In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Bar 8 in Houston, Texas.
Bar 8 is owned by Mikayla.
She purchased the bar in 2021 after a long time of working in bars.
Mikayla bought it as a surprise for her husband Brandon without consulting him first.
With no management experience, she has struggled.
Her husband keeps sinking funds into it to keep it afloat.
The staff are also disorganized because of the leadership.
The suffering business is close to shutting down completely.
Jon is in the surveillance van with expert mixologist Derrick Turner.
From the exterior, the signage is confusing.
The interior is just as confusing as it has a club feel.
Jon breaks down the history of the bar and how Mikayla bought the bar.
The couple are $320,000 in debt and they have four children.
The bar does not have a kitchen but they have someone renting out hookahs in the bar.
Two radio celebrities are sent in as the spies.
They go in and order classic drinks - a Collins and a Sidecar.
They see the drinks mixed on top of a small fridge at the back of the bar.
The spies hated the taste of the drinks.
The back bar is a bunch of empty bottles, which is not a great sight for customers.
Jon goes in to meet with Mikayla and asks her to be honest about how the bar looks.
Jon says the customers dress better than the bar looks.
Mikayla and her husband should care more about how the bar is presented.
He tears into them and then leaves them to get the bar into better shape before the next day.
Jon comes in the next day and meets the staff.
Brandon admits if he could have a do-over, he would not have supported her buying the bar.
Mikayla says she feels sorry about the amount of money he has sunk into the bar.
They are losing about $6,000 a month and are a few months from closing.
Mikayla says she wants her husband to help her out more.
However, he has a separate family business that he runs.
Jon points out that she should take ownership of the failing bar.
She finally admits she wasn't prepared and she needed to learn.
Derrick is introduced as the expert and they move to the training.
He takes them through making a variant of a Sidecar so they can pick up on the basics of blending.
For the stress test, they will be serving 30 people in 30 minutes.
They are given a little head start but the bar staff are stumbling and the tickets pile up.
They are encouraged to make two drinks at once to catch up.
Brandon is trying to help but Mikayla kicks him to the floor.
Some drinks are made but they can't find the ticket.
With 10 minutes left, over half the bar still does not have drinks.
Some drinks are piling up and not being run to the correct customers.
At the end of the stress test, a portion of the room still didn't have drinks.
The night was a failure.
The next day, the training continues with a new signature cocktail.
Jon meets with Mikayla and Brandon.
He opens the dialogue between them, reminding Mikayla that what she does is for her family.
She should accept Brandon has been supportive all the way.
Also that he is not responsible for the running of the bar, she is.
Jon meets with his team to fix the inefficiencies of the bar to make it a better nightclub spot.
The most challenging part is a metal retractable wall as the ceilings are 11 feet high.
The following day, they are gathered along with their staff and children at night to unveil their new bar.
The bar has been renamed to Legacy Bar.
The bar now has an upper-class nightclub feel with a cohesive decor.
They have a new workstation, a new ice machine, Skytab tablets and Rockless tables.
There are new bar products, new plumbing, a hookah corner and custom vinyl wrap.
He shows them the new dividing door that makes the bar much more intimate.
Later in the night, they can pull it away to expand the bar into a nightclub.
The couple invite the waiting customers in, and they get to work.
Mikayla is coordinating the bar.
Brandon is supporting with serving and wherever he is needed.
After a successful service, the walls are pulled back.
The customers and the owners head to the dancefloor.
What Happened Next at Bar 8 / Legacy Bar?
Six weeks later, customers love the new look and menu of the bar.
Brandon is helping with promotions while Mikayla is managing the bar.
They are still trying to figure out a better work-and-home balance.
Bar 8 / Legacy Bar is open.
They have kept the new name.
Reviews are mostly positive.
The venue space and drinks are praised.
There are a few complaints including one about an unexpected closure.
They hosted a watch party for the episode.
Click for more Bar Rescues
Previous episode - Brothers on Main / Blue Velvet
Next episode - The Airliner Bar and Grill
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