The GW (G. Willicker's Bar) - Bar Rescue Update

In this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Arlington, Texas to rescue G Willicker's Bar.  G Willicker's was opened by Clarence Grider and the bar was initially a success.  Then in 2019, Clarence passed away and left the bar to his widow.  Just a year after that, his widow passed away, which left the bar in the hands of Clarence's three daughters.  Without any experience running a bar, the problems at the bar began to mount and the bar is supposedly losing over $100,000 a month. 

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to keep the name of G. Willicker's Bar and added a sign that said, 'The GW.'  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for G Willicker's since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):





Positive Reviews:

• "Fantastic place. Went for Wrestlemania weekend. The bartender, owners, regulars were extremely friendly. Will definitely come back when in Arlington. Great drinks at a great price. Bartender hand made of lead, so drinks are a lil strong and I have no problems with that at all."
• "I would give 10 stars if I could. My buddy and I found this random place waiting to go to the Stadium and it was perfect. Dark, worn inn, great drinks, and the regulars/owners there were unbelievably nice. They even fed us for free! Will definitely be back. To Carmen, Casey, and Carrie, many more years of stressful success, and I can't wait to watch this place on Bar Rescue!! Cheers"
• "It's a family-run operation ,everybody there is a professional. From the hardworking owners who have carried on in honoring their father and mother's traditions. Its a hidden gem not to be missed."
• "Had a real blast here! The drinks were great, the staff was attentive. It almost had a, "Cheers" feel to it. I'll definitely be back!!"
• "Really great atmosphere and super drink specials. Loved the new look and the staff was amazing! Enjoyed the talented karaoke as well."
• "Great place to hangout with the homies & sing your favorite jams. Great bar service & chill place for drinks."

Negative Reviews:

• "This place is dangerous. Disgusting. Very rude with terrible customer service. Very discriminatory. Two of my friends were groped here and one was physically assaulted. The bartenders drink behind the bar and started a physical altercation....Not friendly for women or POC, specifically."

*Reviews from Yelp, Google

Other News and Links:

• The Bar Rescue for G. Willicker's happened in November 2021.
• Here is a preview video of the episode from the Bar Rescue Facebook page.
• Here is the G. Willicker's website and Facebook page. Also, here is their Instagram.
• Their new website was launched right before the episode aired.
• The bar is having a watch party for the episode at the bar with a champagne toast.
• The bar is open every day from noon until 2am. 
• Here are the Facebook pages of Carmen (co-owner), Caseye (co-owner), Carrie (co-owner), Sandy (bartender), Michelle (bartender)
• Here are the reviews for G. Willicker's from Yelp and Google.
• In a local article about the upcoming episode, Carmen, Caseye and Carrie said Bar Rescue contacted them and they thought their episode was a little different from what they have seen on the show.  Despite not being able to say anything about the episode until after it airs, they said, "Bar Rescue helped heal some of the strain owning the bar has put on relationships, reinvigorate the sisters and set the bar up for a long and prosperous future."  Caseye also said that the show visiting after the pandemic was a saving grace.
• Based on public records of mixed beverage gross receipts, G. Willicker's has its highest total receipts ever ($71,469) in January 2022.  Other months are usually in the $30,000 range. (Link)
• UPDATE - Right after the episode aired, G. Willicker's thanked Jon Taffer and said, "Jon Taffer thank you so much to you and your whole team for giving us the tools we need to carry on our father's legacy! The whole experience was amazing beginning to end! We are confident we have a bright future ahead for G Willickers Pub!"

Conclusion:

Jon Taffer decided to keep the name of G. Willicker's Bar and added a sign that said 'The GW.'  The reviews since the makeover are mostly positive with a lot of people complimenting the staff and atmosphere.  In an interview about the upcoming episode, Carmen, Caseye and Carrie said the Bar Rescue visit has invigorated them and the show coming to the bar was a saving grace.  So, they seem happy with the makeover and are also having a watch party at the bar to celebrate the episode airing.  It seems based on public records that their gross receipts for beverages were the highest ever just a few months after the Bar Rescue makeover.

*To see how all of the bars from Bar Rescue are doing, go to the Bar Rescue Updates page, and also Like us on Facebook or Follow Us on Twitter to stay up to date with all things involving Bar Rescue.