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:
Positive Reviews:
- "You need to come to Soyo! Nice and chill atmosphere, tasty drinks. Ask for Blue! He's the man!"
- "In short the location is designed very well with a great city vibe, the scampi wing are still my favorite. This bar has good food , an average city decor by Manhattan standards. A great local taste of craft cocktails in Yonkers"
- "The Main Quesadilla Burger was probably one of the best burgers I've ever had....Although it was a bit loud, we had a really good time and will definitely be coming back soon!"
- "Made my way to the Soft Opening & Grand Opening. It is very upscale, the new menu is great, and The "Eclectic Blue" is the best Craft Drink on the menu. Bar Rescue did a great job with the renovations, plus Kiko & Brian (Owners) are adamant about keeping it this way. Congrats."
- "Bartender was completely horrible. Babbled on and on about nothing, and completely forgot about the drinks she was in the process of making. It sat it a glass for 10 min In front us unfinished until she stopped flirting with the guy next to us and realized that she never finished our drinks. Food was amazing. Ordered another drink and she totally blew us off cause she was busy trying to take the guy next to us home. We complimented the chefs on our way out but will never go there again because of the horrible bartender."
- "We sat down and ordered, and waited for our drinks and food. The Drinks came fast, but that was the only good thing. The food came, well some of it. My girlfriend didn't get to eat because not only did her food not come, but the waitress decided to NEVER COME BACK TO MY TABLE....I suggest not going there, it hasn't changed,and I really wish it would. They need new staff or they need to sell the place because Jon Taffer or not, this place is going under."
Other News and Links:
- Here are two preview videos of the episode (titled "Thugs With Mugs") that show bad bar food being served and the cheap liquor being sold as top shelf liquor which sets off a "brawl." (Link)
- Here is the So Yo Craft Bar website with menu, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook page. So Yo stands for South Yonkers.
- Here is a YouTube video of the owner Brian talking about the new bar and he seems to be stressing the fresh ingredients. He also has an Air Jordan T-shirt with a chain on, while the dress code requires a collared shirt.
- Below is a 4-minute YouTube video of Brian and Miguel talking about the changes, and they seem to be happy with all of the changes, and feel hopeful about the future of the bar.
- So Yo is already offering multiple deals on Restaurant.com (Link)
- Here are the Facebook pages of Brian (owner), Miguel (owner), Sylvia (bartender), and Blue (bartender).
- Sylvia said she "use to work there" referring to the bar, so it appears she is no longer there.
- The mayor of Yonkers hosted a grand re-opening and ribbon cutting ceremony outside of the bar shortly after the makeover. (Link)
Conclusion:
The reviews of So Yo Craft Bar are mostly positive with people liking the new change in atmosphere as well as the food; however there were a few complaints about the service. The owners seem excited about the changes and are sticking with the craft cocktail concept installed by Bar Rescue. The city of Yonkers seems to have support for the bar with the mayor showing up for a grand re-opening ceremony.
UPDATE 8/2015 - In August 2015, a man was shot several times in the torso outside of So Yo Craft Bar (Link).
UPDATE 8/2016 - SoYo Craft bar is currently listed for sale for $150,000. There have been 65 visits by police to the bar for various reasons between July 2015 and April 2016. There were 17 arrests and six were for felonies. (Link)
UPDATE 3/2018 - SoYo Craft Bar is now closed - More info on the closure.
*To see how all of the bars from Bar Rescue are doing, go to the Bar Rescue Update page, and also Like us on Facebook or Follow Us on Twitter to stay up to date with all things involving Bar Rescue.
Something about this episode bothered me. I know bars are all about making money and such, but the idea seemed to be to exclude poor black people (or as Taffer kept calling them, 'thugs') in favor of rich white people. Is it just me? Was I reading too far into it?
ReplyDeleteI think "thugs" come in all colors, and any business prefers people with money (again, people with money come in all colors too).
ReplyDeleteI think the goal in running a business is to make money - that's all I saw - was Jon trying to get the clientele who is going to make the owners the most money
ReplyDeleteI have been watching Rescue for a very long time and this is the one episode that rubbed me the wrong way Jon was so disingenuous when he blamed the owners for putting his people he cares about his crew in danger. If he was so concerned why in Gods name would you incite a bar full of "thugs" as he calls them by telling the entire bar that they were being cheated by the owners what did he think would happen. Hopefully this is just one example of his putting show drama in front of the safety of his crew
ReplyDeleteNo surprise the fight was started by Obama's sons. Worse are white guys trying to be thugs.
ReplyDeleteWiggers only thing worse then ninjas
ReplyDeleteIf I was at the bar when he said it i would be pissed to the hilt but there was no reason for the other customers to go after the crew. The owners maybe but not the crew. Also as stated most of the patrons were friends of the owners who were giving them free drinks. So whatever little profit they are trying to make is going right out the door.
ReplyDeleteThe people he was referring to as thugs were the freeloading friends of the owner. As long as they were getting free drinks they could care less about the paying customers.
ReplyDeleteThe "thugs" he was talking about were clearly the folks who were quick to start a fight..and those who cheered them on...thugs...
ReplyDeleteIt looked to me like it was mostly (if not all) white guys that were getting violent...
Yes, you are reading too much into it. Undesirables come in all colors, shapes and sizes. The drunk, MORON owner seemed hellbent on admitting every single one hhanging on the street. No good for business.
ReplyDeleteI too have been watching Bar Rescue since its conception. You should also know that I rarely post comments unless I feel strongly about something. With a background in running bars in big cites, and over 20 years in hospitality, I cringed when Jon Taffer came out of the basement and shared with the entire bar that the owners have been ripping them off. Right away, after having read the crowd, I knew exactly what that would lead to, and it did. Through his comments, he basically incited a riot which put the staff and his crew at risk. I was surprised, with his experience, that he blamed the bar for what had happened when he obviously lit the fuse.
ReplyDeleteThey ripped stuff off the walls and got the no drinking owner to get intoxicated.its all a show. Taffeta response "Pretty good if you thought it was real".
ReplyDeleteHow do politics fall into this matter? Also, why is it every time I go on a forum now, and someone brings up politics when there is no political talk going on?
ReplyDeleteI'm a fan of Bar Rescue. I've seen every episode of it other than the missing Pit and Barrel episode, most of them multiple times. This episode, however, I have no interest in watching again. I'm a total amateur, and have never been to a bar, and I still would know better than to shout out at the crowd (many of which are drunk) that they are getting ripped off by the owners. Jon Taffer should have known better, and blaming the owners for the riot that ensued seemed like a great example of blame-shifting on his part. The owners may have supplied the fuel for the bomb, but Jon Taffer lit the fuse.
ReplyDeleteJon Taffer is always telling the bar owners to take responsibility for their actions. When is Taffer going to take responsibility for his instead of shifting it?
I too have seen most, if not all of the episodes for Bar Rescue. I know most reality shows are more scripted than not, etc. but with B. R., I've always been able to overlook it for the sake of entertainment. In this one though, it just seemed way too sensationalized, and over the top, to be enjoyable. jon especially. The over the top yelling, trashing the kitchen, inciting the riot, etc...it was all a little too much for me. I think jon is getting a little too big for his britches with the way he produces the show. He tries to make himself seem like a God of makeover shows or something lol I think Gordon Ramsey already has that market coverd, sorry jon! Lol
ReplyDeleteI used to really enjoy te show, but there, IMO, seems to be more ego stroking than anything else in The most recent season/episodes. I never took the show too seriously, so it was fun. ive read the stories about what Jon does or looks for in "recruiting" locales and owners...lots of us are in on the fairytale, except for maybe him? Lol sad to say I'll bevtaking it off my DVR schedule.
PS -- totally random, but does anyone who watches WWE, think that Jon is Paul Heyman's doppelgänger? Lolol
I saw thugs of every color. The opening of soyo I saw white, blacks and Latino. I don't know what are you talking about
ReplyDeleteBecause is illegal to switch liquors and the customer have the right to know. If the customers were trash and went crazy is not bar rescue fault
ReplyDeleteRight, because people who have been drinking at a bar all night ALWAYS make rational decisions, right? {{-_-}}
ReplyDeleteAnd what exactly were the customers supposed to do with all that knowledge? If you're in a bad neighborhood and you're saying that to a bar full of drunken thugs, you should already know they're not just going to just walk out. {{-_-}}
ReplyDeleteIf I invite you to my home, and one of my friends punches you in the face, you'd look at me the next day wondering why I would invite you to a hostile environment. They 'shot the messenger' by attacking the Bar Rescue crew because Taffer informed the cutomers they were being ripped off. That's not a reason to react violently.
ReplyDeleteI'm not arguing that the crowd reacted badly. I'm not arguing that the owners were partially to blame for having a crowd that reacted that badly.
ReplyDeleteHOWEVER, Jon Taffer, with all of his experience, should have known better than to go into a crowd that he'd already identified as being a rough crowd and tell them they were being screwed over. Jon Taffer was just as much to blame as the owners, if not moreso, but Taffer put the entire blame on the owners, painting himself and his crew as a victim.
I grew up in this area and I can tell the THUGS he is referring to (and well deserving of the name) are the gang members in the area. SOUTH YONKERS especially Walburton Ave is known for gang violence. I lived in Yonkers for 37 years.
ReplyDeleteI agree Rafael!
ReplyDeleteI am thankful that I live in the boonies and we don't have to deal with all this!
ReplyDeleteDid you see the people at the beginning? They were thugs of all races. And I'm sure people of all races who enjoy craft cocktails are now welcome. It might exclude poor people who can't afford the drinks, but that is just a business decision - keep the place a little more classy. I'm sure the thugs still have their places to go. And if you equate that classification with poor black people, I find that kind of racist and presumptuous.
ReplyDelete"And what exactly were the customers supposed to do with all that knowledge? "
ReplyDeleteHow about not going there anymore? That's not good for business. People who are getting free drinks don't care because they are not paying for it.
The problem with people like them is if they have nothing intelligent to say they bring up Obama. If their toilet gets stuffed up or they get hit by a bus it's Obama's fault. These are people who watch fux fake news.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't Obama it was your mama.
ReplyDeleteI've been to this bar before and after. Was a dive with poor food. Nothing stood out. Now much nicer. Yonkers in that area needs something nice, hope it sticks. To have a bar on that block close to that corner ......takes balls. Not easy!
ReplyDeleteI also met the bartender China she said it was very real.
ReplyDeleteThat is a valid point. It is just getting annoying coming on to forums and seeing this bull when no one else brought it up.
ReplyDeleteI worked at this location and John Taffer to me knows the bar and its knowledge to a science ... I know South Yonkers has potential to bring the soho feel into Westcheste . I felt undisputed was in the equator of south n north ... the crowd we use to have is no longer its more a upscale n mature crowd ...which the crowd is better and the food is excellent. ..I wish the business much success
ReplyDeleteHe may have lit the fuse but that place was a powder keg just waiting to explode. In this case with the way the owners were running things that place would have imploded. I agree that not every place Taffer has rescued survived. I know of at least 2 that closed within weeks after the show aired. The owners felt that if the new change was making money they could go back to what they were before. The producers of Bar Rescue have spent many thousands of dollars to overhaul and rehabilitate these places. One of the worst owners was Piratz in Silver Spring Maryland. After the show aired they were making money hand over fist and within a month they reverted back to the dive that they were. John had an automated drink dispenser where you were issued a card and you could select a varity of adult beverages. They were worth close to $100,000. The owner sold them claiming that it was in violation of some law in Montgomery County Maryland. Not true. They were sold off on E-bay for $60,00 . http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g41378-d1526650-Reviews-Piratz_Tavern-Silver_Spring_Maryland.html
ReplyDeleteYour ignorant and must be a white republican who thinks that your government was before Obama, Bush put is a huge deficit and Reagan had the highest unemployment rate of all president. Learn your history before you write or speak which is not a great one.
ReplyDeleteYou mean fake news like MSNBC, CNN, CBS, NBC..the list goes on, all of them liberal/democrat lapdogs.
ReplyDeleteIf it had been Republicans being hammered in "this matter", you would have been agreeing and cheering it on. But, it's Obama, and it's the truth, so it's terrible. smh
^^^^ Ignorant and illiterate. Typical Obama voter.
ReplyDeleteIgnorant and illiterate. Typical Right wind Tea Bagger
ReplyDeleteWow talk about being ignorant. The number ONE so called network for fake news is FOX. Funny how one of their lowest rated personalities makes headlines worldwide they totally ignore it. That's right The pig who wears lipstick and her daughters get in the a brawl at a party in Alaska and it's headline news. Not one mention on Fox.What a nice christian family values they have. Bristol has a child out of wedlock and now her 20 year old daughter gets in to a drunken brawl. Last I knew the legal age to drink in Alaska is 21.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah thats right what has all this got to do with Bar Rescue?
You're not a true American. A racist asswipe perhaps, but rather unAmerican if anything...
ReplyDeleteThank your for the positive comment. Everyone seems to forget the great outcome....the employees and guests are safe and the bar looks wonderful. I took something totally different out of this episode. I have to say that the staff was the most wonderful and amazing staff ever, and I have seen a lot of the shows. The owners took responsibility and made sure the bar rescue was a success. I just watched the show.....must have been a rerun.....and this is the first time I have ever commented. This rescue was amazing mostly due to the incredible staff.....I wish them all the best in the future.....as any business owner would be blessed to have employees like them.....they truly are like family.
ReplyDeleteAgree 100%. A lot of people seem really turned off by this episode, but it's one of my favorites. Biggest thing that jumped out to me was how engaged the staff and owners were. You know that lots of things in reality TV are exaggerated if not predetermined altogether, but that staff being so pumped up about the reno, the drinks, the food, it truly came across as people that genuinely felt like their fortunes have turned. Doesn't surprise me one bit they're commited to the changes. Truly wish them all the success in the world, would love to see a revisit in 6 months to see how things are going.
ReplyDeleteIt is Yonkers, people... and ALL the Tri State area, ALL USA, ALL North America, ALL Latin America and the WHOLE world, has good persons and bad... The diversity is constructive where there is education, and destructive there there is not. I am Mexican, I like to make jokes on my people with my American, German and Indian friends, and we all laugh out loud about it... and that gives an intro about jokes on them! But, with respect because we have an education, and parents, or had parents and we decided to take the best from them and develop it for the better. So, a bar here, a bar there... it IS alcohol, and that wakes up unconsciousness and lack of awareness in all of us, not mattering status, preferences, etc. That is it! :)
ReplyDeleteI must say I saw some sexy bartenders there I may have to pay that place a visit :p
ReplyDelete