Bar Rescue - The Royal Oaks Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Youngstown, Ohio to try to rescue The Royal Oaks bar.  The bar is the oldest bar in Youngstown and also doubles as a BBQ joint.  The owners are two feuding brothers who are driving away customers with their obnoxious behavior.  This obnoxious behavior also gets Jon Taffer pretty heated when he confronts them.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, they decided to keep the name the same and it still goes by The Royal Oaks.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for The Royal Oaks since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):

Bar Rescue - Way Point Saloon (Molly Malone's) Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Ramona, California to try to rescue Molly Malone's.  The bar is supposedly losing $6,000 a month.  During the recon, the bartenders are bickering and the owner Bob does nothing about it.  Bob's fiance is also contemplating leaving him due to the failing bar.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Molly Malone's was renamed to Way Point Saloon.  They seem to have kept the name, but still use both names to refer to their bar.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Way Point Saloon/Molly Malone's since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):

Bar Rescue - La Luz Ultra Lounge (Club Caribe) Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Bonita, California to try to rescue Club Caribe.  The bar is owned by a womanizing owner and his enraged wife actually shows up during the episode to serve him divorce papers.  The bar is also filthy and there are more bugs found in their liquor bottles than any other bar that has been on Bar Rescue.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Club Caribe was renamed to La Luz Ultra Lounge and they have kept the new name of the bar.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for La Luz Ultra Lounge since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):

Bar Rescue - Back To The Bar Delusional Owners Updates

Photo - Spike

Tonight on Bar Rescue is a Bar To The Bar special that will visit Taza Nightclub, Headhunters, Dimples, and 22 Klicks.  The special is revisiting "delusional owners" and here is a preview of the episode.  Below are links of updates for each of the bars appearing on the show if you are interested in more details than what is on the show.

Taza Nightclub - Here is the detailed update for Taza and after the show the bar had issues with their liquor license as they needed to have hookah for the license.  Also,  they had their liquor license under review due to a fight and there was also a shooting that occurred outside of the bar.   I would expect this one to be a failure on the show.

Headhunters/Metal & Lace - Headhunters closed in April of 2014, so not sure why they tried to go back to the bar so long after they closed. This will definitely be a failure on the show.

Dimples - Dimples closed in April of this year, and it was torn down to build condos and a Whole Foods.  I would expect this one to be a failure as it is closed, but we shall see.

22 Klicks - There is no detailed update on this bar, but the reviews have been pretty good.  Also, owner Todd Harr was at this years Nightclub & Bar Convention (Link) with Jon Taffer, so expect this one to be a success.  A lot of the 'Back to The Bar' successes have appeared at Jon Taffer's Nightclub & Bar Convention (Sorties, Moonrunners, Spirits on Bourbon, 22 Klicks) , so I would say Bar Rescue knows they are a success or not before they send in spies.  This one will probably be a success on the show.



*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.

Bar Rescue - The Study Lounge (Myerz Pourhouse) Update

Photo - Facebook

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in El Cajon, California to try to rescue Myerz Pourhouse.  The bar is just outside of San Diego and is supposedly haunted and struggling.  Jon Taffer brought in two podcasters this week to help with the recon of this bar.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Myerz Pourhouse was renamed to The Study Lounge and they have kept the new name of the bar.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for The Study Lounge since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):

Ele Lounge From Bar Rescue Has Closed

Ele Lounge in Hollywood, Florida, which was featured on Bar Rescue in March 2015 has closed.  A reader that is local to the area let me know that it was closed and provided pictures of what the building currently looks like.

Here is the bar right after the makeover from the Bar Rescue makeover:

 

Here are the pictures of what the bar currently looks like - provided by reader William Grimaldi

Exterior with paper over the windows:

Photo - William Grimaldi

Interior, which is pretty much gutted:

Photo - William Grimaldi

Photo - William Grimaldi

There was no official announcement of the closure, so I am not sure what happened, but if I get more information, this post will be updated.  People were posting current pictures to the Ele Lounge Facebook page in early August, but it appears sometime after August 3rd, 2015 that the bar closed.

The bar kept the name and changes provided by Bar Rescue, but also hired back someone who was fired on the show and the bartenders continued to dance for tips (as stated in the original update).  This bar closed just 5 months after being on the show and less than a year after their makeover (Nov. 2014).  The Bar Rescue Update page has been updated to show this bar as 'Closed.'

Bar Rescue - BR Steak (Pro's Sports Bar) Update

Photo - BR Steak

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Country Club Hills, Illinois to try to rescue Pro's Sports Bar & Grill.  The bar is just outside of Chicago and has a management heavy staff that disrespects its owner.  Jon Taffer brought in Dan aka Big Cat from Barstool Sports to help him with the recon of this bar, and the drink he was made during recon had about 7 ounces of liquor.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Pro's Sports Bar & Grill was renamed to BR Steak and they have kept the new name of the bar.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for BR Steak since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):

Man Fatally Stabbed Outside Bar Rescue's Racks Billiards & Bourbon

Photo - Spike

A man was fatally stabbed outside Racks Billiards & Bourbon in Corona, California late on Sunday night.  Police were called to the bar for a reported stabbing, and when they arrived they found a man with a non-threatening stab wound.  That man was taken to the hospital and while the police were investigating the scene, they found another stabbing victim who was already dead when police discovered him.  Police did arrest a suspect and took him into custody for questioning (Link).

Racks Billiards & Bourbon was featured on season 1 of Bar Rescue and before Jon Taffer changed the name, it was called Angel's Sports Bar.  It was the first episode ever to air of Bar Rescue.

This is the third murder to happen at a bar affiliated with Spike's Bar Rescue. In November 2013, a man was fatally shot outside of Second Base Bar & Grill from season 2.  Also, the bar owner of Pit and Barrell murdered a man inside of the bar a few days before the episode was supposed to air on Spike.  Spike TV meant to remove the episode from airing, but mistakenly aired an encore.

There have also been shootings outside of Taza Nightclub in Omaha and So Yo Craft Bar in Yonkers (just happened last week), so be careful out there.

UPDATE - Rack's Billiards & Bourbon closed in 2018 and the building had a fire in 2019 - More information.

Bar Rescue - Pacific Coast Wine Bar (Brix Sunset Beach) Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Sunset Beach, California to try to rescue Brix Sunset Beach. Brix Sunset Beach is a wine bar with an eccentric owner Rick Reich, who is too busy being the life of the party to notice his business is failing.  During the recon, the spies get him to open multiple bottles of wine to sample without buying any, which probably cost Rick hundreds of dollars.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Brix Sunset Beach was renamed to Pacific Coast Wine Bar, however the bar has already gone back to its old name of Brix Sunset Beach.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Brix Sunset Beach since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):

Bar Rescue - Panic Room Bar (Tonic Lounge) Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Portland, Oregon to try to rescue Tonic Lounge.  The Tonic Lounge is a failing music venue that has ants and bugs all over the kitchen when Bar Rescue visits.  Jon Taffer needs to motivate the inattentive owner of the bar in hopes of turning it around.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Tonic Lounge was renamed to Panic Room Bar and it appears the bar has kept their new name.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Panic Room Bar since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):

Bar Rescue - Menara (The Palace Lounge) Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Upland, California to try to rescue The Palace Lounge.  The Palace Lounge is a Moroccan bar that seems to have an identity crisis and problems with authenticity.  Jon Taffer has brought in actors from Spike TV's mini-series Tut to help him do recon on the bar.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, The Palace Lounge was renamed to Menara, however it appears the bar has gone back to its old name of The Palace.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for The Palace since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):

Bar Rescue - Over Easy Bar & Breakfast (Six Point Inn) Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Portland, Oregon to try to rescue Six Point Inn.  The bar was once making $30,000 a month, but owner Oleg focused on opening other businesses, which put his inexperienced step-daughter Sunny in control of the bar.  They are now supposedly $1 million in debt and Oleg and Sunny need help with both their bar and their relationship.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Six Point Inn was renamed to Over Easy Bar & Breakfast.  It appears the bar has kept the name given to them by Bar Rescue.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Over Easy Bar & Breakfast since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar:

Bar Rescue - Money Bar (Murphy's Law) Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Reno, Nevada to try to rescue Murphy's Law.  The owner Gary is a former pilot and opened the bar with his former girlfriend Maria and friend "Nelly" in 2011.  Gary and Maria each own 40% of the bar while Nelly owns the remaining 20% despite Maria not putting any money into the business.  Gary is losing about $2,000 a month and is supposedly only "4 months away from losing everything."

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Murphy's Law was renamed to Money Bar.  It seems that the bar has gone back to their old name and still goes by Murphy's Law.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Murphy's Law since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar:

Bar Rescue - Oak Tavern (The Bullpen at Aspen Glen) Update

Photo - Facebook

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Sparks, Nevada to try to rescue The Bullpen at Aspen Glen.  The bar is owned by former major league pitcher Danny Serafini.  After his career was over and he went through all of his baseball earnings, he borrowed money from his parents to open a bar.  The bar was supposedly doing $45,000 to $50,000 a month in sales, but has gone downhill and is $300,000 in debt.  A lot of the issues at the bar are due to an out of control staff that drinks and parties on the job.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, The Bullpen was renamed to Oak Tavern and it seems they have kept the new name. Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Oak Tavern since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar:

Bar Rescue - The Lister (Park 77) Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in San Francisco, California to try to rescue Park 77.  The bar is co-owned by two brothers Tano and Wayne and two of Wayne's sons Tommy and Angelo.  Angelo is a manager and his actions and decisions have been negatively impacting the bar and the bar is supposedly $188,000 in debt.


During the Bar Rescue makeover, Park 77 was renamed to The Lister and it seems they have kept the name. Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for The Lister since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar:

New Episodes Of Bar Rescue Begin June 21st

New episodes of Bar Rescue will begin Sunday, June 21st on Spike TV.  There will be ten new episodes and this will still be considered the fourth season of the show.  The episodes will feature bars in San Francisco, CA, Reno, NV, Portland, OR, and San Diego, CA.

The first new episode will be at Park 77 in San Francisco, CA where the bar is being run into the ground by an immature family member.  The preview video of the episode is below and there is a couch in the bar that a porno was supposedly filmed on.  If anyone has proof of this couch being in a porno, send it to me for the episode update.

Bar Rescue

Bar Rescue's Blue Frog's Local 22 In Danger Of Closing Due To Scaffolding

Photo - Spike TV

Blue Frog's Local 22 in Chicago, Illinois, which was featured on the first season of Bar Rescue, has filed a lawsuit saying scaffolding outside of the entrance to their bar is killing their business.  The lawsuit is against the upstairs condominium owners who are having work done on the building's windows.

According to an article on DNAInfo, the bar said it is losing $5,000 to $7,000 per week due to the scaffolding, which is preventing the bar from opening its sidewalk patio.  That figure does not include the expected losses from the patio being closed during the summer months, which are the busiest.  In a CBS local article, co-owner John Reed said the work is impacting his business "to the tune of 200-something thousand dollars."

Owner John Reed was given short notice when work would begin, and he tried to get work to start on the other side of the building first so they could keep the patio open and it would have less impact on Blue Frog's summer business.  He tried to block the construction via a court order last month, but was denied.

The owner has said that sales have constantly been improving since being on Bar Rescue, and they were excited about this year.  Also, the recent Yelp reviews have been mostly positive.  Now, due to the scaffolding, all their reserve funds have been tapped and they have considered asking friends for money to stay open through the summer.

On the bar's Facebook page, they recently posted, "This is serious. Help us out if you can. We are doing everything we can to stay open but could use any support we can get. Stop by for a drink if you can, every little bit helps."

Owner John Reed was quoted in the DNAInfo article as saying, "We're gonna make payroll this week, and if we have a halfway decent next two weeks we'll be able to do payroll again.  We just want to get through this."


I will keep you updated with this situation if anything happens with the court case or if there is any change in status for the bar.


UPDATE - Blue Frog's Local 22 closed in May 2018, but it had nothing to do with the scaffolding.  More details on the closure.

The Shot Exchange (The Tailgate) From Bar Rescue Has Been Sold

The Shot Exchange in Santa Clarita, California which was featured on season 3 of Bar Rescue has been sold.  The bar appeared on Bar Rescue in April of 2014 and was renamed from The Tailgate to The Shot Exchange.  The owners that appeared on Bar Rescue said their last day as owners was March 14, 2015.

The bar posted the following message on their Facebook Page in March:

"ATTENTION FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CUSTOMERS.........Please come join Mike and I for our last night at The Shot Exchange this Saturday, March 14, 2015, before we exchange hands with the new owner. We would like to THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts for all your support and patronage during our ten years as co-owners of The Tailgate now doing business as The Shot Exchange. Throughout the years we have made many great friends and will cherish all the great memories created in our establishment. In addition, we would like to Thank all of our employees from the bottom of our hearts for their loyalty and hard work. As many of you know, Mike and I have our careers, we both coach, and have large families with enough kids for everyone, ha ha, and feel that it is time to concentrate our time and effort with them as they are growing quickly. We hope to see you Saturday, and, again, Thank You, for supporting us throughout all the years. And PLEASE as a new small business owner in Santa Clarita, please welcome and patronize the new owner as he is very excited and motivated. Finally, Mike and I would also like to wish him much success.

See you Saturday, Love, Diane, Mike, Pops and the entire Miller family."

This bar has now been marked as 'Sold' on the Bar Rescue Update Page.  No word if everyone's favorite bouncer is still at the bar.

(If you are interested, here was the original update for the bar when the episode aired.)

Osteria Calabria (Plush) From Bar Rescue Has Closed

Osteria Calabria in Glennside, PA (formerly known as Plush Nightspot and eventually renamed to The O.C Bar & Bistro) closed on May 3rd, 2015.  The bar appeared on Bar Rescue in November of 2014, and they posted the following message on Facebook:

"It's the final countdown!! (insert keyboard). It is with both a heavy heart and wide eyed enthusiasm that we bid you all farewell. I want to thank EVERYONE..Friends, family, staff and guests for truly making a dream come true. Our doors at Plush close for good tonight but a new beginning is in the works. There are no words to express my gratitude. Thank you, thank you, thank you. We hope to be open in our new location by the end of summer. Its been a wild ride!! Stay tuned for updates...
TTFN."

Philly.com reports that they closed due to the building being sold and not due to bad business.  The bar is apparently looking for another location to reopen the bar.

The O.C. Bar & Bistro has been in business for 12 years, and it is the first bar from its season of Bar Rescue to close.  You may remember from the original update that they removed a lot of the changes installed by Bar Rescue such as covering the mural, replacing the sign and changing the name.  The Bar Rescue Update Page has been updated to show this bar as 'Closed.

Bar Rescue's Sorties Tavern Is For Sale

Sorties Tavern in Bellevue, Nebraska, which was featured on Bar Rescue in March of 2014 is listed for sale.  The bar has been for sale for quite some time and the asking price is currently $199,500.  A recent ad on Craigslist states:

"Have you always wanted to own a bar?

Here is a great opportunity to own a beautiful bar that has been in business since 1977.

Own a newly remodeled Award Winning bar with profits today. This is a turn key business with loyal customers. This bar is making great profits. More profits to be made if new owner opens the grill. Brand new Kitchen is in place ready to go for new buyer to serve food.

Have financial's to show profits. Buyer must apply for your own Liquor License and Seller will not finance. Buyer must have own financing. Will suggest financial institution.

Owner wants to sell for Medical reasons but will hand it down to children if seller does not get the right price. We will look at all REASONABLE offers."

The original asking price was $210,000 and listings to sell the business say "As Seen on Spike TV's Bar Rescue: Sorties Tavern for sale in Bellevue, NE."  Those listings also say $160,000 of new kitchen equipment (most likely provided by Bar Rescue, which they do not use) and $20,000 in inventory is included.

I am not sure what the "medical reasons" are, but with three owners at the bar, you would think if someone had medical problems, the other two would take over.  This sounds like they just want out of the business.  Also, two of the owners were recently at the Nightclub & Bar Convention in Las Vegas with Jon Taffer, so they do keep in touch.  Sorties Tavern will also be featured on a "Back to the Bar" Bar Rescue episode that will probably air next season.

The bar remains open as they try to sell, but this will be one to keep an eye on.

UPDATE - The bar sold in early 2016 to new owners and they have kept the theme.