# Bar Rescue season 3

The third season of the American reality show Bar Rescue premiered on February 10, 2013 and concluded on May 11, 2014. The series stars renown nightlife consultant Jon Taffer who offers his professional expertise plus renovations and equipment to desperately put failing bars in order to save them from closing. This season was split into multiple parts.

## Experts

* Jon Taffer – Host/Star/Bar Consultant/Recon Spy
* Nicole Taffer – Host's Wife/Marketing/Recon Spy

### Culinary

* Ron Duprat
* Brian Duffy
* Aaron McCargo
* Jason Febres
* J.B. Brown
* Nick Liberato
* Tiffany Derry
* Tony Gemignani
* Brendan Collins
* Stretch – Culinary Expert/Fabricator
* Kevin Bludso
* Celina Tio
* Anthony Lamas
* Vic "Vic Vegas" Moea
* Eric Regan

### Mixology

* Ricky Gomez
* Joseph Brooke
* Elayne Duke-Duff
* Peter O'Connor
* Jenny Costa
* Russell Davis
* Franky Marshall
* Jen J
* Rachael Ford
* Adam Carmer
* Phil Wills
* Mia Mastroianni
* Trevor Frye
* Lisamarie Joyce
* Kate Gerwin

### Other special experts

* Jessie Barnes – Hospitality
* Tommy Gregory – Artist/Sculptor
* Doc – Security
* Dan "Big Cat" Katz – Karaoke
* Fred Medrano – Karaoke Specialist
* Owen Benjamin – Comedy
* Gianluca Rizza – Comedy Club
* Dominique Kelley – Choreography
* Anthony Curtis – Gaming Specialist
* Dave Gravino – Owner of Iggy's Doughboys & Chowder House/Consultant
* Sal Ferro – Contractor
* Steve Blovat – Health Inspector
* Brandy Starr – Hospitality
* John Naddour (a.k.a. HookahJohn) – Hookah

## Production

Taffer has confirmed that season 3 of the show began filming in late October 2012, with 20 episodes being prepared to premiere on February 10, 2013. Season 3's episodes were split into three parts with the first third premiering on February 10, 2013 while the second and final thirds aired on October 6, 2013 and March 9, 2014 respectively.

## Episodes

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Bar name | Location | Original release date | Prod. code | Viewers (millions) |
| 21 | 1 | "Turtle on Its Back" | Turtle Bay | New Orleans, Louisiana | February 10, 2013 (2013-02-10) | 301 | 1.04 |
| The owner, Brad, has come to hard times when his work setting up the nearby bar Tropical Isle resulted in him being kicked out of the business. He builds his new bar, Turtle Bay, in the shadow of the Tropical Isle with an uninspired theme drawn heavily from his former work. The bar is so empty and unattractive that the recon team walk right past it. Taffer is highly critical of the bar's lack of identity, focusing especially on their signature drink, using the same gimmicky glass design and color as Tropical Isle's "Hand Grenade", and also their use of microwaved food. To make the bar stand out, Taffer remodels and rebrands the bar as "Spirits on Bourbon", playing on the ghostly theme, changing the bar's primary colour to blue, creating unique cocktails such as the "Resurrection" and providing fresh, authentic Louisiana food. Note: For the recon in this episode, Jon brought in the bar manager and kitchen manager of The Black Sheep (re-branded as The Public House), featured in the sixth episode of Season 2. New Name: Spirits On Bourbon ||||||||
| 22 | 2 | "Rock N Roaches" | Headhunters | Austin, Texas | February 17, 2013 (2013-02-17) | 303 | 1.46 |
| Jon tries to save a roach-infested bar and deals with a stubborn owner who refuses to pay his employees. Note: Instead of doing the recon, Jon and his experts accompany Nicole instead of having her go in alone after reviewing the customer's point of view in addition to a disturbing concert that took place that night. This is one of the few rescues where the owner did not thank Jon for his help. New Name: Metal and Lace ||||||||
| 23 | 3 | "Bro's Got to Geaux!" | TJ Quills | New Orleans, Louisiana | February 24, 2013 (2013-02-24) | 302 | 1.28 |
| Jon has a lot of work to do when he helps an owner and his frat brother friends who recently purchased a hangout notorious for bartenders who drink on the job and serve people with fake I.D.s. New Name: The Annex ||||||||
| 24 | 4 | "Tears for Beers" | The Brixton | Austin, Texas | March 3, 2013 (2013-03-03) | 304 | 1.10 |
| Jon has more than just a bar to fix when he helps a couple, the husband of which is belligerent, insulting to customers, and doesn't know how to make proper drinks, which threatens to derail everything they worked hard for. Note: This is the fourth bar that reverted to its name at the end of the episode. New Name: Rocket Room 6 ||||||||
| 25 | 5 | "Empty Pockets" | Zanzbar | Denver, Colorado | March 10, 2013 (2013-03-10) | 305 | 1.55 |
| Jon gets more than he bargains for when he has a face off with a very prideful and stubborn owner who is desperate to keep his bar alive after a car crash a few years back ruined its success when his old staff failed to control it while he was recovering. New Name: Solids & Stripes ||||||||
| 26 | 6 | "Jon T, He Don't Like It" | The Kasbah | Aurora, Colorado | March 17, 2013 (2013-03-17) | 306 | 1.37 |
| Jon goes to work at a reformed night club that used to cater to an older crowd, but was forced to accommodate to the younger hip hop crowd. The bar staff is not trained, food is served in oversized portions in styrofoam takeaway containers, and security is very lax. Consequently, the night club has a bad reputation due to violence and gangs. Taffer orders a clean-out of the dirty kitchen and the team reduce portion sizes and forces the staff to serve on plates rather than in containers. The bar staff is trained in pouring techniques. Unusually for the show, Taffer brings in a third expert, specializing in security. During the stress test, Taffer plants liquor bottles on several patrons, which security guard Ron fails to find during pat-downs. Owner Shelton finally takes a stand against his lazy staff and fires Ron. In the next day's training, the kitchen develops fresh food items, the bar staff learn new cocktails, and the security team learn to diffuse fights, including Taffer's method of using a frozen towel to restrain women. The bar is remodeled with the improved decor, better lighting on the dance floor and a service station are installed. The security team manages to confiscate alcohol and drugs at the door. Chef Diego turns up drunk and belligerent and is fired by Shelton. Taffer is impressed with Shelton's renewed rigor, and the relaunch is successful. Note: Jon revisited the club almost four years later in a Back to the Bar special where he admits that he and Shelton cried when they went over the plans for the remodel. For the special, Jon checked out the club personally rather than sending one of his experts to do it. Jon discovered that not only did Shelton pay off his debts completely, but he has turned the Kasbah into an extremely profitable business with plans to retire and leave it to his son while Shelton moves to Florida. When asked about security issues, Shelton confirms that they have had no problems in over two years. New Name: N/A ||||||||
| 27 | 7 | "In a Pinch" | Lona's Wardlow Station | Long Beach, California | March 24, 2013 (2013-03-24) | 307 | 1.20 |
| Jon works with a passive owner whose poor decisions, including putting in a controversial lobster crane game and her ignorant manager, has caused her bar to hit the rocks. New Name: Lona's City Limits Cantina (modernized version of old name) ||||||||
| 28 | 8 | "Karaoke Katastrophe" | Dimples | Burbank, California | March 31, 2013 (2013-03-31) | 308 | 1.17 |
| When America's first karaoke bar is facing closure, Jon decides to go hands on to help this historic establishment. New Name: N/A ||||||||
| 29 | 9 | "A Horse Walks Into a Bar" | Kid Chilleen's Badass BBQ | Black Canyon City, Arizona | April 7, 2013 (2013-04-07) | 309 | 1.67 |
| Jon heads to the Arizona desert to help a family-owned bar whose members drink on the job and allow running motorcycles and horses inside, creating health hazards for the customers. New Name: Chilleen's on 17 (modernized version of old name) ||||||||
| 30 | 10 | "Meat Sauna" | Stand Up, Scottsdale | Scottsdale, Arizona | April 14, 2013 (2013-04-14) | 310 | 1.10 |
| Jon journeys to a comedy club, where he must assist the business with achieving more laughter and securing a larger amount of profit from the customers. Note: This episode does not air in reruns on Paramount Network, its website, app and on Paramount+. New Name: The Laugh Factory ||||||||
| 31 | 11 | "Don't Mess with Taffer's Wife" | Sand Dollar | Las Vegas, Nevada | July 7, 2013 (2013-07-07) | 311 | 1.75 |
| A Las Vegas bar owner tries to pick up Nicole, leaving Jon in a frenzy and tough predicament. He also has to get the owner's partner to become a manager, get a new sound to attract more people and loosen gambling rules in their games. Note: Due to a lawsuit involving the Taffers and the bar's former owner, this episode no longer airs in reruns on Paramount Network or appears on the network's website and app. It also does not appear on Paramount+. New Name: Bar 702 ||||||||
| 32 | 12 | "Don't Judge a Booze by Its Bottle" | Cashmere | Raleigh, North Carolina | July 14, 2013 (2013-07-14) | 316 | 1.52 |
| Jon learns that a North Carolina nightclub has an immature and partying manager who is refilling premium liquor bottles with cheap alcohol, and must get the owner to hold him and his employees accountable to save his bar. New Name: Duæl Ultra Nightclub (The third letter is a superposition of "a" and "e", making the name both "Dual" and "Duel") ||||||||
| 33 | 13 | "Two Flew Over the Handlebars" | Handlebar Cafe | Pawcatuck, Connecticut | July 21, 2013 (2013-07-21) | 319 | 1.55 |
| Jon tries to get two partying sisters to stop binge drinking in order to save a biker bar. Mixologist: Russell Davis, Chef: Brian Duffy New Name: Handlebar and Grill (modernized version of old name) ||||||||
| 34 | 14 | "There's No Crying in the Bar Business" | Barlow's | Tucker, Georgia | July 28, 2013 (2013-07-28) | 314 | 1.48 |
| Jon must put an end to a feud between two owners, whose bitter resentment towards each other is allowing their staff to get away with theft, drinking on the job, and constant fighting at their failing sports bar. New Name: The Comeback ||||||||
| 35 | 15 | "Play. Some. Janet. Jackson!" | Gipsy | Las Vegas, Nevada | August 4, 2013 (2013-08-04) | 312 | 1.52 |
| Jon looks to save Las Vegas' first gay nightclub from its verbally abusive and intoxicated owner. Note: This is the first episode whose epilogue specifically states that the bar has closed down since Jon's visit. In this case, the owner expressed his belief that the overhaul was a mistake, then closed the bar two days after its relaunch. New Name: SBLV (South Beach Las Vegas) ||||||||
| 36 | 16 | "Characters Assassination" | Characters Quarters | Garner, North Carolina | August 11, 2013 (2013-08-11) | 315 | 1.35 |
| Jon deals with a Yankee family who is having trouble adapting to a more Dixie environment, mostly because the brother is a hot-head who verbally insults his family and staff, and the other members wear ridiculous costumes to support one of the worst concepts Jon has seen to date. The episode also had a flashback to the infamous Piratz Tavern episode. Note: During the Back to the Bar special, it was shown that not only is Moonrunners successful, they are scouting out a second location for a franchise. Later, they started a food truck business and the owner, Guy, use his vehicle to do a road trip across the US to visit Spirits on Bourbon and George & Dragon before heading to Jon's place for another Back to the Bar special. Part of the food truck's artistic design is a drawing of Jon himself with the caption "shut it down," which Jon often says when he shuts down a bar during a rescue. New Name: Moonrunners Saloon ||||||||
| 37 | 17 | "Corking the Hole" | Cliques | Hope Mills, North Carolina | August 18, 2013 (2013-08-18) | 317 | 1.43 |
| Jon must humble an arrogant and condescending U.S. Marine/bar owner who bulldogs his employees and fails to capture the local military personnel due to poor design choices. New Name: 22 Klicks ||||||||
| 38 | 18 | "A Bar Full of Bull" | Libad's Bar & Grill | New Bedford, Massachusetts | August 25, 2013 (2013-08-25) | 318 | 1.51 |
| Jon tries to help two siblings who are wasting their father's retirement with a rickety mechanical bull, get hold of their inexperienced, over-pouring bartenders, and help them recover from a family loss that had the owners closing the kitchen, in a New England whaling community. Note: This is the first episode in which the owner watches the recon with Jon. New Name: Libad's Seaside Tavern (modernized version of old name) ||||||||
| 39 | 19 | "Beer and Loathing in Las Vegas" | The Hammer | Las Vegas, Nevada | September 8, 2013 (2013-09-08) | 313 | 1.30 |
| Jon helps repair the strained relationship of two classically trained chefs who have a blue collar bar in desperate need of help. New Name: Hammer & Ales (modernized version of old name) ||||||||
| 40 | 20 | "Barely Above Water" | Marley's on the Beach | Warwick, Rhode Island | September 15, 2013 (2013-09-15) | 320 | 1.27 |
| Jon tries to save a marriage and a bar by splitting one bar into two, but has trouble with an inexperienced staff, including a good, but frustrated cook, and the husband not doing anything to help. First time the landlord and rival business owner appear as part of the recon team. New Name: St. Michelle's Beach Club ||||||||
| 41 | 21 | "Crappy Cantina" | Rocky Point Cantina | Tempe, Arizona | October 6, 2013 (2013-10-06) | 321 | 1.12 |
| Jon must do a reality check on a bar whose oblivious owner, ill-conceived death metal theme, and filthy bathrooms are driving away the college-age crowd. Note: For this episode, Jon's experts access the problems in the bar without him being there. He stays outside and watches footage of their visit, then enters the next morning after the staff has cleaned the bar. New Name: Havana Cabana ||||||||
| 42 | 22 | "Jon of the Dead" | The Underworld Grill & Bar | Las Vegas, Nevada | October 13, 2013 (2013-10-13) | 322 | 1.19 |
| Jon encounters poor food service, tacky decor, and deep distrust between employees and management as he tries to save a Halloween/horror-themed bar run by two former rockers. New Name: The End ||||||||
| 43 | 23 | "Grandpa Got Run Over by His Grandkids" | Kerry's Sports Pub | Las Vegas, Nevada | October 20, 2013 (2013-10-20) | 323 | 1.37 |
| Jon confronts a bar owner's adult grandchildren, whose lax oversight of inventory and money handling have brought the bar close to failure. Note: This is the second episode where the owner watches the recon with Jon. New Name: Bacon Bar ||||||||
| 44 | 24 | "Hurricane Jon vs. Hurricane Sandy" | Bungalow Bar | Rockaway, New York | October 27, 2013 (2013-10-27) | 999 | 1.04 |
| Jon faces the triple challenge of rebuilding a successful bar that was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, getting the five brothers who own it to set aside their disagreements, and retraining staff members who are long out of practice. Note: For this episode, the staff training and stress test were done at a bar in Manhattan, since the Bungalow Bar was undergoing extensive reconstruction. Prior to the grand re-opening, the owners of Turtle Bay (re-branded as Spirits on Bourbon, episode 1 of season 3) visited to present the staff with a new set of souvenir cups and T-shirts and a $5,000 donation. As Jon prepared to leave, the owners presented him with an autographed picture of an American flag raised amid Hurricane Sandy's floodwaters, framed with wood taken from the portions of the Rockaway Beach boardwalk that were destroyed in the storm. This is also the first bar that was not a failure prior to an overhaul, but a way for Jon to give back to his community. New Name: Bungalow Bar & Restaurant (modernized version of old name) ||||||||
| 45 | 25 | "Drunk & Dirty Dolls" | The Alibi | Las Vegas, Nevada | November 3, 2013 (2013-11-03) | 324 | 1.21 |
| A motorsports bar's female-unfriendly theme and its employees' vulgar behavior - including display of a sex doll - prompt Jon to push the owner to reassert control over the business. New Name: Garnet Lounge ||||||||
| 46 | 26 | "Empty Bottles Full Cans" | MT Bottle | Murfreesboro, Tennessee | November 10, 2013 (2013-11-10) | 325 | 1.02 |
| A Tennessee bar without a liquor license has severe sanitation problems in the kitchen and basement, female bartenders who routinely flash their boobs at customers, and an owner who has a reputation for ingenuity yet leaves all the hands-on work to his wife. Note: Big Smo, who used to perform at MT Bottle, joins Jon to watch the recon. He later appeared during the grand re-opening of the bar's new name. In addition, mixologist Russell Davis almost injured himself during the stress test due to the slippery floor of the bar. New Name: Bottles & Cans ||||||||
| 47 | 27 | "Hole in None" | Fairways Golf & Grill | Murfreesboro, Tennessee | November 17, 2013 (2013-11-17) | 326 | 1.36 |
| Surveillance on a golf-themed bar reveals terrible sanitary conditions and incompetence in the kitchen, which is run by the owner's friend, that threaten to ruin the owner's investment, unless Jon can get the borderline-oblivious owner to take control and fix things up. New Name: Brew U ||||||||
| 48 | 28 | "Music City Mess" | BoondoxXx BBQ & Juke Joint | Nashville, Tennessee | November 25, 2013 (2013-11-25) | 327 | N/A |
| A country music snob with an explosive personality turns to Jon for help. Note: This episode was originally billed as the 28th episode, but on the day of the airing, the owner of the bar was arrested for allegedly shooting and killing country singer Wayne Mills during an argument. Spike pulled the episode, which was scheduled at 9:00 PM on the 24th, and replaced it with a rerun. An oversight by the network, however, led to the intended 12:00 AM encore on the 25th airing as scheduled and drawing complaints from viewers. New Name: Pit & Barrel ||||||||
| 49 | 29 | "Brawlin' Babes" | Long Shots Sports Bar | Grain Valley, Missouri | December 8, 2013 (2013-12-08) | 328 | 1.30 |
| Jon must help a sports bar's owner and staff overcome long-held infighting, poor training, and a lack of publicity and promotion in order to succeed against the local competition. New Name: Badlands Country Nightclub ||||||||
| 50 | 30 | "Twin vs. Twin" | R.G.'s Lounge | Independence, Missouri | December 15, 2013 (2013-12-15) | 330 | 1.61 |
| When a personal feud between twin brothers threatens the future of the bar they own, one brother's son calls Jon in to save the business. Note: The son of one brother, who is also the nephew of the other brother, works with Jon ahead of time to give him inside information on the bar's problems in addition to watching the recon with him. New Name: BARcode ||||||||
| 51 | 31 | "Hostile Takeover" | O'Banion's Bar & Grill | Bellevue, Nebraska | March 9, 2014 (2014-03-09) | 331 | 1.35 |
| When an owner's heavy drinking and loud antics threaten the bar's fortune, Jon must get the owner's brother and his best friend, who together hold a majority stake, to overrule him and act to save the bar. Note: Two of the three co-owners join Jon to watch the recon. This is also the first episode where he performed a hostile takeover. New Name: Sorties Tavern ||||||||
| 52 | 32 | "Critters and Quitters" | KC's Bar & Grill | Shawnee, Kansas | March 16, 2014 (2014-03-16) | 329 | 1.50 |
| Jon must make a members-only club into an asset, but has trouble with a carefree owner and his aloof son, bartenders who over-pour, a manager who is set to take over but has little power, and a raccoon infestation that poses a major health hazard. Note: After turning the bar around, Jon was presented with a raccoon hat and a membership card for the bar. New Name: Johnson County Line ||||||||
| 53 | 33 | "Punch-Drunk & Trailer-Trashed" | O'Face Bar | Council Bluffs, Iowa | March 23, 2014 (2014-03-23) | 333 | 1.65 |
| Jon Taffer and mixologist Russell are called to rescue a trailer bar whose staff is more interested in getting drunk and having fun than running an establishment. Server Cerissa and bouncer Bryan (nicknamed "Syck") get the brunt of it, being the only ones to showing concern for the patrons or the business. Jon can't even start the recon, let alone train the staff, due to their drunken self-centered antics, including a bar brawl between employees which ends with the defending party fired despite Taffer's orders. After a long string of total failures, Jon does a full business background check, uncovering numerous reports of violent behavior, and ultimately walks out as a result. This is the first rescue Taffer has ever aborted. Note: On February 4, 2016, the owner Matt was arrested on suspicion of second-degree sexual abuse and assault with intent to commit sexual abuse by the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office. He served 90 days in jail and was released on April 4, 2017 but was arrested again 10 days later for not registering as a sex offender as part of his plea deal. New Name: N/A ||||||||
| 54 | 34 | "Scoreboard to Death" | Scoreboard | Norwalk, California | March 30, 2014 (2014-03-30) | 336 | 1.45 |
| Jon is joined by celebrity guests Maria Menounos and Adam Carolla as he takes over a failing sports bar, wrangles with an incompetent owner, whose father owns the building as a whole, and undertrained staff. Note: Maria and AfterBuzzTV co-creator Kevin Undergaro went undercover during the recon. New Name: Agave Junction Cantina ||||||||
| 55 | 35 | "Grow Some Meatballs!!" | The Tailgate | Santa Clarita, California | April 6, 2014 (2014-04-06) | 334 | 1.34 |
| Jon must mend the relationship between the owners and their father, who's fed up with the staff's unruly behavior, but can't do anything since the owners are too lenient and refuse to fire them. However, when one of the employees causes a disaster in the kitchen, Jon must convince them otherwise. Note: During the Back to the Bar special, despite the bar is sold, the new owners decided to remain it as the same thing that Jon has rescued. New Name: The Shot Exchange ||||||||
| 56 | 36 | "Taxed Out in Texas" | Bryant's Ice House | Katy, Texas | April 13, 2014 (2014-04-13) | 337 | 1.47 |
| Jon must give a bar a major overhaul, from the staff to the name, when a tax-accountant-turned-owner bought it and the bad reputation and that it gained a few years back, whilst dealing with bartenders who spend more time drinking and creating drama, and one of the worst locations he's dealt with. New Name: The Wildcatter Saloon ||||||||
| 57 | 37 | "When Life Doesn't Hand You Lemons" | Pat's Cocktails | Valley Village, California | April 20, 2014 (2014-04-20) | 335 | 1.62 |
| Jon recruits the bar's bartenders to get inside help about the bar's problems and must get the manager to stop treating the place like a romantic playground, while convincing the owner to go more hands on with his business. New Name: N/A ||||||||
| 58 | 38 | "I Smell A Rat" | Oasis Hookah Bar | Omaha, Nebraska | April 27, 2014 (2014-04-27) | 332 | 1.90 |
| Finding a hookah bar plagued by unsanitary smoking equipment, putrid odors, an inexperienced manager, and an owner who lets his staff run wild, Jon wonders if the bar's concept can ever turn a profit. New Name: Taza Nightclub ||||||||
| 59 | 39 | "Scary Mary's" | Mary's Outpost | Grand Prairie, Texas | May 4, 2014 (2014-05-04) | 339 | 1.76 |
| Jon faces off with an owner who is lecherous and disrespectful towards women patrons, treats his wife/general manager with little respect, and gives away his products, after he crosses the line with one of his experts. New Name: Thirsty's Roadside Bar ||||||||
| 60 | 40 | "Muscle Madness" | The End Zone Sports Bar and Grill | Houston, Texas | May 11, 2014 (2014-05-11) | 338 | 1.62 |
| Two meatheads' tempers and testosterone threaten their friendship and their Houston bar, forcing Jon to address not only their management style, but their personal issues. New Name: Houston Sports Hub ||||||||