Screening Spirits - Bar Rescue

Host Jon Taffer

Q&A WITH BAR RESCUE HOST JON TAFFER

Jon Taffer, one of the country’s top restaurant and bar consultants, is rescuing failing nightlife establishments and giving them one last chance at success. Bars and nightclubs all around the country are being reborn under the watchful eye of Taffer and his team of experts. With each venue, he delves into every business facet of running a bar, from creating a profitable drink/food menu, to music selection, to managing crowds and dealing with disgruntled employees. Check out our Taffer tips that’ll have your customers spending more time and money in your bar.

YOU’VE BEEN IN THE BAR AND RESTAURANT BUSINESS FOR OVER THREE DECADES, WHICH ASPECTS HAVE LED YOU TO BECOME AN AWARD WINNING INDUSTRY EXPERT AT CREATING SUCCESSFUL

BARS? I actually started as a drummer and music is a large part of my life. I have a scientific perception of music and became sensitive to the energy levels created by beats per second and choices of song sets. Music programs in an establishment define the pace and the ambience. For instance in fine dining the lights are dim and the music is low and slow, in Denny’s the lights are bright and the music is loud and fast paced. This pace also dictates the cost of your food and drinks. So, music is not just played, it creates a reaction and is critical for success. Most bars don’t know that a song preformed by a female artist should be played every third song. It creates a reaction, that’s what we are selling after all. We don’t play music, we create reactions. We just achieve it through the music. TAFFER TIP # 1: Beats per minute in music. If they’re too high too long you get tired and leave. Too low too long, you get bored and leave. Proper cycles are key. WHAT IS THE SCIENCE OF RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL BAR AND “CRE-

ATING REACTIONS”? There are three main factors that make for a successful bar. First, bars don’t usually have expense problems. The problem is with the revenue. If a bar raises its revenue by 30% all expense problems are gone.

TAFFER TIP #2: Instead of trying to save a dime in costs, make a dollar in revenue.

The second factor relates to my own term “reaction management”. He or she who creates the best reactions wins. So if your sitting at a table and the plate hits the table, the food is in front of you and one of two things happens: Either you sit up and look at it and react to it, or nothing happens. The fact is, it’s not the plate of food, it’s the reaction that is the product. So, what I’ll do when you walk into a bar is steer your eyes to where I want you to look.

TAFFER TIP #3: Bar goers eyes are going to the brightest spots in the room. Make sure this spot is reserved for your most expensive liquor bottles.

Finally, the GROWS principals (Guest Reaction Opportunity Windows), are ways to help your employees create moments in time to mesh with your guests. For instance, with interactive dynamics, a customer walks into your bar and the hostess tells him/her how hot their shoes are while the waitress compliments on their great food choice and the bartender calls him/her by first name after checking their driver’s license. The customer stays in the bar because they’re more beautiful, better dressed and cooler than when they first walked in.

Host Jon Taffer and wife Nicole

Brian Duffy

PHOTO CREDITS: Spike TV

TAFFER TIP #4: Create reactions and bursts of energy. For instance, in a dance bar, a waitress should dance up to the table. At 1 am, have the bartender throw beverage napkins out into the crowd. IF A BAR OWNER WANTED TO MAKE SOME SIMPLE CHANGES THAT COULD UP THEIR

REVENUE WHAT SHOULD THEY DO? Not everything works in every situation. The business is unpredictable, but there is a science to human behavior. So, if I want to sell more prime rib than any other bar in town, I have my employees answer the phone by saying, “Best prime rib in L.A.”, then you walk in and they say, “Are you here for the prime rib? It’s the best in L.A.” Then open the menu and at the top in a box; you guessed it, prime rib. It’s subliminal.

TAFFER TIP #5: Box something on a menu and sales will go up 20%. Shadow something and sales of that item will go up 15%, every time. YOUR WIFE HELPS YOU SCOUT OUT A PLACE BEFORE YOU SAVE IT. HOW IS IT HAVING

HER INVOLVED? Not many men would encourage their wife to take off her wedding ring and go hang out with a group of guys in a bar. We have been married a long time and she is a lot better looking than me so it is just easier for her to sit down with a group of strangers and get the scoop about the bar and the competition in the area. She runs into a bit of trouble in an upcoming episode. It was very difficult to deal with her being touched and harassed by someone in an episode.

Taffer Tip #6: Create guest reactions with the right type of employee personalities. Manage your business by the look on a customers face. Your products are just vehicles… concentrate on the reactions, the production of smiles. IN ADDITION TO TEACHING YOUR BEST MONEY MAKING TECHNIQUES, YOU REALLY ARE SAVING BUSINESSES AND CHANGING PEOPLES LIVES. WHICH EPISODE ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

Every failing business has a failing manager, and a failing owner. I have to change the way these people think, and to do that I have to shatter their belief in what they are doing now. It can get pretty ugly, people fight back, they disagree and dig in their heels. My job is to react to them all in different ways. For instance, Domenic, the Italian chef-owner of Downey’s, an Irish pub in Philadelphia, hadn’t put on his chefs coat in five years. His brother had died and there were real issues preventing him from being successful. I know throwing the old chairs off the balcony, as silly as it seemed, was a way for him to move on from the past. Those tears were real, what you didn’t get to see were my tears. It was incredibly powerful for me. I helped change his life.

Watch Bar Rescue Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 9:00 am on Spike TV. Is your bar in need of some serious help? Spike TV’s hit original series Bar Rescue is looking for candidates to have their bar rescued by Jon Taffer. If you’d like to appear on the second season of Bar Rescue, submit the following information to receive an application: Bar name, owner name & contact information, photos or wesite and why your bar needs help to: barshowcasting@metalflowersmedia.com