Rhythm and Brews / 5th and Vine - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Rhythm and Brews in Staten Island, New York.

Rhythm and Brews is owned by twin brothers Steve and Erik Winchow.

They wanted to follow in their father’s footsteps and gambled their luck on owning a bar.

The brothers bought Rhythm and Brews for $50,000 in 2003.

At firs the bar was very successful, making around $80,000 a month.

Steve and Erik brought in their younger brother Stu to help manage the bar’s success.

Bartender Jolene was going home with $250 to $300 in tips.

However, a rowdy biker gang took over the bar as their headquarters and the bar’s image began to suffer.

This caused the targeted demographic to stop coming to the bar.

Soon, the bikers began going into the kitchen.

Between the three of them, they have put around $700,000 into this bar.

Erik and Steve make a call to help for Bar Rescue.

Staten Island is home to a community of over 55,000 people.

Housing prices range from $600,000 to over $1.5 million.

Jon brings in bar expert Kate Gerwin.

For the kitchen, Jon brings in expert chef Josh Capon.

The median age of people in this area is over 40 years old.

For the recon, Jon sends in Josh’s wife Lori.

Rhythm and Brews is a 1,600-square-foot space and the bar has no wine at all.

Lori orders a margarita but Jolene doesn’t make it properly.

Josh says that Stu is a doormat because the biker gang acts like they own the bar.

There is fiberglass around the food, which Jon says is a very bad thing.

Jon sends his experts into the bar to go make their pizza since apparently anyone can walk into the kitchen and make food.

Nobody says anything about Josh being there when Josh walks into the bar.

Josh walks back into the SUV with the pan and pizza.

Jon says that this is a Bar Rescue first.

There are firecrackers going off in the bar.

Jon has had enough and he walks into the bar.

This bar is losing $8,000 a month and can close any day.

Jon tells them to close the bar and have it empty in five minutes.

The customers don’t take the owners seriously and are laughing at them.

Jon says that he can’t fix this bar if the owners do not change.

He says he needs to see them tomorrow with fire in their bellies.

Jon tells Stu that he wants him to come back tomorrow clean-shaven.

Jon and his experts go over the issues they saw last night.

He shows them all of the food with freezer burn.

Jon tells them to get the freezer out of the bar.

Jon says that he’s not sure he can rescue this bar.

He and Josh drive around to see what the market in this area is.

Jon explains the concept of visual weighting.

Kate explains how to taste wine and serve it.

Jon tells the owners he wants them to be leaders during tonight’s stress test.

Rhythm and Blues opens up for stress test.

Steve is very lost.

The biker gang comes back and they have to kick them out.

Jon tells them to shut the bar down for the night.

He says he saw Stu running around.

Jon calls out how messy the bar is and Steve says that it’s not as bad as he thinks.

Jon says that he won’t attach himself to their failure.

He meets with the owners the next morning.

Jon brings in their family.

Stu tells their dad where they are sleeping most nights.

They throw out the couch that Stu sleeps on.

Stu says that he is free and he has to make his life work again.

Jon says the three brothers are now accepting that things really need to change.

Josh shows them new recipes that will be added to the new bar’s menu.

Kate shows them drinks that will be added to the menu including the Three Sons Sour.

Jon goes over the remodel concept with the three brothers.

The next evening, Jon meets with the staff to show them their new bar.

Jon says all of the old behaviors change now.

Rhythm and Brews has been renamed and is now called 5th and Vine.

This bar looks very classy inside and out.

The staff are in love with their new bar.

Jon says that this bar was built for their targeted market.

The new stools have a stronger visual presence than the old stools.

There is a center-staged wine system from By the Glass, USA.

Wine spoils when it’s exposed to oxygen.

However, this system pushes the wine using nitrogen so the wine never spoils.

It’ll stay at the perfect temperature, making every drop profitable and with no waste.

Jon installed three Revention POS systems.

Jon says that with this system, everything will be accounted for and every ticket has a table number.

Jon tells the staff to set up and get to work.

Jon says that after tonight, people are going to leave and tell this town what they think of this bar.

The three brothers say they are ready to open so they go invite waiting guests inside.

5th and Vine opens for the first time since remodel.

The brothers are very excited to open their new bar for the night.

On relaunch, the staff are working together very well to ensure that things go smoothly during reopening.

Jon says this bar has great perceived value, perceived quality, and people are happy.

Customers are really enjoying the food.

Jon says that this was a successful bar rescue.

The bar is packed with people, yet the staff is handling it all very well.

The owners are stepping up and helping out wherever needed.

Jon pulls the three brothers aside to chat with them.

He asks them if they think they’ll make money off of this, they all answer yes.

Jon tells them that they did good, they pulled it off well, and that his work is done.

Jon hugs all three of them.

Stu is excited for the future.

What Happened Next at Rhythm and Brews / 5th and Vine?

Six weeks later, sales have increased by 50%.

Stu got a place to call his own.

Rhythm and Brews / 5th and Vine closed in November 2016.

They closed briefly in April 2016 after an ungraded health inspection.

They failed due to 61 violations including evidence of mice, flies and a lack of a thermometer for checking food.

Reviews after the show were mixed with some praise for the drinks and atmosphere but some complaints on service.

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This post was last updated in February 2022.