Champagne's - Bar Rescue Update (2nd Visit)

In this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are once again in Las Vegas, Nevada to rescue Champagne's.  This is the second time that Jon Taffer has visited Champagne's because he did a makeover of the bar in 2016.  

As Champagne's was already on Bar Rescue, there will not be the normal update.  You can visit the other update done for the bar to see all of the links for the bar and reviews. Champagne's still uses the name of Champagne's Cafe and they put up their old sign, but they seem to use Champagne's and Champagne's Cafe interchangeably.  Here is a preview video of the episode if you are interested. 

Champagne's posted on their Facebook page about the upcoming episode, "Check out our second (yes second) Bar Rescue remodel.  They did a great job....again.  In addition to the remodel, we have another new drink menu and panini menu.  Thanks to Jon Taffer for committing the entire next season to  the Vegas bar industry surviving Covid!"

So, it appears they are happy with the makeover and are happy that Jon Taffer came to the bar again. 

One recent update for Champagne's is that a bartender (one that wasn't featured on Bar Rescue) died after an assault at the bar just a month ago.  Here is the link for that story.

Capo's Restaurant & Speakeasy - Bar Rescue Update

In this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are once again in Las Vegas, Nevada to rescue Capo's Restaurant & Speakeasy.  Capo's Restaurant & Speakeasy is a mob-style restaurant with a speakeasy theme that is owned by Nico Santucci.  Capo's was forced to shut down for months due to the pandemic and Jon Taffer is attempting to save Capo's Restaurant and bring it back to its pre-pandemic success.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to keep the name of Capo's Restaurant & Speakeasy. Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Capo's Restaurant & Speakeasy since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):

Paradise Cantina - Bar Rescue Update

In this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Las Vegas, Nevada to rescue Paradise Cantina.  Paradise Cantina is owned by Ronnie Pellegrino who had immediate success and took in $1.2 million in his first year in business in 2019.  The year 2020 started out well too and there were plans to open additional locations until the pandemic hit and disrupted everything.  Now Ronnie is supposedly $750,000 in debt and has lost his life savings.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to keep the name of Paradise Cantina which may be a common theme this season.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Paradise Cantina since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):

Bartender From Bar Rescue's Champagne's Dies After Assault at Bar

On Saturday April 24, 2021 a bartender at Champagne's in Las Vegas, Nevada died after an assault at the bar.  According to Fox5, bartender Mark Heilman refused to serve an intoxicated customer, who then jumped behind the bar and assaulted him.  Mark ended up having a heart attack and later died at the hospital.  

A customer helped stop the assault, but Mark had a heart condition and his heart couldn't take the struggle.  

Champagne's appeared on Bar Rescue during season 5 in 2016 (update here) and will also be featured in the upcoming season that is filmed entirely in Las Vegas.  Mark was not on the first episode in season 5, but it remains to be seen if he will be involved in the upcoming episode.  

Owner Greg Sims has set up a GoFundMe to help cover Mark's funeral expenses and other financial needs. 

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has not made any arrests yet and everything is pending a coroner's investigation into the cause of death.

The Brixton (Rocket Room 6) From Bar Rescue Has Closed

The Brixton in Austin, Texas which appeared on season three of Bar Rescue has closed. During their Bar Rescue episode, Jon Taffer decided to rename The Brixton to Rocket Room 6.  The bar changed their name back to The Brixton and kept that name until they closed. 

The Brixton closed in March 2020, and Eater reports that The Brixton co-founders Tim and Sarah Lupa sold their shares to other co-founders Tyler and Emily Brooke Van Aken.  Tyler and Emily paired with other investors to open a new bar at the same location called The Low Down Lounge.

Tim and Sara Lupa were the owners featured on Bar Rescue and they also own a few other bars/cocktail lounges in Austin.  The Brixton had positive reviews and stayed open for a long time after Bar Rescue visited (2013), so this seems like a case of owners moving on to other things.

The Brixton (Rocket Room 6) has now been marked as 'Closed' on the Bar Rescue Updates page. 

Gaslamp Social From Bar Rescue Has Closed

Gaslamp Social in San Diego, California which appeared on season 7 of Bar Rescue has closed.  The bar had to shut down during the pandemic and in August of 2020, their landlord served them with a 3-day eviction notice.  The owner Phil Paccione reached out to the mayor and the San Diego city attorney hoping the city's eviction moratorium would help save his business, but that didn't work out.  A judge ruled in favor of the landlord, who plans to redevelop the building and build a luxury hotel,

In a local news article, the company who owned the building wrote a letter which said, 

"The Sheriff conducted the lockout today, April 20, 2021 at 8:30 this morning. A copy of Jolt’n Joe’s eviction notice is attached. Unfortunately, this tenant has had a long history of non-payment of rent, lease defaults and non-performance of lease obligations. All of these defaults existed long before, and unrelated to, the pandemic. In a 2020 agreement the tenant was required to perform certain obligations before it went into effect, which he did not perform, therefore, the agreement became null and void and the eviction process began.

The judge in this case ruled that the tenant did not perform as required under the lease, granted Judgment in favor of the landlord and ordered possession of the property returned to the landlord. The court ruled that this was a lawful eviction action because the case was already pending when the San Diego ordinance went into effect on February 1, 2021 so the ordinance’s eviction moratorium does not apply to this case.

We are sorry that this tenant’s business failed. We have all been deeply impacted financially by the pandemic. But this tenant’s failure was not attributable to the pandemic.

There have been two distinct moratoriums in place in the City of San Diego. The first ordinance expired on September 30, 2020. The second one, enacted on January 26, 2021, went into effect on February 1, 2021. The court found that the tenant was not protected by either ordinance, therefore the landlord prevailed at trial.”

So, it appears Gaslamp had issues with payments before the pandemic hit and there was no way to apply the moratorium to help extend the lease.

Gaslamp Social was originally called Jolt'n Joe's before the Bar Rescue makeover, which happened in January of 2020.  The bar was closed for some time during the pandemic and is now officially closed for good after the court's decision in April 2021.  Gaslamp Social is marked as 'Closed' on the Bar Rescue Updates Page. 

The Roc Bar & Nightclub From Bar Rescue Has Closed

The Roc Bar & Nightclub in San Francisco, California which appeared on season 5 of Bar Rescue has closed. This one has been closed for some time and it appears the bar closed in the middle of 2019.  I thought I posted an update on this bar, but apparently not.

The Roc Bar & Nightclub was originally named Fort One before the Bar Rescue makeover and the show was filmed in July 2016.  The reviews for The Roc Bar & Nightclub were pretty negative with a lot of 1-star reviews on Yelp before they closed.

One thing of note for The Roc Bar & Nightclub episode is that Ashley Clark was a bartender for the bar and she later became a Bar Rescue expert on future episodes.

The Roc Bar & Nightclub has now been marked as 'Closed' on the Bar Rescue Updates Page.

New Season of Bar Rescue Starts May 2nd

The wait for new episodes of Bar Rescue is finally over with the show announcing that new episodes will start on Sunday, May 2nd.   Due to the pandemic, this is the first new episode of Bar Rescue to air since September 2020.  

The new season will makeover bars that are all located in Las Vegas, Nevada and there will be ten new episodes.  The new episodes will still air on Paramount Network despite reports that Bar Rescue would move networks with the Paramount channel rebrand.  COVID related issues pushed back a lot of filming of planned miniseries and television movies for Paramount, which has delayed the rebrand.

Below is the announcement made for the upcoming season:

It should be interesting to see how this season is filmed as packing a bar for a stress test will probably not be an option.  With bars and restaurants all over the country struggling due to the pandemic, we will also see if Jon Taffer is any less dramatic.  

As always, I will have bar updates for each of the new Bar Rescue episodes that air.  I also have updates for some bars from the show that have closed and I will get those out before the season starts.

Bar Rescue - Spirits on Bourbon (Turtle Bay) Update

In this week's episode of Bar Rescue: The Dirty Truth, Jon Taffer is in New Orleans, Louisiana to rescue Turtle Bay.  The bar is owned by Brad Bohannan and it is having trouble attracting customers despite being right on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.  Brad copied the tropical theme of another bar he co-owned and Jon needs to convince him to change the bar and the concept.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to change the name of Turtle Bay to Spirits on Bourbon and the bar has kept the name. I figured since I didn't have a post on this site for Spirits on Bourbon, I would do one for this episode and give an update.

Paramount Network Rebrand - Bar Rescue To Move Channels

Variety reported that Paramount Network will rebrand as the Paramount Movie Network which will focus on made-for-TV movies featuring big name stars.  The rebrand is expected to happen within the next year. 

With the focus being more on movies, the Paramount Movie Network will move out of unscripted programming.  Series such as Ink Master, Wife Swap and Battle of the Fittest Couples will all be canceled. Bar Rescue and Lip Sync Battle made the cut and will continue on, but will be moved to another ViacomCBS channel.  Yellowstone will remain on the Paramount Movie Network.

You may recall that Bar Rescue was on Spike TV until it was rebranded as the Paramount Network.  When that rebrand happened, it was just a name change and Bar Rescue stayed on the same channel.  This time, Bar Rescue will move to a totally different channel.

It hasn't been announced when Bar Rescue will be moving channels or what channel it will be moving to, but I will update you when this information is known.  Based on ViacomCBS channels, there is speculation that it could move to something like MTV, VH1 or CMT, but that is just speculation.

Stay tuned to see what channel Bar Rescue moves to and hopefully Bar Rescue marathons will still be a thing.

Bar Rescue - The Dirty Truth

Tonight is the premiere of Bar Rescue - The Dirty Truth where the show is adding text pop-ups to older episodes that will tell you additional things about the rescue. Usually this time of year there is a new season of Bar Rescue, but due to the pandemic, there were only two new episodes that had already been filmed earlier in the year. The show has not filmed since March 2020, so it will be a bit longer before we see new bars on the show.

Bar Rescue - The Dirty Truth is basically a way for Bar Rescue to have "new" episodes while they are unable to film. It would be hard to film with the usual concept of packing the bar for a stress test, so when they start filming again we will have to see if anything changes.


If any new details about a bar are revealed during Bar Rescue - The Dirty Truth, I will update the original post for that bar. Let me know what you think of Bar Rescue - The Dirty Truth in the comments.

Brenda's Inferno (Armadillo Grill ) - Bar Rescue Update

 In this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Phoenix, Arizona to rescue Armadillo Grill.  The Armadillo Grill is also known as "The Dillo" and is owned by Brenda Lambrecht who borrowed money from her father to help buy the bar.  She isn't showing proper leadership and the bar is falling apart with nobody being held accountable.  The kitchen is also filthy because nobody is properly cleaning it.  Brenda is supposedly in debt $450,000, losing $20,000 a month and only a few weeks away from closing the bar.


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

Gaslamp Social (Jolt N Joe's) - Bar Rescue Update

In this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in San Diego, California to rescue Jolt N Joe's.  Jolt N Joe's is a bar owned by Phil Paccione that is located in the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego.  Things were going well for the bar when it first opened, but now Phil is supposedly $1.2 million in debt and losing $10,000 a month.  While Phil was battling prostate cancer, he hired a general manager Sean to help run the place.   Now Sean and Phil are in a disagreement over Sean's compensation which is causing tension at the bar.

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

The Iron Horse (Joe's Thirsty Lizard) From Bar Rescue Has Closed

The Iron Horse in Horn Lake, Mississippi which was featured on season 6 of Bar Rescue has closed. The bar has been closed for quite some time and closed before the pandemic hit.

In October of 2019, owner Joe Scott posted on Facebook, "I want to thank,from the bottom of my heart,all those who have supported me and my staff for these past five years.ive made mistakes but I put my heart and soul into the lizard.im so happy that kelly and Nancy were able to step and keep the doors open and the girls employed.i know they'll do a great job.once again,thank you and I love you all"

Then in November of 2019, owner Joe Scott posted, "It's been a tough year. I've lost everything financially. I lost the business that I was so very proud of.materially, I have nothing.but I have my friends and my family. There is no way to put a price on that.it is a rough road that I am on but i have no doubt that i will arrive at a good place.i thank all of you who have checked in on me.i am thankful. I hope you are too."

The Kelly and Nancy referred to above opened a bar called The Lazy Lizard at the same location. Here is the Facebook page of The Lazy Lizard and in February of 2020, the Lazy Lizard closed permanently and posted a long rant on Facebook about the landlord and calls out Joe Scott.  You can read that long rant here where he says he and the public were scammed by Joe Scott.

The Iron Horse property is currently listed for sale at a price of $550,000.


The Iron Horse was originally named Joe's Thirsty Lizard before the Bar Rescue makeover and here is the original update for the bar (the one with the guy showering in the kitchen).  The Iron Horse has been marked as 'Closed' on the Bar Rescue Updates Page.

Renz Social House (Pineapple Hill) - Bar Rescue Update

In this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Tustin, California to rescue Pineapple Hill Saloon & Grill.  Pineapple Hill is a bar owned by Reva Renz and Jon finds a filthy kitchen with moldy ribs during recon.  Reva has a fear of failure and change which makes her unable to take control of her bar and an explosive chef.


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

Silver Dollar - Bar Rescue Update

In this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Chula Vista, California to rescue Silver Dollar.  The Silver Dollar was founded in 1934 and is a dive bar owned by Mike Tegardine.  Mike and his son Mike Jr. are feuding over the bar which is tearing their relationship apart.  Mike Jr's wife Norma has reached out to Jon Taffer as her final hope for fixing things.


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

Bottoms Up Bar & Grill - Bar Rescue Update

In this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Stanton, California to rescue Bottoms Up Bar & Grill.  Bottoms Up Bar & Grill is a bar where the bartenders are dressed in skimpy outfits and Jon Taffer finds them acting out of control.  Maria Menounos and Keven Undergaro are doing recon for Jon and they are offered an "ass shot."  Jon also sees that the manager is lacking the courage to control the staff and the owner Suzie is ready to sell the bar.


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

Par Bar (Pepe's) - Bar Rescue Update

In this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Canyon Lake, California to rescue Pepe's Mexican Restaurant & Cantina.  Pepe's is owned by Victor and Laura Demoreno who own the land and the building ($2.5 million investment) and are losing $6,000 a month with the restaurant/bar. They are absent from the bar a lot of the time and when they are there, they only monitor it from an upstairs office. Due to the dark interior, employees refer to Pepe's as the dungeon.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to change the name of Pepe's Mexican Restaurant & Cantina to Par Bar and the bar has already changed it back to Pepe's. Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Par Bar/Pepe's since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):

Sierra Madre Cantina (Kalaveraz) - Bar Rescue Update

In this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Escondido, California to rescue Kalaveraz.  Kalaveraz is a Mexican restaurant owned by Juan Magana.  Juan is a defiant owner who needs to take responsibility for his own failures to save himself from closing the restaurant. Juan tells Jon Taffer he's failing because he is surrounded by turkeys, meanwhile he is behind on their paychecks.


During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to change the name of Kalaveraz to Sierra Madre Cantina and they have kept the name. Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Sierra Madre Cantina since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):

Rob Ben's - Bar Rescue Update

In this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Emeryville, California to rescue Rob Ben's Restaurant & Lounge. Rob Ben's is owned by NFL star Marshawn Lynch and is named after his friend who was shot and killed in 2007.  Marshawn has both his family and Rob's family working and running the restaurant/bar and he needs Jon Taffer's help to try to keep them in line.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to slightly change the name of Rob Ben's Restaurant & Lounge to Rob Ben's Neighborhood Soul. Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Rob Ben's Neighborhood Soul since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the restaurant/bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):