Monday, January 19, 2015

New Bar Rescue Episodes Start February 8th

Photo - Facebook
Here is just an update to remind you that New Bar Rescue episodes will begin on Sunday, February 8th.  The Bar Rescue Facebook page posted the picture on the right confirming the start of more new episodes.

I am not sure if this will still be considered season 4 of Bar Rescue, but whatever season they classify it as, expect 10 more new episodes.  There have been episodes shot in Miami, Florida and San Francisco, CA, so expect those to show up on this season.

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.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

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  • Their website is no longer active.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.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

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.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

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:

Sunday, December 7, 2014

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:

Sunday, November 23, 2014

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:

Sunday, November 16, 2014

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:

Friday, November 14, 2014

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.

Sunday, November 9, 2014

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:

Sunday, November 2, 2014

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:

Sunday, October 26, 2014

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:

Sunday, October 19, 2014

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:

Sunday, October 12, 2014

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:


Sunday, October 5, 2014

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:

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

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.

Friday, September 26, 2014

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.


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.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

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.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

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.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

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.

Sunday, June 22, 2014

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.