In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Murphy’s Law Irish Pub in Reno, Nevada.
Murphy’s Law Irish Pub is owned by Gary Telfer, his girlfriend Maria and friend Nellie.
They wanted to open the bar and asked Nellie to invest the remaining sum of money.
The bar opened to great success but then the relationship between Gary and Maria started breaking down.
She left him but kept her 40% of the business she was given without investing any money.
Gary’s continued support of her lifestyle from the bar earnings has become a sore spot for the friends.
Nellie is concerned for his investment as he borrowed from his mother for the business.
Gary is writing checks daily for the bar to stay afloat.
Jon recons the bar with expert chef Nick Liberato and expert mixologist Gerry Graham.
The first mistake is that the exterior sign has an Italian flag instead of Irish.
The colours should be green white and orange instead of red.
Jon says he has renamed a previously rescued bar to Murphy’s Law.
Inside they see the disorganised space and wasted potential.
Jon fills his companions in on the ownership situation of the bar.
The bar is close to the convention center so should be able to draw trade.
Jon sends in local business owners Kevin and Brittany to spy on the bar.
They order some drinks and Nellie’s hands touch the drinks inside the glass.
They hate the taste and return it.
In the kitchen, they are prepping and cooking on exposed wood.
They see Maria sitting in one spot all night drinking and playing games.
They can see that she is not acting like an owner.
Nellie is frustrated as neither Gary nor Maria are helping.
He get up and walks out in frustration and says that he is going to sue Gary.
They are fighting outside when Jon comes out of his SUV to see why Nellie is upset.
Jon finds out about the money situation.
Maria joins them and she is quizzed on what she contributes to the bar, which is not much.
Jon tells them to talk and sort things out before the next time they meet.
The next day Jon comes in to meet with Gary alone first.
Gary says the bar was a dream with Maria and now he does not know how to move forward.
Jon makes Gary see he needs to move on from her and he asks Jon to talk to Maria for him.
Jon meets with Maria alone afterwards.
Jon tells her in so many words that Gary wants her gone.
After being cold and unresponsive she gets tearful when Gary asks her to leave.
Gary tells the rest of the staff she is gone and they are happy.
Jon introduces his experts and lets the staff know the expose wood was a fire hazard.
They installed FRP, a fire barrier on the walls of the kitchen.
In the kitchen Nick trains James on using their hotdogs to make some chilli dogs.
At the bar, Jon wants them to work on mechanics.
He has them pour some brown liquor and white liquor, strain and pour to get used to moving fast.
Nellie initially does poorly but gets better.
The others also pull through and improve during the training.
For the stress test Jon has given five business cards to five customers.
It is up to Gary to be a good host to customers and collect those business cards so Jon will build him a new kitchen.
The bar is opened for the test and the orders come through.
The bartenders are trying their best but Nellie starts poorly.
He does not get better as the night goes on.
Gary manages to get all the business cards but the kitchen is also a mess as orders are not going out on time.
Jon dramatically shuts the bar down while berating Nellie on his poor skills.
The next day, Jon collects the cards from Gary and shows the staff some brand new kitchen equipment to help their cooking.
Nick trains James on making a steak and eggs dish.
Gerry trains the bartenders on making a root beer float with a twist.
Jon sits with Gary once again to make sure he is in the right head space.
He hands him a stack of documents of procedures and checklists he can use to run the bar.
Over 36 hours they are trained and the bar is renovated.
The staff are gathered late afternoon to unveil the new bar.
The has been renamed to Money Bar with a simpler sign that is visible.
Inside has been given a refresh with bold colours and more warmth.
There are more barstools maximising the space and decorative ceiling tiles.
There are now Four Revention POS systems and a rare cocktail behind a vault covering.
They prepare and open up to customers for relaunch.
On relaunch, orders come in fast and the bartenders are doing their best.
The customers love the new drinks.
The kitchen is also keeping up and serving great food.
Jon announces the rare cocktail and almost everyone wants one.
Everyone loves the new bar.
What Happened Next at Murphy’s Law Irish Pub / Money Bar?
Six weeks later, it is revealed that sales are up 20%,
Gary is holding his own at the bar.
Nellie is close to paying his mom back the money he borrowed.
They didn't keep the name Money Bar and went back to being called Murphy's Law.
They temporarily closed in August as there was to a new owner for the bar.
Murphy’s Law Irish Pub closed in October 2016.
They closed after failing to secure a buyer for the business.
Click for more Bar Rescues
Previous episode - The Bullpen Bar
Next episode - Six Point Inn / Over Easy Bar and Breakfast
This post was last updated in February 2022.
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