Brew U From 'Bar Rescue' Has Closed

Brew U in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, which was featured on the third season of Bar Rescue has closed.  Brew U was originally named Fairways Golf & Grill until Jon Taffer and Bar Rescue did their makeover.  During that episode, the bar infamously had a mushroom growing in their walk-in cooler.

While the bar hasn't said anything official about the closing, their Facebook had the following statuses on December 8th:

• "Now that is a lot of shots....THANK YOU to everyone that showed up last night...Memories last forever"
• "The last ones standing...Best Staff, Best Wings (people's choice winner) and most importantly the BEST CUSTOMERS.."

Other clues that they are closed:

Mushroom in the walk-in

• I called the bar the past three days, and no one picked up.
• Their website is no longer active.
• A recent Yelp review on 12/16/2014 stating, "They have gone out of business so if are clicking help through groupon - don't buy this one . We really liked them while open and bought the groupon, now waiting for a refund"
• Visitors to this site letting me know they drove by recently and it was closed.

UPDATE - They confirmed that they closed in a post on Facebook stating, "Kimberly, yes wes have now closed. Lease expired in December and we realized we could no longer keep the doors open in that horrible location. 2 1/2 years of great food, fun and friendships though"

This is the fourth bar from the 2nd set of bars (10 total) to air during season 3 of Bar Rescue, and the Bar Rescue Update Page has been updated with this information.

Dimples From 'Bar Rescue' To Close

Photo - Spike

Dimples karaoke bar in Burbank, CA, which was featured on the third season of Bar Rescue will be closing some time in mid-January 2015.  Dimples is one of the few bars on Bar Rescue that Jon Taffer chose to keep their original name.  The bar is closing due to the Talaria Project, which will tear down the bar to help make room for a Whole Foods grocery store as well as residential development.

The bar has posted on their Facebook page:

"We're CLOSING sooner than we thought. Come make a few last memories at Dimples!

****DIMPLES LAST DAYS****  

It looks like our last day open will be some time in MID JANUARY. We will be getting rid of all of the alcohol so DRINK SPECIALS will be going on. Plus, we will be throwing our LAST NEW YEARS EVE PARTY. More details to come. Please spread the word and share our info so everyone can say goodbye to AMERICA'S FIRST KARAOKE BAR DIMPLES"

A post on laist said the bar would like to find a new location, but as of now they haven't had any luck.

Also, Dimples' Facebook page said that Bar Rescue was filming at their bar on December 2nd to do an update segment.  It should be interesting to see if Bar Rescue reveals that they are closed when that update episode airs.

The Dimples Bar Rescue episode aired in 2013, and this will be the 5th bar to close from season 3 of Bar Rescue (1st set of 20 bars).  The Bar Rescue Update Page will be updated when they close for good in January.

UPDATE - The bar actually closed in April 2015.

Bar Rescue - Campbell's Irish Pub (Packy's Pub) Update

Photo - Twitter

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Milwaukee, Wisconsin once again to try to rescue Packy's Pub.  The bartender Guppy is drinking a ton behind the bar while on the job, and Jon Taffer is surprised he can stand up straight.  Also, the owner Patrick is supposedly failing to pay all of his employees.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Packy's Pub was renamed to Campbell's Irish Pub, which is still an Irish themed bar.  The bar seems to have kept the name.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Campbell's Irish Pub since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar:

Bar Rescue - Nick's House (Y Not III) Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to try to rescue the Y Not III bar.  The Y Not is a franchise of bars in the Milwaukee area, and Nick is the owner of Y Not III.  The bar is supposedly losing $65,000 a year, and Nick is one of the main reasons why the bar is losing money.  Jon Taffer says to Nick, "I've met some stupid bar owners in my day, but you get the freakin' cake."
 
During the Bar Rescue makeover, Y Not III was renamed to Nick's House, which is a 70's themed bar and it seems that the bar has kept the name.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Nick's House since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar:

Bar Rescue - Lake Marie Lodge (Dirty Rooster) Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Antioch, Illinois to try to rescue the Dirty Rooster.  The bar is a lakeside bar, and the owner Rob spends more time swinging from the rafters of his bar than managing his staff.  While doing the recon, Jon Taffer steps away and says he will not help the bar until he sees some changes in the owner.
 
During the Bar Rescue makeover, Dirty Rooster was renamed to Lake Marie Lodge.  Since the makeover, the bar has kept the name of Lake Marie Lodge, however their Facebook page still has the name of the Dirty Rooster.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Lake Marie Lodge since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar:

Bar Rescue - Osteria Calabria (Plush) Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Glenside, Pennsylvania to try to rescue Plush.  The bar has supposedly gone downhill since the owner Bruno divorced his wife Shari.  Shari is now back to help Jon Taffer do recon on the bar and to help try to turn around the bar.
 
During the Bar Rescue makeover, Plush Nightclub was renamed to Osteria Calabria.  Since the makeover, the bar has somewhat kept the name as they refer to the bar as The OC, which is short for Osteria Calabria.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Osteria Calabria since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar:

Bar Rescue's The Chicken Bone Remains Closed And Is Up For Sale

The Chicken Bone in Framingham, Massachusetts, which was on season 1 of Bar Rescue announced in June 2014 that they would be closing for the rest of the summer, with plans to re-open after Labor Day.  Many people saw the writing on the wall and figured that they would be closed for good and it appears that they would be correct.

Labor Day passed, and the bar didn't re-open.  Then, the bar said they would open on October 3rd, and they later updated customers to say there was a slight delay and it would be October 10th.  That date passed as well, and the bar kept stringing along customers saying they still planned to re-open.  However, a few days ago, it was discovered that The Chicken Bone was listed for sale on Bizquest for $175,000.

The Chicken Bone addressed their customers on Facebook about the restaurant being for sale, stating:

"Hello Fans of the Chicken Bone,

By now many have seen information that the Chicken Bone is for sale. It saddens me to say this is true. When we closed for the summer we had the full intention of re-opening. We worked with a prospective new management team to try to be ready to go as soon as the summer was over. Delays and resulting economic conditions have made us unable to continue. When we realized this we found a buyer who was committed to re-opening as The Chicken Bone on October 1st . As the day came and passed it became clear that this buyer did not have the resources to move forward. We are in the process of looking for a solution and remain committed to the Chicken Bone brand.

Please accept my deepest apologies to all who love the Chicken Bone and have so patiently waited, as well as the bands who have stuck with us and been so patient though this difficult time. I have been trying very hard to connect with a serious buyer who has the capacity and fortitude to rebuild what I have damaged. My passion for The Chicken Bone will never fade. It is clear, however, that I simply had too much going on and I lost the confidence of many of our faithful guests and friends. I am sorry for letting you down. I have certainly paid a steep price financially, but worst of all, I hurt the place we all love. I'm not exactly sure what will happen from here. I don't know if I will find a buyer who believes, as I still do, that the Chicken Bone is a viable entity. A buyer who can provide the proper management and ownership oversight to build this place back up to being the place we all knew and loved. If you believe in the Chicken Bone as it was and want it back(minus me) that’s cool, I get it, please share this correspondence with your friends and let your feelings be known here in this forum and elsewhere.

We’ll continue to update you on the fan page as things progress. When new management is ready to come in and re-open, perhaps under even a new name, we hope you’ll give them the same loyalty that I was honored to have while running the Chicken Bone.

Thank You,
Bill Rodenhiser"

This bar will now be marked as 'Closed' on the Bar Rescue Updates page, and this is the third bar from season 1 of Bar Rescue that has closed.

Bar Rescue - 2nd State Lounge Alleged Bar & Pizza (Lickety Split) Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to try to rescue Lickety Split.  The bar is owned by a former Philadelphia detective who cashed in his 401k to buy the bar.  He is supposedly losing $2,000 a month and is drinking too much, which is causing him to be disrespectful to everyone.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Lickety Split was renamed to 2nd State Lounge and Alleged Bar & Pizza.  It is a split concept, and the bottom floor is the Alleged Bar & Pizza, while the upstairs is the 2nd State Lounge (Pennsylvania was the 2nd state to join the union).  It appears that the bar has recently dropped the Alleged Bar & Pizza name on the first floor and goes only by 2nd State Lounge.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for 2nd State Lounge/Alleged Bar & Pizza since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar:

Bar Rescue - Jack's Fire Dept. (Jack's Ale House) Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Sunnyside, New York to try to rescue Jack's Ale House.  The bar is owned by three firefighter brothers who can't stop fighting.  The bar was inherited from their father and they recently went through renovations to rename the bar to Jack's Ale House.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jack's Ale House was renamed to Jack's Fire Dept., which has a firefighter theme.  It appears that the bar goes by both names, or is simply referred to as Jack's.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Jack's Fire Dept. since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar:

Bar Rescue - Tres Cuartos (Laguna Lounge) Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Jersey City, New Jersey to try to rescue the Laguna Lounge.  The owner Ivan is more worried about DJing than running a successful bar.  He also berates his staff and his sons, which is causing issues at the bar.  The only food menu items at the bar are empanadas, which are made by Ivan's mother at a location other than the bar, which is not up to code.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Laguna Lounge was renamed to Tres Cuartos, which translates into three rooms.  Three rooms make up the bar, and it seems that the bar has stuck with the name.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Tres Cuartos since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar:

Bar Rescue - 5th & Vine (Rhythm & Brews) Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Staten Island, New York to try to rescue Rhythm & Brews.  Rhythm & Brews is owned by three brothers and started out as a "booming success."  Now the bar has been overrun by bikers, who have driven away other customers.  The bikers pour their own drinks and make their own food, and chef Josh Capon is even able to walk in and make himself a pizza.  Fireworks are also set off inside of the bar during this episode.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Rhythm & Brews was renamed to 5th & Vine, which is supposed to be a wine and cheese type bar, and it appears they have stuck with that name.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for 5th & Vine since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar:

Bar Rescue - So Yo Craft Bar (Undisputed) Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Yonkers, New York to try to rescue the Undisputed bar.  The Undisputed is a struggling bar, and they are serving cheap liquor poured into top shelf bottles to rip off their customers.  This causes customers to brawl and even the Bar Rescue crew is not safe from the chaos.  They also have ground beef and other foods not stored at the proper temperature.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Undisputed was renamed to So Yo Craft bar, which specializes in craft cocktails, and it appears they have stuck with that name.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for So Yo Craft Bar since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar:

Bar Rescue - P's and Q's Auto Body (Artful Dodger/Radio) Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, the season 4 premiere, Jon Taffer and crew are in Huntington, New York to try to rescue the Artful Dodger.  The Artful Dodger is also known as Radio and has an 18 and over night at the bar to try to draw a bigger crowd.  The bar also has an infestation of mosquitoes and fruit flies, which have also made their way into the bar's liquor bottles.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Artful Dodger/Radio was renamed to P's and Q's Auto Body, and it appears they have stuck with that name.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for P's and Q's Auto Body since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar:

Watch The First Episode of Season 4 of 'Bar Rescue' With The New Spike TV App

Spike TV launched its first ever app today, where viewers can access many episodes of shows that appear on their network.  The app is free and is available on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.  The link to download the app is here, and one of the bonuses of the app is that is has the full first episode of season 4 of Bar Rescue available to watch.  So you can download the app if you are interested in watching the episode before the season starts on Sunday, October 5th.  Stay tuned for the update on the first episode before it airs.

*Other shows available on the app include: Ink Master, Auction Hunters, Tattoo Nightmares, Catch A Contractor, Frankenfood, Thrift Hunters, Hungry Investors, COPS, Deadliest Warrior  and 1000 Ways To Die.

New 'Bar Rescue' Episodes Begin October 5th

Here is just a reminder that the fourth season of Bar Rescue begins in a little over a week.  The first episode of the season premieres on October 5th at 9pm on Spike TV.  The fourth season will have 30 episodes, but these will most likely be broken up into segments such as the third season and will probably not air 30 straight weeks. 

So far, Jon Taffer and Bar Rescue have filmed episodes in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia for the upcoming season.  The season premiere is at a bar in Huntington, NY, and a preview of the episode is below.  Jon finds bugs in their liquor bottles, then tries to make the owners take a shot of the liquor with bugs in it.

Bar Rescue

As always, come here to Bar Rescue Updates to see updates on every episode of the new season. To see how all of the bars that have appeared on Bar Rescue are doing, visit the Bar Rescue Update page.

Judge Says O'Face From Bar Rescue Should Be Allowed To Renew Liquor License

You may recall back in May, the Council Bluffs City Council voted against renewing O'Face's liquor license due to their appearance on Bar Rescue and the negative publicity surrounding the bar.  O'Face appealed this decision to the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division on July 28th, and on August 11th an Iowa judge ruled that O'Face should be allowed to renew their license.  The judge ruled that there wasn't enough evidence to support the denial of the liquor license, and that Council Bluffs didn't provide the episode of Bar Rescue on which it relied on to deny the license.  The only evidence was owner Matthew Overmyer's testimony, and based on the limited evidence, the judge ruled to reverse the decision of rejecting O'Face's liquor license renewal.

This decision is still not final, as it can be appealed by either party within 30 days.  Also, the Iowa Beverages Division does not have to agree with the judges decision.  If they do not agree with the judges decision, Matthew Overmyer can then appeal to the district court.

Another thing that is interesting is the testimony of Matthew Overmyer at the hearing. The full document is here, but the highlights include:

• He was told during their audition video, which had a staged fight, that the footage would only be shown to Jon Taffer and Spike TV executives.
• When the film crew arrived, they "wanted to show chaos at the bar, including fighting, disorderly conduct, and an empty bar without customers."
• The bar was not open to the public or regular customers during the filming, and Bar Rescue provided the customers for the stress test to complain about the food, drinks, and service.
• Both fights on the episode were done after the Bar Rescue crew suggested they needed more drama.
• He said he told the film crew that he was done with the "shenanigans" and would not cooperate with filming any more staged scenarios.  The crew left saying they would use the footage they had.  
• Matthew was surprised and embarrassed to see the casting video as part of the footage of the actual show.
• O'Face has seen a decline in business since their Bar Rescue episode aired.

It is pretty much things we assume and have heard with other Bar Rescue episodes, however it is interesting that he says they told the crew they were done staging scenes which caused them to leave. 

Would Jon Taffer have walked out on this Bar Rescue if O'Face continued giving the film crew what they wanted?  Or are we to even believe what Matt claimed?  I guess the only people that know for sure were the people involved in the taping of the show.

New Episodes of Bar Rescue Begin In October

Bar Rescue is currently filming new episodes for season 4 of the show with recent stops in Long Island and Yonkers, New York.  Jon Taffer recently revealed that season 4 of the show will premiere in October on Spike TV, and that there will be 30 new episodes.

The 4th season of the show was originally supposed to have 20 episodes, but it looks like they added another ten.

Dual Ultra Nightclub (Cashmere) From Bar Rescue Has Closed

Dual Nightclub in Raleigh, North Carolina, which was featured on season 3 of Bar Rescue has closed. They seem to have closed some time in May 2014 as they stopped updating their Facebook page and had the following statuses on their Twitter page:

When somebody asked them on Twitter if they were closed, the bar responded with: "Yep. Bar sold. #RIP #ThatShowIsTheKissOfDeath"


I reached out to the bar to ask why they closed, and they said "owner received offer on the property and decided it was time to sell. The owner got out of the bar industry."


This episode is mostly known for the "All In" manager James aka DJ Blue Steel. I reached out to James to ask him why the bar closed, and he decided to take a shot at Jon Taffer.

A local article shortly after the Dual Nightclub episode aired said that James wasn't even the manager at the time the Bar Rescue episode was filmed.  He left the bar in February of 2013, but was asked back to do the show because Bar Rescue supposedly said they wouldn't do the show without him.  While filming the show, James said it was "coached reality" with the producers egging him on to behave badly.  The article also said that one of the cocktail waitresses on the show was a friend of the owners and never actually worked there.

Dual Ultra Nightclub has now been marked as 'Closed' on the Bar Rescue Update Page.  Visit that page for updates on all bars that have appeared on Bar Rescue, and Like Us on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter for additional updates.

Bar 702 (Sand Dollar) From Bar Rescue Has Been Sold

Bar 702 in Las Vegas, Nevada, which was featured on season 3 of Bar Rescue has been sold and is under new ownership.  This happened in May 2014, and a post on their Facebook Page stated:

"So as some of you may or may not know Bar702LV is now under new ownership and the calendar is staying the same. We are really excited about the new endeavor!!!"

 Also, the About Us section of the Bar702 website now says:

Hi Everyone!! My name is Brooke Alexander, and I am the owner at Bar 702.

I moved to Las Vegas two years ago, after running and owning a string of successful bars in Chicago. But I always wanted a bar in Las Vegas. My dream finally came true in May 2014. I found Bar 702, and when I learned of the history as the Sand Dollar Lounge, I knew it was the perfect place.

Of course nothing worthwhile comes easy. I know of the struggles many bars have had trying to succeed in the Las Vegas market, and particularly how hard the Sand Dollar was hit back in the mid 2000's. I look forward to the challenge of making the Sand Dollar Lounge at Bar 702 the coolest place to be in vegas!

Staying true to the roots of the bar, we are going to focus on live entertainment. Having great bands here nightly is going to be our main objective. We want you to know that no matter what night you are looking for something to do, you will find the best music in town. During the week we will have many recurring events including things like our popular open mic night, funk jam and other local bands. On the weekends we will be booking a variety of local and touring acts, featuring different genres like hard rock, classic rock, blues, reggae, ska and much more. You can always take a look at our schedule to see who is playing throughout the month.

But we are going to be more than just live music. We will have many big screen TV's for you to come in and enjoy all the sports action week in and week out. Football, Basketball, Baseball, Hockey, Soccer...If there is a game or sporting event you want to see, we will turn it on for you.

So come on down to the ALL NEW Sand Dollar Lounge at Bar 702, and introduce yourself. I look forward to rockin' with you for many years to come!

You may recall that Dr. Wilkes, one of the previous owners of the bar, is suing Bar Rescue and Jon Taffer, but who knows if that had any impact on their decision to sell the bar.

Side Note - a podcast on Real Sports Talk had the new owner of Bar 702 and many other owners that have appeared on Bar Rescue to talk about their experience and to give updates on their bars.  Here is the link if you are interested.

Bar 702 has been marked as 'Sold' on the Bar Rescue Updates page, which has updates for all Bar Rescue episodes.

The Chicken Bone (The Bone) From Bar Rescue To Close For The Summer

The Chicken Bone in Framingham, Massachusetts, which was on season 1 of Bar Rescue announced today that they would be closing for the rest of the summer.  The Chicken Bone was renamed to 'The Bone' during their Bar Rescue makeover, but they quickly went back to their original name.

In a status on their Facebook Page, the bar stated:

Dear Friends of The Chicken Bone:

Summertime has always been a very slow time of year for us here at The Chicken Bone. Many people are away on vacation and/or enjoying outdoor activities. This, combined with the changes in the economy and the rise in cost of living expenses, means we all have less money to spend on eating out and entertainment.

Up until last summer, The Chicken Bone had always been open 7 days a week. Last summer, in an effort to minimize the impact of the slow season, we reduced our operating hours and decided to be closed on Mondays. We have made the difficult decision to suspend our operations for the entire summer this year, with a re-opening scheduled for right after Labor Day.

We want to thank all of our staff and all of our customers for your friendship and support over the years. We know that The Chicken Bone would not be the special place that it is without all of you. We hope that you enjoy the summer and come back to see us in the fall for the great food and live music that The Chicken Bone is known for.

We will close beginning Tuesday June 17th and re-open after Labor Day. We apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to seeing you again in the fall.

Sincerely,
Bill & John

You would think that in a place like Massachusetts that business would be better in the summer than in the winter, but who knows.  Whether they follow through on their word of re-opening on Labor Day remains to be seen, so this will be one to watch.  For now, this bar will not be marked as closed on the Bar Rescue Update list, but if anything changes, there will be another update.

UPDATE - The Chicken Bone never reopened and closed for good.  More information on the closing.

Bar Rescue Specials To Air In The Coming Weeks

Photo - Spike

Just a heads up that this Sunday, there will be two half-hour Bar Rescue specials on Spike TV.  They will be at 9pm ET, and the first one is "Taffer's Top 10: Most Disgusting Bars", where Jon Taffer will count down the ten most "repulsive establishments" he has encountered up until this point.

The second half-hour special this Sunday is "Taffer's Top 10: Worst Owners", where there will be a countdown of the most unpleasant owners from the show over the years.

Next week on Sunday, June 29th, there will be two more Bar Rescue Top 10 specials at 9pm ET.  The first one will be "Taffer's Top 10: Angriest Moments" where Jon Taffer counts down his angriest moments from the show.  The second one is "Taffer's Top 10: Toughest Rescues" that counts down the toughest rescues that he has encountered.

O'Face's Liquor License Suspended Seven Days and Fined $1,000

On May 30th, O'Face agreed to a settlement with the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division for an incident that occurred at their bar on November 11th, 2012.  The bar admitted guilt and said they "sold, dispensed, or gave an alcoholic beverage or beer to persons who were intoxicated at the time."

According to the settlement, O'Face will have their liquor license suspended for seven days from 8am, October 5, 2014 to 8am, October 12, 2014.  During that period, the bar can remain open for other lawful activities, but no alcohol of any kind can be sold or given away during that time frame.  They also must pay $1,000 to the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division.

Here is the link with information regarding the settlement.

This comes just after the Council Bluffs City Council rejected their liquor license.  O'Face appealed that decision, and has a hearing date for their liquor license renewal on July 28th (link to documents).  Look for an update on that after the hearing occurs.

Bar Rescue - The V Bar (South Park Bar & Grill) Update

Tonight on Spike TV is the special 'lost' episode of Bar Rescue where they will be showing the pilot of the show for the first time.  Bar Rescue started airing on Spike TV in July of 2011, and this pilot was filmed in June of 2010.

In the pilot episode, Jon goes to South Park Bar & Grill in Montclair, New Jersey.  The bar has a hot head owner who is kicking both customers and employees out of his bar.  He also doesn't seem to respect his employees or Jon Taffer's knowledge.

It appears that they renamed South Park Bar & Grill to The V Bar (short for Vodka Bar) during the makeover, but the name did not stick.  The bar changed their name again to The Park Sports Bar not long after Jon Taffer made all of the changes.  Lets take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for The Park Sports Bar since Bar Rescue came to their bar in 2010.

The Never Before Seen 'Bar Rescue' Pilot Airs Sunday

This Sunday on Spike TV, the first ever episode of Bar Rescue that was filmed will be airing for the first time on TV.  Jon Taffer is at a New Jersey bar, where the owner has a habit of kicking out both customers and employees.

Spike TV has been airing this 15 second ad for the show, and there has also been a lot of chatter on social media about it.  Many people thought that when they saw a "lost" Bar Rescue episode would be airing that it would be the Music City Mess episode.  That was the Bar Rescue episode that was pulled after the bar owner killed someone at the bar just days before it was scheduled to air.  That episode accidentally aired once on Spike TV, but has not aired since. 

So if you are interested in seeing the first ever Bar Rescue filmed and seeing how much has changed since, be sure to tune in to Spike TV this Sunday at 8pm ET.  As a bonus, you get to see Jon Taffer rocking bowling shirts (pictured) and with a little more hair on his head.  Look for the update for the bar appearing in the episode to be posted here on Sunday.

Bar Rescue - Houston Sports Hub (End Zone) Update

Tonight on the season finale of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Houston, Texas to try to rescue End Zone Sports Bar and Grill.  The bar and the kitchen in the End Zone is filthy and the beer they are serving the customers is sour.  The bar is owned by two "muscle-bound meatheads" who get in a fight with each other during the recon.  Two other female employees also get into a fight while the bar is under surveillance.  Despite all of the fighting, Jon Taffer still goes through with the rescue and makes over the bar.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, End Zone Sports Bar and Grill was renamed to Houston Sports Hub, and they seem to have kept the name.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Houston Sports Hub since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar:

O'Face's Liquor License Renewal Rejected By City Council

Last night at the Council Bluffs, Iowa City Council meeting, the O'Face bar was trying to get their liquor license renewed, and it was rejected by the city council by a vote of 3-2.  There were seven liquor license applications reviewed that night, and O'Face's was the only one rejected.

The three city council members who voted against the renewal said that O'Face's appearance on Bar Rescue put the city in a bad light, and the mayor agreed.  They said the city is suffering as a result of the show and the mayor has received emails from around the country telling him how embarrassing it was for the city.

The mayor told the owner Matthew Overmyer "I understand this is a reality show, but the depiction of this inaccuracy has caused irreparable harm to the city.  This sort of show concerns me that you would hold out this community in a false light.  We all make mistakes, but we have to pay for them.”

Matt said that he has gotten a lot of negative feedback from people and even death threats and apologized for putting Council Bluffs in a bad light.  He was quoted as saying the experience has "been nothing but hell."   Matt plans to appeal the council decision to try to keep his license.

I guess as Jon Taffer would say, SHUT IT DOWN!

The local news is at the bar tonight interviewing employees, so we will see what they have to say tonight after the story airs.  I will do an update to this post or do another post if there is anything interesting said.

(Nonpareilonline)

Bar Rescue - Thirsty's Roadside Bar (Mary's Outpost) Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Grand Prairie, Texas to try to rescue Mary's Outpost.  Mary's is a struggling dive bar with an owner who is handing out free drinks despite the fact that the bar is struggling.  The owner Bill also crosses the line with one of Jon Taffer's experts and tries to get girls to take their tops off in his back office.  He does this despite his wife working in the bar.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Mary's Outpost was renamed to Thirsty's Roadside Bar.  From the looks of their website/Facebook, it looks like they are going with a combination of the two and will not commit to one name.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Thirsty's Roadside Bar since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar:

Bar Rescue's Metal & Lace (Headhunters) Has Closed

Headhunters in Austin, Texas, which was on season 3 of Bar Rescue has closed.  When the bar appeared on Bar Rescue, it was renamed to Metal & Lace, and that name stuck for a bit, but looking at their Facebook page, it seems they reverted to Headhunters on all of their ads/flyers.

During the Headhunters episode, you may remember roaches in liquor bottles, the owner Steve Ricci clashing with Jon Taffer and also not paying his bartenders.  Jon didn't even say goodbye to him after he rescued his bar.

Last night, the Austin Chronicle is reporting that the door was locked and the staff was removing production gear from the stages.  When the owner Steve was asked for a comment he declined "citing legal reasons and a personal hatred for the Chronicle (“sucking cock backwards and only caring about themselves"), then asked me to leave".

Steve said he has nine locations he is considering for a future venue site, and there is speculation that there were issues with keeping his lease after the property was bought.  With Headhunters closing and moving out on the last day of the month, that speculation may be correct.

Looking at the public tax records for mixed beverage receipts in Texas, Headhunters claimed $598.77 in mixed beverage receipts in 2/2014 (in the 4-22 file).  For reference, other Bar Rescue bars in Texas had the following receipts for 2/2014 - The Brixton in Austin - $3204.54, and Bryant's Icehouse (Wildcatter) in Katy - $2258.10.

This is the 11th bar that has appeared on Bar Rescue to close, and the Bar Rescue Update Page has been updated with this information.

Bar Rescue - Taza (Oasis Hookah Bar) Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Omaha, Nebraska to try to rescue Oasis Hookah Bar.  When Jon gets there, he notices a bad odor and also bad behavior from the bar employees.  The odor is supposedly a dead rat and the bar is also serving "toxic" drinks to customers.  One of the "toxic" drinks makes a customer puke after just one sip.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Oasis Hookah Bar was renamed to Taza Nightclub.  The bar seems to be using both names and goes by Taza Nightclub/Oasis Hookah Bar.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Taza/Oasis since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar:

Bar Rescue - Pat's Cocktails - A Mixology Bar Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Valley Village, California to try to rescue Pat's Cocktails, which is a sports bar.  The bar manager is too busy "canoodling" in his bar to notice the things that are going on around him.  Jon Taffer gets one of the bartenders to help out with the recon, and gets her to give out tons of free drinks to customers in the bar to see if the manager notices, which he does not.  Jon will need to change how the manager operates to turn this bar around.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Pat's Cocktails was slightly renamed to Pat's Cocktails - A Mixology Bar.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Pat's Cocktails since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar:

Bar Rescue - Wildcatter Saloon (Bryant's Ice House) Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Katy, Texas to try to rescue Bryant's Ice House. The bar is a struggling biker bar owned by Jeff, a former tax accountant.  It is struggling due to a bad reputation and a dysfunctional staff.  One of the bartenders is so drunk and obnoxious, Jon Taffer threatens to "knock his ass out"

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Bryant's Ice House was renamed The Wildcatter Saloon.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for The Wildcatter Saloon since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar:

Is Bar Rescue Fake? - Lawsuit Says So

While Jon Taffer always claims that Bar Rescue is real and nothing is ever scripted, most people who watch the show feel otherwise.  Yesterday, a lawsuit was filed by Dr. Paul T Wilkes against Bongo LLC (a Bar Rescue production company), Jon Taffer, and his wife Nicole Taffer.  Paul was an owner of the Sand Dollar in Las Vegas, which was on season 3 of the show and renamed to Bar 702.  You may remember the episode titled as "Don't Mess With Taffer's Wife" where Jon gets mad that Paul was hitting on his wife.  The full lawsuit is here from Deadline, but here are some of the highlights that give a lot of insight into the Bar Rescue process:

Bar Rescue - The Shot Exchange (The Tailgate) Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Santa Clarita, California to try to rescue The Tailgate bar. The bar is owned by a dysfunctional family, which is causing most of the problems at the bar.  The dad aka Pops is an in your face type of guy who co-owns the bar with his son Matt and daughter Diane.  Some of the problems Jon encounters at the bar besides the family are the exterior, tacky dollar bills on the walls, money being counted on a cutting board, a kitchen fire, and raw chicken contamination in the kitchen.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, The Tailgate was renamed The Shot Exchange, and has a menu featuring 50 shots.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for The Shot Exchange since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar:

The Bar Rescue O'Face Fight Video - Where Did It Come From?

On a recent episode of Bar Rescue at O'Face Bar in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Jon Taffer decided to walk out on the bar and not do the rescue.  The breaking point was a video that Jon obtained of the owner Matt slapping one of his bartenders named Dave in the face, which was saved until the end of the episode.  This had many people wondering where Jon got the video and did he have the video all along?

First, lets look at what Jon Taffer had to say about the video:

• A fan recently asked Jon Taffer on Twitter: "how did you get the o’face bar footage of the fights at the end? Seemed really staged and fake"
• To which Jon responded: "Nothing is staged of faked on the show. That video came from someone who will remain unnamed."

So, Jon is going with an unnamed source for how they obtained the video.


Hit That Dive from Omaha was at the bar when the episode aired and followed up with a few interviews of the bar's employees. 

• I asked him to find out where Jon Taffer got the video of the slap.
• He later tweeted: "The "fight" between #ofacebar owner and his employee Dave was from their audition tape when #BarRescue wanted "MORE DRAMA". #Fake"
• Steve from Hit That Dive also commented on the original O'Face post regarding Matt slapping Dave, stating:  "I just got this from Amanda..."Steve that was a clip from our audition tape when they wanted "more drama". AKA...staged."

Hit That Dive is saying that through talking with employees, the video was from their audition tape for Bar Rescue.


Finally, Dave, who is the bartender on the episode that got slapped by Matt has responded to multiple people about it on his Facebook page, and here are some of his comments:

• Comment 1 - "We were all drunk for the show & that was our viewing for john taff to decide if he wanted to come or not the producers pushed us to have drama to influnce john to come . So really im gonna let someone slap me n not do nothing ha ha u know better. Thx mike ur good people also"
• Comment 2 about him not fighting back "Omg 4 real if you dont think 4 once i would not come back with a right hook if ever slapped? Come on 4 real"
• Comment 3 saying the fight was for show  - "Wow mike u have no reason to say that bout my boss didnt u read my post it was for show & he would never do that & mike if it did i can handle my own so no reason to have attitude towards him." 
• The owner Karen even weighed in saying, "What part don't people get that the fight wasn't real"

Dave said the producers pushed them to have drama so Jon would choose their bar to be rescued, and that the fight was not real. 

 
So that leaves everyone to form their own opinion on where the video came from and if it was real/fake.  

Here is mine.  When Bar Rescue comes to a city, they tell multiple bars they are under consideration and that Jon will be coming to 1 of the 3 bars (see question 3 in this link).  This probably encourages the bars to do things that they think will make for good TV in hopes of getting picked over the other bars.  Producers probably told this to O'Face, so they decided to stage not 1, but 2 fights in hopes of getting a free makeover.  This also lets Jon Taffer claim that nothing is scripted as they do not tell people what to do, but let them know they need to be interesting to be picked. 

The camera quality and sound quality on the video of Matt slapping Dave is pretty good and not too shaky as you normally see on regular Youtube videos.  Also, there is no reaction from the camera operator filming this fight (no narration or "Ohhhhh") and the other people besides Bryan in the video don't react either.  So, I will buy that it was staged and assume that Bar Rescue producers are the ones that filmed the fight.  I don't think there was an "unnamed source" that provided Jon with the video of this.  Whether Jon knew about this fight the first day or found out later could be debated I guess, but you would assume he would have known.  

If you look at the additional videos of O'Face on the Spike website like this one, you will see that Jon was genuinely giving them advice, so I don't think the bar was being used to be walked out on.  I think maybe Jon got fed up with everyone after dealing with them for 4 days, and used the fight video that they had as the excuse to stop helping them.



*If you are interesting in watching the video of the slap again, fast forward to 37:15 on the episode at the Spike website (warning - it will make you watch 5 commercials first).

Bar Rescue - Agave Junction Cantina (Scoreboard 2) Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Norwalk, California to try to rescue the Scoreboard 2 Sports Bar.  The bar is suffering from ownership issues as well as an undertrained staff.  When Jon gets to the bar, he finds a filthy kitchen, bugs in the bar and liquor, as well as expired margarita mix.  He threatens to walk out again if the kitchen is not cleaned by the time he arrives the second day.  He doesn't walk out, and during the Bar Rescue makeover, the Scoreboard 2 Sports Bar was renamed Agave Junction Cantina.

Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Agave Junction Cantina since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar.

Bar Rescue - O'Face Bar Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Council Bluffs, Iowa to try to rescue the O'Face Bar.  This is the second of three Omaha area Bar Rescue's that will air this season.  The episode is called "Punch-Drunk and Trailer-Trashed" and says that Jon tries to help a feuding and dysfunctional family.  If you follow Jon Taffer, Bar Rescue, or Spike TV on social media, you already know they are hyping this up as an episode where Jon Taffer walks out on the bar.  And the hype is real as he does end up walking out on this bar, meaning no name change or anything.

Let's take a look at some information, updates and drama behind the O'Face Bar Rescue makeover and see what made Jon Taffer walk out on them.

Bar Rescue Renewed for Another 20 Episodes

Photo - Spike TV

Just two episodes into this season, Spike TV has already renewed Bar Rescue for another season and has ordered an additional 20 episodes.  The new season will begin sometime in the fall and the network decided to renew it because of the great ratings it brings.

Spike TV is officially calling the current season the 3rd season, so the additional 20 episodes will be the 4th season.  I'm not sure why they are considering these new episodes as the third season, meaning the third season has 40 episodes in it.  The update page on this site has the episodes broken up a bit different, but I will keep it as it is for now.

As always, come here to see the updates on how the bars are doing and the drama that comes with each episode.  There is information here that you will not know from watching the episodes and many times people from the episodes end up posting in the comments.

Here is the official press release from Spike TV:

"Spike TV Orders Fourth Season of “Bar Rescue”

SPIKE TV ORDERS A FOURTH SEASON OF “BAR RESCUE”

Network Greenlights 20 More Episodes of Network’s Highly Rated Series

 Starring Jon Taffer 

New York, NY, March 21, 2014 – Spike TV has greenlit 20 more episodes of the network’s popular original series, “Bar Rescue” starring renowned bar and nightlife expert Jon Taffer.  From the producers of ABC’s “Extreme Weight Loss” and Syfy’s “Opposite Worlds,” the series follows Taffer as he utilizes his nearly three decades of experience in the restaurant, bar and nightclub business to help give failing establishments one last chance to transform themselves into profitable businesses.
The new season will debut on Spike TV this fall.

“Bar Rescue” is among Spike TV’s original series that have successfully managed to broaden the network’s audience base. A new batch of original episodes (part of season three) kicked off on Sunday, March 9 at 9:00pm ET/PT, and have averaged 1.8 million viewers and improved the timeslot by a staggering +173% with Adults 18-49 and +131% with total viewers.

In “Bar Rescue,” Taffer travels nationwide, targeting a different failing establishment in each episode.  His approach may ruffle feathers along the way, but Taffer pulls no punches and values bottom lines above hurt feelings.  Owners and employees he believes are standing in the way of success are urged to check their egos at the door while he employs a proven scientific approach to solving the problems befalling bars.

“Bar Rescue” is produced by Eyeworks USA and Executive Producers JD Roth, Todd A. Nelson, DJ Nurre, Tim Warren and Jon Taffer.

Sharon Levy is Spike TV’s Executive Vice President, Original Series, Chris Rantamaki is Senior Vice President of Original Series for Spike TV, and Justin Lacob, Vice President of Original Series, serves as the network’s Executive in Charge of Production.

Taffer will also be featured in the new Spike TV series, “Hungry Investors,” premiering in May. With Eyeworks USA producing, Taffer teams up with acclaimed celebrity chef and author John Besh and “Top Chef All-Star” Tiffany Derry, to seek out “diamonds in the rough” — establishments that are struggling, despite having amazing potential to succeed.

Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks.  A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.  Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

Bar Rescue - Johnson County Line (KC's Bar) Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Merriam, Kansas to try to rescue KC's Neighborhood Bar & Grill.  KC's has drunk owners, bartenders who do not care, and a raccoon that makes an appearance in the bar.  During the Bar Rescue makeover, KC's Neighborhood Bar & Grill  was renamed Johnson County Line Bar, which is the county in Kansas the bar resides in.  That name did not stick long, as they still go by KC's bar.

Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates of KC's Bar since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar.