MasterChef Season 16 Contestants Where Are They Now?

MasterChef season 16 / MasterChef: Global Gauntlet aired from 15th April 2026.

It aired on the Fox Network and there were 20 contestants.

The prize for the winner was $250,000 and a MasterChef trophy.

Season 16 featured MasterChef judges Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich and Tiffany Derry.

They undertake some challenges and prepare dishes, with those who fail to impress being sent home.

Please read before you copy sections of this post onto Fandom/other websites..

Aghata Sunsi was a stay at home mom from Westminster, Colorado..

Her country of heritage is Spain and she was on Team Europe.

After MasterChef, Aghata returned to being a stay-at-home mom.

She regularly shares food content on her Instagram and TikTok.

Aishu Challa was a Mom of three from Westminster, Colorado.

Her country of heritage is India and she was on Team Asia-Pacific.

After MasterChef, Aishu is a food content creator who shares on Instagram.

She held a watch party with season 15 winners Jesse and Jessica.

Aishu had appeared on the show shortly after being made redundant from a career in IT.

She has held private dining events and donated a private dinner to a local non-profit.

Basia Newman was a Teacher from Asbury Park, New Jersey.

Her country of heritage is Poland and she was on Team Europe.

After MasterChef, Basia is a food content creator with her husband.

Michael Newman appeared on MasterChef season 11, making it to the final five.

They share food content on their Instagram.

Britny Underwood was a pro-wrestler and personal trainer from North Hollywood, California.

Her country of heritage is Barbados and she was on Team Americas.

After MasterChef, Britny is a professional wrestler.

She wrestles under the name Brittany Bay.

Britny shares food content on her Instagram.

In 2025, she had a part in the movie The Council 2.

Camilo Chavez III was a Wholesale business director from Bastrop, Texas.

His country of heritage is Mexico and he was on Team Americas.

Camilo was eliminated in episode 6 after his eggs Benedict was criticized by the judges.

After MasterChef, Camilo was promoted to Vice President of Sales - Wholesale Channel in April 2026.

He teased on Instagram that he would be sharing his recipes in the future.

Camilo hosted a watch party for an episode.

Daniel Meng was a Business school graduate from Johns Creek, Georgia.

His country of heritage is China and he was on Team Asia-Pacific

After MasterChef, Daniel has a YouTube channel, where he shares recipes to his 100k followers.

He moved to LA to chase his dream of being a food content creator.

Dave Patera was a Food content creator from Chicago, Illinois.

His country of heritage is Morocco and he was on Team Africa.

After MasterChef, Dave is a food content creator on Instagram.

He also sells Moroccan products online.

Foo Nguyen was a Stay-at-home dad from Irvine, California.

His country of heritage is Vietnam and he was on Team Asia-Pacific.

After MasterChef, Foo shares food content on his Instagram.

He was previously a finalist on PBS's The Great American Recipe in 2022.

Heidi Muston was a Yacht charter broker from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Her country of heritage is South Africa and she was on Team Africa.

After MasterChef, Heidi is listed as an actor online.

She has shared some food content online.

Heidi had previously appeared in a YouTube cooking series.

Jaime Tan was a Content creator from Queens, New York.

Her country of heritage is Malaysia and she was on Team Asia-Pacific.

After MasterChef, Jaime is the founder of clothing brand ebiko.

She is also a content creator, sharing food content on Instagram.

Jake Kelley was a Pharmacy technician from Alma, Michigan.

His country of heritage is Mexico and she was on Team Americas.

After MasterChef, Jake held a watch party at his former college, Alma College.

Julia Cili was a Financial analyst from Miami, Florida.

Her country of heritage is Italy and she was on Team Europe.

After MasterChef, Julia opened Sicili’s Treats.

They deliver fresh cannolis in the Miami area.

She appears to have returned to her role as FP&A Analyst at Unrivaled Sports.

Maria Bourland was a Food content creator from Miami Beach, Florida.

Her country of heritage is Brazil and she was on Team Americas.

After MasterChef, Maria is a content creator at Flavors of my Roots, where she shares recipes.

She also has a large following on Instagram.

Nico Cosereanu was a Student from Millburn, New Jersey.

His country of heritage is Italy and she was on Team Europe.

Nico was eliminated in episode 8 for using too little chicken.

After MasterChef, Nico returned to college to complete his degree.

He was studying Engineering at Rutgers University, graduating in the summer of 2026.

Nico is currently a Private Chef.

Nora Chakri was a Former model from Las Vegas, Nevada.

Her country of heritage is Morocco and she was on Team Africa.

Nora was eliminated in episode 5 after a used Band-Aid was found in her sandwich.

After MasterChef, Nora is a content creator, sharing food and lifestyle content on her Instagram.

Peter Egede was a Former bank consultant from Atlanta, Georgia.

His country of heritage is Nigeria and he was on Team Africa.

After MasterChef, Peter shares his food content on Instagram.

He had left his job at JPMorgan Chase to appear on the show.

Rita Igbinoba was a Human resources case manager from Brooklyn, New York.

Her country of heritage is Nigeria and she was on Team Africa.

After MasterChef, Rita is a Case Manager at WeCare.

In 2026, she graduated with a Master's in Business Administration (MBA).

She shares food content on her Instagram.

Shompa Kabir-Furqan was a Content creator from Brooklyn, New York.

Her country of heritage is Bangladesh and she was on Team Asia-Pacific.

After MasterChef, Shompa started Shompa’s Freshly Baked Goods.

She sells Gourmet South-Asian Cookies online.

Ted Pappas was an Architect from Chicago, Illinois.

His country of heritage is Greece and he was on Team Europe.

Ted was eliminated in episode 7 after he struggled to lead his team.

After MasterChef, Ted shares food content and more on his Instagram.

He has semi-retired from being an architect.

Ted had previously competed on PBS's Great American Recipe Season 2.

He had also applied for a previous season of MasterChef.

Tkaiya Dryden was a Digital content specialist from Jamaica, New York.

Her country of heritage is Jamaica and she was on Team Americas.

After MasterChef, Tkaiya is the owner of Tk Kake Kingdom

She sells artisanal baked cakes and cookies online.

Click for more Masterchef Contestants

Season 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16

MasterChef Winners

Read More »

Havana Haven Lounge / Bimini Bay - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Havana Haven Lounge in Powder Springs, Georgia.

Havana Haven Lounge is owned by Cassandra and Edward Dallas.

They are a divorced couple who bought the bar in 2024.

Neither had any experience, and Edward wanted to open a classy, cigar bar.

He soon discovered that indoor smoking isn't allowed in the bar.

Stuck on what to do, they decided to carry on with a Cuban theme but minus the cigars.

Jon and the experts watch from the surveillance van.

In the kitchen, the cook puts a piece of frozen salmon directly on the grill.

The salmon should be defrosted for 24 hours before being grilled.

The packaging is opened, and it is being defrosted in the hand sink.

The printer is printing ticket after ticket, and they are not being removed from the printer.

The issue is that the printer is above a box of old tickets, so if it falls off the end, the order will be lost.

The bar is so far behind with the service, but Edward is sitting playing on his phone.

Someone asks him if they order a burger, does it come with fries, and he says that he has no idea.

He also says that the kitchen is nothing to do with him.

His guests have not been given a menu.

The cook is cooking one meal at a time, and they sit on the pass with no heat lamp.

There is also no mats on the floor, which is a violation.

The salmon dish is received by the customer, who picks at it and pulls a face.

Jon decides that he has seen enough and goes in to confront Edward.

He goes into the kitchen and immediately tells them to stop cooking.

Jon tells the cook that they won't be allowing anything to be served from there.

He explains to Edward everything that he saw with the frozen salmon.

Edward doesn't know that you aren't meant to cook salmon from frozen.

This is despite buying the salmon every day.

Jon shows him the trail of tickets and Edward admits that he doesn't know what he is doing.

Jon continues in the kitchen, showing him the meat sitting at room temperature.

He pulls out the chicken as it is not in a food service container, which is illegal.

This will make someone sick, and the cook can't be properly trained, as Edward does not know what he is doing.

Jon sits down with the owners.

They reveal that they have just 2 weeks before they would have to close.

The staff is shocked that they may need to be looking for a new job shortly.

Jon says that Edward thinks that because they are still open, they haven't failed.

But Jon sees being so close to closure as a failure, as do the staff.

Being $400,000 in debt is his failure.

Edward finally admits that he has failed and promises to step up.

During the stress test, Jon is in the kitchen.

A customer ordered 8 wings and only got 4 wings.

It turns out the wrong wings went to the wrong table.

They fire the remaining wings for her, but there is no receipt.

At the bar, Edward struggles to make drinks.

In the kitchen, there are 15 tickets and a 30-minute wait.

Neither Edward nor Cassandra is any help as neither can cook nor make drinks.

Jon speaks with the owners and tells them there is an hour wait for drinks and food.

It is better to stop the stress test than to carry on.

Jon asks the customers to come back in two days.

His team works on the bar, giving it a makeover.

The owners, staff, and customers are gathered outside the bar two days later.

The bar has been renamed to Bimini Bay.

There is new signage that is bright and inviting.

The theme is now an island bar.

The bar has been brightened up with new lighting and brighter colours.

Edward loves the new look of the bar.

There are new sinks, new plumbing and a new SkyTab POS with a handheld.

There is a subscription to Partender, a brand new Manitowoc Ice Machine and a whole new kitchen.

What Happened Next at Havana Haven Lounge?

Havana Haven Lounge is closed.

They closed in October 2025.

Reviews stopped around this time, but there was no closure announced.

The website went down in 2026.

With being so close to closure during the filming of episode, this is not a huge surprise.

The episode was filmed in June 2025, so they lasted 4 months, more than the 2 weeks they had left on the show.

Click for more Bar Rescues

Previous episode - Big Dog Saloon

Read More »

Big Dog Saloon - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Big Dog Saloon in Mt. Dora, Florida.

Big Dog Saloon is owned by Paulette Monaco.

The bar was originally bought by Don Johnson.

He offered her a third ownership stake to manage the bar.

Don sadly passed away, leaving her to run the bar.

Struggling to run the bar, she asked her daughter and her husband for help.

Her son-in-law, Josh, is in the surveillance van with Jon.

The spies order their drinks, and he asks the bartender to pick a drink with Bourbon.

She suggests a simple bourbon and Coke for him.

The other spy asks for a margarita.

Jon comments that it is hard to mess up a simple drink like a bourbon and Coke.

He also notices that due to the shortball glass that is going to be used, it is going to be too strong.

The first thing that he says after sampling the drink is that it was strong.

He has also noticed that there are many fruit flies up at the bar with them.

In the footage, we see a large swarm of fruit flies coming from the bar.

One of the spies asks for a food menu and is offered pizzas and popcorn.

Jon watches as the cook gets a frozen pizza out of the freezer.

They also comment that it is an expensive pizza that has been bought at a store and not from a wholesaler.

The cook ties her hair up in the kitchen.

Jon notices that Paulette isn't interacting with any of the staff or bartenders.

As the food arrives, the spies have to bat away even more flies from it.

Jon says that he has seen enough, and it is sad as it is pulling down Nikki and him.

Josh tells Jon that he has four children and doesn't have the money to throw at the bar.

Jon enters the bar with Josh and asks for Paulette.

In the bar, he runs a cloth around the ice bin and finds that it is covered in black mold.

The whole ice bin area is covered in black mold.

The customers put down their drinks as they discover there is mold in the ice.

Jon rubs a glass in the mold and offers it to a bartender who had seen the mold.

He tells them that they have no pride and won't help them unless Paulette cleans the bar.

Jon meets with Paulette and Josh.

He explains that as the bar declines, the quality and quantity of customers decline as the customers' mix lowers.

This also means that they spend less.

Jon tells them that they need to get more people in and people willing to spend money.

He tells the staff that he was so angry because the staff is heavily praised.

They are just let down by the state of the bar.

For the stress test, Jon is going to pack the bar to find out where the issues are.

The staff had told Jon that there were no bugs in the liquor bottles.

Jon reveals that he snuck back into the bar the previous night after they had all left.

He brings out a liquor bottle that is infested with flies.

Jon's team works on the bar, and the new look of the bar is revealed.

They didn't change the name of the bar.

The bar has been brightened up with new lighting and given a more modern look.

There is a tribute behind the bar.

All the plumbing and soda guns have been replaced.

There is a new SkyTab POS system with a handheld unit and a subscription to Partender.

There is a whole new audiovisual system and a whole new kitchen with new equipment.

Jon tells the staff to get ready for the relaunch.

What Happened Next at Big Dog Saloon?

Big Dog Saloon is open, with new owners.

The bar closed in December 2025.

They held a party to mark the closure.

The site was sold to a developer, Big Dogs Mount Dora LLC, who is affiliated with G3 Development.

The developer reopened the bar with the same name.

It has positive reviews since it reopened in 2026.

Nikki now works at Fat Cats bar.

Click for more Bar Rescues

Previous episode - VFW Post 8093

Next episode - Havana Haven Lounge

Read More »

VFW Post 8093 - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits VFW Post 8093.

Jon meets with the bar manager of the post and asks how the base is run.

She tells him that it could use some TLC, and there is some drama now and again.

There is no leadership, and some in-house arguing takes place.

In the kitchen, the cook has around 3 months of experience in the kitchen.

The bartender tells the expert that the bar sucks.

The customers like the food, branding it really good.

Jon meets with John, who explains it is a 7-person committee that oversees the post.

John is the Post Commander.

Jay is the Committee Chairman.

He is told that the members run the post, but Jon asks who oversees that.

Different things are overseen by John or Jay.

The cook seems to have established the issues and tells the expert that the politics are the issue.

If that were resolved, it would help him in his role.

John represents the members, and Jay gets what they need done.

They often clash over being able to make decisions for the post.

Jon tells them that every other post he has worked with has a clear chain of command.

Jon questions if he asks the staff who the commander is and who is in charge, would they be able to answer?

To prove his point, Jon calls a meeting after the service.

He asks the staff who their boss is.

One member of the staff says that Paula is their boss.

Paula says that her boss is the Committee, with 7 bosses.

Jon says that even in the biggest corporations in the world, there are not 7 bosses.

He asks what happens if they disagree, and Paula says it is a problem.

She suggests that it has happened multiple times before.

Jon asks if it closes tomorrow, who is held accountable?

Everyone points to the post commander.

Jon asks, then why is the committee able to overrule the commander?

The staff doesn't agree with this, but Jon shuts that line down.

He tells them that the committee chairman does the schedule, but the commander runs the place.

This does not make sense to him.

The chairman should not be involved in the day-to-day operation of the post.

Jon reveals that he spoke to the District Commander, who also thinks that their structure is ridiculous.

The District Commander has had to come in to resolve disputes between the two of them.

After the meeting, Jon sits with John and Jay to discuss the politics and procedures.

Jon wants to replace the beer sales with cocktail sales to increase profit.

The bar staff will need to push the cocktails to the patrons.

The food menu will also be more profitable.

With these new things in place, they can focus on supporting the veterans.

John and Jay agree to support each other.

For the next few days, Jon's team will work on renovating the bar.

As with most of the VFW rescues, they don't change the name.

The sign for the post is now lit up.

They have painted the exterior darker to make the sign pop out more.

Inside, they have new furniture, and the bar looks warmer and more inviting.

The dining room has tablecloths and seat covers, with a red, white, and blue theme.

In the bar, they have a new custom wall with USA imagery.

They have a new SkyTab POS system with two handheld units.

There is a subscription to Partender to manage their inventory.

There is new brickwork detailing, screens, lighting, and more.

A charity supporting veterans, Tunnels to Towers, will be at the bar that evening.

Jon has written them a cheque for $10,000.

The production company has matched this with their own $10,000 donation.

As have the network, who have also given a cheque for $10,000.

Jon tells them that they have inspired him this week.

What Happened Next at VFW Post 8093?

VFW Post 8093 is open.

Jon doesn't usually rename the VFW branches, so the name is the same.

Reviews are mostly positive.

Click for more Bar Rescues

Previous episode - 615 District

Next episode - Big Dog Saloon

Read More »

615 District - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits 615 District in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

615 District is owned by Markita Medaries.

Her boyfriend, Marcus, is the manager.

Neither has any experience in the bar industry.

The spies order a margherita with sugar around the rim and a Manhattan.

The bartender makes one drink at a time and very slowly.

She acts like she doesn't know where anything in the bar is.

One drink is served while the bartender makes the second drink.

The margarita tastes like dishwater.

The bartender can't make the drink as she can't find the Vermouth.

They order food or try to, but they are out of meatloaf.

The spies decide to order the lobster tail, and Jon and the spies say how risky of a choice the order is.

They also ordered a hamburger steak with spaghetti and collard greens.

The cook puts the meat on the grill, and it is grey and pink.

The meat is clearly off.

Jon and the experts notice that everything is pre-cooked and stored in bags before being served.

One of the spies spits out the hamburger steak.

The lobster was overcooked and sat on the grill for nearly 20 minutes, turning it into leather.

The experts decide to go into the bar.

The expert chef asks how long things have been cooking, and they admit they've lost track.

They also find that they actually do have some meatloaf left and are not out.

The expert mixologist asks the spies how their drinks were.

They say that the drinks are unflavorful.

The bartender says that she asked how the drinks were, and they said that they liked them.

The spy says she said it was okay, not that she liked it.

The bartender is upset with their comments and walks away from the bar.

In the kitchen, there are dangerous practices with a risk of fire from the fryers.

A fire would be catastrophic, as the fire protection measures are not working due to being covered in caked-on grease.

The kitchen has not been cleaned, with caked-on grease on everything.

In the bar, the glasses are sticky as they are directly on the shelf.

There are flies and debris in the bottles that have not been refrigerated.

There is mold in the ice machine.

The expert says that Jon may even leave due to the poor state, as it shows no care for the bar.

The next day, Jon goes into the bar and meets the owners and staff.

During the stress test he is not happy as the customers do not like the food.

They won't even take a bite of the food due to how poor it looks.

Jon says if the food is going to come out looking like that to not even bother sending it out.

He speaks with some customers who tell him that they have been waiting for 30 minutes just to order.

The customers say that the food is bland and they haven't finished it.

They are still hungry and not happy.

The stress test is shut down.

Over the next few days, Jon's team worked on renovating the bar.

The owner, staff, and customers are gathered at night to reveal the new bar.

The bar has been renamed to The Southern Still, with new signage.

Jon tells them that they need good food to be able to survive in the town.

Inside, the bar is warmer with darker tones rather than the previous clinical white.

There are two new pool tables, new screens, and new signage.

They have new lighting, bar stools, a wine cooler, and a back bar.

There are two new workstations with their own sink.

They have a SkyTab POS system with a handheld tablet.

The sound system has been overhauled, and they have a Partender subscription.

What Happened Next at 615 District?

615 District is open.

The name of the bar was changed to Southern Still.

They have kept the name.

Reviews have been mostly positive since the episode.

There is praise for both the service and the food.

Click for more Bar Rescues

Previous episode - Urban Pie

Next episode - VFW Post 8093

Read More »

Urban Pie - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Urban Pie in Atlanta, Georgia.

Urban Pie is owned by Lisa Curtis.

For the recon, Jon has sent in two of the biggest food influencers in the state.

Kristen Truett and Angie Green both have large followings on social media.

Jon wants them to order a selection of drinks and especially food to give their opinion.

Angie orders a drink called Respect Your Elder, and Kristen orders an old-fashioned.

The old-fashioned is poured out of a can rather than being hand-made.

The bartender over-shakes the drink, and Angie isn't impressed.

Kristen can taste that the drink isn't fresh.

They ordered food, including a margherita pizza and a calzone.

The dough in the kitchen is wrinkled and looks awful.

Jon says to Rob that he has never seen chicken that looks like that.

Rob explains it is from a plastic bag, as the dough is frozen.

He is surprised as Chef Q looks like he is experienced in pizza.

Q is handling the dough well, but all of the ingredients are pre-prepared.

The sauce is from a can, and the cheese is pre-grated.

The calzone is overstuffed, so it won't be cooked properly.

An order of pasta was returned to the kitchen as it was not the correct order.

Jon and Rob enter the bar to meet with the recon spies to hear their opinions.

They sample some of the food that the spies received.

Rob brands the pizza a flop, as despite the fresh basil, the dough has let it down.

There is too much cheese, and the chunks are raw tomato.

The tomato isn't even an Italian variety, and there is no mozzarella.

The cheese that they use is cakey, and the bottom is burnt.

It is given a 4/10 by Angie, a 3/10 by Kristen, and Rob says they are being generous.

They barely ate the pizza, and both spies are pizza people.

The calzone is dry because there is too much cheese and pepperoni.

It is also still raw inside, as there was too much filling.

Rob says that it could make someone sick.

Jon meets with Lisa to discuss issues at the bar.

He thinks that the plastic cups make it not look like an adult bar.

The cartoon artwork on the exterior also makes it look like a children's playground.

Jon doesn't think it would attract young, hip customers to the bar.

Kids won't want to come to a bar, and adults don't want to come to a child's bar.

Jon says that they've blown it either way.

Lisa says she is exhausted and lets things go, and hopes things will change without making the changes.

She tells the staff that they are losing $8000 a month, $440,000 in total.

Lisa is about to lose her father's truck, and she can only stay open for two more months.

Jon introduces his experts.

They observe the bar staff and kitchen staff.

The experts train the staff on improving their pours and the food.

During the stress test, Jon has asked customers to use the stopwatch on their phones.

He wants to time how long it takes for food and drink to come out.

The bartenders struggle to mix drinks fresh, and there is little room behind the bar.

A customer receives their drink in three minutes, and it is good.

Jon encourages them to speed up, but the bartenders are nervous.

They discover that the pizza oven isn't working properly, and they are down to one oven.

The bartenders hold the glasses rather than put them on the bar to make the drinks.

Jon shows them the dangers of a busy bar.

Someone could get injured by a broken glass, or it could break into the ice bin, stopping service.

In nearly 10 minutes, no food has left the kitchen.

Jon's team has worked on the bar for two days.

Lisa, the staff, and customers have gathered at night for the reveal.

The bar has not been renamed, but bar and pizzeria have been added to the signage.

The exterior has been repainted, so it looks more grown-up and modern.

Inside, the bar is colourful and modern with matching tables and chairs.

Lisa is very grateful and hugs Jon.

Jon has given them another workstation, a SkyTab POS system with handhelds, and a subscription to Partender.

Orlando Foods has donated flour for dough and tomatoes for the sauce.

They have working ovens and a new mixer to make their own dough.

Caleb has been given a chef jacket, and there are new t-shirts for the other staff.

Lisa says that they loved her when she didn't have good pizza, and imagine how they will now.

What Happened Next at Urban Pie?

Urban Pie is open.

Reviews are mostly positive, especially for the new pizza.

There are a few complaints about service and some about food items.

They held a watch party for the episode at the bar.

Click for more Bar Rescues

Previous episode - Hurricane Creek Saloon

Next episode - 615 District

Read More »

Hurricane Creek Saloon - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Hurricane Creek Saloon in Melbourne, Florida.

Hurricane Creek Saloon is owned by Randy Bennett.

Jon has sent in Former Miss Florida Kylie Blakely and her friend Monica for recon.

She is local to the area and knows the bars in the area and what to expect from them.

Monica orders a Watermelon Crawl, and Kylie orders The Redneck Girl.

They order a grilled cheese and try to order pizza, but there is none available.

Kylie orders a burger instead.

The drinks look awful, and Monica says her drink is sour and she would not have ordered it.

They are offered samples from their frozen daiquiri range on offer by Randy.

Monica orders water due to being offered cups and cups of sugar, essentially.

They don't like some of the samples she has been given.

They watch the chef preparing the grilled cheese and are concerned that he is going to cut his finger off.

Randy is refilling the daiquiri machines, a job that should be delegated to the bar staff.

The burger is swimming in grease, and it soaks into the bun.

They sample the food and are not impressed.

Kylie immediately notices the oil and squashes the burger, leading to more oil coming out, which she drains off.

Monica's grilled cheese doesn't have much chicken in it.

She also thinks the chicken is frozen and the sandwich is greasy.

The food was taken away, and Jon decided to enter the bar to speak with them.

Jon meets with Randy, who describes the bar as a country-themed bar/restaurant.

But Jon questions what in the bar says country; he sees nothing that shows what their theme is.

The zebra wood doesn't fit the theme, nor does the wide range of frozen drinks.

Part of the theme says bikini bar, and nothing makes any sense.

The bartenders all agree that there is no identity, but Randy struggles to accept that there is no theme.

Jon sits with Randy to talk about the bar, and he tells Jon that honouring his parents means a lot to him.

Jon tells him to make it count, and he'll have a new bar to do that.

He says to seize the change, and Jon tells him that he believes in him.

Jon knows he can be successful with the bar and asks for commitment from Jon.

The team works on the bar over the next 48 hours.

Randy, the bartenders, and customers are gathered outside at night for the reveal.

The bar has been renamed to Neon Rodeo, with new signage and lighting.

The bar is more youthful with the aim of drawing in a younger crowd.

Inside, the bar has been completely changed.

There is new artwork, lighting, and equipment.

There are new workstations, new SkyTab POS systems, two handheld units, and a Partender subscription.

They have an Easy Brew to be able to create their own beer.

The bar has a new vibe with the lower lighting, and is more suited for date nights.

They have an electronic stage that can be lowered when a band is on, or the area can be used as a dance floor.

What Happened Next at Hurricane Creek Saloon / Neon Rodeo?

Hurricane Creek Saloon is open.

Jon renamed the bar to Neon Rodeo.

Randy did not keep the new name as he felt that it didn't fit the bar.

After the episode was filmed, the owners said that they are thankful for Jon's help.

Reviews are mostly positive; there is praise for the food, but a few complaints about service.

Click for more Bar Rescues

Previous episode - Happenchance Social Lounge

Next episode - Urban Pie

Read More »

Happenchance Social Lounge - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Happenchance Social Lounge in Nolensville, Tennessee.

Happenchance Social Lounge is owned by Dillan and Amanda.

Amanda was a criminal defence attorney.

Dillan didn't have a career so they decided to open a bar.

They spent $250,000 to open the bar.

Amandas parents lent them $250,000.

Jon does surveillance with Chris Kirkpatrick from NSYNC.

He has made the leap from the band to investing in the bar and restaurant industry.

Chris has also been a patron at many, many bars around the world during his career.

Jon tells him about the local demographics - the locals are wealthier and older than average.

They look at the exterior and don't think it looks too bad.

Jon doesn't like the grafitti on the walls as it looks almost grungey.

The seperation in the word cocktails does not look upscale.

Jon asks what is in the bottle and it is a pre mixed drink.

He thinks that it cheapens the experience as the customer does not see the drink made.

The customer also has no idea what they are getting as the branded liquor can be replaced with cheaper alternatives.

Jon asks the owner what she wanted the place to be and she says "fun".

He tells her that the income of the locals is twice the national average and 64% is married.

Jon doesn't think that fun fits the upscale neighbourhood.

He has to question why they have the word "c*ck" in huge letters...

They are not pleased to hear his opinion that their bar sucks.

During the stress test, one tables hasn't received food and drinks after 20 minutes.

They also have no water in their glasses.

One table has their food but no drinks.

The majority of the tables have no drinks but have received food.

The kitchen is outperforming the bar.

This is because many of the drinks are being dumped due to errors.

The staff are also working slowly.

Rob tells Jon that they have put out three drinks in 20 minutes.

In the kitchen they are doing well but speed is also an issue.

Jon shows Amanda a huge pile of printed tickets that the staff have yet to even look at.

Jon brands the stress test a failure it would take at least 2 and a half hours for them to catch up.

Jons team works on the bar over the next few days.

The staff and owners are gathered outside the bar at night for the reveal.

The bar has been renamed to The Regal Room.

They have new signage from a local company sending the message that they are upscale.

Inside, the bar has a more upscale feel with updated lighted and is homey and warm with dining nooks.

The space has been split into a lounge area and dining area.

At the time of writing, the episode is not available on demand, so I have been unable to do a full recap.

What Happened Next at Happenchance Social Lounge?

Happenchance Social Lounge / The Regal is open.

They have kept the new name.

Reviews are mostly positive, there is praise for the food.

There are however, a handful of complaints about service.

Sometimes once an episode has aired there are some fake reviews.

Click for more Bar Rescues

Previous episode - Blu Rose Art Bistro

Next episode - Hurricane Creek Saloon

Read More »