In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Finesse Lounge in Banning, California.
Finesse Lounge is owned by AJ Cabral.
He bought the bar in 2018 because of his father.
AJ hired his siblings and nephew to manage the business.
His nephew Jason is a barback and Marleen, AJ's younger sister, helps behind the bar.
His older sister Sabrina manages the bar but she struggles.
There are inventory problems and bills are not getting paid on time.
AJ had to come back in and correct things.
His return is creating tension between him and Sabrina.
Jon surveys the bar with expert chef Anthony Lamas.
They are confused by the bar's name and inconsistent interior.
AJ is introduced as the owner and his story of how he opened the bar.
He opened the bar in memory of his father and grandfather.
They have lost thousands of dollars and are losing $5,000 a month.
Gary is another bartender and Lupe the Cook cooks at home and brings the food in.
He does this because there is no equipment in the bar kitchen.
Jon has some local spies visit the bar to sample the menu.
Gary is unhappy to get a menu and has no idea what is on it.
When they order they ask AJ for help.
They see AJ checking his phone for the passcode to the POS system.
After some time Sabrina asks about the order and it is not in the system.
14 minutes later a line of straight shots arrive for the spies instead of garnished cocktails as expected.
35 minutes later Lupe is still not making their food order.
Jon and Anthony decide to go in as there is no hope for the food arriving.
Jon goes directly to the kitchen and calls AJ to the bar.
He shows him the dirty bar area and uncleared used utensils.
In the kitchen, he tells him bringing food from another location is illegal.
He also thinks that the food itself is not good.
AJ explains that he returned recently after Sabrina ran it for over a year.
Sabrina is called in and chewed out for the food and drinks they were supposed to serve the spies.
She has excuses but Jon is not buying it.
She walks out and goes to have several shots at the bar.
The next day, AJ is nervous about the meeting with Jon.
The whole family and staff are waiting.
Jon is complementary to their native American background.
He is not impressed with what they have done with the business.
He tells them how important Kelli the spy from the previous night was.
It is not right that she was treated so poorly.
AJ initially spent about $250,000 setting up the bar.
Jon addresses how he tried to get AJ and Sabrina to take responsibility the previous night.
Instead of stepping up, she had shots in front of the customers.
Sabrina says she was never set up for success and was always the last resort for the family.
Jon meets the rest of the family and tries to mend the relationship between Sabrina and AJ.
He makes AJ decide to officially appoint her to run the bar.
Jon introduces Troy Clarke, an expert mixologist, along with Anthony.
Troy trains the staff on basic cocktails like the Negroni and a Margarita.
The staff love the taste and are happy to have their first training.
In the kitchen, they are given a Triple Chef.
Anthony trains them on making a quesadilla.
AJ, Lupe and Sabrina are happy to have the new equipment.
It is time for the stress test and Troy gives them a limit of 22 minutes to serve 40 people drinks.
Sabrina will be managing for the night.
AJ is to support her and let her lead.
AJ lets all 40 people in and they start ordering immediately.
Soon drinks are being tossed due to incorrect pours.
In the kitchen, Lupe is moving too slowly.
They have to appease customers as many are unserved.
The food is going out too slowly.
They cannot tell where the food goes as the ticket does not have table numbers.
Drinks are spilt and more tossed and soon the kitchen picks up.
Now people have food but no drinks.
Jon notices Sabrina is acting more like a bartender than a manager.
He pulls the plug on the night and ends the stress test.
The next day, Troy trains them on a signature cocktail.
It is a spin on an old fashioned called the Rising Storm.
They love the taste and spend some time training.
In the kitchen, Anthony praises them for their stress test.
He teaches them a signature dish, a fried bread taco.
Jon meets AJ and Sabrina to discuss the stress test.
Sabrina is emotional and says she loves her family and is committed to helping.
AJ is complimentary of her efforts and they promise to have each other's back.
Jon’s team worked tirelessly for about 2 days to renovate the bar.
The family and community are gathered outside.
The bar has been renamed to 47 Social with new signage.
Inside, they have a modern colorful bar.
It still has the family mural AJ put up.
The tools and supplies are from BarProducts.com.
There is new equipment in the kitchen from Best Buy supplies and a Skytab POS system with individual units.
They also have a lifetime subscription to Partender, a charge fuse unit and new menus.
They are soon ready to open and AJ lets the guests in.
The bartenders are excited to make the new signature cocktails.
The kitchen is working hard to keep pace but quickly get into a groove.
Sabrina is happy to function as a manager.
AJ is supporting and everyone is communicating.
The guests love the food, drinks and bar ambiance.
What Happened Next at Finesse Lounge?
Six weeks later, sales have increased with many new items becoming bestsellers.
The community loves the new space and menu.
Sabrina is thriving as the manager, focusing on the business more.
They didn't keep the new name and went back to Finesse Lounge.
Finesse Lounge / 47 Social is closed.
They closed in December 2024.
Reviews were mostly positive after the episode was filmed.
There was praise for the service.
Click for more Bar Rescues
Previous episode - Arnold’s Lounge
Next episode - La Perla Sports Cantina / La Perla Sports Club
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