VFW Post 10054 - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits VFW 10054 in Pahrump, Nevada.

VFW 10054 opened in 1979 and its current post commander is Marty Aguiar.

It is home to the veterans who frequent the place and locals who gamble there.

Their main focus is getting new members and retaining the existing ones.

Marty is a US Navy Veteran and served for 30 years.

He is much loved by the community and staff because of his hands on dedication to the space.

Then the pandemic hit and they were affected as a lot of older vets died from the disease.

Most of the others cannot come to the post as they are high risk.

Marty’s wife Sue received a diagnosis of leukaemia and he has been taking care of her.

Steve the second in command has had to take the reins but he has a lot to live up to.

Jon recons the bar with BBQ expert Kevin Bludso.

He has lost a brother who was a vet in the navy and marines.

Jon introduces all the staff and their situation to him.

Kevin is not happy with how they are making their tacos.

Jon explains the public can go to the VFW post as the gaming element means they have to be open to the public.

Customers order drinks and the bartender overpours as she is free pouring and the drinks are too sweet.

They see the bar is in a state of disrepair and how non-functional the bar space is.

Jon goes into the space and meets Marty.

He hears from him directly about his life and his wife.

Marty proceeds to invite a long-time guest who says the place is the best but they need younger people in.

Jon says they need quality in respect to the vets who come to the place and the bad tacos do not cut it.

Steve joins in the conversation and they resolve to make it better so it is something he can run.

The next day, Jon has a staff meeting.

He gets to know the staff who have all either been in service or have family who have been in service.

They think they should remove smoking so they can attract new customers.

They should update their music and their food menu to appeal to the younger clientele.

They say they do BBQ only on special occasions and it sells out.

Sue says Marty needs to be engaged and busy but also learn to delegate.

Jon introduces his experts and they recognise Kevin Bludso.

The second expert is Alex Goode for the cocktail programme.

Kevin starts training outside with a brand new Lang smoker.

Kevin is also giving them free rubs that will last them up to 6 months.

He shows them how to plate the barbecue brisket.

Alex trains the staff on the basics of cocktail making and shows them a twist on a margarita.

The stress test will be simulating a full night.

Customers are let in and the bar is besieged with orders from their limited menu.

The food ordering process requires customers to place orders in one location where it is written by hand and delivered to the kitchen.

A line of people waiting to place orders is quickly formed.

Luckily as the food is pre-cooked, they should be able to move fast.

The bartenders have heart but need more confidence.

Steve is offering to help in the kitchen at the bar.

The customers love the barbecue and the drinks and it was a successful stress test.

They have seen all they need to see and shut down as construction has to start.

The next day, training continues with Alex training them on making new cocktails.

Kevin takes them through making barbecue nachos.

The staff sample them and thinks that they taste amazing.

Jon meets with Marty and Steve and works out that they need to improve their communication.

Marty needs to leave something for Steve to do and not do it all by himself.

Jon’s team come in and work on the bar over 36 hours to update the space whilst not alienating existing members.

The staff are gathered at dusk to unveil the new bar.

The exterior has been updated with new signs that pop against the newly painted walls.

Inside, the walls have been repainted and the ceiling has new lights making the place warmer.

They have atmosphere TV for ambience, Harbour Touch POS systems and Skytabs for orders.

There is Partender for inventory tracking, a Bluezone box for clean air and a Pathspot box for hand scanning.

A new fryer has also been added to the kitchen from Perfect Fry.

The staff set up and let in their customers for the relaunch with their old members leading the way.

On relaunch, the bartenders are confident making the drinks off their menu.

There are young people in the bar and the smoking area is now outside.

The kitchen is working efficiently and food is sent out fast to people who are enjoying the meals.

Jon says goodbye to Steve and Marty, who is more confident taking a step back.

What Happened Next at VFW Post 10054?

Reviews after the episode are mostly positive for the new food on offer.

Marty praised the show and was happy with the changes made in the episode.

He announced that he was going to step down as Post Commander in June 2022.

In September 2021, they renovated the kitchen.

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Previous episode - Badlands Saloon

Next episode - Griff's Bar and Billiards

This post was last updated in March 2022.