Was there ever a moment that I said to myself,
"I don't know what I'm doing?"
[tense music]
Yeah. I mean, basically every time I come at the bar.
NARRATOR: For over 30 years,
Jon Taffer has traveled the country,
saving hundreds of bars from failure and ruin.
The past few years have been harder on our country
than I've ever seen before.
But now, in a post-pandemic world,
restaurants and bars are seeing a massive surge in business.
[indistinct chatter]
And a customer base
that has a much higher expectation
for quality food and drinks.
Not a huge fan of this.
So I'm on a mission to save bars
that had been struggling to keep up with the new landscape of our industry.
[cheers and applause]
NARRATOR: So now, Jon is back out on the road
and heading to Meridian, Idaho, to rescue Strikers Bar.
This is a new era for our country,
so we need to raise the bar and rise to these challenges.
[upbeat music]
NARRATOR: In 2017, real estate investor Andy Propst
bought his hometown bowling alley, Meridian Lane,
which also housed the bar Striker.
I've started my work history
in the property management business.
I had no desire at all to buy a bar or a bowling alley.
I'm like the world's worst bowler,
but I loved all the things I heard about it
and what it does for the community.
So when the deal came to me, it seemed like a great way
to get more involved in the community
that gave so much back to me over, you know, 35 years.
I don't know anything about the bar business.
Uh, I've actually never had alcohol,
nor prior to buying this bar
had I ever remember being in a bar.
NARRATOR: With no experience in the bar industry,
Andy brought on retired Army veteran Roger Haire
to manage both the bowling alley and the bar.
Over the last 34 years, I was in the military, United States Army.
I retired in 2021 and took on this job.
I have a love for bowling.
This is the bowling center
that I bowled my first league in.
Roger has a ton of experience
being in the facility prior to him taking over.
He came in and really understood how the bowling center work.
I think the bar is the newest thing for Roger
to, kind of, get figured out.
Double shot.
When you have an owner as Andy,
who is an amazing businessperson, an entrepreneur,
with zero bar experience,
and a general manager who's done a lifetime in the military,
but without bar experience
we're running into none of our leadership
knows what they're doing with the bar.
It's kind of like the blind leading the blind.
NARRATOR: Both Andy and Roger struggled to give the bar
a distinct identity, apart from the bowling alley.
With bowling and darts dominating the business,
Strikers became an afterthought.
It's hard to get new customers
because we have dart leagues going,
we have bowling leagues going,
so it'd be nice to see it be able to stand on its own.
It needs a facelift to maximize customers.
I think we're kind of stuck in the '70s.
It feels like, with the decor and everything.
On Monday we each took home thirty-six dollars
on a five hour shift.
All right.
It's been super dead.
NARRATOR: Now, with over 3 million invested but no profit.
Andy is faced with closing both the bar and the bowling alley
that has been a community staple for over 60 years.
This place has been here since the '50s, my wife and I,
we've been coming here for 17 years,
so it would be devastating to, not only to my wife and I,
it would be devastating to this community.
Honestly, the number one reason
I don't wanna sell the business
is the community and for my family.
This community means everything to me.
If Meridian Lane and Strikers, uh, close,
I mean, personally, I'd be crushed.
NARRATOR: So Andy has decided to pull back the doors,
bust open the books, and make a call for help...
to "Bar Rescue."
Recently I gave the keynote address
at the National Bowling Proprietors Conference,
and I've learned that bowling centers revenues
are through the roof all across the country.
But that's not the case for Strikers,
a bar and a bowling center here in Meridian,
and I wanna find out why.
So here we are guys in Meridian, Idaho,
about 20 miles or so from Boise.
Pretty nice suburban area.
This is a bowling center
that's been in this town for about 35 years.
Wow.
And it was bought five years ago by Andy.
Andy is an investor.
He's not a food and beverage guy.
He's not a bowling operator.
He's a Mormon.
And as a Mormon, he's never drank.
He's never held a liquor bottle.
He's never entered a bar before.
Now, he winds up owning one with the bowling center,
and he's fine selling it, but this is somebody, Derrick,
who has no clue of who should do what and when. That's a big problem.
-A major problem, problem. -Big problem.
We're starting from square one.
Yes.
NARRATOR: For the bar.
Jon brings in Derrick Turner,
a mixologist from New York City
who's named the Top 10 Bartender by Time Out magazine.
Derrick has worked with both craft spirit brands
and major breweries across the country.
And you can see that it's got a, sort of, a bowling center,
snack bar type of a kitchen, but it's pretty well equipped.
And looks like a well-rounded kitchen
for a bowling alley and a bar.
NARRATOR: For the kitchen, Jon brings in Vic Vegas,
an executive chef with over 25 years-experience.
Vic has worked with major food distributors,
while also owning and operating his own successful restaurant.
Andy's in debt $3 million from this investment.
Roger is Andy's manager.
Now, he's not here tonight but he also has no experience
in food and beverage.
Hmm, it's a good-- that's a good diet, Dr. Pepper.
Their biggest business is dart leagues.
So imagine with seven machines going,
three or four teams or people per machine,
that's a full bar...
-That's a full bar. -...during dart season.
It's super cool.
Andy, he wants the community to come to this bar.
He doesn't want it to be driven by the bowling center.
He wants it to be a freestanding bar.
Now look at the front, right now,
the sign on the street only says bowling center.
And when you drive in, you don't notice the bar.
-Right. -So it has no identity.
So of course it's driven by the bowling center...
-Yeah. -...because it doesn't stand on its own.
Right behind.
There's Alex.
She's the bar manager.
You should always have closed shoes
when you're working in the kitchen
or behind the bar.
If something falls on your foot, glass,
that's a liability right there.
Why as her employer would never allow that to happen?
All right, My love, $7.51 out of $10.
Here is Amanda, she's the bar supervisor.
Now, this bar has one station on it, Derrick.
The whole room is not much bigger than a bowling alley.
No.
A bar manager, and the bar supervisor,
and the general manager, and then owner.
This is--this is my, um,
this is my first bar, uh, experience.
[laughter]
-God bless our camper. -Oh, I bet.
There's Shannon.
She's a snack bar employee.
And there's Gary, who's also a snack bar employee.
Even though you got long hair and you throw it back in a ponytail...
-Yeah. -...you still need it a little bit more covered
because the hair could still fall in the food.
That don't look like a kitchen guy.
No, it doesn't.
So for recon, I got two on-air personalities
from the number one radio station KISS 103.5.
So I got Mateo who's an on-air personality
and Stephanie who's an on-air personality.
NARRATOR: Jon's spies enter Strikers,
a small bar attached to a massive bowling facility.
Strikers features a short, straight bar with one well,
eight competitive dartboards, and a large kitchen
that connects the bar to the lanes.
Now, Stephanie was a bartender.
She knows the business inside out.
And Mateo calls himself bar crazy.
He goes to bars all the time.
So they should give us a really good scope on this bar.
Here's the menu for you guys.
Cool, sweet.
Shoot, do you remember the name of that drink that--
-it was like a-- -You always get that purple thing.
-I know it's like a purple something... -The Purple Viking?
-Yeah. -Purple Viking.
-That sounds good. -Okay.
Can I go Moscow mule, is that cool?
-So we do, do a Moscow mule. -Okay.
We just don't have the copper mugs.
No, that's fine. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
-Okay. And then, um... -He's not choosy.
Yeah. I'm not trying to steal the mug from you.
So it's interesting. She knows how to make a Moscow mule.
I think. But they don't have the glassware for it.
Okay, now, this was the purple drink she asked for.
That drink is not appetizing.
Looks like dishwater.
Yours just taste like syrup.
-I know. -It tastes like syrup.
It's very sweet.
It's getting a little hard to drink.
Unbalanced cocktails. You lose money.
Simple as that.
Uh, I think I'll do the Philly.
Okay.
Okay. So what's going on in the kitchen here?
Let's listen to the kitchen.
Look at him just chilling.
-I just want a bowl. -Well, stop it.
It's interesting. There's one type of person who likes to work
in a busy kitchen.
And then there's a guy like this,
who works in a place where he does not a thing.
No, not at all.
-There's no business here. -No.
If we didn't have Mateo and Stephanie in it,
there's two customers in this place.
There's more employees than there are customers.
Wait, how do they run this like this?
How do they keep it open for so long?
That's how you become the jack of all trades.
Oh, really?
Is that a Philly?
And a 300 burger.
Oh, your favorite.
-Okay. So talk to me about that homemade-looking patty, Vic. -Yeah.
-It's frozen and it'll carry a lot of water in the middle. -Yeah.
And then he's doing it on a flat top too,
so it's just gonna sear and keep that water inside.
What is this? What the hell is that?
Looks like tempura vegetable, doesn't it almost?
What is that?
I couldn't tell you what that was.
That's the steak sandwich.
How do you feel about eating that?
I wouldn't serve it to my dog.
-Looks like a graham cracker. -Exactly.
Graham cracker.
Okay. So what that is, is that's the onions
and everything for this.
Hey, those are pretty good when you make 'em right.
Those are pretty good when you make 'em right.
That's a double ham, hamburger, hamburger, ham.
Kind of make them look all pretty, right?
I don't know about that.
-So those cocktails ain't flying over. -No.
So let's see how this food goes.
-Thank you. -Here's some au jus.
Moment of truth, gentlemen.
All right.
[laughs]
It's pretty dry.
[indistinct chatter]
Let me take off some these onions.
She's taking the frozen vegetables
off the sandwich, Jon.
For $13, this is food?
Okay. I'm good on that.
[chuckles]
He won't eat it. Look at that patty.
It's like a piece of leather.
[intense music]
[indistinct chatter]
I just found a little hair in this.
-No, you didn't? -I did.
-It was just like-- -No, where?
A little curly one. I just went like this.
I got rid of it.
So she stopped eating the sandwich
because of a hair in her food.
He won't eat that burger.
It's a strikeout, guys.
She hasn't drank her drink.
He gave up on his.
Complete fail.
Fail! Fail! I'm going in.
-Okay. -No wonder why Andy's in a hole of $3 million.
[laughter]
Get out of here.
[intense music]
-Andy? -Hello.
Uh, when Jon first walked in, I saw this plaid suit,
I'm like great looking suit.
That's what I thought immediately.
And then you look back and I'm like,
I recognize him and I knew
that we probably had, uh, you know,
a, a lickin' coming.
-Hi, Andy. -Good friends of mine, Mateo.
-Mateo? -Great to meet you. Yes.
-And your Stephanie? -I'm Stephanie.
-Nice to meet you. -Both from KISS Radio.
-KISS Radio? -I asked them to come here.
-Okay. -Right, and take a look at the place
-and sort of give me an observation. -Okay.
First of all, how was your drink? The first drink you got?
Um, it was--it was very sweet Kool-Aid flavor.
-Hmm. -Okay. So you wouldn't order it again?
-I-I wouldn't. -Okay.
-Let's talk about your food. -I did find a hair in my food.
You've got a cook cooking in the kitchen
who has long hair, right?
-Turn that on his head? -No.
No. Does it surprise you that there's hair in her food?
-No. -There we go.
She stopped eating because there's hair on her food. How is this?
Uh, I didn't expect the patties to be
something out of a cafeteria.
Do you mind holding that for me?
Oh, yeah.
Do you wanna eat that?
-Um, no. I don't think so. -No.
This was a failure, Steph, right? I mean...
-Yeah. -...if you were going out tomorrow night
after being here tonight, would you come back here?
-No. -Would you, Mateo?
-Definitely not. -Okay.
If we want the community to come here,
you got a lot of work to do. I'm gonna go talk to Andy.
-Thank you both. -Yeah, absolutely.
-Yeah. Thanks for coming. -Let's go talk, Andy.
This is not your business, is it?
No. I mean, it's my business, but I don't know--
-Yeah, but-- -I don't...
-You don't know it? -No.
Little things that I see.
-Oh, I'm sure. -And I can see you're a rookie.
-For example... -Oh, yeah.
Your bartenders are wearing flip flops behind your bar.
Okay.
She can drop something, cut her foot.
-Not good. -She can trip and fall.
-So a real professional wouldn't do that. -Right.
A professional would have your cook in a hairnet,
-he has a long hair. -Oh, for sure.
-The little things are killing you. -Yeah.
Because you're in a bowling business. Revenues are through the roof.
So this is boomtown.
Your asset value should be going up.
-Your revenue should be going up. -Right.
You should be building new customers,
exposing it to a new generation.
All these things should be working for you
and you're not.
-You don't know this business. -Amen.
And the ignorance is killing you, buddy.
-Oh, yeah. -It's killing you.
-It is. -Okay. We got a lot of work to do.
I'm only here a few days, but let's work hard.
-Let's work aggressively. -Yeah.
And I will turn this around for you.
I will turn this into something the community
-would be proud to come to. -Thank you.
-Good night, Andy. -Thanks, man.
-Thanks for coming in. -See you tomorrow.
-Okay.
Woo!
Jon, he can see more, um, as to what's going on here
in two seconds than I have for five years.
You know, I'm, I'm willing to step up,
do whatever it takes to get this thing back in order
and I'm just hoping that the, uh,
the rest of the staff can follow his footsteps
and my footsteps and make it happen.
I also got yelled at
because you're wearing flip flops, too.
Of course.
-Come on, Alex. -I know. I know.
You're gonna cut-- she's gonna cut her foot open.
And that's what I told them.
I was like, "Hey, if I ever cut something on my--
I will not do workman's comp. It's my own."
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
[upbeat music]
Man, he walked in here. My balls is getting smaller.
It definitely gets up there.
Andy seems like a very nice guy, who's very well-intended,
put up millions of dollars
but knows nothing about this industry.
It's difficult for me to be angry at him.
He's an investor, not an operator.
-Hi, everybody. all: Hi.
A little warm out there, huh?
-It is warm. -Ready to go to work?
-Yup. -Yeah. All right.
Come on over. Let's all talk.
I wanna talk to the staff.
I wanna talk to Roger. He's the general manager.
Hey there, Jon, Roger.
Roger, nice to meet you.
I wanna talk to the bar manager, because there's no standards,
there's no consistency,
there's no operational expertise here.
They're not throwing a strike, I'll tell you that.
Nice to meet everybody.
all: Nice to meet you.
Andy, you got how much invested in this business?
Let everybody hear.
Um, altogether almost $3 million.
$3 million. Could you imagine?
And you go to sleep every night
that debt is probably one
of the last thoughts you have, right, Andy?
Rog, he wakes up every morning
thinking of that $3 million, don't you?
-Correct. -How much you losing a month?
Together probably 40,000 bucks.
Okay.
-So it's stressful, isn't it? -Sure.
To carry that kind of a debt?
It's a--it's a burden for sure.
It's tough.
Well, my job is to elevate us now, guys.
-Got it. -So what's your name?
Amanda.
Amanda, how long you been here?
-Uh, since 2009. -Long time.
-Yes, sir. -So you love this place?
I love it.
So what do you do here?
I'm the bar supervisor.
And what does the bar supervisor do?
I take care of the day-to-day operations for the staffing
and then just keep Alex apprised of what's going on at night.
Because I work nights, she works days.
Got you.
So, Alex.
-Hi. -Hi.
-What, what do you do? -Uh, bar manager.
Yeah. And how long have you been here?
Uh, ten years. Eleven in December.
Wow. Both of you have been here a long, long time.
-Uh-hmm. -What are you doing as bar manager?
Um, I do the liquor order.
Uh, I meet with the distributors.
I also try and get promo nights happening in here.
So what kind of promo nights have you put in?
Um, so we had a Jim Beam Peach Nights.
Uh, we had Lunazul [indistinct] um, so pretty much liquor.
But these are all promotions
that the liquor distributor brings you.
-Yeah. -Give me your promotion
that didn't come to you.
None.
So you're not a promotions manager.
Don't fool yourself.
-What's your name? -Mike.
-Mike, what do you do here? -I bartend.
Bartend?
So if you made a margarita for me
and you made a margarita for me, would they be the same?
No.
So we have another failure now.
Promotion failure one.
Yup.
Same drink recipes, failure two.
And how long have she been your bar manager?
Um, January.
Six months.
So you made her bar manager, right?
-Yes, sir. -Your choice?
Uh, it was a shared choice.
-The owner and I. -Okay.
The two of you made that choice?
-Yes, sir. -Did you give her objectives?
I don't think we gave her clear objectives.
I think we have. I, I think when we--
when we offered her the job,
there was a very clear bullet space outline.
So do you feel that she facilitated
those objectives?
No.
You keep writing checks because you're losing money.
He's pouring one drink, she's pouring another.
No new promotions, no new activity,
only what comes through the door.
I see a complete lack of assertiveness, Andy.
So you're a failed bar manager.
-But that was under your watch. -It was.
You knew these drinks are inconsistent
and how long have you been running this place?
Uh, two years now.
What hours do you typically work?
Um, I usually work from 8:00 to 4:00 Monday through Friday.
When is the bar busiest?
Nighttime.
It would haunt me to not be here during prime hours of beverage.
-Right. -Right?
It would haunt me not to see those products come out
and make sure they're right.
It would haunt me not to see you in a hair net or a hat.
So do you have hairnets in the kitchen?
-Yes. -Why don't you wear it?
I forgot.
You didn't forget. You chose not to freaking do it.
Which is illegal with your hair length
and there was hair in the food.
And when they saw hair in the food,
-did it surprise you? -No.
You weren't here to even see that.
-So you expect him to fail? -Yes.
Andy, does that sound like a great commitment from your manager?
I think Roger is here a lot.
-Are you defending his failure? -I don't think he's a failure.
-He isn't here. -But we--we're all...
So you don't accept that he's failing in here.
He has no reason to change.
I mean, I love-- I love the guy...
I'm talking about a guy who you've hired
to run a food and beverage operation.
-Sure. -Are the revenues good?
Are the profits good?
Is the product good?
Is the staff well-trained?
Is he failing in here?
[intense music]
Based on what we've seen in the last day,
yeah, I think so.
Okay.
Sometimes it's hard to hear the truth
and to hear that coming from Andy, it was overwhelming.
But I can take brute, honest truth.
And so I have a lot to prove that I am the right
general manager here.
Okay. Let's get to work, guys.
Let me get my experts in here.
[chuckles]
Hello, brother. How are you?
-Derrick. -How you doing Jon?
Good, buddy.
Let me give you some good news.
I use a product called Partender.
Partender is a beverage inventory system.
We compare what was sold to what was consumed.
Very often, there's a huge gap in that.
Over three days we poured $2,550.
We rang $2,237.
It's probably the best numbers that I've ever seen, Andy.
It shows the honesty of your staff
and the intention of your staff.
So, guys, were doing some stuff right here.
I don't want you to think this is all negative.
Now we need to get the experience
and knowledge up to equal that intention, Rog,
and we're on our way.
-Yes, sir. -Do you agree?
-Yeah. -You guys ready?
-Yup. -Absolutely.
Okay, let's get to work, guys. Let's do it.
I think a kick in the butt like this
-is exactly what we need. -We do.
Yeah. That's--that was...
Of course. Of course.
Oh, man, she's--
it's-it's-it's her identity.
-This place is her identity. -Yeah.
I mean, I don't--
Yeah. No.
That whole thing is...
totally just a plan.
I deserve to ask him.
[sobs] I just wanna go home.
I can't do it.
The meeting we had, um,
a big eye-opener.
I just can't handle
all of that right now.
I'm sad she's gonna miss the experience of it.
That was rough because I've never been put
in this situation before.
I'd like to regroup, and rebreathe,
and re-center, and refocus.
But I can't handle it.
So that's why I'm choosing to leave.
[dramatic music]
-How we doing? -Good.
-I'm good. -Good.
All right, so what I saw from last night
during recon was
your most popular cocktail.
It kinda looked like a dump bucket.
It--the color was off.
It was too sweet. And that's a big problem
because that's your top seller, right?
-Right. -And if you have a top seller,
it can't be overpowered.
It can't be too sweet. It can't be too sour.
There has to be a balance with cocktails.
Also, has to be simplistic enough so you can make a few
when you have a big crowd.
So that's what Jon and I want to focus on,
on these cocktails is make it as simple,
but as lucrative
and as gorgeous as possible.
-All right? So... -Yeah.
...with that, we're gonna be making a new cocktail.
Start off is going to be the Dirty Shirley.
So, we get our tins,
two-fourths the ounce of lemon juice,
then a shade of grenadine,
and then two ounces of your vodka.
Take your tin, seal.
[upbeat music]
That's so pretty.
Top with lemon lime.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the Dirty Shirley.
-Hello, everyone. all: Hi.
One of the big issues last night was hair in the food.
So from here on out, man,
just make me a promise
from kitchen guy to kitchen guy.
-We either go hairnet or hat. -Hat.
You're going for fashion and safety.
Fair enough.
Okay.
I'm gonna change your burger right now,
and we're gonna call it the Strikeout Burger.
Okay? We're gonna toast the bun,
use your Angus.
It's not much more per pound
and you can get a couple more bucks for it
when you use that word on the menu.
I'm gonna drop some fries...
garlic aioli,
on the bottom,
a little American cheese...
onto the aioli,
cool butter leaf lettuce,
some nice thick cut tomato,
a little bit of red onion...
and some crispy pepper bacon on top.
One more round of aioli...
fries are done.
Guys, everybody takes photos of their food now,
but it's only advertising for yourself.
[tense music]
-Hi. -Hello.
-Hi. -Hi.
I hear we hit a little fallout, Andy?
-Yes, sir. -What happened?
Um, Alex was just not feeling good physically
after the initial encounter today.
And so she decided to go home
and get feeling better.
This is a pressure business.
-Right. -People get angry,
things fall apart.
-It gets intense. Right? -Yes.
Okay. It can be very intense.
Is a bar the right environment for that type of person?
But, you know, that's water under the bridge.
The question is, Roger, three days from now,
if she tries to come back, she's not trained,
she doesn't know our new standards.
Probably you should be the manager
and she should be the supervisor.
So that's your decision.
Okay, enough said.
-Okay. -Okay?
We have a stress test tonight.
-Okay. We ready? -Yes, sir.
-Let's do it. -All right.
[tense music]
-Hey. -Hey.
Welcome to Strikers Bar.
-Come on in. -Howdy, howdy.
-Welcome to Strikers Bar. -It's great to see you.
It's good to see you again, guys.
Here's our select menu for the evening.
These are the drinks we are offering tonight.
-I'm gonna do the Strikeout. -Okay.
Two strikeouts, two turkeys,
Yeah, I'll do the Strikeout.
Perfect. I'll get this in for guys.
-Okay. Thank you. -All right. First two.
[dramatic music]
Okay. Drinks are starting to come out from the bar.
Speed is coming together.
I think we're off to a pretty good start.
Okay, first order in.
What you got?
Two Strikeout Burgers.
Okay, order in, more Strikeout Burgers.
-One or two? -One.
It's wrong.
All right.
-So what happened there? -I missed pouring the--
this first one.
-Redo. -Okay.
Guys, I'm sorry about the delay.
I don't know if you noticed,
but everybody walked in the same time.
How many drinks have they done?
Uh, so far three.
-Three drinks? Okay. -So far three.
So we have some balloons over here, everybody.
Every time they make a mistake, I'm popping a balloon.
I'm popping three now.
Once I pop 10,
we shut down.
Nobody gets any more drinks or food.
Blame it on them, not me.
One, two, three.
Seven left, guys, let's not make any more mistakes.
Come on.
Give 'em an ice in that glass, too.
Oh.
Hey, how are we doing? The burgers look good.
Burgers look great. Look at that.
-Yeah. -Compared to what they had.
Yeah. That's a nice juicy burger.
That's not gray meat.
Gary, redemption, buddy.
Thank you.
[tense music]
Come on, we got to move.
All the way upside down. Upside down.
What's going on? We've hit a roadblock here.
We have three cocktails have been thrown out,
since you've been gone.
-Three more. -Uh-oh.
[balloon popping]
Uh-oh is right, guys.
We're now down to four.
No more mistakes.
Where's Roger? I don't know how to put stuff in the system.
I need him right now.
It doesn't specify, though.
I-I think they're literally numbering them like this.
Like, one, two, three.
Yeah, I'll just call out their name. It's either--
Well, they're not putting names on now.
-They're not? -It just says table three.
And then you know where those are going?
Yes.
Anybody in the table who has a drink?
You guys got two drinks? In the back there?
-Were you guys the first to order? -No, no.
-No logic to this. -One with onions, one without onions?
-No. They both have onions. -But there were some couple of hams and cheeses
-and stuff with it. -Yeah, I know.
Boom. How many you making?
Two.
Throw it up.
-God. Christ. -Over poured.
Jon, one more. Come on.
One more.
One more down the drink.
Three left.
We had two Strikeouts.
-Yeah, we have three. -We have three.
-Three?
This is table five?
-Yes, all this, drinks-- -All of this?
-Yes. -Okay.
What's going on here?
Well, we ordered three of the same thing
but we only got two.
Guys, we're getting incomplete orders
coming out to tables.
One more. What's your favorite color?
-Yellow. -Yellow.
Two more balloons and we're done.
[tense music]
Guys, we're getting incomplete orders
coming out to tables.
One more. What's your favorite color?
-Yellow. -Yellow.
Two more balloons and we're done.
-Table five, Shirley? -Yes.
You know, I hate to do this to you.
-Yeah. -Don't do it.
You over poured.
We're down to one balloon.
No more mistakes.
Where's my table five drinks?
I'm working on them, sir.
Well, we're down to the last balloon.
There's been a lot of mistakes.
These guys have drinks, but no food.
No table is completely right.
Drinks down the drain.
Out of ten balloons, we got one left.
It all comes down to this.
I wonder how long they can last
before screwing up the next thing.
-Talk to me, my sister. -Needs to be cut in half.
Okay. Simple.
Simple, simple, cut in half, honey.
Not a bad reason for the food to come back
to the kitchen, right?
Come on, we got to move.
[tense music]
You over poured that tequila.
Yeah.
Jon. Jon, that's it. That's it.
Sorry, everybody.
That's it.
Roger, we don't have table numbers and stall numbers.
Our systems behind the bar aren't working.
It's chaos. Is this the way a bar should run?
-No. -No.
So this is a major failure.
So I've seen what I need to see.
We're sorry. We love you.
Please come back.
I apologize for delays.
Uh, we would love to have
another opportunity to impress you.
Come back in two nights.
-We'll do it right. -Okay.
-Love you guys. -[applause]
[upbeat music]
-How are we doing? all: Good.
-Good? -Yeah.
All right. So, I saw a lot of things
happened last night, and, you know, there was a lot of heart.
Today's training, I wanna focus on consistency.
The passion is there. We need to work on the skill set.
Andy, tell me what you saw.
We didn't have the right systems in place.
We had one POS.
Major backlog.
And Amanda, how did you feel?
Um, it-it was a lot last night.
Uh, it was a lot overwhelming.
So, we have a lot of work that we have to do
because you guys have the heart.
You just need to get the, you know,
know how to do it to make it right.
-All right, you guys ready? -All right. Let's do it.
So the first cocktail, we're gonna be making a nice,
nice, nice Boozy Milkshake.
So we're gonna start off with our huckleberry jam,
bar spoon malted milk,
two ounces of beverage milk,
a half ounce of creme de cacao,
and then we're gonna do two scoops of ice cream.
We're gonna go a little bourbon, an ounce and a half,
and the Restaurant Supply
gave us this countertop milkshake mixer,
we're gonna put this inside of a nice milkshake glass,
give a little bit of whipped creme, not too much.
And then we're gonna add a nice little drizzle on top of that,
and a churro,
and then naturally the straw goes behind.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the Boozy Milkshake.
Let's get these straws out.
Let me know how it tastes.
What do you think?
-Spot on. -Yeah.
All right. So we have a lot of work to do.
We have a lot of training.
-Let's get to it. -Absolutely.
[upbeat music]
Last night's stress test did not do well.
Let's face it, those 10 balloons popped a lot quicker
than I thought they would.
Andy's a great guy.
Roger could be a great leader.
But I need to talk to them about their plan.
Who's gonna run this bar and how they move forward?
Well, how are you both?
-Good. -Good.
What do you think of this week?
I've got, like, mixed emotions, right?
When you walked in the first day,
just having somebody
that has 30 years plus
of hospitality knowledge,
coming in to help our-our struggling little bar.
That was amazing. And then, the next day,
obviously, that was a tough day, you know, and...
-Yeah. -a lot of that stuff
is legit, warranted.
We need to hear it. And, well--
It's still painful.
It's still been an incredible learning experience.
So, Roger, when you look at the business
and what we went through during stress test and such,
what are the big lessons you've had this week?
The stress test really point out a lot of flaws in the system.
We've never done service at a table.
If you were sitting at the bar counter,
you got served.
If you were at a table, you got forgotten,
your tickets were placed over here.
I think it's something operation will figure out together
with-with, you know, setting up the right floor plans
with table numbers, seat numbers,
and putting the right systems in place.
I'm gonna tell you a couple of things
that really surprised me this week.
Gary...
really stepped up.
He was clean. He was organized.
-Every plate looked good. -Food was great.
The food was fantastic.
-Your bartenders, honestly... -Yeah.
...Rog, they were better than I thought
-they would have been. -Oh, really?
Yeah. I think there's a lot of potential there.
If we set them up with the right workstations,
-I think they'll perform well. -Good.
As you assess your management choices down the road,
I know loyalty is important to you.
Nobody has to lose their jobs.
I'm not suggesting that.
But what if you presented to the staff, Alex included,
we're gonna bring in a really good manager, Alex,
somebody who can teach you.
Somebody who's gonna energize this place,
teach you all the things Taffer talked about
that you didn't know,
and really elevate this place
and create an exciting atmosphere.
She would embrace that, wouldn't she?
I think so. I-- because she's a really,
really good bartender.
Her struggle is the management side.
To meet your objective
and to come through for this community,
don't you want the best manager
-you can find? -Of course.
In order for me to be successful,
you-you surround yourself with successful people.
So you have some talking to do.
You guys are too good
and your mission is too noble...
-Yeah. Right. -...for this community.
To not have the best you can find.
-Fair enough? -Yeah.
All right, guys, I'm out of here.
-I got a lot of work to do. -Okay.
I don't know who would be better to tell us
how to make this thing sing the way it should.
Whoever ends up in that bar manager role,
I'm gonna do a better job
mentoring and ensuring
that they have what they need,
and the--and their systems are in place
to be able to be more consistent
and deliver value.
Good stuff, man.
[upbeat music]
[cheers and applause]
Hello.
-There he is. -There he is.
How are you, buddy?
-I'm so excited. -Are you?
Out of my mind. Excited.
This has been a good week for you, hasn't it?
This has. Incredible week.
You know, this is a great community.
Everybody supports each other,
and it has a connectivity to it
that makes it special to live here, doesn't it?
-Yeah. -Yeah.
And you are a noble guy, Andy.
This wasn't all about money to him.
He wanted something a community would come to be a part of,
and be the centerpiece of this city.
So, that's what I tried to build you.
All right, guys, you ready?
-Yeah. -Absolutely.
I can't wait for you to see this. So...
on a count of three, turn around.
[cheers and applause]
One, two, three.
[cheers and applause]
Oh, my God, that's awesome.
One, two, three.
[cheers and applause]
That is awesome.
-Yeah. -I love that.
-Bullseye. -Bullseye.
Oh, my God, that's awesome.
I wanted a brand that fit your identity.
-Oh, yeah. -A new paint scheme,
nice new logo package,
sports bar and kitchen.
We wanted a food presence out here.
Put a nice backlit sign up there.
You got a new bar, don't you?
-Are you guys ready to see it? -I can't wait.
All right, guys, go ahead.
[upbeat music]
-Holy... -Oh, my God.
Oh, wow.
Oh, my God.
It looks awesome.
It's so pretty.
-It does. -Look at those lights.
This is beautiful.
This is not my bar.
Oh, my God, you guys.
I love Bullseye Sports Bar & Kitchen.
It's definitely a place where I could hang out.
I love it. I love it.
There's two wells.
-[laughter] -Oh, my God.
-How are we doing? -Oh, my God.
-Yeah.
-It's beautiful. -Ooh, is that tears?
-Yeah. It's beautiful. -Aww.
In the 15 years I've been at Strikers,
nothing has changed with the carpet.
So to walk in and have this much beauty around me,
I'm, like, beyond excited to start working.
A dark wood bar like this has a warmth to it.
We have two POS systems for you,
the state-of-the-art with Skytabs,
two complete workstations.
-I thought that-- -And then I got PathSpot
to give you one of my favorite devices.
-After you wash your hands... -Okay.
...you put them under the PathSpot device.
If you get a green light, your hands are perfectly clean.
-Wow. -Perfect.
Then I got Audio Visual Professionals of Idaho
to redo the sound system, video system,
create video loops for you with your own content.
Then we added a fourth pinball machine,
got you two monitors in the back
rather than that ugly big screen.
I got BarProducts.com
to give you guys mixing equipment,
cups, glassware, strainers,
-spoons, everything. -Thank you.
And then I got Standard Restaurant Supply
to give you guys the appliances in the kitchen
that we got you, all the plates,
and a lifetime subscription to Partender.
-Thank you. -Awesome.
Fifteen-minute inventory.
Next, you are in this, buddy.
-Oh. -Oh, okay.
-Oh, my God. -Oh, wow.
-Look at that. -Gary.
-What? -Gary.
You showed me talent.
We beat you up.
You came in the next day
and, boy, did you prove us wrong.
-Thank you. -All righty, guys,
you see all those people standing out there?
-Yeah. -Yes.
Gary, they're hungry.
-Let's get it, sir. -Amanda, they're thirsty.
-Yes, sir. -Are you ready, guys?
-Yeah. -All right, let's do it.
Thanks.
[tense music]
Hey.
[cheers and applause]
I wanna welcome you to the new
Bullseye Sports Bar & Kitchen.
-Come on in. -[cheers and applause]
[upbeat music]
Hi, guys.
Hey. Welcome.
What can I get you mama?
So there's our drink menu down below.
Good to see you again.
You can start dancing.
Looking good. We're all ready.
Table two, drinks up.
Look at how much you've learned your mistake.
-Yes, sir. -You're rocking, aren't you?
-Yes, I am. -I know you got this, too.
-She's got this, doesn't she? -Oh, yeah.
-I'm really proud of you. -Thank you.
Man, what do you think so far?
Listen, Roger, for a guy that hasn't bartending.
-Yeah. -He's doing a great job.
He's learning these cocktails. He's making it happen.
And most managers, if they had a tin bar,
-would be frustrated. -Yeah.
-Look at him, he's smiling. -He's cooling down.
He has a great attitude.
-This is a Boozy Milkshake. -Thank you.
Roger's getting drinks out quickly.
Amanda just starting to rock two or three at a time.
Tables are starting to get served.
I'd say we're running about 10 times faster
than we did during stress test.
-Excellent, Gary. -Smokin' burger.
[upbeat music]
-How we doing? -We're jamming, Jon.
It's coming in fast.
So tickets are coming in quick?
-All at once. -Food seems to be going out
pretty quickly as well. We're running. What?
A 10-minute ticket time so far?
-Give or take. Yeah. -Yeah.
Gary, I don't know how you could do any better, buddy.
Thank you.
-All right, here. -Excellent.
-And right here. -Oh, no, it's awesome.
Thank you, guys.
-Hi, Steph. How are you? -Hello. How are you?
-Good to see you again. -Good to see you again.
-We think a little better? -This looks so much better.
-Excellent. -It's night and day, for sure.
I know you got something to talk about on the radio, aren't you?
I know. And I will.
-I definitely will. -Great.
-Thanks for being here. -Yeah, of course.
Yup. Pop.
Over your shoulder. Beautiful.
Here we go. Let's see how this bar is.
Is it right? The moment of truth.
-Yeah. -Perfect. Yes.
[cheers and applause]
All right. We're rocking now.
People love the bar.
Most importantly, they love the staff.
And that's what makes a community bar great.
I have two drinks for table seven.
This is a whole new beginning
-for you. -Oh, my gosh.
-It's overwhelming. -Your staff is trained.
Roger, he's even more energized,
and he's more comfortable in the bar
-than he was before. -Oh, yeah.
-And that's really important. -So-So am I.
-Yeah. My work is done. -You crushed it.
-Ah, thank you, buddy. -You crushed it.
-Thank you. -Congratulations.
-I love you, brother. -I love you.
This is crazy.
The amount of thought that went into this place.
You know, Jon nailed it.
The future is gonna be great for Meridian Lanes
and Bullseye Sports Bar & Kitchen is gonna be amazing.
[upbeat music]
Consideration provided by, Skytab POS, PathSpot,
Partender, Grand Sidecar Bar, Blue Ocean Cleaning,
Plumbing Solutions of Idaho, BarProducts,
Audio Video Professionals, Curtis Restaurant Equipment,
Standard Restaurant Supply, Riverside Embroidery,
Ellis Amusements, One Stone, and ESRI.