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.

Latitudes Island Bar & Grille - Bar Rescue Update

In this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Denver, North Carolina to rescue Latitude's Bar & Grill.  The bar was opened in 2019 by Patti and Steve Merkel.  Patti always dreamed of opening a business and Steve was able to help fund it due to a sale of his previous cookie business. Patti is at the bar 7 days a week, while Steve tries to stay away as much as possible. Their son Travis takes on a lot of roles at the bar and butts heads with Patti.  Steve has put about $275,000 into Latitude and the bar is supposedly losing $3,500 a month.

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

Dave's Firehouse (Firehouse Sports Pub) - Bar Rescue Update

In this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Nampa, Idaho to rescue Firehouse Sports Pub.  The bar was opened in 2008 by Dave Olsen, who used his retirement savings to open the pub.  The fireman theme was created because his younger brother and friends are firefighters.  Dave has had to step away from the bar, so he hasn't been there a lot to oversee operations. The bar is supposedly losing $3,000 a month, Dave is in $300,000 worth of debt, and the bar is in danger of closing in two months.

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

VFW Post 9644 - Bar Rescue Update

In this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Sheridan, Colorado to rescue VFW Post 9644.  This episode is meant to coincide with Memorial Day in the United States. VFW Post 9644 has seen membership decrease like many other VFW's around the country and they are hoping to turn things around.  There will be a new post commander and they would like to satisfy the older members of the VFW while bringing in some new younger members.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer obviously didn't change the name of VFW Post 9644. Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for VFW Post 9644 since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):

Bullseye Sports Bar & Kitchen (Strikers) - Bar Rescue Update

In this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Meridian, Idaho to rescue Strikers.  The bar is located inside a bowling alley and is owned by Andy Propst who bought it in 2017.  Andy had no bar experience and doesn't even drink, but bought the bar because he wanted to give back to the community. He hired Roger as the general manager and he has a lot of experience with the bowling portion of Strikers, but not much with running bars.  Andy has over $3 million invested and is struggling to earn a profit.  

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

Country Barn (Corner Cafe) - Bar Rescue Update

In this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Horseshoe Bend, Idaho to rescue Corner Cafe Bar & Grill.  In July 2021, financial investor David Johan purchased the Corner Cafe because he thought he was getting good value for his investment.  He bought the bar for about $450,000 and he is currently losing about $5,000 a month.  The bar is supposedly six months away from closing, so they called in for help from Bar Rescue. 

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

Layla's Pizza Pub (Papa Joe's Sports Bar) - Bar Rescue Update

In this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Moreno Valley, California to rescue Papa Joe's Sports Bar.  The bar was opened in 2012 by restaurateurs Joe Naim and Raja Batchon.  The bar was initially a success and Joe took a back seat as an owner to somewhat retire from the bar. Then Raja passed away and Joe had to become more involved.  The hope is that Raja's kids can take over the bar, but right now Joe is supposedly losing about $5,000 a month and is supposedly over $200,000 in debt.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to change the name of Papa Joe's Sports Bar to Layla's Pizza Pub, but the bar changed their name back to Papa Joe's Sports Bar and also refers to themselves as PJ's Sports Bar. Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Papa Joe's Sports Bar since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):

Gateway Pub & Grill (Corner Pocket II) - Bar Rescue Update

In this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Hickory, North Carolina to rescue Corner Pocket II.  The bar is owned by former college football player Carlos Walker who bought the bar in 2009.  He is an absentee owner and the bar is falling apart and needing repairs.  There are also issues with cleanliness as there is moldy cheese and bugs in the kitchen.  The bar is supposedly losing $5,000 a month and Carlos is supposedly $150,000 in debt. 

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