Jon Taffer Reflects On 250 Episodes Of “Bar Rescue” And His Secrets To Success
From a dead raccoon in a drawer to a kitchen filled with rats and cockroaches, Jon Taffer has faced some of the most unimaginable scenarios in his mission to save failing bars. As Bar Rescue celebrates its 250th episode milestone with the June 30th installment, Jon, 69, shares insights and behind-the-scenes stories with PEOPLE.
“We’ve witnessed some remarkable things,” the host of Bar Rescue says with a chuckle, reflecting on his hit series. “The greatest episodes are the hardest ones to do,” he adds, recalling the “class-5 cockroach infestation” at a bar in Austin, Texas, back in 2013 as one of the most challenging.
In addition to cockroaches, Jon remembers a particularly disturbing discovery. “I remember opening up a kitchen drawer and it was a dead raccoon in it,” he shared, adding, “I remember standing in a kitchen in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with my chef and the rats were running into our sneakers as we were wearing them.”
To cope with the horrendous smells in some kitchens, Jon has developed a “little secret”: “I’ve never said this to any press before, ever. I take powdered garlic and I pour it on my tongue inside some of these kitchens because they smell so bad.” This trick helps him breathe through his mouth and endure the stench for a short while.
Bar Rescue isn’t just about renovating bars; it’s about helping people reclaim their livelihoods. “Bar Rescue is about people, not bars,” Taffer explained, adding, “And it’s about the struggles. . . . The bars tend to be more of a backdrop.”
Working with individuals whose lives are on the line has changed Jon’s perspective and changed his empathy, according to him.
“I understand that my success comes from other people. I’m more humble today as a result of being on TV, believe it or not,” he said.
One interesting behind-the-scenes fact Jon reveals is about the show’s quick makeovers. “When we put the design together, it’s after recon. So when recon ends and the cameras stop, we go in and design the bar that night. So now I have a design,” he stated.
“The next day we gotta find bar stools and tables. Well, we can never find 60 bar stools of the same type overnight. But we can find eight of these, 12 of those … Look at the Bar Rescue remodels. You’ll notice — rarely do all the bar stools match,” he continued.
Even with mismatched furniture, Jon’s purpose remains consistent and he finds something to fight for in every episode. “Once I find out what I’m fighting for — the house, the wife, the husband, the kids, getting their debt paid off — then I can go to war and stop at nothing to achieve it, including insulting them, calling them out, being obscenely direct. Because now I’m on a mission, and I know what that mission is,” he explained.
