In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer has asked Jason Santos to visit Brothers on Main in St Clair, Missouri.
Brothers on Main is owned by Daniel and David.
Daniel invited his brother David to go 50/50 on the bar in 2021.
After some initial success Daniel checked out.
He left David to work 6 days a week.
David eventually quit the bar to get a job so he could pay his bills.
The bar is now in trouble and is losing money.
It is 2 weeks from closing, with the brothers not even on speaking terms anymore.
Jason is in the surveillance vehicle with expert chef Anthony Lamas and expert mixologist Tatiana Lacerda.
Jason introduces the owners situation to them and then decides to have a one-on-one chat with David.
David gives Jason more details on how their dynamic broke down.
Then they both watch as the experts, acting as the spies, go in to order from the menu.
They order martinis and they say they can't make it.
They then ask for a margarita and fried pickles and chicken.
The pickles have pieces of chicken in them as they are using the same oil to fry everything.
The chicken served is still raw in the middle.
Jason and David see Daniel hiding in the kitchen rather than checking the quality of service in the front of house.
Jason has seen enough and goes in to confront Daniel.
He stops the spies from eating the chicken.
Jason hears Daniel out and he tells a different story from David.
He confronts them both and he sees they are both at fault and stubborn.
Daniel did abandon the place but so did David.
He was working down the street for competition.
Jason shows them the state in the kitchen and tasks them to clean up.
It is an opportunity for the brothers to talk for the first time in 4 months.
The next day, Jason comes in to meet the staff.
He calls out one of the things that baffled him was the ice machine.
He has no idea why it is in the middle of the dining room.
Daniel admits they are over $150,000 in debt and just weeks from closing.
Daniel’s girlfriend and her mother are in tears about the future of the business.
Jason is not happy that the brothers have still not figured out the issues that have made them stop speaking for 7 months.
Jason doesn't want to put all the effort into renovating the bar when the brothers can't agree on how to run the place.
They start to try to hash it out and then Jason has them face the staff who all have grievances to share.
They are mostly tired of working with the brothers, not tired of the business.
The experts are introduced and Tatiana starts with training them on making "slime" cocktails.
For Stress Test, David will be working back of house and Daniel will be front of house.
Customers are let into the bar.
Daniel needs direction on being more vocal.
Customers are left unserved on the floor.
Customers water glasses are filled from a dirty sink in the kitchen.
Daniel says the bar was too busy for him to disturb them.
The bar runs out of ice and a customer helps run ice from the ice machine to the bar.
The kitchen does really well but Daniel is flailing.
It is obvious where the pain points are.
The stress test is shut down.
The next day, the staff continue with the training as Tatiana trains them on making a Rose Collins.
Tyler is asked to make it on his own after the demonstration and he does well.
In the kitchen, Anthony trains the staff on making meatloaf bites.
It is a comfort food that will bring customers back.
Jason sits with David and Daniel’s girlfriend to say Daniel is not made to run the business.
He thinks that they need to step up in different roles.
Daniel is invited in and told to take a step back.
He will still remain as owner but just to support them.
Daniel breaks down in tears because he says he needs to reevaluate some things.
Jason leaves them to join his team with the renovations.
A few days later all the staff are gathered to unveil a new bar exterior.
There is a new sign and a new name.
The bar is now called Blue Velvet.
The interior has been upgraded with a new look that is more lively.
They have a new POS system from Skytabs, a subscription to Partender and new glassware.
There is a new ice machine that is now behind the bar where it belongs.
Daniel is the most moved by the changes and he is appreciative of the work.
David and Daniel let in the waiting customers.
They start ordering food and drinks immediately.
The kitchen starts on orders and Tim is doing great with the cooking and David expediting.
Daniel is in a reduced role but still focused on service.
Drinks are also made correctly and sent out with the bar staff working more cohesively.
What Happened Next at Brothers on Main / Blue Velvet?
Six weeks later, the brothers were once again fighting.
David left the business so Daniel hired some former employees to run operations.
Sales remain the same but they have a more upscale crowd.
Brothers on Main is closed.
They closed in December 2024.
The bar closed before the episode aired.
The episode was filmed in July 2024.
The bar was also put up for sale in December 2024.
It quickly sold.
Reviews were mostly positive prior to the closure.
The food and service were highly praised in reviews.
Click for more Bar Rescues
Previous episode - Backroads Bar and Grill / Taylor’s Tavern Bar
Next episode - Bar 8 / Legacy Bar
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