In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits the Inland Tavern in San Marcos, California.
Inland Tavern is owned by Pete Zacarias.
Pete bought the bar in 2012 after years of working in the hospitality industry.
He rebranded the British pub into a coastal themed Tavern.
Things went well but in 2020 the closures removed the customers and they have not recovered from this.
They are in trouble and the staff can see it.
Jon has asked Phil Wills to step in for him.
He has brought with him expert chef Jennifer Murphy and expert mixologist Derrick Turner.
The exterior of the bar makes no sense and the interior is a mismatch with the name.
There are some experienced bartenders and an executive chef in the kitchen.
Some beach volleyball players are sent in as spies and they find out they do not have a proper menu.
The bartender Cara makes the drinks improperly with long nails touching everything.
Pete is lost just watching everything that is happening but not stepping in.
The spies get their drinks and they hate them.
The food menu is too big and the executive chef works without gloves.
The cooler is disorganised with the staff walking on kegs to get to things.
They have seen enough and the experts go in.
Phil Wills introduces himself and hears Pete’s story.
They had won best restaurant years ago but can't get back that past glory.
Jennifer is in the kitchen and points out the chef never washed his hands once while cooking.
Phil checks the bar and the soda gun is dirty.
The walk-in doubles as a keg storage, which is dangerous for the staff.
After all the feedback they close for the night.
The next morning, the staff are gathered and Phil comes in to meet them.
Pete tells the staff how much debt the bar is in and they had no idea.
They give feedback that inconsistency is their biggest problem.
The experts are introduced to the staff and the staff are happy for the help they will be getting.
Jennifer asks executive chef Cory to cook a dish to gauge his skill set.
He makes a cheese steak sandwich, which Jennifer tastes and thinks it is delicious.
She reminds him of hygiene and then tells him the menu needs to stick to a theme of coastal dishes.
Jennifer takes him through making an item from the menu.
She informs him that he will be serving both for the stress test.
Derrick introduces the staff to using a strainer, which they did not have at the bar.
He trains them on making some cocktails.
For the stress test, they will be measuring customer satisfaction with a sign for a thumbs up or a thumbs down.
Customers are let in quickly and orders roll in.
Food is being made but the chef forgot his gloves and he quickly gets overwhelmed.
The bar is slow and Derrick has the customer put their signs up and it's a unanimous thumbs down.
The kitchen is 30 minutes behind schedule and the chef is lost, with tickets trailing to the floor.
Pete does not know how to direct him to help things along.
The chef forgets his gloves and some dishes have to be dumped.
After more time the customers are still at a thumbs down.
The night is shut down and Phil connects with Jon on a video call to give an update and get advice.
Jon tells him to reignite Pete’s passion and advises that the neighborhood is upscale so the bar should reflect that.
Derrick trains the staff on making a new signature tiki cocktail, served in a fish mug.
Jennifer trains the chef on a new dish, which is a twist on a surf and turf.
Phil sits and talks with Pete and works on getting him to feel some more passion for the business and the bar.
He reminds him of the reason he started the business.
They are soon gathered at night to reveal the bar, with a new name of Shores.
They have a new exterior sign that can be seen from afar.
The interior now has a cohesive theme that is beachy and coastal.
They have new menus, bar tools, skytabs new workstations and a subscription to Partender.
Pete lets customers in and the staff get to work.
On relaunch, the chef is doing better with his hand work.
This means that he does not have to change gloves often.
The bar is doing good with the bartenders more confident and making more than one drink at a time.
Pete is walking around and directing instead of looking lost.
Phil is happy that Pete finally has passion.
What Happened Next at Inland Tavern /Shores Bar and Kitchen?
Six weeks later, patrons are enjoying the new menu items.
The new atmosphere is a hit with new and old customers.
The local construction is almost complete so more business may be coming their way.
Inland Tavern / Shores is open.
They have kept the new name.
Reviews are mostly positive.
There is praise for the drinks and food.
There are some complaints about food and service.
Click for more Bar Rescues
Previous episode - Gerri’s Sports Pub / Jerzy's Sports Pub
Next episode - Cielo Lounge
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