first food orders they wanted are not possible.

After 20 minutes, they are still waiting for the reorder.

Jon decides to enter the bar along with Bobby.

Hyacinth recognizes Bobby immediately.

She is shy and overwhelmed at seeing him.

The food gets delivered and Jon goes straight to Hyacinth.

Hyacinth explains that she just had to let staff go for getting too comfortable with her nine-month pregnant daughter.

She can't discipline her daughter's friends, who are still working at the bar.

Jon says Hyacinth needs to take responsibility for the state of the bar and the poor service.

The next day, Jon sits with both mother and daughter to figure out their dynamic.

Once they interact after Jon’s probing questions, it is obvious Hyleah does not want certain responsibilities in the bar.

However, a manager cannot pick and choose what they want.

Once Jon points out that Hyleah will need a break once she has her baby.

He leaves them to sort out what needs to be done.

They must decide whether to get a temporary or permanent manager in to cover her maternity.

Once the mother and daughter have time together, it goes badly.

Hyleah does not care about what happens and Hyacinth is frustrated with her attitude.

They leave it at an impasse.

Hyacinth and Jon meet the rest of the staff and the experts are introduced.

The experts are expert chef Tatiana and expert mixologist Mia .

The training begins with the experts.

Mia trains the staff on making a classic daiquiri.

In the kitchen, the cook makes jerk wings in front of the expert, who tastes the chicken with and without the jerk.

The jerk is great on its own.

However, they have bad jerk sauce that detracts from the taste.

The staff are then trained for the stress test.

Customers are let in for the stress test.

Orders come in very quickly for both the food and drinks.

The first pizza order comes through and the cook is reminded that he needs to be quick.

At the bar, mistakes are made and the experienced bartender only wants to make one drink at a time.

The bar is served their drinks.

However, the tickets from the tables are missing and drinks are left at the bar.

The kitchen has only sent out one pizza but several wings still need to be made.

They find out the printer is out of paper and orders have been lost.

That is why table orders are not coming through due to the tickets not printing.

It is unraveling in the kitchens and at the bar so the stress test is shut down.

The next day, they are trained on making some signature drinks.

Jon sits with Hyacinth on her motivations and what she wants from her daughter.

He gets her to accept her daughter may not have the same passion she has, especially for the bar business.

A few days later, the staff are all gathered in front of the bar along with Hyleah and Hyacinth.

After the unveiling, they see from the signage that the bar has been renamed.

The new name is Montego Bay Beach Club.

Inside the bar has been elevated to an upscale restaurant and bar with blue highlights, like a club.

They have an Orange Door entertainment system, Skytab tablets and POS systems.

There are new bar tools and a subscription to Partender.

Now Hyleah feels that this is a place she can work in.

They quickly set up ready for the relaunch.

Customers are let in.

The staff are all in pink customized shirts and ready to receive orders.

The tickets come quickly into the kitchen.

The cook is cool and calm, cooking through everything quickly.

The bartenders are more confident and are making drinks quickly.

Hyacinth is managing the place well and running drinks and food.

Everything is working well and the relaunch is a success.

What Happened Next at Tropic / Montego Bay Beach Club?

Six weeks later, the new name and upgrades to the bar have brought in more customers from around the city.

Hyacinth is hoping to pass on her lessons to other small business owners.

Hyleah had her baby and came back to work.

She is determined to follow in her mother's footsteps and grow the business.

Tropic is open.

The owner did not keep the new name.

Reviews are mostly positive.

There is praise for the food and drinks.

There are a few complaints on the service.

Hyacynth has said the new design elevated the space and had ideas she hadn't thought of.

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Jon’s Goodtime Bar and Grill / Brother's Smokehouse Bar and Grill - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer has asked Phil Willis to visit Jon’s Goodtime Bar and Grill in Inkster, Michigan.

Jon’s Goodtime Bar and Grill was owned by Derrick, along with his friends Eric and Andre.

They opened the bar in 2020.

Derrick was the operations manager, running the day-to-day of the bar.

He was put in charge despite being a salesman and having no experience in the industry.

They all agreed to rent out the kitchen to an outside caterer.

The staff complained that it was like working for two businesses, as the businesses were separate.

Derrick was overworked, the other two were not present and offered no help.

They are over $400,000 in debt and close to shutting down for good.

Phil is in the surveillance truck with barbecue expert Kevin Bludso and expert mixologist Tassia Lacerda.

They listen as Derrick breaks down the history of the bar along with the ownership situation.

Anthony is the chef who has rented out the space in the kitchen.

The spies are popular athletes from the Detroit Lions, who enter with Derrick.

They order a basic Moscow Mule but there is no ginger beer for the drink.

When they then ordered food, they were told they were out of some of the ingredients.

Derrick is right in front of the spies but does not acknowledge them.

In the kitchen, they see fries being made in a foaming grill.

The drinks served were so poor that they could hardly drink them.

The food comes and they are reluctant to taste it based on how poor it looks.

The experts see fly traps above the customers and exposed electrical outlets.

Phil enters the bar and meets with the spies to get their feedback directly.

Phil calls the owners and introduces them to the spies.

They are well known Detroit Lions players and no one recognized or approached them.

Phil takes the owners to the kitchen and confronts Anthony on the state of the fryers and the kitchen.

Phil notices a smell and follows it to the walk-in, where there is food going bad.

He pulled out food that was all going bad.

He tells the owners that the state of the kitchen was a reflection of them and their customers have noticed.

Phil tasks them with cleaning up the kitchen.

The next day, the three owners have all come together to clean and Phil is happy with what he has seen.

Phil then spoke with Derrick and he explains that he used to run the kitchen.

He says he lost his mother at around the same time his son got cancer and has since recovered.

Phil was touched and understanding and they join the rest of the staff.

Phil meets all the owners and the staff.

There is a bar manager and Phil questions her on why she let the bar fall apart.

The owners reveal how close they are to closing.

Phil tells the other two owners that they need to step up to help Derrick.

He has the most riding on it and he has also lost a lot.

This makes Derrick emotional and he tears up.

When the owners agreed to work something out, Phil brings in and introduces the experts.

Kevin admits he wasn't supposed to be there, as he was due to bury his father after the show.

He has showed up after he heard Derrick’s story.

The training begins and Tassia trains the staff on being engaging and making a new drink called the Orange Dream.

Next, the staff are trained with Kevin on barbecuing ribs, from rubbing a dry rub on some raw ribs.

The cooked version is taken to the kitchen and Kevin is surprised at the clean state of the kitchen.

For the stress test, Phil meets with the three owners so they can clearly divide up operations.

Derrick lets in all the waiting customers and orders come in fast.

The kitchen is quickly overwhelmed with tickets.

At the bar, some bartenders are still rusty on the proper way to use the shaker.

They quickly see where all the inconsistencies are at the bar and in the kitchen, where food is left waiting.

Phil has to tell one owner to just focus on running food.

Food finally goes out to a table of four, but they haven't got their drinks.

Soon, the kitchen has no tickets, which is odd as they expected orders.

Everything is breaking down as service is too inconsistent so Phil shuts down the stress test.

The next day, Tassia takes them through making a new signature cocktail with a really enticing smoke show.

All three owners are taken to Kevin, who has a present of a brand new smoker.

With this smoker they can prep meat days ahead.

The owners are excited to taste the final product and make the same for their customers.

Phil sits with the owners to see what they have agreed on regarding sharing the load of operations.

They took Phil's advice to strike a better deal with the caterer in the kitchen.

The previous caterer was pocketing all the money he made but some of it should come back to the bar.

A few days later, all the staff and owners are gathered outside the bar.

The bar is unveiled along with a new name of Brothers Smokehouse Bar and BBQ.

They all love it and are enthusiastic about getting inside.

From dark and dank, the place is now upscale and warm.

There are pictures of the three owners all over to symbolize their long-standing friendship.

They have new POS systems from Skytab, new ice machines, soda guns and bar tools.

They have a subscription to Partender, new electricals and premium wood for the new smoker.

Anthony has been given a Chef's jacket with the bar’s name on it.

The staff loved all the surprises.

On relaunch, the owners let in all the waiting customers.

The staff are ready for the orders and the new workstations are great.

The bartenders are making drinks well and sending them out quickly.

The kitchen is also doing great, fulfilling orders to the delight of customers.

What Happened Next at Jon’s Goodtime Bar and Grill?

Six weeks later, sales increased significantly after the launch.

Eric and Andre have stepped up to support Derrick.

The BBQ concept has been a big hit.

Derrick stayed in touch with Kevin Bludso afterwards for guidance on their menu.

They have kept the new name,

Jon’s Goodtime Bar and Grill / Brothers Smokehouse Bar and BBQ is open.

Reviews are mostly positive.

Most of the reviews praise the food.

Some diners have reported issues with their food, mostly that is was cold.

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The Fireplace - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer has asked Spike Mendelsohn to visit The Fireplace in St. Louis, Missouri.

The Fireplace is owned by Stephanie.

She dropped out of school to take over the bar after her fiance sadly passed away.

With no experience, she threw herself into running the bar, as she inherited the debt as well.

The staff is not disciplined or trained and they all drink at the bar.

This has contributed to the bar losing money.

They are in $250,000 of debt and losing $5,000 a month.

With about 10 months left until they would have to close, she needs help.

Spike is in the surveillance truck with expert mixologist Nick Ortega and expert chef Vic Vegas.

He tells them the history of the bar, which previously was a hunting lodge.

They all learn about how Stephanie inherited the bar.

She is also struggling with MS, raising two sons while taking care of her father, who is in a nursing home.

They see the bar staff making drinks incorrectly and a kitchen with two small pizza ovens for cooking frozen pizzas.

The spies are two local radio personalities.

They ask for a menu, but there isn’t one.

The staff must verbally tell them what they have.

Bartender Lucy takes a smoke break in the middle of service.

The wait for pizza is 30 minutes, which is not ideal as it is supposed to be fast food.

Lucy also has a drink along with her cigarette.

She then goes back to work without washing her hands.

Spike goes into the bar and meets with Stephanie to hear her out.

She tells him Meridian acts as a manager but is not officially a manager.

Stephanie cannot afford to increase her pay.

When Spike enters, all the other staff run away and he has to call them back to question them.

Lucy is problematic, saying she only does shots and not cocktails.

Stephanie is blamed because she has no control over her staff.

The next day, Spike comes in to meet with the staff and introduces himself properly.

Stephanie has news for Spike and the other staff.

She has terminated Lucy’s employment due to her behavior the night before.

The staff all introduce themselves.

They admit they are losing money from drinking on the job and giving away free drinks.

Spike has a Partender report to show them.

They are losing about $2,000 a week and $90,000 a year from free drinks and staff drinking.

This brings the problem into perspective for Stephanie and the staff.

The experts are introduced to the owner and staff.

They have been given some new equipment to train for the stress test as they did not have much that was usable.

Nick takes the staff through making a Washington Apple.

Two of them demonstrate the drink and make mistakes.

They are thrown into the stress test after some more training.

They have some cardboard fires on their fireplace.

Every time someone does something wrong, one is extinguished until there are none left.

The customers are let in and orders come through.

The bartenders are on top of each other trying to make drinks.

In the kitchen, they are only serving pizzas and each new order is an extra 15 minutes.

Drinks are dumped and two fires are put out.

In the kitchen, the pizza line gets longer, with an hours wait time for food.

They decide to sell hot dogs in the meantime.

Stephanie does well and pushes the hot dogs.

They arrive cold because they are not getting delivered fast enough.

More fires are extinguished once customers complain and there are just two fires left.

After some more mess-ups, the last fire is put out because of a hair in a drink.

The night is shut down.

The experts meet with Spike to discuss what the bar needs to be successful.

They need to work on a theme for the drinks and food menu.

The next day, Spike meets with Stephanie.

She is happy with all the training her and her staff have received.

Meridian joins them and they are told that they have been given some more equipment.

Sandwiches will be now be a part of their menu as they are fast and tasty.

Stephanie is advised to relinquish control to Meridian.

There are workarounds to the salary problem.

She can be incentivized with profit sharing along with her tips.

They are both happy with that arrangement and agree to it.

The staff is gathered outside the bar a few days later for the unveiling.

The name is unchanged but the sign has been updated for better visibility.

The interior has been updated to give it more life.

They are leaning more into the hunter's lodge theme.

It is also modernized with audiovisual equipment.

They have new pro bar tools, Skytab POS systems and two new terminals.

There is also a lifetime subscription to Partender, a sandwich prep cooler, a panini press and a hot dog roller.

After setting up, the waiting customers are let in and the orders come through.

The kitchen is staying on top of orders, with prepped food items ready to cook and send out.

The bartenders work very hard and fast and most of the bar is served quickly.

Spike is happy for Stephanie and her manager and they say their farewells.

What Happened Next at The Fireplace?

Six weeks later, the community loves the new decor and menu, especially the Cubano sandwich.

There are plans to expand the kitchen to provide an even bigger menu.

Lucy remains friends with Stephanie.

She now drinks at the bar as a patron and not a staff member.

The Fireplace is open.

Reviews are very positive.

There is praise for the staff and food.

They have made further changes including to the patio area of the bar.

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CJ’s Pub and Grill / Smithton Station - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits CJ’s Pub and Grill in Smithton, Illinois.

CJ’s Pub and Grill is owned by Jeremy.

He is an army vet who bought the bar in 2023.

Jeremy ran it full time with his wife Christy and veterans loved the bar.

Christy is a full-time Nurse and returned to work.

She now comes to the bar after work.

They have had a problem attracting a newer and younger crowd.

With all this, and the couple's lack of experience, the bar was suffering.

They were resistant to new ideas and change.

Jon arrives in the surveillance vehicle with expert mixologist Mia Mastroiani and expert chef Jennifer Murphy.

There they found out the bar had been open since 1947, and the exterior looks like it.

Inside, they see the kitchen has household equipment for cooking.

They have asked former NHL stars to go in as spies along with Jon.

They were greeted quickly and ordered food.

They do not have a drink menu or any specialty drinks.

After the order, Jon talked to the owners, telling them the menu was not inspiring.

Jon was enthusiastic about the history of the bar, telling the hockey stars what he knew.

Jon saw the bartender making the Old Fashioned but caught him mixing it with his fingers.

He confronted Jeremy with what he had seen and the fact that there were cooking tools in the bar.

The drinks arrive but they were tasted off and were too sweet.

Jon saw the bartender take a drink to the back and then bring it back out.

He inspected the room and saw the area was a walk-in.

The back area is in a state.

There is a premade margarita in a jug with mold on the floors and walls.

With this evidence, he confronted the owners and then shut down the bar service.

Jon thinks it is a health risk and can’t serve customers.

He lets all the customers know that they must stop drinking and leave.

The staff now need to clean up and remove the sources of the contamination.

The next day, they found out Jeremy had stayed all night to clean.

Jon comes in to meet with all the staff.

There are several new staff and the ones who have been there the longest say there was a lack of organization.

The bartender says that Jeremy drinks at work.

Christy confirms that it is affecting not only the business but the marriage.

Jeremy accepts he has a problem and has to make a change.

He is still in denial that he is the main problem of the bar.

Jon has a few choice words about this before he introduces his experts.

They did not see much the night before, so they go in to assess.

Jennifer sees that the kitchen is a mess of tools and packages on counters.

The walk-in has lots of issues with cross-contamination.

Sausages that were cooked over two weeks ago are still in storage.

They decide that the kitchen needs to be deep cleaned, decluttered and organized.

Mia wants to assess the staff and asks them to make an Old Fashioned.

This time they could mix properly but the drinks they made are still bad.

They are trained to make them correctly.

For the stress test, Jon has a table of customers start a timer to see when they get served.

The orders were taken on paper and given to Jeremy to input into the POS.

Then he goes into the kitchen to put pizzas in the oven.

The tickets in the kitchen are handwritten and the system ensures that the kitchen gets slammed.

In 15 minutes, only 8 people were served.

Jon found some misplaced tickets and no one knew who took them.

One table got nachos in 22 minutes.

However, they were actually supposed to go to another table that had ordered before them.

It was clear food and drinks were going to the wrong tables.

The night was a failure and Jon calls out Jeremy before shutting the stress test down.

The next day, the training continueds with Jennifer, who showed them how to carve sirloin strip.

They are taught to prep every part of it for sandwiches, steak, tacos and burgers so no part would go to waste.

Jon sits with the couple and tells them about all the improvements that would make the system easier.

This includes moving the pizza making to the kitchen and installing a better ticketing and POS system.

Jeremy finally agrees he is the problem for resisting small changes that would make the bar better.

A few days later, they were all gathered outside the bar for the unveiling.

Jon points out their biggest asset is the railroad attached to the bar that has such a rich history.

They unveil the bar, which has been renamed to Smithton Station, with a brand new sign.

The inside had been redone to look more upscale with a railroad theme.

There is a brand new bar was installed in another corner.

They have SkyTabs, POS printers in the bar and the kitchen.

There are new bar products, new rockless tables and new wall murals.

There is an overhauled plumbing system and a train station board for announcements.

Jon gives Jeremy advice that for the business to work, he has to stop drinking at the bar.

Jeremy gives his word that he will.

After setting up, customers were let in.

On relaunch, the orders come through.

The tables now have table numbers so drinks and food did not get lost.

Drinks are being made quickly (10 every 8 minutes).

The bar is almost fully served and in record time.

Jon, the experts and the owners are so happy with the difference in service.

What Happened Next at CJ’s Pub and Grill?

Six weeks later, the community was in love with the new look and theme of the bar.

Food costs had gone down and the kitchen was more efficient.

Due to Christy relocating for her day job, they decided to sell the bar.

They had also received offers to sell the bar following the rescue.

CJ’s Pub and Grill is closed.

They closed in September 2024, two months after the rescue.

The bar was bought by Terra and Dave.

They reopened and renamed the bar to The Roost Bar and Grill.

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Calendar's Pizzeria - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer has asked Danny Trejo to visit Calendar’s Pizzeria and Sports Bar in Macclenny, Florida.

Calendar's Pizzeria is owned by Terri.

She opened the bar in 2005 and it was an initial success, becoming popular in Macclenny.

But soon, her management style started to show as the staff rebelled and the business suffered.

Terri turned to her daughter for help but she is still resistant to her advice for change.

Danny is in the surveillance truck with expert mixologist Nick Ortega and expert chef Jennifer Murphy.

They see the exterior and it looks nothing like a sports bar.

The name of the bar brings a stationary store to mind.

Inside, there are no TVs and there are decorative gnomes, even though it is a sports bar.

They find out Terri is in debt and is losing $8,000 a month.

They see all the staff on the footage.

The cook is making French fries in a pizza oven.

The bar serves all of its drinks in plastic cups.

The spies are well known food bloggers, which Danny says helped him grow his business.

One orders the special drink and the other orders a classic Negroni.

The sandwiches are named after the days of the week.

It is confusing as no one knows what is in them.

The Negroni stumps all the bartenders.

They have to Google it and finally tell the customer that they cannot make it.

They decide to order margaritas but they arrive and are lumpy.

The food comes and the salad comes with a packaged sauce that the customer has to add on their own.

Danny has seen enough, as the owner is nowhere near the customers.

When he walks in, he goes to the bloggers to get their direct feedback.

Danny talks with Terri while the experts go to the bar and the kitchen to tell them all they have seen.

Danny points out Terri can save more money by using glasses than by buying plastic cups.

The next day, Terri is reflecting, saying that she was embarrassed by the encounter with Danny.

Jennifer says she has said the exact same things as Danny but her advice was ignored.

Danny walks in and meets with the staff, along with his experts.

The experts highlight all they saw the night before.

They put the blame on Terri, who is the one who did not put in the right systems.

The staff all give their insights into why they think the bar is failing.

Jennifer says the staff frequently do not come into work and are not punished for this.

Terri has to overextend herself due to the missing staff, causing herself stress.

The staff are to do training and Nick has them try to make a Negroni to assess their skill level.

Somehow, they use the proper tools and glassware.

Nick demonstrates the proper way to make a Negroni.

Jennifer takes the staff through making a panini sandwich as they have been gifted a panini press.

Before the stress test, Danny consults with Jon to help get his thoughts together.

He is hoping Terri will step up and greet customers and let her daughter run the staff and operations.

Customers are let in, and right off the bat, it starts falling apart.

The bartenders only make one drink at a time.

In the kitchen, the cook makes pizza as Jennifer watches.

There is no system for the tickets or communication between the staff.

Danny hangs out with customers and their drinks come incomplete.

Their food is delayed and takes a long while to leave the kitchen.

The cook is overwhelmed by the number of orders.

She wants to walk out as she is very behind in the ticket queue.

Danny has seen enough and shuts down the stress test.

The next day, they start training by making a twisted version of a Hugo.

It will be their signature drink.

In the kitchen, Holly is back.

They start training on making a pizza that takes minutes to make.

Danny sits with Terri and Jennifer.

Terri is aware the bar needs new systems.

She is willing to relinquish the bar management to Jennifer.

Jennifer is equally ready to step up.

Danny meets with Jon’s renovation team to work on a new theme.

A few days later, Terri and all the staff are gathered to see the new bar.

Danny unveils to them a new bar called Terri’s, named after the owner.

The signage is clear as an Italian kitchen and bar.

People will know that it is not a stationary store.

They are then let in, and the interior is now more put together.

There is a subtle mix of Italian and nightlife themes.

Behind the bar, they have new glassware and bar tools.

There are two terminals for Skytabs, new menus and a new chef’s jacket for Holly.

They are all in shock and close to tears.

Danny says one thing that was missing before was pride but he sees it in them now.

They quickly set up and let customers into the bar.

Jennifer quickly steps up, organizing the bartenders.

She is pushing them to make more than one drink, which they can do to get ahead.

The kitchen is also doing great and is cooking food faster.

They are sending it out quickly to positive feedback.

Jennifer is confidently directing staff and Terri is not in her way.

What Happened Next at Calendar's Pizzeria?

Six weeks later, sales are up slightly over the previous year.

The new kitchen equipment has helped them expand their menu.

Terri is still at the bar every day but lets Jennifer take the lead.

Calendar's Pizzeria is open.

They don't appear to have kept the new name.

Reviews are mostly positive.

The pizza receives many compliments.

There are some complaints about service.

They have added new items to the menu including a pickle pizza.

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The Airliner Bar and Grill - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer has asked Spike Mendelsohn to visit The Airliner Bar and Grill in East Alton, Illinois.

Airliner Bar is owned by Sherry.

Her and her late husband Richard have owned the bar since 1988.

It was a success mainly because of Richard’s personality.

Sadly, Richard passed away.

Sherry had to step up and asked her daughter Ashley to support her at the bar.

The staff are not happy with Ashley, as she has no management skills.

The place has fallen apart without any guidance.

They are now losing $5,000 a month.

Spike is leading the rescue with expert chef Anthony Lamas and expert mixologist Daniel Ponsky.

They see that the bar is dated.

Spike breaks down the situation of the bar and the staff, who have been there for up to 30 years.

They see the bartenders refuse to make two common drinks for customers.

They will only make simple drinks.

The customers also order food from a large menu .

The drinks are made and served but do not taste right.

The food that they receive has no flavor.

They see that the fryer is so dirty and coated in grease that there is a small fire in the back.

Spike goes in to meet the owners and Ashley refuses to answer immediately, feeling ambushed.

He takes her around to show her all the problems.

She says they have a cleaning schedule and it was cleaned recently, which is not the case.

The staff say that the grill has caught fire before.

Spike finds wilted and moldy vegetables.

There is also mold in the ice machine.

With this information, he shows the customers the evidence and tells them to stop drinking.

After Spike exposes everything, the staff all stay back to clean.

The first thing on Spike’s agenda the next day is to inspect the bar for cleanliness.

He meets with the staff and immediately notices that someone is missing.

It is the cook who had been there since the 90s.

He left the night before and refused to come back to work.

Once the staff are asked what the problems are, they point to Ashley’s lack of direction, which she does not take well.

Sherry tries to defend her daughter while she walks away.

The staff say they have said nothing new and some refuse to speak against Ashley.

Sherry has to talk Ashley into understanding that they must take ownership of the things that are not working.

The experts are introduced and training begins.

Daniel trains them on making a basic margarita.

Ashley is made to go through the steps one-on-one.

There is a new cook called Brett.

Anthony trains him and staff on cooking wings in their open kitchen.

They are shown how to make it entertaining for the guests.

For the stress test, all eyes are on Ashley to see if she really has what it takes to manage the bar.

Customers are let in and orders come through fast.

They started off okay but tickets started to build up as they were moving too slowly.

The bartenders start making mistakes with the pressure piling up on them.

Food is made and ready but left on the counter as no one is expediting or running the food.

Tickets have missing information.

The food and drinks are ready but no one knows where they are going.

Ashley is flailing and it is obvious she does not know what she is doing.

They soon run out of glasses and have to collect and wash dirty glasses.

When Ashley is asked what is going wrong, she blames the film crew and does not take ownership.

They shut down the stress test.

The next day, the training continues with one of the bartenders having a blind pour test, which she failed.

They are trained on making two new signature cocktails.

Spike sits with Sherry to learn more about Richard.

Sherry paints a picture that Ashley was a part of his legacy.

She feels some guilt running the bar after her father died.

The renovations continue and the following night the staff and community are all gathered for the unveiling.

The exterior has not been changed.

Neither has the name, to preserve the legacy.

The interior has been given a much needed update.

It is now a modern bar space with pops of color and an airliner themed decor.

They have three workstations with Skytabs, new fryers and other kitchen equipment.

There is a deep cleaned kitchen, a new HVAC system and a new beer tap system.

Their menu has also been stripped down from 75 items to a basic few items that they can then add on to as needed.

Sherry said Richard would have loved all that they had done to the place.

Members from the community and regulars come in and love the ambiance of the new space.

Orders come through and it quickly shows that Ashley is stepping up.

She is helping to expedite both food and drinks.

Drinks and food are great.

Sherry says that the smiles from everyone is the best reward.

What Happened Next at The Airliner Bar and Grill?

Six weeks later, the community loves the new bar decor.

Revenue has increased by 10% due to the new menu.

Sherry and Ashley have split duties in managing the business.

The Airliner Bar and Grill is open.

Reviews are mostly positive.

The food is highly reviewed.

There are a few complaints about service.

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Bar 8 / Legacy Bar - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Bar 8 in Houston, Texas.

Bar 8 is owned by Mikayla.

She purchased the bar in 2021 after a long time of working in bars.

Mikayla bought it as a surprise for her husband Brandon without consulting him first.

With no management experience, she has struggled.

Her husband keeps sinking funds into it to keep it afloat.

The staff are also disorganized because of the leadership.

The suffering business is close to shutting down completely.

Jon is in the surveillance van with expert mixologist Derrick Turner.

From the exterior, the signage is confusing.

The interior is just as confusing as it has a club feel.

Jon breaks down the history of the bar and how Mikayla bought the bar.

The couple are $320,000 in debt and they have four children.

The bar does not have a kitchen but they have someone renting out hookahs in the bar.

Two radio celebrities are sent in as the spies.

They go in and order classic drinks - a Collins and a Sidecar.

They see the drinks mixed on top of a small fridge at the back of the bar.

The spies hated the taste of the drinks.

The back bar is a bunch of empty bottles, which is not a great sight for customers.

Jon goes in to meet with Mikayla and asks her to be honest about how the bar looks.

Jon says the customers dress better than the bar looks.

Mikayla and her husband should care more about how the bar is presented.

He tears into them and then leaves them to get the bar into better shape before the next day.

Jon comes in the next day and meets the staff.

Brandon admits if he could have a do-over, he would not have supported her buying the bar.

Mikayla says she feels sorry about the amount of money he has sunk into the bar.

They are losing about $6,000 a month and are a few months from closing.

Mikayla says she wants her husband to help her out more.

However, he has a separate family business that he runs.

Jon points out that she should take ownership of the failing bar.

She finally admits she wasn't prepared and she needed to learn.

Derrick is introduced as the expert and they move to the training.

He takes them through making a variant of a Sidecar so they can pick up on the basics of blending.

For the stress test, they will be serving 30 people in 30 minutes.

They are given a little head start but the bar staff are stumbling and the tickets pile up.

They are encouraged to make two drinks at once to catch up.

Brandon is trying to help but Mikayla kicks him to the floor.

Some drinks are made but they can't find the ticket.

With 10 minutes left, over half the bar still does not have drinks.

Some drinks are piling up and not being run to the correct customers.

At the end of the stress test, a portion of the room still didn't have drinks.

The night was a failure.

The next day, the training continues with a new signature cocktail.

Jon meets with Mikayla and Brandon.

He opens the dialogue between them, reminding Mikayla that what she does is for her family.

She should accept Brandon has been supportive all the way.

Also that he is not responsible for the running of the bar, she is.

Jon meets with his team to fix the inefficiencies of the bar to make it a better nightclub spot.

The most challenging part is a metal retractable wall as the ceilings are 11 feet high.

The following day, they are gathered along with their staff and children at night to unveil their new bar.

The bar has been renamed to Legacy Bar.

The bar now has an upper-class nightclub feel with a cohesive decor.

They have a new workstation, a new ice machine, Skytab tablets and Rockless tables.

There are new bar products, new plumbing, a hookah corner and custom vinyl wrap.

He shows them the new dividing door that makes the bar much more intimate.

Later in the night, they can pull it away to expand the bar into a nightclub.

The couple invite the waiting customers in, and they get to work.

Mikayla is coordinating the bar.

Brandon is supporting with serving and wherever he is needed.

After a successful service, the walls are pulled back.

The customers and the owners head to the dancefloor.

What Happened Next at Bar 8 / Legacy Bar?

Six weeks later, customers love the new look and menu of the bar.

Brandon is helping with promotions while Mikayla is managing the bar.

They are still trying to figure out a better work-and-home balance.

Bar 8 / Legacy Bar is open.

They have kept the new name.

Reviews are mostly positive.

The venue space and drinks are praised.

There are a few complaints including one about an unexpected closure.

They hosted a watch party for the episode.

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Previous episode - Brothers on Main / Blue Velvet

Next episode - The Airliner Bar and Grill

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