‘Bar Rescue’ Host Jon Taffer Teases Tough Season 10 (Exclusive)

Jon Taffer has opened the doors for Season 10 of Bar Rescue. The world-renowned hospitality kingpin doles out more tough love to struggling business owners. This round of episodes marks a milestone for Paramount Network’s long-running unscripted series. In 2011, Taffer found a successful recipe, bringing his no-nonsense approach to helping transform and turn food and drink establishments around within local communities across the country. The show has endured despite network changes and a devastating pandemic. 

Over the new installments, he’ll once again lean on field experts to lend their knowledge while crews work on aesthetics. Taffer also welcomes VIPs to the guest list, including Chris Kirkpatrick of *NSYNC and AEW pro wrestler and actress Mercedes Varnado (Moné). On his travel itinerary this time around include Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. 

Before the February 22 premiere, we caught up with the busy businessman to reflect on Bar Rescue’s landmark and tease what’s next. 

What does this Season 10 mean to you? 

Jon Taffer: It’s so rewarding to me. Think about it: I get this hug at the end of every episode that means the world to me. The things they say to me. I get, “Thank you, Jon, you saved my marriage.” This is one of my favorite ones: A person said, “My wife actually slept in the same bed as me last night. That hasn’t happened in months.” I’m really impacting lives. It’s such a challenge when I get there and look at the trouble they are in with the jams they put themselves into. The reward at the end is unbelievable to me. I’ll do this for as long as I can because that hug means so much. 

I love the fact that you all fund these renovation projects, showing you’re genuinely investing in these owners and believe there is hope.

You’re exactly right. Every family business has a family owner. I can build them the Taj Mahal, but if I don’t change what they do, they will fail again. To me, the bar is the easy part of it. For me, it’s fixing them that is the challenge. Why did they live in this mediocrity? Why do they live in filth? Why did they get complaints from customers, but then do nothing about it? Why are their employees walking out on them because they aren’t treated with respect? What is wrong with these people that would cause them to put their family fortune into a business? Wipe out their parents’ retirement, even, and then fail at that level? So, if I don’t change them, I can’t do anything. That’s why Bar Rescue gets ugly because I have challenged them aggressively until finally they say to themselves, “Maybe I am wrong. Maybe I should listen.” Maybe I can start to change things and their behavior. That’s the reward for me. That’s why I mentioned the hug. That isn’t about the bar. That’s personal between the two of us. They are saying, “Jon, you’ve made my life better.” That’s really powerful to me. 

When was the moment you felt the show resonating? 

I went to an industry event. I was at a nightclub and bar convention in Las Vegas, which I had been to many times. The respect I got from those in the industry is what always means a lot to me. When the industry respects what I’m doing, that means a lot. That respect from my peers means a lot. Being recognized in the early days was a lot of fun. Obviously, people will recognize me now, 15 years later. I’m used to that. I shake every hand I can. I take every photo I can. I sign every autograph I can. I’m very thankful for these 15 years. I don’t forget who put me here. 

This season, you have Chris Kirkpatrick and Mercedes Moné. What do they bring to the table? 

Mercedes is a tough champion female wrestler. She comes in with this female perspective and toughness that I just love. She was terrific in Bar Rescue. Chris, as an *NSYNC-er, has traveled the world and spent a lot of time in bars and such. They have a great customer perspective. When I send in recon, I want that customer perspective. I got the professional perspective covered between me and my experts. I want to know what Mercedes thinks as a female and her age and her demographic. What does she think of the place? What does Chris think? That’s a lot of value to me. 

Jon Taffer (Paramount Network)

Over the years, do you have a favorite celebrity that has been part of the show? 

I don’t want to insult others who have been on, but probably two of my favorites were Donnie [Wahlberg] and Jenny [McCarthy]. They are very good friends of mine. Last year, Donnie did the show with me. I think Jenny has done it twice with me. Jenny and Donnie are good friends. It’s always great having friends do it with me. Donnie was great, and so was Jenny. 

I think the premiere sets the tone for what’s to come as you help a retired police officer that has lost all motivation. His wife and daughters feel they are in a hopeless situation. What can you say about this episode?  

That’s a perfect example of what we do, where this bar is destroying this marriage. The wife has lost respect for her husband. The husband has lost his self-respect. He is in this dark hole he can’t seem to get out of. It’s mowing them down and destroying every aspect of their lives. If I fix the bar, but I don’t fix him, that doesn’t get us anywhere. They are still going to lose their house. They are still going to have all the negative implications. I have to go at him and somehow crack through and get him to understand that he can be better and will be better. It’s ugly in the beginning. The end. That hug is unbelievable. You’re right. It is a good example of what’s to come. I recommend everyone have a box of tissues next to them. It’s a pretty emotional situation. 

Where do you think we are in the state of the industry? Is it more challenging owning one of these businesses? 

It’s an interesting dynamic with our economy. For many years, restaurant companies were rated on how fast they grow. It wasn’t how much money they made, but how fast they grew. These companies opened a lot of restaurants as a result. Retail stores opened a lot of stores. Now, the marketplace says, “Now, we want to see how much money you make.” They opened up these lousy stores. Now they have to close the lousy stores they probably shouldn’t have opened in the first place. That’s some of the factors in it. There is a compression happening where you have to deliver earnings and not growth. That’s a dynamic shift that has affected all the corporate stores.

 As far as the independent operator, the pandemic affected socialization. There are a whole group of people that for five years or so didn’t go out and enjoy cocktails or go out to Starbucks and sip on beverages together. I think that has had an impact on the industry. They are more comfortable with a screen than people, some of them. That has affected socialization. GLP-1 medications are affecting the industry. People are eating less when they go out. They order an appetizer instead of an entrée. Then, of course, finding labor. Inflation and insurance costs, too, have made it a very difficult time for the industry. That’s why I think this season of Bar Rescue is more important than ever because it’s a challenge for them. These owners are in a deep hole.  A lot of things have to happen for me to save that house and save that family. It’s a tough season. I’m probably more aggressive than I’ve ever been because I’m fighting these serious obstacles every step of the way. 

I think more than ever, it comes down to the experience and creating a place where people come and want to share about it on social media. 

That’s right, but social media today could show disappointment from customers, too. Complaints can be blasted globally and instantaneously. We live in this real-time world of evaluation and such, so every customer matters more than ever. 

Has there been a fan of the show who has surprised you? 

Yes, I was sitting in a restaurant in Hollywood, California. I was in a good friend of mine’s restaurant, and Bette Midler came up to me at the table. She told me she watched my show every week. She said, “I love your show.” Then she bought me dessert. That was a shocker. 

Where do you see yourself and your career at this stage? 

I’m still passionate about helping people and saving these businesses. There is no question about that. Off TV, that’s what I do, professionally, has been our consulting practice. Taffer’s Tavern has grown very quickly. We just opened our third location in Atlanta and are very happy about that. I just introduced Taffer’s Browned Butter Bourbon to Georgia. We’re doing well on all those fronts. I just keep plugging along and do what I do, but Bar Rescue has been the gift that keeps on giving. It has given me an opportunity to really impact people’s lives. The emails I get a year or two from these owners later have been so rewarding. Sure, the money and checks are wonderful, but the hug means more to me than anything. 

With this being the 10th season, is there somewhere you want to take the show you haven’t before? 

Some of the favorite shows I’ve ever done were hurricane episodes where we’ve gone to some of the natural disasters of Puerto Rico and Long Island and really helped not only a bar but a community. We’ve seen, unfortunately, there are too many natural disasters out there these days destroying these communities. Look at Fort Myers a few years ago as an example of that. Going into those markets and facing those challenges and getting the businesses opened so they can serve the construction people and the people working to rebuild those towns is very important with what we do. Those always mean the most to me because we can make an impact on an entire area, not just a bar or one family. I’m interested in doing more of those if we can. Honestly, there are a lot of things about Bar Rescue we’ve never shown people. How do we build? How do we put it together? I’d love to see us show some of the behind-the-scenes stuff down the road. Those are the kinds of things I would love to show that we haven’t yet. 

Bar Rescue Season 10 premiere, February 22, 10/9c, Paramount Network