In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Skip and Jan’s Sports Bar in Gilbert, Arizona.
Skip and Jan’s Sports Bar is owned by Natalie.
She bought it with her husband.
Natalie had worked at the bar as a server for 12 years.
It was a struggle as she had 4 children under 6.
It worked out in the beginning as she had the support of her husband.
But soon the stress affected her marriage.
It ended in divorce and she took on a personal loan.
In between all this, the bar lost direction.
The staff had no proper management.
Her son Kaycie joined her at the bar.
He sees all that has gone wrong with the bar.
Their efforts are not enough to turn it around.
Jon is in the command center with expert chef Jason Santos.
Jon tells Jason that Natalie got the bar in the divorce.
She has a debt of $450,000 and she's losing 18,000 a month.
Kaycie helps in the kitchen and Julio works in the kitchen.
Melissa, Kyerstin and Kenzie are bartenders.
Matt and Tyson are announcers for the Arizona sports team.
They are Jon’s spies for the recon of the bar.
They both enter the bar and order drinks.
Jon sees the bartenders work out of one well.
They also pour liquor without measuring.
The drinks are delivered.
The spies liken the drinks to paint thinner.
After they abandon their drinks they order food.
They order a Philly cheese steak and a cheeseburger.
They see Julio cook on a dirty fryer.
It is jet black and caked in gunk and smoking.
The kitchen is filthy and Kaycie is trying to clean.
They see he was not trained and does not know better.
Once cockroaches are spotted Jason is sent in to stop cooking.
When Julio is confronted he does not take it seriously.
He refuses to respond.
Jon comes in to take Natalie to the kitchen.
Jon points out all they observed to Natalie and Julio.
Julio is still unresponsive.
Kaycie is the only one who responds.
He says that he has never seen Julio clean.
Jon gives them an ultimatum.
He can only fix the problem and train them only if Julio cares.
Julio finally speaks up.
Jon moves over to the bar that was also in a state.
Both the bar and kitchen are shut down to be cleaned overnight.
Natalie is embarrassed at what Jon saw but joins in the clean-up.
Jon comes in the next morning and he is happy to see it is cleaner.
The staff are gathered for a staff meeting.
Jon has Natalie tell them all her financial situation.
She tells them the bar may close down if they continue to lose money.
The staff say they all care for the bar and Natalie.
Jon brings in his experts including Tassia Lacerda, an expert mixologist.
They have determined the drinks prices are lower than the industry average.
Their food pricing is losing them money.
The bar staff are over pouring liquor by about 30%.
They begin training, with Tassia starting first.
She asks Kenzie to make a simple old fashioned.
It's just straight bourbon.
She is in tears when she fails.
Tassia comforts her saying it is a good sign she cares.
Tassia trains them to make a Long Island Iced tea.
Jason trains Julio and the kitchen staff to make a burger using fresh ingredients.
As fresh ingredients are cheaper they will make money on it.
They are then prepped for the stress test.
Jon will be dropping dollar bills every time the staff makes a mistake.
People are let in and Jon quickly gets guests on the tables.
He uses a stopwatch on one table to time the service.
The waitresses take orders and must make their own drinks.
No orders are going to the kitchen.
Tassia is stopping orders as the bartenders make irreversible mistakes.
Natalie is taking food and drinks out one at a time.
Many of the tables have incomplete orders.
The kitchen is quiet and Natalie is not leading.
Jon has seen all the mistakes he needs to see.
The table with the stopwatch has waited over 20 minutes.
Jon has dropped all his money and closes down service.
He sends all of the customers home.
Jon consults with Natalie and Kaycie.
They decide Julio has to go.
Jason should work with Kaycie going forward.
Natalie agrees and lets Julio go.
The next day, Tassia gives the team feedback.
She identifies the servers are doing double duty.
There is also a lack of space to work behind the bar.
She trains them on making a Rosado cocktail.
Jason is also complementary of Kaycie.
He tells them they will be reducing their menu.
This will be much more cost-effective.
Jason trains them to make a signature ranch burger.
He tasks Natalie and Kaycie on finding a kitchen crew for opening night.
Jon’s team works long hours and they are ready for their reopening.
Jon starts by revealing their new name Natalie’s Bar and Grill.
It is dedicated to Natalie who has worked there for more than half her life.
They are too excited to get in .
The bar has been elevated to a darker and backlit modern sports bar.
They have been upgraded to two workstations, they have Sky Tabs.
There is a subscription to Partender and Bar Products from barproducts.com.
Natalie is so grateful and the team quickly sets up to let in all the waiting customers.
The servers are happy to make suggestions off the menu.
Kaycie is leading the kitchen staff in the kitchen.
Customers are also getting their correct drinks orders.
They are happy with the food and drinks.
Natalie is much more confident and she feels better about the bar.
What Happened Next at Skip and Jan’s Sports Bar / Natalie's Bar and Grill?
Six weeks later, it revealed the bar is still a success.
Natalie decided to give Julio a second chance.
Skip and Jan’s Sports Bar / Natalie's Bar and Grill is open.
They kept the new name.
Reviews are mostly positive.
They have improved since appearing on the show.
Click for more Bar Rescues
Previous episode - Latitudes Bar and Grill / Latitudes Island Bar & Grill
Next episode - Wildkats Records Bar and Grill / Bay Street Sports Grill
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