In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Kilkenny’s Irish Pub in Redondo Beach, California.
Kilkenny’s Irish Pub is owned by Allie Speed.
Five years ago, Allie used all of her inheritance to open the pub.
This was also with the help of her sister Alexis
Upon opening, Kilkenny’s thrived but success was short-lived.
After making her ex-boyfriend Carlos a managing partner the bar went downhill.
Kilkenny’s is nearly $900,000 in debt and Allie is on the verge of closing Kilkenny’s doors permanently.
Allie makes a call for help to Bar Rescue.
Redondo Beach, located just 30-minutes south of Los Angeles, California.
Redondo Beach is rated the 12th best city for the rich and single.
There are just under 67,000 people in Redondo, with an average income of $104,000.
Jon is sat outside Kilkenny’s with his wife, Nicole.
Jon reads out some Yelp reviews of this bar.
Jon sends Nicole into Kilkenny’s to see how this bar is run.
Kilkenny’s is a 4,300-square-foot space which features a linear bar.
There are two service stations and an oceanfront dining area off to the side.
There is nothing Irish about this bar.
Allie is just hanging out and looks like a customer.
Nicole says that you would never know that Allie works there.
Nicole heads out to debrief Jon about her experience in the bar.
Allie was getting massaged by the customer and she even had a drink with Nicole.
The food was inedible.
Jon heads into the bar to meet the owners.
Allie and Carlos are arguing because he wants to leave before his shift is over.
Jon meets Allie and they sit down to discuss what is going on in this bar.
Jon tells her that she can’t be drinking while he’s here.
He tells her that he wants her to close the bar down right now.
Customers were not happy, but it is essential to the rescue of this bar.
Afterwards, Jon meets with the staff to discuss why he’s here and what he plans on doing.
Allie is mad that they closed down early on a Saturday.
The next morning, Jon meets with Allie and Alexis to show them the things outside of the bar that makes the customers not want to come in.
Jon has brought in his experts expert chef Josh Capon and expert mixologist Michael Tipps.
Michael and Josh do their own walkthrough to assess Kilkenny’s issues firsthand.
The bar is extremely unorganized and the tongs are in the garbage.
There are chicken breasts thawing in water.
Jon wants to meet with Carlos.
Carlos is too busy texting on his phone, so the meeting doesn’t start off very well.
Jon tells him to put the phone down.
Carlos says “Hold on a minute” and asks Jon who trained him.
Carlos is very detached from this bar.
Jon tells Carlos that he wants him to accept responsibility.
Jon meets with Allie, Alexis and Carlos to discuss the area and go over the new concept.
The bar’s financial information isn’t kept at the bar, which is a problem
Chef Capon works with head chef Roberto in the kitchen.
He asks him to make some of the main dishes of the bar.
Michael has the bartenders make some basic drinks to test their skills.
Kilkenny’s lacks key ingredients and supplies to make the drinks.
Michael says that this place is a train wreck.
He asks them to make a margarita.
One bartender asks if he wants her to make it how they make it here and Michael says yes.
They have margaritas on tap and Michael says it is disgusting.
Jon’s experts report back to them.
Chef Capon thinks that they will be good with proper training and supplies.
He thinks Roberto really loves this place.
Michael tells Jon about how this bar doesn’t have the proper supplies to make even the most basic drinks.
Chef Capon begins showing Roberto new recipes for the menu.
Michael shows the bartenders drinks that will be added to the new menu.
Allie, Alexis, and Carlos meet with Jon to get their books in order before they reopen.
Carlos gets mad and walks out.
Jon is ready to test the bar’s ability by having it do a soft opening.
Jon got the bar a whole new set of glassware.
Kilkenny’s opens up for the soft opening.
The wait staff is moving way too slow.
Food isn’t moving out of the kitchen fast enough.
Jon tells Carlos to help out at the bar to help them get it together.
Carlos says that Michael should have to do it because it’s his drinks that are making them backed up.
Michael says that Carlos is a cancer for this bar.
Jon says that Carlos is incompetent and he appears to be sabotaging Jon’s efforts.
The staff regrouped and the customers are enjoying the new menu items.
After closing, Jon meets with the staff.
Jon meets with Allie and Alexis to discuss Carlos.
The sisters seem uncertain about Carlos, so Jon tells them to think about it.
They’ll come back to this conversation tomorrow.
Jon begins the remodel on Kilkenny’s.
The next day Jon meets with the staff to show them their new bar.
Kilkenny’s has been renamed and is now called Breakwall Bar and Grill.
They head inside to see all of the changes done to this bar.
The bar has a new beach theme and the tables are shaped like surfboards.
Jon got them a POS system, to help with inventory and more.
He also got them newly designed menus.
Carlos threatens to undo the work Jon has done by telling the staff to go back to their old ways.
Jon confronts the sisters about what Carlos is doing.
He also tells them that he talked the water company out of shutting the water off but they will be back in the morning to turn it off.
The sisters decide to fire Carlos.
They meet with Carlos to tell him the decision they’ve made.
Allie keeps Carlos on as a lesser role.
Breakwall opens up for reopening.
On relaunch, there is a huge line of people waiting outside to be let in.
In just one hour, the bar has sold three times as much drinks than they did a week prior.
Food is coming out of the kitchen smoothly.
What Happened Next at Kilkenny's Irish Pub / Breakwall Bar and Grill?
Ninety days after relaunch, length of stay and liquor sales have improved substantially.
Carlos has embraced the changes made by Jon.
The margaritas continue to be handmade.
Allie remains in charge as head manager.
Kilkenny's Irish Pub / Breakwall Bar and Grill closed in January 2012.
They closed after surrendering their liquor licence.
Allie told the local paper that it was impossible to stay open.
The owners felt it was a good idea to bringing in a younger crowd.
They thought Jons changes were for the better, the regular customers however disagreed.
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Previous episode - The Abbey Pub
Next episode - Swanky Bubbles
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