In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Pineapple Hill Saloon and Grill in Tustin, California.
Pineapple Hill Saloon is a multigenerational bar that was bought by Reva Renz for $580,000.
Business at the bar started out well but Reva had to step back for her health and family, this was the beginning of the downfall.
Reva was diagnosed with cancer in 2012 and is also a single mother to a 10 year old boy.
Linda is the manager but she hasn't been able to keep on top of things in Reva's absence.
As a result of Linda being overwhelmed the quality has dropped.
Reva is in currently in debt to the amount of $400,000.
Jon arrives at the bar with Mia Mastroianni, a mixologist and Chef Jason Santos.
They are not impressed with the exterior of the bar, where only the ‘Pineapple’ is lit on the sign at the front.
Inside the bar there is too much wood, worn out furniture with duct tape and too many pineapple decorations.
They talk about Reva and introduce Linda the manager, Brandy and Fendi the bartenders, Bridget, the server and Mike the chef.
They watch Mike make a simple burger but he doesn't use gloves and cross contaminates the kitchen and other food.
The bartenders don't measure the drinks properly and aren’t consistent with their drink recipes.
Justin and Sandra are sent in as spies to gauge their service.
They order an Irish coffee and a pineapple margarita
The Irish coffee tastes like water and the margarita is light on the tequila.
They watch Linda doing a lot of hands-on things while Reva is walking around doing nothing.
Justin orders some ribs and Mike brings out packaged ribs without a label and despite there being mold on them he proceeds to cook them.
The ribs are about to be served when Jason steps in and stops it.
He finds more ribs in the kitchen with mold clearly on them.
Jon comes in furious and raises his voice at the chef who denies not washing his hands.
Jon takes Linda and Reva outside and explains it is a serious liability as someone could die from the poor sanitation happening in the kitchen.
Reva and Linda speak about the situation and promise action.
As a result Mike is fired that night. Jon calls a staff meeting and introduces himself.
He wants to get to know the staff and reveals that, according to Reva, the bar can only stay open for 4-5 more months.
He explains that they have serious competition with 148 bars within a mile radius of the Pineapple Hill and need to stand out.
Firstly, they are going to train Martin the prep cook on proper kitchen hygiene.
Jon talks to Reva and Linda alone and they reveal they have no idea of the actual numbers because they don't have a system.
Linda is not aware of the bigger picture of the financials so she feels that she can’t make management decisions.
Jon promises to help them set financial goals, tracking beverage, food and labour costs so they can get control of the bar, make a profit and succeed.
Mia meets the bar staff and asks them to make a pineapple margarita.
They all use different methods; different glassware and they all taste bad.
They are told to remove the drink from their menu and focus on a simple Mai Tai, which she demonstrates how to mix to them.
She tells them they must learn to be consistent in their drink recipes.
Jason works with the kitchen and gives them a new recipe for ribs that Reva and Martin love.
Jon arranges a stress test for that night.
The bar is serving just 3 drinks and will be tracking drinks sold to manage labour costs and inventory costs using Partender.
Reva gets a crash course in cooking as she is lost and food is served half cooked.
They have to take it back to recook but this causes the staff to become overwhelmed and no one comes to pick up the recooked food.
The bartenders mistakenly spill some drinks without measuring and Linda is too busy running orders to manage the bar properly.
After Reva burns her hand the bar is shut down for assessment.
The bar wasted about $148 worth of drinks and was running at a loss.
Jon tells them how to price their drinks and food so they can be profitable.
The next day Mia gives the bartenders a lesson on the pineapple margarita with a signature glass.
Jason teaches Reva and Martin a catfish dish that’s also a hit.
The bar is renovated just in time for a relaunch on the Saturday night.
Jon starts by revealing a new name for the bar. It will now be called Renz Social House, named after the owner.
The staff are shown a new stylish bar with modern decor and no duct tape in sight.
They have been given Onestones on the tables for promotions, four new POS terminals and new graphic wallpaper on the wall.
They also now have Skytab so customers can pay with one swipe, Partender to monitor drinks.
They have Orange Door for entertainment and karaoke and finally Jon’s new Taffer’s Seltzer drinks.
On relaunch, the patrons are invited in and the bartenders are more confident in fulfilling drink orders.
Reva checks on the food in the kitchen more confident and knowledgeable.
Jon checks in on Linda and Reva and says his goodbyes.
What Happened Next at Pineapple Hill Saloon/Renz Social House?
Six weeks later, Linda is now in charge of the books as well as the bar.
She along with the staff are supporting Reva as she focuses on being a full time Mom.
Reva has started a GoFundme page to help with the costs of returning the sign to Pineapple Hill Saloon and to help with losses.
Renz Social House was temporarily losed for months after the episode aired due to the state restrictions.
Renz Social House is open.
Reviews since the show have been mostly positive.
Click for more Bar Rescues
Previous episode - Silver Dollar
Next episode - Jolt'n Joe's Gaslamp / Gas Lamp Social
This post was last updated in March 2022.
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