In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Lucky Leprechaun Irish Saloon in Davenport, Florida.
Lucky Leprechaun is owned by couple Terry and Georgiann Browne.
They bought a rundown bar in 2005 with plans to renovate but came across problems they didn’t foresee.
It took more money to fix the issues and ended up costing them $60,000.
The couple do not agree on how the business should be run and their marriage became so strained that they got divorced.
Terry is disruptive and bad tempered at the bar, hustling customers in pool games.
Terry and Georgiann are divorced but still live and work together.
They have a combined debt of over $300,000 and will lose everything if the bar closes.
Jon recons the bar with expert mixologist Phil Wills and expert chef Vic Vegas.
They see the name of the bar is fun but are not sold on the ‘Irish Saloon’ part.
The sign is too bright and people can barely see the bar.
Jon fills them in on the owners and their story.
They see there is a fryer in the kitchen but no one is cooking and a customer has some food he brought in.
The bar is full of smokers, making the air hazy and this can be a problem for non-smokers.
There are 7 pool tables and Terry is spending his time there betting for $100 while he is losing $2000 a month in the bar.
Vic is sent in to spy on the service at the bar and get a game out of Terry.
He goes in and orders a draft beer.
He is offered a Guinness and it is served cold which is good.
He calls the bartender Cay and orders some wings, onion rings and fried mushrooms for some female patrons.
Vic questions the patrons on the owner and is introduced to Terry, who takes the bait to play pool against him for $100.
Customers are surprised to hear they serve wings.
When the food arrives it is greasy, precooked and later refried.
Vic goes to play with Terry and after it gets started Jon comes in to stop the game as it is illegal to gamble in the bar.
Jon makes Terry pay back all the people he hustled and he is not happy about it.
Jon tells the whole bar Terry’s financial situation and says he will not fix the bar until Terry changes.
The bar is closed for the night so a staff meeting can take place that evening.
The staff say that Terry is the biggest problem at the bar and that he actively chases customers away.
Terry says he is bad tempered because he finds it funny.
The staff also say they are micromanaged, Terry does not respect them and they are not organised.
Jon is worried the bar will remain the same even if he helps and tasks the staff to talk Terry into an attitude change.
After a talk, Terry apologises and they agree to change as a group.
The next day, Jon talks to the staff again and he challenges Terry not to curse for 2 days.
If he can refrain from it, Jon will put in a smoke filter system so customers can continue to smoke in the bar.
Cay is then called upon to uphold the new standards they set.
Jon brings in the experts and explains the community is looking for value.
Phil trains the bar staff on simple cocktails so they can focus on consistency.
There is no kitchen staff so the bar staff will have to work the kitchen and the menu has to be kept simple.
Vic trains them on a simple menu of a hot dog steamed in beer taking less than twenty-five seconds to make.
They open for the stress test and customers are let in.
Orders come in and Georgiann can not read her own writing and gets confused so has to go retake the orders.
The bar starts messing up and they drop back to their old habits and drinks have to be dumped.
They are slow and at thirty-five minutes there are too few people served.
Cay realises no one is ringing in drinks and no cash has been taken.
A customer falls off a chair that collapses under him.
Terry has a good idea of serving soda to non-alcohol drinkers on the bar floor.
The bar soon runs out of glasses and it is a disaster and they shut it down.
Everyone is disappointed.
Jon identified that the pool tables are the main attraction and plans to make it the centre of the remodel.
The next day, Jon meets with staff and he makes good on his promise to Terry.
He didn’t swear in the last two days and as a result the bar is getting a smoke purification system.
Phil gives feedback to the bar staff and tells them they need to step up.
He trains them on making a margarita with a twist.
Jon sits with the owners to iron out their issues.
Terry said he had learned a lot over the last few days and he will be more mindful on how he treats people.
It is soon time for relaunch and on a sunny afternoon a new bar is revealed.
It has been renamed Lucky’s Corner Pocket, Bar and Billiards.
The staff are happy with the name and excitedly go inside.
The bar has been brightened and made more upmarket with the stage being removed.
There is a turbo tap draft beer system and an ionization air filtration system built into the ventilation system by Aircode USA.
There are Harbour Touch POS Systems and in their DJ Booth is an Orange Door Entertainment System.
Apex Airconditioning worked on the beer cooling system and they also have a lifetime subscription to Partender.
Terry promise not to curse or hustle people in his bar anymore.
Customers are let in for the relaunch and the bartenders start great, the food coming out is great and customers are loving it.
Cay is commended for managing the bar properly.
Georgiann is happy, greeting new customers while seeing Cay has the bar covered.
The relaunch night is a success.
What Happened Next at Lucky Leprechaun / Lucky's Corner Pocket?
Six weeks later it is revealed sales are up 32% from last year.
1,117 Hotdogs have been sold.
Terry has moved out of their shared house and Georgiann kept the dog.
Lucky's Corner Pocket closed in December 2018 when Georgiann sold the bar and retired.
The bar reopened as Fireside Lounge and Billiards in January 2019 with new owners.
Reviews after the show were mostly positive with praise for the atmosphere, pool tables and karaoke nights.
Click for more Bar Rescues
Previous episode - Rockin' Rhonda's Lounge
Next episode - Game Time Sports Grille
This post was last updated in March 2022.
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