In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer has asked Phil Wills to visit Backroads Bar and Grill in Holly, Michigan.
Backroads Bar and Grill is owned by Gary and Tina Helton.
They have owned the bar since 2015.
Gary previously owned two thriving but labor intensive businesses.
He got a health diagnosis that made him sell those businesses.
They decided to open a bar, which they thought would be fun.
Tina kept her full-time job and still helped at the bar.
Their daughter also helped at the bar but the owners were clueless.
The lack of knowledge has driven the business downhill.
It is now a strain on the couple’s marriage.
They have nearly drained all their retirement savings to keep the doors open.
Phil surveys the bar with expert chef Tatiana Rosana and expert mixologist Derrick Turner.
They think the interior of the bar is soulless due to the mismatch of the clashing decor.
They introduce the staff and the owner Gary is disrupting the cooking in the kitchen.
They see customers order drinks.
The bartenders are not busy but share the order.
The drinks themselves do not look how they should look.
In the kitchen, the cook is making a Philly cheesesteak with questionable meat and the wrong bread.
Tina has to remove Gary from the kitchen as he is temperature checking french fries, which is unnecessary.
Phil has seen enough and he goes into the bar to sit with Gary and Tina.
They share how they started the business.
Tina shares how their relationship has been so affected that she thinks they are on the brink of divorce.
Gary gets teary, saying he was not aware and wants to keep both his wife and the bar.
The next day, Phil comes in and meets the staff.
They all complain of lack of communication and clear direction.
Daughter and bartender Taylor complains about how she has been dragged in between her parents.
This is made worse when they fight especially when it comes to arguments about the bar.
While Tina is speaking her piece, Gary is defensive as he feels ganged up on.
He says that he just wanted to help and the staff and his family are worried about his health.
The staff are trained by Derrick on making an Old Fashioned, one of the drinks they messed up the night before.
Tatiana trains them to make a French Dip sandwich.
They train until the stress test, where Phil wants to see more communication from the owners and the whole team.
Gary and Tina let customers in and orders come through quickly.
In ten minutes, they have only served three cocktails.
They quickly see the bar has only one well, causing the bartenders to bump into each other.
In the kitchen, Tatiana is expediting, and Jeff gets flustered by the directions.
Gary offers to help, seeking direction rather than meddling.
Things get tense at the bar with Tina and Taylor trading words.
Taylor is stressed by the pressure as the customers at the bar are served.
The ones on the floor are still waiting to be served.
She has to step away to catch her breath but she goes back.
It is finally clear to Gary and Tina where the inefficiencies are.
Phil has them shut down the stress test.
The next day, they are back to training with Derrick.
He trains them on pre-batching cocktails to cut down on the mixing time.
Phil meets with the family, including Taylor.
He feels the family dynamic needs to be fixed for them to work better in the bar.
Phil tells them they need to be more open to Taylor.
They need to have more confidence in her working at the bar.
At some point they will leave it to her to take over when they want to retire.
Something sticks, as they are all receptive to the feedback.
It is finally opening night and the family are gathered for the unveiling.
The exterior is still the same but the name is now Taylor’s Tavern Bar and Kitchen.
It is named after their daughter to remind them of the legacy.
Inside, there is elegance and warmth with new furnishings, flooring, walls and a better ambience.
They have new stage lights, a Partender subscription, Skytab tablets and new bar products.
There is new kitchen equipment, an ice machine and an additional well.
Taylor is moved to tears, which are not out of frustration this time.
They quickly set up and the waiting customers are let in.
Orders come through and Jeff is in his element, cooking dishes quickly.
The bar is also working cohesively.
Drinks are made and served correctly and quickly.
Taylor is being more direct with instruction and her parents are not bothering her.
Gary and Tina love how smoothly the service is going and see that their previous actions were more of a hindrance.
What Happened Next at Backroads Bar and Grill / Taylor’s Tavern Bar and Kitchen?
Six weeks later, customers love the new look and concept of the bar.
Taylor is thriving behind the bar and leading the rest of the staff.
Gary is working at the bar daily but not interrupting others anymore.
They have kept the new name.
They still go by Backroads Bar online on Yelp etc.
Reviews are mostly positive.
There seem to be fake reviews that reference the show/similar to things seen on the episode.
Tina has told the press that it was an emotional experience but also a great experience.
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Previous episode - Daq Shack / Royal Street
Next episode - Brothers on Main
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