Gipsy / SBLV - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Gipsy in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Gipsy is owned by Paul San Filipo, who bought the legendary gay nightclub in 1993.

It was immediately popular and made up to $160,000 a month.

As the first gay nightclub in Las Vegas it was popular until more competition opened in the late 90s.

The club is stuck in the past and customers no longer come to the club.

Paul is now in debt and drinks to cover up his disappointment.

The work environment is toxic and he leaves the bar for days and weeks to fend for itself.

The club now has a $400,000 fine for failing to pay live entertainment taxes and is in $2,000,000 of debt.

Jon recons the bar with expert mixologist Rachel Ford.

They see the bar exterior is very dated and run down.

Jon has footage of customer feedback and it is not good.

Jon introduces the staff and the owner.

Jon has invited Daniel and Joe, experts in the Las Vegas Nightlife industry to visit as his spies.

They sit at the bar and order a gin martini and they are served in a plastic cup.

They order whiskey sours and they are also served in a plastic cup too.

There is no vermouth so the drinks are bad.

Paul keeps calling his bartender Brandon from across the bar.

He is being degrading towards the staff and is insulting them.

Paul breaks a glass by throwing it at the manager.

Jon goes in to confront the inebriated Paul.

Paul says his staff deserved all the abuse.

Jon tries to correct him but Paul is confrontational.

Paul’s display does not stop when Jon leaves the bar.

He is forced out of the bar and into a taxi to go home.

The next day, Jon comes in and Paul is sober.

They sit and Jon gets Paul to promise not to drink while he is fixing the bar and apologise to the staff.

Jon meets with the rest of the staff.

Paul finds it hard to keep a straight face as he apologises.

The staff say his behaviour was uncalled for and they want him to go back to being driven.

Jon brings in his expert and Rachel inspects the bar.

They find lots of dirty tools, produce and spaces around the bar.

The staff are made to clean the bar before they start training.

Rachel trains them on making a gin martini, serving it in a martini glass.

They do a team work exercise where they interlock their arms and try and make a whiskey sour together.

Jon has a surprise and brings in the spies from Angel Entertainment.

Amie will bartend at the bar for the beginning of the stress test so the staff can watch them operate.

The stress test starts and the bartenders are seamless, making drinks quickly to the delight of customers.

Amie complains of the service behind the bar area.

The new bartenders are pulled while Brandon and Justin are behind the bar.

They are too slow and take up to ten minutes to make a drink leaving customers waiting twenty minutes.

They are nervous and flustered.

They are making drinks incorrectly and dropping tools.

Rubio and Gerry do a lot better than the previous two with Rubio doing great.

Paul is happy talking to the guests.

The show starts and the bar closed down, which is bad for business.

Jon commends the bar staff for their performance that night.

He points out all the things that went wrong and he decides to pull the drag show.

The next day, the sign is being taken down.

Paul is not happy but Jon lets them know they should focus on the future.

They meet inside the bar.

Jon explains he wants to create an immersive show with three stages that will be three minutes long so as not to stop service.

Bartenders will also get to perform during the intervals.

Jon brings in one more expert, choreographer Dominique Kelley.

Dominique starts her training first with a group number.

Rachel introduces new cocktails inspired by the beach and Florida.

The renovation has started at the bar so Paul calls to meet with Jon to defend Brandon’s spot.

Jon decides to give him a second chance to prove himself.

After thirty-six hours the bar is renovated and the staff are gathered.

As the reveal is about to happen Paul interrupts to let Brandon go.

Brandon leaves disappointed and Jon is shocked at the display but continues with the reveal.

The bar has been renamed and is now called SBLV Ultra Lounge.

This stands for South Beach Las Vegas and is inspired by the 1950s and Florida.

The exterior is bright and eye-catching.

Inside is warmer and upscale with colours.

Paul finds it horrible and is not excited about the changes.

He leaves before Jon can explain the changes.

There are new furnishings and the old seats have been reupholstered.

The sound system has been updated.

There is a service bar area big enough to work in.

The staff all love the changes and the space.

The manager is the one who opens the bar for the relaunch.

On relaunch, the bartenders are doing well and drinks are made quickly and are well made.

The customers love it all and the shows start to the delight of the customers who keep ordering drinks.

Jon congratulates the manager on the night and leaves.

Paul never came back that night.

What Happened Next at Gipsy?

It is later revealed that Paul came back two days later and closed SBLV.

Three months later, the club is still closed and he is still in debt.

Paul moved the staff to another bar that he owned across the road.

In January 2014, Paul announced that he would be stripping out the entire interior of the club.

He planned to remodel and open as a day and ultralounge.

This was stalled when the county wanted more land for an adjacent expansion.

The land they wanted was where Paul was digging out a pool for the nightclub.

There have also been issues with contractors and various lawsuits and litigation that paused the remodel.

In 2020, the building was demolished with the plans to rebuild from scratch after the costs to remodel were found to be higher than rebuilding.

Brandon branded the episode a sham on Facebook claiming that parts were scripted and set up.

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Barlow's / Comeback Sports Bar and Grill - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Barlow's in Tucker, Georgia.

Barlow's is owned by Susan Wood.

She got the bar in the divorce from her husband.

The bar has never been successful.

She decided to open the kitchen with a local businessman John.

He was to head it as a co-owner with $30,000 of equipment.

This was the worst idea she had as he had up to one hour ticket times.

His inexperience has contributed to the failure of the bar.

Susan is also not able to handle all her staff throw at her.

There are issues with fighting and compensation fraud.

Susan has looked the other way about drinking at the bar and partying.

She is $102,000 in debt and in a bitter rivalry with John.

Jon recons the bar with expert mixologist Russell Davis and expert chef Tiffany Derry.

The exterior is not exciting and it looks like a family restaurant selling fried eggs.

Jon decides to call them on the phone to check their customer service.

No one picks up and the voicemail box is full.

Jon sends in three service professionals and locals as his spies.

They see the bar is divided into two by a glass divider.

There is both a smoking and non-smoking section.

The spies order some drinks and the bartender makes it incorrectly.

There are also served warm, foamy beer as well.

Bartender Nikky is drunk and is playing pool and dancing.

The spies order barbecue as they saw it on the website but they do not have any.

They order a burger and the cook makes the beef patty from beef in a tube.

The burger tastes horrible.

The staff have shots in front of Susan and she does not react.

Jon has seen enough and steps in to meet the owners separately.

They tell differing stories and blame each other for the faults of the bar.

Jon meets them together so they can sort it out but it dissolves in bickering.

Jon meets the staff and introduces his experts.

They point out the foamy warm beer and the duct tape on the piping.

In the kitchen they find so much wrong with it in terms of functionality and spelling.

There is water leaking from inside the walk-in, mouldy tomatoes and a mouldy wall.

The staff are sent home and Jon has professionals come in to clean the mould out of the bar.

The staff are gathered and Jon meets them.

Susan lets them all know they are just two months from closing.

According to the staff John is a bad manager and he is oblivious.

There is a Bevintel report from Jon.

Olga and Nikky gave away a lot of liquor.

The next night, they did better since they noticed Jon was tracking the liquor.

It is clear that they were doing it intentionally.

Jon also tackles Nikky who was caught stealing and is still employed.

Susan did not punish her and she is made to fire Nikky.

Russell tackles their huge menu of drinks and tests them on drinks they should know.

Jamie does poorly, not knowing most of the drinks.

Russell gives them some tips for some basic drinks.

Tiffany trains them on a kitchen line for effective cooking.

She trains them on using good meat and fresh ingredients to make a burger from scratch.

Jon meets with Susan and John to look at their financials.

It was a plug and play system with bad balance sheets.

John and Susan bicker on the financials.

They prepare for the stress test.

Jon has four stickers for anyone who makes mistakes.

Customers are let in and orders start coming in.

The bartenders and the kitchen staff make lots of mistakes.

They are quickly covered in stickers.

Susan is the one shining throughout the stress test.

She is running food, drinks, taking orders and being on top on where she is helping.

The ticket times skyrocket to almost thirty minutes.

Jamie is so flustered she walks away full of stickers to cry in the backroom.

In the kitchen John is not directing and is not vocal.

His cook is doing most of the work.

The vent hood in the kitchen was not turned on.

Smoke enters the bar and makes some people uncomfortable.

The night is a mess and the stress test is shut down.

At the feedback afterwards John is called out for the disorganised kitchen.

Jamie is called out for freezing under pressure.

Susan was commended for working hard throughout the stress test.

John is told to leave the kitchen while Q is made the kitchen manager.

Russell starts the training the next day with southern flair signature drinks.

Tiffany trains Q and a second cook on making chicken and waffles sliders and burger sliders.

Jon meets with the owners.

He tells them they will help arrange their bookkeeping and staff processes.

They decide they will sell equipment they are not using.

They will sell the smoker to help raise money for their rent.

John’s strength is business.

He is asked to be an adviser and take over the books.

The partners settle on their roles at the bar.

The bar is renovated over thirty-six hours.

The staff are gathered in the late evening to unveil their new bar.

The bar has been renamed and is now called Comeback Sports Bar and Grill.

There is a new sign with bold logos that show it is a bar.

It can clearly be seen from the street.

Inside is now cleaner and more open without the glass window.

There is a negative pressure system for the air so smokers can be in the bar.

The bar has a lit backbar, a new beer system and an Atlanta Board of sports references.

The kitchen has been fully stocked from the prep station.

There is a personalised chef’s jacket for Q.

They work quickly preparing to open.

Susan records a new message for their phone line.

On relaunch, customers are let in and they love the ambience.

Orders come in and Jamie starts flustered but gets better.

The kitchen is swamped with orders and moves too slow at first.

They work through it all, reducing the ticket times.

Susan has to keep customers distracted while the staff find their rhythm.

John is a host greeting guests.

What Happened Next at Barlow's / Comeback Sports Bar and Grill?

Three months later, it is revealed Susan runs the bar.

John handles the books, which is working for them both.

Nikky came to ask for her job back but was not rehired.

Barlow's / Comeback Sports Bar and Grill closed in October 2017.

They closed after the bar was sold.

In 2016, owner Susan Wood won a seat on the city council.

Reviews prior to the closure were mostly positive.

There was praise for the food and drinks.

The Bottleship Lounge opened in the space.

Reviews are mixed.

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Handlebar Cafe / Handlebar and Grill - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Handlebar Cafe in Pawcatuck, Connecticut.

Handlebar Cafe is a biker hangout that was bought by bartender Betsy in 2001.

She has a big personality that made her popular.

That helped her have early success in the bar ownership business.

Betsy hired her sister, Stephanie and son, Dean to help out at the bar.

Her son was happy to have a legacy in the family.

Stephanie fed into Betsy’s need to be the centre of attention.

They frequently go on stage and get into horse play that has been physical at the bar.

The management is suffering from their lack of attention and the kitchen is unused.

Their antics are now driving people away.

Betsy has ignored all the requests from her customers for food service.

With no bar food on offer patrons were forced to go elsewhere and trade has declined.

Betsy is attached to the bar’s outdated and tacky decor and refuses to change it.

She is losing $4000 a month, she has checked out and is 3 months away from closing the bar.

The bar is located on an ideal spot on a busy main road.

The town has a number of motorcycle clubs and sellers but rarely draws in local trade.

Jon recons the bar with chef Brian Duffy and mixologist Russell Davis.

They see the exterior and it looks like a store front with no lights.

There is nothing to attract bikers or cars passing by on the main road.

He fills his experts in on the owners and they see Betsy is drunk already.

Bartender JP and is lifting weights behind the bar while Stephanie is drunk on a pool table.

The carpet is leopard print and the place is empty on a Saturday night.

Jon has arranged 60 bikers to roll in and pack the bar.

Betsy is shocked at the influx and seems inconvenienced.

The bartender is overpouring drinks.

Stephanie starts acting drunk behind the bar and talks with the customers.

She tells them there is no food and offers some old peanut as snacks instead.

Betsy pulls her away as she is too drunk to work.

Betsy is rude to the bikers.

Stephanie gives a group of bikers the finger when they ask for a food menu.

The kitchen is shutdown and looks like it has not been cleaned in months.

The bar staff find cheese puffs and everyone at the bar has to share it.

Betsy and Stephanie get into a squabble behind the bar.

The bikers are offended by the display.

Jon has seen enough and his experts go in strong and confront them with all their issues.

They look around first and Betsy says that she is not drunk enough.

She has lots of excuses for any question asked of her.

Jon has a conversation with drunk Stephanie.

She says she knows her sister is in the hole but does not care.

They see how bad the kitchen is, it is greasy everywhere and is a fire hazard.

Stephanie is given a breathalyser and she is more than double the limit.

They try to remove Betsy from working behind the bar.

Stephanie gets aggressive behind the bar swearing and cursing at Jon and Betsy.

Betsy is charged with getting herself, her sister and her business under control.

The next day, Betsy and Stephanie are sober and eager to apologise to Jon.

They have deep cleaned the bar before he came in.

Jon arrives and they have a staff meeting where Jon tells Stephanie off.

Betsy believes she has to be over the top to get customers but she admits it is not working.

Jon says they need a food program and Stephanie volunteers to undergo the training.

Jon talks with Betsy separately.

She breaks down that she is holding on to pain from the death of her husband.

Stephanie has felt loss also so they have been feeding off each other’s grief.

Jon plans on getting a counsellor in to talk to them and help with their issues.

Brian trains Stephanie on some simple hotdogs and hamburgers.

She feels faint in the middle of the training and leaves to throw up.

Artie is called to replace her in the kitchen and excels at the training.

Russell trains the bar staff on hospitality and teaches them pour counts for making some cocktails.

They struggle to learn as much they can ready for the stress test.

It is soon time for the stress test and the cocktails come out bad and are dumped into a bucket.

Multiple drinks are dumped and almost no one is served.

The workstation is located in one corner.

The other side of the bar is being ignored entirely.

Stephanie is just cooking without looking at her tickets.

Several people have to wait over 20 mins and their food comes incomplete.

Stephanie soon has an extremely smoky kitchen as the equipment cannot handle it all.

Dean is just a helper and could barely do much at the bar, serving or cooking.

Soon the bucket is full and they have wasted more than 6 litres of drinks.

They shutdown as they have lost more drinks than they have sold.

They commend Stephanie for her efforts during the service and they close for the night.

The next day, Betsy and Stephanie see a counsellor.

They are both in denial not wanting to acknowledge the death.

They resolve to focus on moving forward.

Jon shows them a brand-new char griller and greaseless fryer the next day.

Brian is happy to train them on different hotdog recipes and fries.

Russell trains the staff on some simple drinks with tequila and whiskey bases.

Dean is nervous but practices the drinks and he does better.

The bar is renovated and the staff are brought back at night to reveal their new bar.

There is a slight change to the name as they will now be called Handlebar and Grill

With bigger and bolder signs, there is now a giant handlebar on top of the building.

They have also added a big mural and a display side for custom bikes.

Inside the bar, the interior has been made edgier with actual bikes behind the bar.

There are no more leopard print carpets.

The liquors are on display and are the centre of attention so they sell more of them.

There is a new workstation to make a total of two to be able to attend to a busy bar.

They are happy at the changes and they open for the relaunch.

On relaunch night, the customers love the new atmosphere.

The drinks and the food orders come in.

They start slow but find their rhythm both at the bar and in the kitchen.

What Happened Next at Handlebar Cafe?

Six weeks later, the sisters are drinking during service.

The old decor has been returned including the old carpet.

They are no longer servifng the new drinks.

They returned to the previous name of the bar Handlebr Cafe.

Later, they revealed that sales increased 30%.

The town of Stonington issued cease and desist orders for some of the changes.

The mural on the side of the bar and the pair of handlebars above the front entrance were removed as a result.

Handlebar Cafe is open.

Reviews are mostly positive.

The bar is described as fun with praise for the bartenders.

It appears they no longer serve food as no reviews mention food.

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Cashmere / Duel Ultra Nightclub - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Cashmere in Raleigh, Carolina.

Cashmere is owned by Brandon, a landscaping business owner.

He opened the martini nightclub in 2009.

It was initially a success and making $60,000 a month.

That was until more competition came to the area.

James was hired to bring new energy to the bar and bring in new customers.

He instead focussed on his DJ career, hyping himself while chasing customers away and partying with his friends at the club.

Brandon is $250,000 in debt and could lose both his businesses if the bar fails.

Jon recons the bar with expert mixologist Joe Brooke and service expert Jessie Barnes.

They see other clubs in the area have a lot of traffic but theirs is dead.

The club is in an office building so the exterior is bland and uninviting.

Spies are sent in and they find a booth to sit in but it is dirty.

James the manager is sitting on the bar and giving out drinks to his friends on his tab.

The spies order drinks and the server hands them a towel when asked for one, instead of wiping the booth down herself.

Bartender Chelsie stands around not making drinks and then does her makeup in a closed kitchen.

James takes the stage to DJ and he is booed.

Jon goes in to confront Brandon and James.

Jon tells James he chased his spies away with his DJing.

Brandon defends James as he is his friend.

James says he can change but Jon is not buying it.

It is revealed that they made $640 in sales and James comped $150 for his friends.

Jon leaves and James starts screaming and crying.

Jon comes in the next morning with his experts including expert chef Nick Liberato.

They inspect their respective areas.

Joe sees dust bunnies over the bar, mildew and cloudy drinks/

Jessie sees the dirty furnishings with dust in the display window.

Nick finds cockroaches in the kitchen.

Brandon brings in their old cook to be trained for the stress test.

Jon shows footage of James passed out on the couch from the night before until that morning.

James blames his personal life for his behaviour.

Jon sees scotch tape on some bottles and can tell they are refilling liquor bottles.

They are putting cheaper drinks in expensive bottles which is illegal.

James knows about it and does it for business reasons.

Not a single member of staff thinks he is a good manager.

Brandon is left to speak to James and he makes a promise to change for the umpteenth time.

Brandon says he is ready to hire someone else if he messes up.

Joe calls the staff behind the bar to make a simple martini and they make many mistakes.

He then trains them on making it correctly.

Nick has created a simple menu of olives, cheese and bruschetta.

The serving staff are told to demonstrate their service while Jessie corrects them as training.

The stress test is upon them and Jon notices there are still taped bottles.

They are made to clear the bar of them and smash the bottles.

Customers are let in and Joe has an airhorn for the bartenders and every time they pass forty five seconds, he sets it off.

Chelsie does poorly at the bar while Leda, a server, is doing poor in service as well.

Food is arriving before drinks and drinks are taking almost forty five minutes on the tables.

James tries to help but ends up getting in the way and twenty people walk out because they were not served.

James is careless and is disruptive in the kitchen and out of it.

All of the staff have complaints about James.

The bar is shut down.

The experts complain about the staff.

Brandon has decisions to make on Leda, Chelsie and James.

The place is cleaned and the following day Leda and James are nowhere to be found.

Jon comes in and presses Brandon to make a decision and James is let go.

Bartender Rocky is considered for manager.

Chelsie shows promise while Leda has been let go as well.

Joe trains the bar staff on simple four ingredient drinks that will be fast to make.

The kitchen has new equipment including a panini press, a food processor and a convection oven for their new menu.

Nick is confident in their cook.

The bar is renovated over thirty six hours and the staff are gathered at night to unveil the bar.

The bar has been renamed and is now called Duel Ultra nightclub.

Only the interior has been changed and the entrance has a colourful sign that is bright.

Inside the bar is swanky with nightclub lights that can be seen through the windows in the streets.

There are two DJ booths, new furnishings and artwork on the walls.

They have unbreakable glassware from Thunder group.

Jon has two popular DJs come perform and the customers are let in for the relaunch.

On relaunch, the staff are on it with the drinks, service and the food.

Chelsie was nervous but gets over it and improves.

Heather spilled some drinks but bounced back, delivering good service.

The dancefloor was packed until two people started removing their clothes making everyone uncomfortable.

Brandon steps in to stop it.

The experts are all complementary of staff.

What Happened Next at Cashmere / Duel Ultra Nightclub?

One month later, the staff are happy James is gone.

Bar sales are up 20%.

Customers have started coming back.

Their unique selling point is helping a lot.

James has not been back.

Cashmere / Duel Ultra nightclub closed in May 2014 after the building was sold.

James wasn't a fan of the makeover and said the concept was terrible.

He also claimed a lot of the events on the episode were staged.

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Sand Dollar / Bar 702 - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Sand Dollar in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Sand Dollar opened in 1976 as a blues and betting bar.

The bar was popular in the 1970s.

This was due to live performances by the likes of Eric Clapton and BB King.

In 2006, Blues music was no longer popular and the bar closed.

It remained closed until Lisa Guerena borrowed money from friend Dr Paul Wilkes.

She bought the bar in 2012.

They had a previous relationship but now they are business partners and joint owners.

They host live Blues shows but it only attracts the older crowd.

Lisa is in debt and only makes money in the bar by working behind the bar.

The staff feel that she is neglecting managing the bar.

They also think that she fails to see Paul driving away female customers.

Jon recons the bar with expert mixologist Jen J and professional gamer Anthony Curtis.

Outside the bar they cannot tell if it is a bar or its famous background.

Jon breaks down the history of the bar.

He has his wife spy on the bar and its services along with her friend.

They think that the bar is run down, disgusting and old.

The bar is empty and no one is listening to the blues band playing.

Paul is playing pool.

Only 2 of the 14 slot machines are being played.

This is a missed revenue opportunity for the bar.

Nicole and her friend order a screwdriver and a lemon drop.

The bartender proceeds to make their drinks in a plastic cup.

They lazily serve a cranberry and vodka instead of a screwdriver.

The alcohol in both drinks is too strong.

Paul notices Nicole when she complains about her drink.

Nicole asks to order some food and is told that they don't serve food at the bar.

Paul encourages Nicole to order something else and give them a second chance.

She orders a Sex on the Beach cocktail.

He makes an inappropriate comments asking for some bags of sand.

He then tells her that he has no filter.

Paul next asks Erica if she has kids and if not does she want one.

Paul proceeds to hit on Jon Taffer’s wife and her friend.

It gets offensive very quickly.

He starts making comments on private parts.

He suggests one of them relieving him with their hands.

Paul puts his hands on Jon’s wife to see her arm.

He also makes comments about her private parts.

Unsurprisingly Jon loses it and storms into the bar to confront him.

He calls out Paul for being disrespectful.

Jon leaves with his wife saying he is not interested in rescuing the bar.

Jon decides to meet with Paul and Lisa the next day.

Paul apologises to Nicole for his behaviour the previous evening.

He goes on to describe his connections to Lisa.

Paul explains why he wants her and the bar to succeed and Jon is touched by this.

Jon meets with the staff just afterwards.

They are called out on not knowing how to make basic drinks.

Lisa is called out for spending too much time working rather than managing the bar.

They are unhappy when she argues that her staff do not care about the business.

The staff start exchanging words.

Jon leaves them to talk between themselves.

Lisa speaks to them and they believe she does not trust them to do their job.

She does not agree with this and gets defensive at their comments.

They later go back to Jon and say all is well.

Jon introduces his experts to the staff and owners.

They inspect the bar and give feedback on the lack of gaming machines.

Jon points out the bar has fluorescent lighting and that it is bad for bars.

They inspect the bar area and find bar rot.

There are layers of dirt, unidentified splatters and a live cockroach is found.

Lisa admits that roaches are found from time to time at the bar.

Jenny tests the bar staff on basic drinks and no one knows what is in them.

Jenny trains them on making a lemon drop.

Afterwards, they fumble through recreating the drink.

She tasks them to memorize the drinks and have a system of storing drinks.

Anthony teaches the owners on ensuring players keep playing.

He explains the connection to selling drinks and the games.

For the stress test Lisa is not allowed behind the bar but asked to manage the bar instead.

A blues band has been invited to play that night.

The stress test starts and the bar is packed/

Lisa has a cow bell in the bar.

She hits it every time service is bad and drinks are made incorrectly.

Soon she becomes tired of ringing it.

So many things go wrong with service and the drink making.

Paulie makes too many mistakes behind the bar.

He is removed and made to help as a server and help run food.

Lisa notices her bartenders are struggling.

She gets behind the bar once again and misses managing the game table.

The gamers complain of the games being hard to win and start leaving.

The blues band takes the stage and the customers are not impressed with the music.

The stress test ends horribly.

Jon tells them Blues is not something that works for them.

The next morning, the Sand Dollar sign is taken down.

Lisa is emotional about it.

Anthony recommends they pay out more on the machines so more customers win.

The more that they win the more that they spend at the bar.

Jon points out the lack of a food menu is also a problem.

The staff are trained again on cocktails that are served in beer mugs.

The mugs will be their unique selling point.

The staff continue practicing.

Paulie improves greatly, impressing Jen.

The bar is renovated for over a day and in the night a brand-new bar is revealed.

The bar will now be called Bar 702, which is inspired by the area code of Las Vegas.

The exterior is bolder and eye-catching.

Inside is fun and colourful with an upscale look.

There is a suspect line up wall photobooth for novelty mug shots.

There is a tribute wall for the Sand Dollar showcasing Vegas History.

The place was professionally cleaned as it was so filthy.

A window has been added between their bar and the restaurant next door to deliver food to their customers.

Orders can be placed through phones or tablets.

Thundergroup provided the new hard plastic drinkware that look like glasses.

They have a glass washing system and a local band has been booked to play that night.

The set up and open the bar to customers for the relaunch night.

On relaunch night, the patrons love the new space.

They also love the photobooth, the new cocktails and the food window.

Paulie is doing great.

A gamer came back and he is happy with the change in pay outs.

Lisa jumps behind the bar to help and Jon is disappointed.

She decides to swap a server and a bartender so they can meet up with the crowd.

The band performs and it is not a blues band.

The young clientele are responding positively to the new music.

Jon takes a mugshot before leaving.

What Happened Next at Sand Dollar / Bar 702?

Six weeks later, it is revealed that there a lot of local traffic.

Lots of bands want to play at the venue.

Spending on the video poker machines increased by 33%.

They are seeing a profit.

Bar 702 was sold to a new owner in May 2014.

Brooke Alexander bought the bar.

He owned a string of successful bars in Chicago and had always wanted to open in Vegas.

In November 2019, The Sand Dollar was renamed to The Miracle on Spring Mountain.

It had a holiday theme with holiday cocktails.

Paul Wilkes filed a lawsuit against the show.

He claimed Jon had attacked him, throwing a drink in his face and punching him.

The case was settled in arbitration.

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Previous episode - Stand Up Scottsdale

Next episode - Cashmere / Duel Ultra Nightclub

Stand Up Scottsdale / The Laugh Factory Scotsdale - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Standup Scottsdale Comedy Club in Scotsdale, Arizona.

Standup Scottsdale is owned by Howard Hughes.

He has a background in comedy and opened the club after a divorce.

He teamed up with Nathan, an investment banker to open the club.

Nathan put up $180,000 and Howard was the manager.

They lost $19,000 in the first month after opening.

Howard focused on performing every night.

He left staff without a leader and as a result the business is falling apart.

Now the club has a bad reputation with both customers and comedians.

It is known for poorly run shows and bad service.

They have lost $50,000.

Jon recons the bar with expert mixologist Franky Marshall and career comedian Gianluca Rizza.

They see the exterior of the bar.

There is no marquee to show who is performing that night.

Jon lets his companions know about the ownership and dynamics of the club.

Franky is asked to go in and find out what was going on.

The bartender is talking to people.

He ignores Franky who tries to get his attention for about ten minutes.

Franky gives up on getting a drink.

She is taken to sit in the VIP area.

A server finally gets a drink for her.

Howard gets on stage to perform.

He makes so many awkward jokes including about wasting Nathan’s money.

Twenty minutes in, other comedians get on stage.

Franky still has not got her drink.

They grill food by the front bar and it all gets smoky in the club.

Franky gets her drink and it is bad.

Jon calls Franky on the phone.

No one stopped her from picking up during the show.

Jon goes in to confront Howard.

He has excuses for everything that is wrong, including the smoky room.

Jon checks behind the bar and sees that it is messy and dirty.

Jon hits him with some honesty and he is humbled.

Jon asks to see some paperwork.

The office is a disorganised mess with unopened bills.

The next morning, Jon comes back and meets Nathan and all of the staff.

The staff say the club is not being run well.

They point out some obvious things Jon noticed the day before.

The staff had told Howard about these issues previously.

Howard says he is more concerned about being the face of the business.

Jon points out Nathan is writing checks.

Howard has no skin in the game so behaves inappropriately.

Jon introduces his experts to the staff and they begin training.

Franky trains them on making cocktails quickly and quietly.

She wants the focus to be on the stage.

They should make more of the stirred drinks.

She uses a decibel meter to make sure they keep the noise down.

Gianluca asks Howard and the staff to treat him like a guest.

He points this out and corrects the service.

They soon get into an argument about what comedy is about.

There is a two-drink minimum.

Gianluca corrects them saying they should have a two-item minimum.

When they order food, they will likely order more drinks.

Jon has created a quick and easy basket food menu for the stress test.

They open for the stress test.

It is thirty minutes before the show.

The plan is to have drinks with the customers before the show starts.

The bartenders make mistakes and make one drink at a time.

They fail at the first goal of serving everyone before the show.

Jon has comedians come to perform.

The green room is not hospitable with an odd smell.

Soon customers are seated for the show but the front seats are left empty.

Howard does not take responsibility for the mistake.

The kitchen is having some problems as they have twenty tickets waiting.

Customers are seated, the show is twenty minutes late.

The customers mostly do not have food and drinks.

The show starts and there is a heckler in the audience.

Howard does not take care of it and bar staff can be heard chatting over the show.

A mic blows in the middle of the set and customers start walking out.

Jon and Nathan point out all that went wrong.

Howard is still in denial and goes into his office to hide.

The night is allowed to end even though the test was a failure.

The next day, Jon introduces Owen Benjamin.

He is a well known Comedian and is to give some perspective.

They inspect the green room.

He sees it is too small as it is supposed to be for family as well.

The booth is too strip club-like.

The stage decor is not nice and there is dead space.

Franky trains them on making sophisticated cocktails.

Jon decides to get Shannon, Howard’s sister and Nathan to talk to Howard.

They talk about how he has been operating.

They manage to get through to him.

Jon sends Howard and Nathan to Hollywood’s Laugh Factory.

Jamie the owner is willing to help and they strike a deal.

Thirty six hours later, the club has been renovated.

The staff are gathered at night to unveil it.

The bar has been renamed.

It is now called The Laugh Factory, Scotsdale.

There is a marquee that is visible from afar.

The franchise brand will be beneficial for them.

The interior has been modernised and made classier.

The kitchen area has been walled off with fryers, a prep table and a refrigerator.

The show room is warmer and the green room is bigger.

There is red carpet leading to the stage.

The stage has been redesigned for more room and seating is closer.

The bar has a new POS system and a lit backbar.

Owen Benjamin will be performing for the relaunch.

They spend time setting up before letting customers in.

On relaunch, the bartenders start very well.

They are working fast to get drinks in everyone’s hands before the show.

They make quality drinks and the customers are taken into the showroom and seated up front.

As the food and drinks came out early, they can sell more during the show.

Owen loves the green room and he comes out to perform to the applause of customers.

What Happened Next at Stand Up Scottsdale?

Six weeks later, Howard and Nathan are still in negotiations with Laugh Factory to retain their brand.

Howard is now an attentive manager.

He still performs his comedy but only on open mic nights.

Owner Howard undid a number of the changes made.

These include those to the green room.

They lost seats in the club during the change.

They also reverted to their previous name.

The club is no longer part of the Laugh Factory brand.

Bar Rescue had to return to repaint the exterior.

This was due to breaching local policy with the colour.

In a Back to the Bar episode things got heated between Howard and Jon.

Stand Up Scottsdale moved locations in 2016.

Stand Up Scottsdale closed in April 2017.

They had plans to reopen in 2018, however this didn't happen.

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Previous episode - Kid Chilleen's

Next episode - Sand Dollar / Bar 702

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Kid Chilleen's / Chilleen’s on 17 - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Kid Chilleen’s in Black Canyon City, Arizona.

Kid Chilleen’s is owned by husband and wife Scott Chilleen and Donna Chilleen.

They took it over from their family of restauranteurs in 2003.

After a successful four years, Scott and Donna got complacent.

They went off celebrating while leaving their daughter to run things.

They both drink and party at the bar and it is impacting their business.

They are $180,000 in debt.

Jon recons the bar with expert mixologist Russell Davis.

They have some trouble finding the bar.

When they do the exterior looks abandoned, dark and dangerous.

Jon shows Russell the footage of the bar as they rev a motorcycle inside the bar.

They watch the owners drink at the bar while they send a spy in.

The owners give out shots and the spy is not comfortable with the party atmosphere.

She orders a barbecue chicken dish and some staff join the owners in drinking.

In the kitchen they douse the chicken in barbecue sauce.

It is just barbecue flavour and not real barbecue.

The spy hates the taste and could tell it was all sauce.

Donna decides to give the spy some shots to compensate for the bad food.

Out of nowhere a horse is brought into the bar and falls, poops on the floor and is taken out.

Jon meets the owners and they are drunk.

Their daughter Aleah is asked to explain their situation but they try to talk over her.

Donna and Scott are in trouble with a bank.

They are mostly incoherent, not letting Jon get a word in.

Aleah explains they defaulted on their property tax so the bank can take their business.

They have also filed for bankruptcy.

Jon tells them not to take another drink or he will not rescue them.

The next day, Jon has a meeting with the staff.

Donna has no recollection of their meeting the night before.

They notice that bartender Yumyum is not at work.

Jon introduces his experts including Barbecue expert JB Brown.

They inspect the bar and see a dirty and grimy ice-bin.

The staff are made to clean the bar while JB trains the kitchen staff on making real barbecue.

Russell trains the bar staff on using jiggers and making a basic whiskey sour.

Jon teaches them on using a better menu that is less busy.

Jon gets a promise from the owners not to drink and he breathalyses them on the spot.

They are both zero.

Just before the stress test Yumyum appears joining them without training.

Russell takes five minutes to run her through training.

Donna is the host, Scott is running operations and Aleah is the head bartender.

The customers are let in and the bar is swamped.

Yumyum is immediately confused by a whiskey sour order.

Russell has to walk her through on the job.

The kitchen is also buried in orders.

They are trying their best to meet up sending drinks out.

After Yumyum is corrected while making a drink and seeing all the customers she walks out and quits.

The food is sent back with complaints of poor seasoning and incorrect portions.

Some food is raw in the middle and they run out of wings after just thirty orders.

Scott has the shakes at the bar.

Donna is tempted when customers call for her to take shots with them.

She resists and walks away.

After the kitchen is shut down they have to shut the bar down as well.

Jon commends Donna and delivers the news of Yumyum to the staff.

The next day, the owners are breathalysed before training starts.

Jon gives them an early gift of a smoker so they can make perfectly smoked barbecue.

JB trains them on using the machine to smoke barbecue.

The menu has also been simplified to brisket, chicken wings and St Louis style ribs.

Russell trains the bar staff on a moonshine cocktail and a mocktail for the non-drinkers.

Jon also takes Scott and Donna to an addiction counsellor for their drinking problem.

After thirty six hours of renovations Jon has gathered the staff at night to unveil the new bar.

The bar has been renamed and is now called Chilleen’s on 17.

It is named after the highway passing by.

The sign is facing both directions and bright so people can find it.

The exterior has been brightened up so its eye-catching.

Inside is warm and upscale for a saloon with lots of wood and cow hide.

Behind the bar there are cowboy quotes on the wall and a potbelly stove in the corner.

There is moonshine pour assistant and a clean modern menu.

The staff quickly set up for the relaunch.

Scott and Donna let the customers in.

On relaunch, the bar is instantly busy and the bartenders get flustered.

They start by making mistakes but soon find their rhythm.

The kitchen is also slammed with tickets.

The staff are doing their best with two minute ticket times.

The customers love the food coming out hot, fresh from the oven.

What Happened Next at Kid Chilleen's?

Two months later, it is revealed sales have increased by more than 30%.

Their bankruptcy decision was still pending.

No more horses or motorcycles had been to the bar.

Kid Chilleen's / Chilleen’s on 17 is open.

They got themselves out of bankruptcy.

Sales had further increased to 43%.

Reviews are positive with compliments about the food, friendly staff and location.

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Previous episode - Dimples

Next episode - Stand Up Scottsdale

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Dimples - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Dimples in Burbanks, California.

Dimples is owned by Sal Ferraro.

He opened up the Hollywood themed karaoke bar in 1982.

It was the first Karaoke bar in America.

He was a success and an icon with celebrities visiting the bar.

Sal collects Hollywood memorabilia and they have taken over the bar, cutting capacity to less than half.

Repairs have been neglected and the karaoke equipment which has not been updated since they opened.

Sal is also inappropriate with women in his bar and is in $250,000 debt.

The bar is also not attracting younger customers.

Jon recons the bar with expert mixologist Joe Brooke and expert chef Brian Duffy.

They see the exterior does not say karaoke anywhere on it.

Lots of signs have been layered on over the years confusing the concepts.

They meet Sal and his employees and they are all old from the cook to the DJ.

The head bartender has been there ten years.

The youngest employee is the cocktail waitress, who has been there two years.

They see the clutter around the bar and are in awe.

There is video footage of customers giving feedback on the bar.

They say there is a lot of female objectification from Sal.

The clientele is too old and the sound system is too old.

Jon has four entertainment professionals go in as his spies.

They get in and notice no one is singing and they pretend it is one of their birthdays.

The drinks they are served are too sweet and strong.

They order some food and the orders are taken by hand as there is no POS system.

The cook is cooking freezer burned meats while cross contaminating his kitchen.

The burger is cooked for over fifteen minutes on one side and served overdone.

Sal then decides to perform for the birthday table.

He says suggestive comments to the spies while also encouraging her to do suggestive things.

She is traumatised by it and they all leave quickly.

Jon and his experts enter and meet Sal.

Jon is gentle with him, promising him he will respect the bar while updating it.

They go to the kitchen to meet Roberto the cook and call him out on his bad cooking techniques.

Roberto is defensive until Jon brings a device to calculate the bacteria on frequently touched surfaces.

The count is high so the kitchen is heavily contaminated.

They are told to clean the kitchen that night.

The next morning, Roberto has deep cleaned the kitchen.

The bacteria test is re-done and is showing zero counts.

Roberto also apologises to Jon for his behaviour the night before.

They have a staff meeting and Jon says all the collected items will get to be displayed properly.

The maltreatment of girls is brought up and Sal is educated on how offensive it is.

Jon introduces his experts including Karaoke expert Fred Medrano.

Brian begins training Roberto on how to make a burger properly with tips for cooking quickly.

Joe trains the staff on classic Hollywood cocktails that can be made quickly.

He tasks them to compete to make multiple drinks in under two minutes and for every mistake he honks a horn.

Fred checks out the Karaoke machine and the sound quality is horrible with static.

They get ready for the stress test and Sal lets in the industry professionals Jon has invited.

The bartenders start well making multiple drinks but spill a lot and Joe has to honk his horn.

In the kitchen Roberto is slow and confused and keeping customers waiting.

He is overcome by the pressure and collapses.

An ambulance is called leaving Brian to cook alone for the rest of the night.

The Karaoke starts and it is too low at first and there is feedback, making the singers uncomfortable.

Sal was the karaoke host but he was boring and also still being derogatory towards women.

The night ends and the staff are told Roberto is sick and may not continue with the process.

Fred tells them that the Karaoke is very bad and Sal is the biggest problem.

The next day, Jon has all of Sal’s memorabilia wrapped and on the streets.

Sal is not happy seeing it when he arrives.

Jon tells him the amount of space he can free up and make money from.

He also has news on Roberto needing rest so he has hired a line cook to train with them.

Seeing the inside, Sal is unhappy seeing the space stripped of the memorabilia.

Jon informs Elle that she will train with Fred on Karaoke as she will be the new hostess.

She is young and can get the younger crowd energized.

Joe trains the staff on making some new cocktails.

The new line cook is trained on making a new signature burger by Brian.

Fred trains Elle on how to host a karaoke evening.

Jon has to use sixty hours to renovate the bar so they can cover all they want to do for Sal.

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

The old signs have been taken down and now the name is central.

The Hollywood sign has been moved to the side.

Sal loves how it looks.

Inside the space has been cleaned up and is warmer.

The tables have been redone and the memorabilia is behind showcase glass.

The DJ booth has been turned around to face the audience and the stage has been extended.

There is now a changing room for people who want to perform in costume.

There is a new sound system and a Touch Tunes Jukebox so people can order their music on their phones.

There is a 2touch POS system, two workstations and a beer cooler.

Sal is appreciative of all of the changes.

Jon has a red carpet set up outside for the grand reopening.

The Mayor of Burbank gives Sal a certificate for the longevity of the business.

On relaunch, customers are let in and they are in love with the ambience.

The bar is doing great and the food and drinks going out are great.

The karaoke set up is also great with Elle being an excellent host.

What Happened Next at Dimples?

Six weeks later, it is revealed that Sal is slowly redisplaying his memorabilia.

Sales have increased by 30%.

Roberto recovered and went back to work in the kitchen.

Business improved and Sal was able to clear his debt.

Dimples closed in January 2015.

They closed after the city council approved a new development where it was located.

They were looking for another location but do not appear to have found one.

Reviews prior to the closure suggest that Sal was still making inappropriate comments.

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Previous episode - Lona's Wardlow Station / Lona’s City Limit Cantina

Next episode - Kid Chilleen's / Chilleen’s on 17

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Lona's Wardlow Station / Lona’s City Limits Cantina - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Lona’s Wardlow Station in Long Beach, California.

Lona’s Wardlow Station is owned by Lona Lee.

She is a career bartender who bought Wardlow Station in 1989.

Wardlow Station is a local blue-collar bar.

Lona figured that since she can work 80-hours a week for two people, she could work the same hours for herself.

With no previous ownership experience, Lona hired a staff of friends and regulars.

In the beginning, Lona’s flourished.

Lona said she was able to pay off her $160,000 loan in the first three years.

Lona’s lack of experience quickly caught up to her.

She allowed the bartenders to do the bare minimum.

As a last resort to try to bring in money, Lona brought in a lobster arcade game.

Lona has invested $250,000 into this bar and only has 60 days left until she has to close for good.

Lona makes a call for help to Bar Rescue.

Long Beach, California is just 20 miles south of downtown Los Angeles.

Long beach is ranked 19th out of the top 101 cities with the most industrial jobs in the country.

For the kitchen, Jon has brought in executive chef Jason Febres.

Jason specializes in simple, healthy cuisine.

For the bar, Jon has brought in mixologist of the year Russel Davis.

Jon has Russel do the recon tonight.

Lona’s Wardlow Station is a 3,000-square-foot space that has two serving wells, 25 beers on tap and a billiard room.

Russell says you can tell that this bar hasn’t had new customers in a long time.

The bar is very unsteady.

Russell orders a draft beer, but it’s warm so he orders a margarita.

He says that they didn’t make it right and it tastes bad.

Russell tries to get a lobster out of the claw machine.

The cook drops the lobster into water that isn’t boiling yet.

Jon says that this won’t be cooked properly and it will be riddled with bacteria.

Jon decides that now is time to walk into the bar.

Lona says that she didn’t know what to expect when Jon walked in.

The lobster wasn’t white, which means it isn’t cooked all the way through.

Jon has Russell go behind the bar to check things out and same for Jason in the kitchen.

Jon meets with Lona to get more information about the bar.

Jon and Lona discuss how the lobster claw machine isn’t healthy for the lobsters and isn’t making them money.

Jon says that California is one of the biggest states for animal cruelty advocates.

Jon meets with the staff.

He wants Lona to tell her staff that things need to change right now.

Lona tells them she is disappointed but know that it can be fixed.

Jon tells them to clean the bar tonight and get rid of the lobster tank.

The staff spends all night cleaning the bar and Lona makes a call to get rid of the lobster tank.

Jon tells Lona that he’s proud of her for getting rid of the lobster tank.

Jon had his team fix the bar enough to last a few more days before he starts the remodel.

Manager Bill left the bar last night and did not help to clean the bar.

Jon makes Bill apologize for leaving the bar early but he hesitates before doing so.

Jon shows the staff how on Sunday, they gave away $600 of liquor.

Jon says they gave away more than they sold.

He says this isn’t possible without someone taking home the liquor.

Jon asks who worked on Sunday.

Lona says she thinks it’s just overpouring.

Bill was the one working that night so he must’ve been the one who stole this money from the bar.

Jon brings in his experts.

Russell shows them how to properly make a margarita.

Jason shows the cooks how to properly make enchiladas.

He uses fresher ingredients instead of using canned beef.

Jon says for stress test, he wants to see Lona delegate.

He wants to see Bill be a manager and Ally cook food properly.

Lona’s opens up for the stress test.

Bartender Coach is pouring beers to keep away from making drinks.

Bill is not being a good manager as he’s not stepping up.

Jon benches Coach due to his performance.

Bartender Mikey is much faster and Jon says that he is more confident than anyone in the building.

Ally is overwhelmed with the number of orders in the kitchen.

Jason says that Ally and Lona need to communicate better.

The wait time for food is incredibly long.

Ally thinks she needs more help in the kitchen.

Jason says that Ally doesn’t have any guidance and that it seems as if Lona doesn’t care.

Glass breaks into the ice bin.

Jon says that in that moment Bill was a complete idiot.

Jon tells them to shut down for the night and he has a meeting with the staff.

Jon fires Bill and says he’d rather put his time into the other staff members.

Jon meets with his experts to discuss the new concept.

Jon says that Mikey shows a lot of ambition and passion.

Jon makes Mikey the new manager.

Russell shows the staff new drinks that will be added to the menu including the Derrick.

Jason goes over new recipes with Ally and a new part-time hire.

Lona says she’s proud of all her staff and she’s excited for the outcome.

Jon, Lona, and a local sculptor go over the new concept.

Jon begins construction on the bar.

The next evening, Jon meets with the staff to show them their new bar.

Lona’s has been renamed and is now called Lona’s City Limit Cantina.

Jon takes the staff inside the bar and they thinks the bar looks gorgeous.

Jon installed a new draft beer system and an Inteletap System.

The staff are so excited to open up for the night.

On relaunch, customers are very happy with their food and drinks.

However, the kitchen is a little behind on orders and there is a small wait for food.

What Happened Next at Lona's Wardlow Station / Lona’s City Limit Cantina?

Three months after relaunch, food sales are up by 25%.

Bar sales are up by 35%.

Mikey says he’s glad the lobster tank is gone.

Lona's Wardlow Station / Lona’s City Limits Cantina is open.

Reviews are positive with praise for the food and service.

Their liquor license was suspended for 30 days in March 2021.

It was suspended after a shooting at the bar and numerous police visits.

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Previous episode - The Kasbah

Next episode - Dimples

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The Kasbah - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits The Kasbah in Denver, Colorado.

The Kasbah is owned by Shelton Bauknight.

He invested his 401(k) to open up the first old-school dance club in the area in 1997.

The Kasbah was an overnight success.

For the first couple years, Shelton says they were averaging around $85,000 a month in sales.

They were making over $800,000 a year.

Over time, the older clientele stopped coming to the club due to their age.

To make up for the loss of original clientele, Shelton tried to target this bar towards a younger crowd.

The younger customers brought more problems than successes.

There had been many fights, some of which had the cops get involved.

Shelton lets his staff run amok.

Workers began slacking off because they feel like they can get away with it.

Shelton is now $130,000 in debt.

Shelton thinks that there is hope but if he doesn’t get the help then he won’t make it.

Out of money and overrun by a dangerous crowd, Shelton makes a call for help to Bar Rescue.

Nine miles east of downtown Denver sits its largest suburb, Aurora, Colorado.

Aurora has a population of 330,000 and a median age of 33.

This area is filled with single adults.

For the kitchen, Jon has brought in expert chef Aaron McCargo.

For the bar, Jon brings in expert mixologist Elayne Duff.

Jon goes online to see how previous customers feel about coming to this bar.

Jon brings in locals for tonight’s recon.

The Kasbah is a 5,8000-square-foot nightclub with a dance floor and a stage.

This bar has a horseshoe bar with three speed wells and four beers on tap.

The recon team pays to get into the nightclub.

The sound system sucks and there is no club atmosphere.

There is too much alcohol in the drinks.

There are waitresses who are just standing there, making the customers have to get their own food.

Shelton is nowhere to be found.

There is a creepy guy hitting on the recon team and he won’t leave when they tell him to.

Security won’t do anything about the issues and a fight is about to break out.

Jon decides that now is the right time to walk into the bar.

Jon talks to Shelton about how the bar got to be this bad.

Shelton is losing around $8,000 a month.

He’s not surprised by how his staff aren’t working well.

Jon threatens the security guard’s job for not protecting the girl.

They go into the kitchen to see how gross it is back there.

Jon tells the cook that he needs to clean the kitchen like how it should’ve been in the first place.

Shelton admits that he has to become more involved.

Jon meets with the staff to discuss what they think is the problem.

The waitresses and bartenders says that there was no proper training here.

Security guard Angel says that he thinks the biggest problem is the dress code.

Training begins before the bar opens for stress test.

Elayne shows the bartenders how to do a high pour.

Elayne says that it’s very obvious that they’ve never been trained.

Jon brings in a third expert, Doc, who specializes in security.

Doc says that you have to pat down everyone in order to make sure the customers don’t sneak in alcohol or drugs.

Jon brings in the targeted younger audience for stress test.

The Kasbah opens up for stress test.

Security isn’t patting down properly and a couple customers have snuck in alcohol.

Jon made them do this.

The bartenders are struggling to do better during stress test.

Cook Chino is putting too much food on the plates.

Security is still letting people in who sneak in liquor bottles.

Shelton fires Ron, the security guy.

Jon says that it was nice to see Shelton get mad about it.

After stress test, Jon meets with Shelton to discuss financial issues.

Elayne shows the bartenders drinks that will be added to the new menu including the DJ Mix and King’s Crown.

These drinks will help attract the younger crowd.

Aaron shows them some new recipes that will be added to the menu.

Doc trains a new person for security related stuff.

Jon goes over the plan for the remodel with Shelton.

Construction has begun on the Kasbah’s remodel.

The next night, Jon brings the staff to the Kasbah to show them their new bar.

They kept the name of the bar but made the outside of the bar more modern.

Shelton says that he’s happy that they kept the name.

Jon tells the staff to head inside.

The inside of the bar looks amazing.

Jon installed a brand-new sound system and lighting and a Crown Maple Chilled Shot machine.

There is a new POS system just for the waitresses.

Kaprecca says that this POS system will make this easier for everyone.

There’s a brand-new service station, which Jon says will double the one transaction per customer.

Shelton says thank you.

Jon says that Shelton is one of the most appreciative people he’s ever worked with.

He says this makes him feel great.

The staff in the kitchen begins preparing for the relaunch.

The Kasbah opens up for the first time since remodel.

On relaunch, there is a whole crowd of people waiting to get in.

Everyone is excited to walk into the bar.

Jazmine and Cici have really stepped up their game.

They’re paying attention to customers and they are smiling.

Customers are saying this bar is much classier.

Security has stepped up a lot.

However, there is attitude in the kitchen between the staff.

Shelton takes Diego outside to ask what is happening and he tells Diego that he needs to go.

Jon says that Shelton has lit up tonight.

He says that this proves that Shelton can run this place.

Jon hugs Shelton and says that his work is done.

What Happened Next at The Kasbah?

Two months later, the Kasbah is filled to capacity every weekend.

There are no longer security incidents.

The Kasbah is making up to $7,000 to $10,000 a night.

In a Back to the Bar episode, it is revealed that Shelton has repaid all of his debts.

He has used the profits to open a restaurant so they can offer food.

Shelton has continued to make improvements at the club.

The Kasbah is closed.

They closed in 2020 after failing to reopen after state closures due to the pandemic.

There was a shooting outside the nightclub in May 2018.

They were commended by Hennessy for being the best seller of the liquor in the state of Colorado.

Reviews are mostly positive.

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Zanzibar / Solids and Stripes - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Zanzibar in Denver, Colorado.

Zanzibar is owned by Ami Benari.

After completing his service in the Israeli army, Ami immigrated to Denver, Colorado.

He opened Zanzibar in 2009.

Zanzibar quickly cashed in by being one of the first bars in downtown Denver.

Zanzibar was making around $38,000 per month in the beginning.

But in 2011, a near-fatal car accident kept Ami away from the bar and supervising his staff.

This led the staff causing the customers to stay away with their behaviour.

Ami says they didn’t do right by him.

They gave him receipts of $15,000 and Ami says the business is lost.

Six months ago, Ami returned to the bar.

He fired the old staff and tried to do whatever he could to bring back the customers.

Ami says he is losing $2,000 to $3,000 a month.

He won’t be able to stay in business after six more months.

Ami now runs his staff with an iron fist and has invested $250,000 into this bar.

Denver Colorado’s downtown district is home to 14,000 college students who populate three universities.

New restaurants have flourished by creating lively party atmospheres that appeal to a young crowd.

Jon brings in Smirnoff master bartender Jenny Costa and expert chef Chef Duffy.

Ami is outside the front of the bar yelling out, “Free beer! Free dates!” as they arrive.

Jon brings in two recent college graduates, Nick and Camio for tonight’s recon.

Zanzibar is a 6,200-square-foot pool hall featuring ten pool tables and a J-shaped bar.

They have eight beers on tap and a full kitchen.

Nick is having a hard time getting service.

There is a customer who is wasted and he’s hitting on Camio.

They gave the drunk customer another beer.

The bartenders are overpouring.

Nobody is paying for their drinks and Ami keeps giving out free drinks.

The cook is serving food with his gloves on still and there is no glove change or hand wash.

The cook coughs into his gloves and then goes back to cooking food.

Jon is grossed out and decides that now is the right time to walk into the bar.

Jon says that overserving is going to change right now.

He scolds the staff for allowing the customers to get so wasted that they can’t walk home or are passed out.

Jon says that everything in the kitchen has to be thrown away because of cross-contamination.

Jon says that until this place is safe, he can’t work here.

Ami says that cook Dave will not be going home until you can eat off the floors in this kitchen.

He also says that if Jon complains about it again, then Dave is fired.

Dave says that if he loses this job, then he loses everything.

Dave says that in 2009, he had a brain aneurism that caused him to lose his trucking job.

He says that if he loses this job, then he doesn’t know what is going to happen.

Ami and Dave scrubbed and cleaned the kitchen all night long.

Jon says that it smells and looks a lot better.

Jon has a meeting with the staff and asks what they do.

Sarah says she is a manager but isn’t the official manager.

It’s very clear that Ami doesn’t listen to his staff.

Jon tells Sarah that she is officially the manager of this bar.

He scolds Ami for offering free sex to the customers.

On Friday, they gave away $960.76 worth of alcohol and Saturday.

They gave away $1596.91 worth of alcohol.

Ami gets angry and goes in the back to throw glass plates at the wall.

Ami doesn’t listen to his staff when they try to tell him about the issues this bar has.

Jon brings in his experts.

Jenny works on improving their pouring techniques.

She blindfolds them to help them get used to pouring properly.

Chef Duffy makes Dave cook the top three dishes this bar has.

Jon says he wants ticket time to be twelve minutes for tonight’s stress test.

Zanzibar opens up for stress test.

Jon brings in the target audience and the bartenders are overpouring still.

They are also very unorganized and are struggling to find where food orders go.

Jon says that Ami never set Dave up for success.

Ami is doing magic tricks.

They don’t have anyone to go get the dirty glasses and run out of clean glasses.

Jon says that Ami is the biggest disaster of all.

Jon shuts the bar down for the night.

He tells the customers to come back in three days when they open after remodel.

Jon meets with the staff after the stress test.

Jon tells Ami that he is most disappointed in him and he is struggling to take criticism.

They start yelling at each other as Ami refuses to see that he is the problem.

Ami insults Chef Duffy by calling him “Fat boy.”

Ami then goes on to try to hit Jon and pushes him around.

Jon tells the staff goodnight and walks out of the bar.

Jon says he’s not sure if he can rescue this bar.

The next morning, Ami and the staff have a meeting.

Jon comes in with his experts.

Jon says that he has a responsibility to rescue this bar but he will not allow his team to be insulted.

Jon tells Ami to apologize or else he’s leaving.

Ami apologizes to chef Duffy and Jenny but says he has nothing to say to Jon.

Jon has a one-on-one with Ami.

They clear things up, and Ami realizes that Jon is not the bad guy here.

Chef Duffy came up with a ten-minute express menu that they will be adding to the new concept.

Jenny adds six different cocktails to the new menu including The Break and The Hustler.

Jon meets with the staff to go over how they want their bar to be.

Ami finally agrees with his staff.

Jon meets with Ami to discuss the new concept.

The next night, Jon bring the staff to come see their new bar.

Zanzibar is now called Solids and Stripes – Badass Billiards.

The inside of this bar looks amazing.

Jon installed a POS system.

Solids and Stripes opens up for the first time since remodel.

On relaunch, the customers love the new concept, and the staff is working together well.

The food and drinks are a big hit with the customers.

Jon shakes Ami’s hand and says that his work is done.

Jon says that he is really proud of this rescue.

What Happened Next at Zanzibar?

Six weeks later, sales went up by almost 50%.

Ami says he will be forever grateful for Jon’s help.

Owner Ami changed the name from Solids and Stripes back to Zanzibar.

Jon returned to the bar a year later.

He wasn't happy they hadn't kept the new name.

Ari had added more gaming tables and the free pool is back.

They have kept most of Jons changes and added a few new items to the menu.

Zanzibar is open.

Reviews are good.

Patrons praise the pool tables and complaints are of bartenders favoring friends for service and tables.

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