Natalie's Bar and Grill (Skip and Jan's) - Bar Rescue Update

Photo - Facebook

In the season 9 premiere episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Gilbert, Arizona to rescue Skip and Jan's Sports Grill.  The bar is owned by Natalie Phyllis who originally worked at the bar and then decided to purchase it with her husband. Natalie had to step away from the bar for a bit due to a divorce and the bar has gone downhill with no leadership.  During recon, Jon thinks the kitchen is one of the worst he has ever seen.  The fryers are filthy and there are cockroaches in the kitchen.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to change the name of Skip and Jan's to Natalie's Bar and Grill and the bar has kept the name. Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Natalie's Bar and Grill since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):

Oak Tavern (Bullpen) Owner from Bar Rescue Charged With Murder - Bar is Closed

Danny Serafini, who appeared on season 4 (3rd set) of Bar Rescue was arrested in October 2023 and charged with the murder of his father-in-law.  There was a shooting in 2021 that left his father-in-law dead and his mother-in-law severely wounded.  The case went cold for a few years until police arrested Danny Serafini and Samantha Scott who was his former nanny.  Video surveillance of the father-in-law's home showed a hooded man wearing a face covering and a backpack prior to the killing.

Danny and Samantha waived their right to a speedy trial and the preliminary hearing is not set to begin until May 2024.  It is not clear what additional evidence the police have against the two, but that will be revealed in court and a judge will decide if the case should move forward.  Many assume money was a motive, but we will have to see what the evidence reveals. Both Danny and Samantha have pleaded not guilty in the case.

Danny's wife Erin and her sister Adrienne have apparently been battling in court over the family inheritance. Erin has accused Adrienne of elder abuse and claimed that she manipulated their mother when she was vulnerable after the shooting.  Adrienne filed a wrongful death lawsuit accusing her sister Erin of involvement in her parents' deaths, along with Danny.  It appears this is a messy situation overall and we will have to see how everything plays out.

You may recall from the Bar Rescue episode that Danny was a former MLB pitcher and was once suspended 50 games for testing positive for steroids. During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer renamed his bar from The Bullpen at Aspen Glen to Oak Tavern and the bar did keep the name (link to detailed update).  Oak Tavern appeared on the show in 2015 and it appears they closed sometime around early 2022 based on online reviews.  Oak Tavern has been marked as 'Closed' on the Bar Rescue Updates Page. 

This is now the 2nd time an owner that has appeared on Bar Rescue has been charged with murder.  The owner of Pit and Barrel was convicted of murder after shooting somebody in his bar (Link).  The murder happened shortly before the Pit and Barrel episode was to air and Spike TV tried to remove the episode, but mistakenly aired the encore episode.

Leia's (The Grant Bar) From Bar Rescue Has Closed

Leia's (formerly The Grant Bar) in Tracy, California, which appeared on season 7 of Bar Rescue has closed. The bar closed in May 2022 when Tracy City Council voted to revoke the permit that allowed Leia's to stay open after 11pm.  Rather than operate a bar that had to close at 11pm, owners D.J. Miller and Tammy Ramirez decided to close.

Tracy City Council voted 4-0 to revoke the license citing a bar where there were always fights and bouncers used excessive force. In a local article, the police department listed incidents that included: "one where a patron was hit in the face with a sharp object, requiring 140 stitches, people injured in fights or while being ejected from the bar after causing trouble, and a 2020 incident that involved a man reportedly stabbing others, including a bar employee, during a fight at the bar. He was pursued to a nearby hotel by another patron and was beaten to unconsciousness. The victim was taken to a hospital and later succumbed to his injuries." The police officer at the council meeting said, "That is a homicide. That’s about as serious as it gets."  The suspect in that case plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter (Link). 

The police also found footage that showed a security guard working at the bar firing his firearm while trying to disperse an unruly crowd. This wasn't reported to police and was only discovered while reviewing surveillance video for another investigation.

Leia's owners D.J. Miller and Tammy Ramirez agreed there was trouble at their bar, but thought it was nothing out of the ordinary for a place with crowds and alcohol. They said they always cooperated with police and their bouncers were never charged with anything.  However, this did not sway the Tracy City Council in their vote.

The Grant Bar first appeared on Bar Rescue in April 2020 and the bar was renovated by the show in September 2019 where it was renamed Leia's (Link to update).  The bar did keep the new name up until it closed in May 2022.  The Leia's website and Facebook page have been deactivated and Leia's has been marked as 'Closed' on the Bar Rescue Updates page. 

New Season of Bar Rescue Starts February 25th

It was announced today that new Bar Rescue episodes will return to Paramount Network on Sunday, February 25th with season 9 of the show starting.  Jon Taffer made the announcement on social media and Variety also had an article about the upcoming season.  Some of the locations for the upcoming season include Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Texas, and Wisconsin.  A preview of season 9 of Bar Rescue is below:

As always, I will have updates for each of the bars that appear on the show, so make sure to visit the website after each episode airs.