Tropic - Bar Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer visits Tropic in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Tropic is owned by Hyacinth Nembhardt.

She opened the bar after selling another bar, wanting a Jamaican-themed bar.

Hyacinth sold her home to raise funds to renovate the bar.

She put her daughter as GM, who then hired her friends to work at the bar with her.

The staff are all too laidback and take advantage.

Hyleah is fully pregnant and resistant to her mother.

Jon has asked Bobby, a basketball player from the Milwaukee Bucks, to join him in the surveillance truck.

Jon says how she had been successful previously but is now in a lot of debt.

Bobby’s brother and his trainer are the spies.

They go into the bar but no one attends to them for a while.

They order drinks and only one is served first.

He does not like it, especially when the bartender tells him how to drink it.

They are then the first food orders they wanted are not possible.

After 20 minutes, they are still waiting for the reorder.

Jon decides to enter the bar along with Bobby.

Hyacinth recognizes Bobby immediately.

She is shy and overwhelmed at seeing him.

The food gets delivered and Jon goes straight to Hyacinth.

Hyacinth explains that she just had to let staff go for getting too comfortable with her nine-month pregnant daughter.

She can't discipline her daughter's friends, who are still working at the bar.

Jon says Hyacinth needs to take responsibility for the state of the bar and the poor service.

The next day, Jon sits with both mother and daughter to figure out their dynamic.

Once they interact after Jon’s probing questions, it is obvious Hyleah does not want certain responsibilities in the bar.

However, a manager cannot pick and choose what they want.

Once Jon points out that Hyleah will need a break once she has her baby.

He leaves them to sort out what needs to be done.

They must decide whether to get a temporary or permanent manager in to cover her maternity.

Once the mother and daughter have time together, it goes badly.

Hyleah does not care about what happens and Hyacinth is frustrated with her attitude.

They leave it at an impasse.

Hyacinth and Jon meet the rest of the staff and the experts are introduced.

The experts are expert chef Tatiana and expert mixologist Mia .

The training begins with the experts.

Mia trains the staff on making a classic daiquiri.

In the kitchen, the cook makes jerk wings in front of the expert, who tastes the chicken with and without the jerk.

The jerk is great on its own.

However, they have bad jerk sauce that detracts from the taste.

The staff are then trained for the stress test.

Customers are let in for the stress test.

Orders come in very quickly for both the food and drinks.

The first pizza order comes through and the cook is reminded that he needs to be quick.

At the bar, mistakes are made and the experienced bartender only wants to make one drink at a time.

The bar is served their drinks.

However, the tickets from the tables are missing and drinks are left at the bar.

The kitchen has only sent out one pizza but several wings still need to be made.

They find out the printer is out of paper and orders have been lost.

That is why table orders are not coming through due to the tickets not printing.

It is unraveling in the kitchens and at the bar so the stress test is shut down.

The next day, they are trained on making some signature drinks.

Jon sits with Hyacinth on her motivations and what she wants from her daughter.

He gets her to accept her daughter may not have the same passion she has, especially for the bar business.

A few days later, the staff are all gathered in front of the bar along with Hyleah and Hyacinth.

After the unveiling, they see from the signage that the bar has been renamed.

The new name is Montego Bay Beach Club.

Inside the bar has been elevated to an upscale restaurant and bar with blue highlights, like a club.

They have an Orange Door entertainment system, Skytab tablets and POS systems.

There are new bar tools and a subscription to Partender.

Now Hyleah feels that this is a place she can work in.

They quickly set up ready for the relaunch.

Customers are let in.

The staff are all in pink customized shirts and ready to receive orders.

The tickets come quickly into the kitchen.

The cook is cool and calm, cooking through everything quickly.

The bartenders are more confident and are making drinks quickly.

Hyacinth is managing the place well and running drinks and food.

Everything is working well and the relaunch is a success.

What Happened Next at Tropic / Montego Bay Beach Club?

Six weeks later, the new name and upgrades to the bar have brought in more customers from around the city.

Hyacinth is hoping to pass on her lessons to other small business owners.

Hyleah had her baby and came back to work.

She is determined to follow in her mother's footsteps and grow the business.

Tropic is open.

The owner did not keep the new name.

Reviews are mostly positive.

There is praise for the food and drinks.

There are a few complaints on the service.

Hyacynth has said the new design elevated the space and had ideas she hadn't thought of.

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