In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Extremes in Orange, California.
Extremes is owned by Terry Bryant.
Terry is a former landscaper who bought the bikini sports bar in 2003.
At first he was making $12,000 a month in the peak months.
Bryan fell into the trap of partying with friends rather than owner.
He would give away $1000s of booze and neglected the upkeep of the building.
The building has an awful smell.
The smell and the reputation of inappropriate behaviour drove away the customers.
As the customers dwindled the bar staff went to war on who would serve patrons in order to get tips.
Terry is now losing $3000 a month and is in $88,000 of debt.
Jon arrives with experts Joseph, a bar manager and Aaron, an experienced bar chef.
The bar as no curb appeal despite being on a busy street.
For the recon, Jon sends in owners Renee and Brad from another Bar Rescue, Angels sports bar.
Their first impressions are that the bar smells really bad.
They have no drink menu, but both order a Sex on the Beach from different bartenders.
They also order the calamari.
Although it is a bikini bar Jon notes that they are all dressed differently.
There is no basic sense of a uniform.
The Sex on the Beaches arrive and both drinks look completely different.
They try the calamari but it is overcooked.
They speak to Gary who tells them that Terry is giving away all of his alcohol.
Jon is furious and storms into the bar after Terry appears to taunt him on camera.
He notices the smell straight away and shouts at Terry as he is drunk and responsible for the staff.
He walks out of the bar and they are unsure if he will return the next day.
Jon returns the next morning and calls the staff for a meeting.
The staff are frustrated as customers wait for free drinks instead of buying them.
This causes them to lose out on the tips.
Terry isn't happy at Jons request for him to stay sober but knows that he needs Jons help.
Gary isn't given the freedom to run the bar, he isn't even allowed to buy a sports package.
They inspect the kitchen and it is disgusting, the kitchen hasn't been properly cleaned in months.
Joseph asks how often they clean the beer taps and shows them the grime in the tap.
The foamy beer is due to incorrect temperature which costs them $100s.
Jon lifts the beer trays and finds filth and finds a hole in the floor.
Aaron works with the kitchen and Gary spits out the calamari.
Joseph introduces a metronome to time the pour.
The veteran bartenders feel that the rookies don't take the training seriously.
Jon organises a bar test and introduces Bar Vision, a tracking app so he can monitor the pours of staff.
Customers notice the smell and the bar tenders have not paid any attention to their training.
The rookie and veteran war continues and there is no team work.
Gary has shined as a manager.
The bar runs out of glassware and Terry does nothing to help.
A customer finds a rat dropping in his beer.
Jon ensures the bar is closed to prevent further damage to their reputation.
The next day they reflect on the service.
Terry threatens to walk away if Jon keeps shouting at him.
He wants to create a sports bar, with the sexuality that men will enjoy but that won't drive away women.
Jon sits down with Terry, who tells him that he stepped away from the bar for the sake of his family.
The staff are trained on the new food and drinks.
The next day they shoot a sports calendar of the girls and remodel the bar.
The staff are introduced to the new bar, now called Second Base.
They have new televisions, glasses, a shot machine, a turbo tap system and a sports package.
The floor has been fixed, the smell is gone and they have a new uniform.
On relaunch night, there are many customers.
The pace is slow but customers are happy when they receive their drinks and food.
Terry helped pour pints and expedite.
The bartenders shine and the bar vision showed only a few slight over pours.
Gary helps in the kitchen and everyone works as a team.
The relaunch was a success and Jon is pleased with the relaunch.
What Happened Next at Extremes / Second Base?
A month after Bar Rescue, sales are up 20-30%.
Gary is doing outstanding at managing the bar.
Reviews complained that the smell had returned.
They also complained the food quality was bad, bartenders were rude and the drinks inconsistent.
In November 2013, there was a fatal shooting in the parking lot.
The bar continued to decline.
This led to Bar Rescue returning to the bar in 2015 for another attempt at rescuing the bar.
Second Base Bar Rescue Revisit
Since the first rescue, Terry had used the profits to pay off debts rather than investing in the bar.
It has once again fallen into disrepair.
This drove away the customers and Terry ditched the uniform.
He allowed the bikinis to return to try and lure the customers back.
He returned with Joseph and actress Sarah, they immediately notice the exterior isn't appealing.
He calls Terry to his car and he explains that business suffered as new rival sports bars opened.
Inside the bar, there are new bartenders and the smell has returned.
Gary tells Jon that lack of money was the reason that the bar failed again.
He recveals that he was never given full control of the bar.
Jon returns the next day and finds that no one has cleaned the bar.
The staff meet and Jon learns that Terry treats employees as disposable.
He blamed Bar Rescue for the decline in the bar.
Jon brings in bar tending champion Lisa, she helps clean the counters and Terry is defensive.
Jon had returned to the bar as he believed in the employees and their commitment to the bar.
He also brought chef Nick with him to work on the bar menu and revitalise the kitchen.
Jon organises a stress test, the customers are left waiting for drinks.
The drinks they received are too strong and the food service is sloppy.
Jon is forced to close the bar rather than alienate potential patrons any further.
Terry appears to suggest he has come back on the show for a cash injection from Taffer.
Jon reveals his plans for the bar, he will be keeping the name.
He wants to make close to $100,000 of changes to the bar.
There is a catch however, to show Terrys commitment, he must invest $30,000 himself.
Terry decides that he can't spend the money.
The employees know he has the money as he has invested in his other bars.
Jon finally has enough, refuses to help Terry any further and leaves.
Second Base bar is open.
Reviews are mostly negative and focus on filthy glasses.
The foul smell remains and the bartenders focusing on the big tippers.
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This post was last updated in February 2024.
I saw the first and the second rescue. The owner is a lazy POS. Arrogant, arguementative, and nasty. He doesnt care about his business or employees. I think John did the right thing by not helping him the second time. The owner deserves to fail.
ReplyDeleteThey should just get private booths in there and stop pretending
ReplyDelete