In season 3 of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew went to Pawcatuck, Connecticut to makeover the Handlebar Cafe. The Handlebar Cafe is a biker bar run by two sisters whose partying ways are impacting their business. Despite being near multiple motorcycle dealerships, the bar was still struggling and needed the help of the Bar Rescue crew. Bar Rescue decided to
change the name to Handlebar and Grill during the makeover, but the
owners have decided to keep their old name.There has been some recent drama regarding the Handlebar Cafe with the local government. Lets take a look at some reviews and updates of the Handlebar Cafe since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (all reviews are post Bar Rescue makeover):
Positive Reviews:
- "I came here on the way to Rhode Island with a friend because we wanted to see a bar that was featured on the show Bar Rescue. We were expecting it to be a rough place since it's a biker bar. It ended up being a bar for a slightly older crowd which wasn't necessarily a bad thing...The owner was clearly drunk at around 8PM when we spoke with her but she was very nice. All in all, it's a great place to check out if you're a bar rescue fan....Check it out if you're in the area."
Negative Reviews:
- "This bar should serve only beer because the bartenders can not mix a simple cocktail."
Update from the end of the show: Six weeks after the show, drink sales were up 25%, and according to Betsy, the kitchen has been great.
Recent Updates and News:
Recently the town of Stonington issued a notice of violation to the Handlebar Cafe for failure to obtain the proper permits. The issues were the new mural on the side of the building (as they consider it a sign, which needs a permit) and the handlebars mounted on the roof (safety concern). Since permits weren't obtained and the problem wasn't rectified, the town filed a lawsuit against the Handlebar Cafe and they faced a $100 per day fine.
Here is a local news story featuring the owner Betsy Cipriano describing the situation:
According to the Handlebar Cafe Facebook page, they have decided to take down the handlebars above the front door rather than fight a lawsuit. The picture to the right is of them taking down the handlebars.Conclusion:
It looks like Betsy is still having a good time at the bar, and in many of the articles regarding the lawsuit, she stated that business was strong and that people were coming from all over to see their bar because it was on Bar Rescue. Bar Rescue didn't obtain the proper permits as they wanted to keep the renovations a surprise, and the town was OK with it at the time. Hopefully there does not continue to be issues between the bar and the town, and all open issues can be resolved quickly.
