Uh...
that's a good question 'cause, uh...
I hate to say that we're the--kind of the young faces
around here but we are.
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.
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 have been struggling to keep up with
the new landscape of our industry.
narrator: So, now, Jon is back out on the road
and heading to Sheridan, Colorado
to rescue VFW 9644.
This is a new era for our country,
so we need to raise the bar
and rise to these challenges.
[dramatic music]
narrator: 1947,
VFW Post 9644
opened its doors in Sheridan, Colorado
and welcomed in vets returning home from World War II.
The Post here at Sheridan, Colorado,
it's a small community.
I believe it's about 6,000 people.
It was built around Fort Logan.
Now, a national cemetery.
And we have a tremendous relationship
with both Fort Logan
and the community itself.
- [indistinct chatter] - [glasses clinking]
narrator: Over the next several decades,
it saw membership grow
and became a reliable meeting spot
for veterans of all wars.
This December is going to be this Post's 75th anniversary.
We were as good or better than a lot of other Posts
and we got a national award for community service
and we all take pride in that.
narrator: However, like many VFW Posts across the county,
membership has steadily decreased
and is currently down nearly 50% in the last decade.
The membership has been dwindling.
A lot of veterans are dying off
and we're just not getting the replacement,
the younger guys.
narrator: Struggling to keep operations running
for the past three years
has been Commander Paul Gremse.
I did talk to O'Neal.
They have everything taken care of.
I spent 22 years in the military.
I really never saw a day of combat.
So I think I owe it to make sure that
any veteran who needs something, gets what they need.
Benefits, assistance,
whatever we can do for them.
Paul has, has brought this Post through the COVID times,
which were tough times, hard times on this Post.
narrator: But a recent election at the Post will see a newer,
younger commander take Paul's place.
I'm 48, so I'm considered young at the Post.
Currently, I'm just a member of the Post.
I was voted in as commander just a couple of months ago.
narrator: And with new leadership,
comes new ideas and plans to keep Post 9644
relevant among the younger vets in the community.
N-43. G-54.
The membership is getting older.
You know, we need to get some younger people in here
so that we can bolster those membership numbers.
I do think that there is a common ground
between the guys that are old enough
to be our parents both for Todd and I.
narrator: But the more senior members are concerned
with the new direction, Todd hopes to take the Post.
I just don't want it to not feel like 9644.
I'm used to it looking like this.
I'm used to it being like this.
If the change that comes about--I don't want--
it's not gonna be a nightclub because we're still a VFW.
Thank you, Marsha, for buying the drink.
narrator: Hoping to find the way to bring together
the older and younger members
and before the 75th anniversary celebration
of VFW Post 9644,
Todd and Paul had decided to pull back the doors,
bust open the books, and make a call for help
to "Bar Rescue."
Because of COVID, I haven't had a chance
to do what I had planned to do.
But losing this Post is not an option.
I don't care what it would take
as long as I'm around,
we'll get through it one way or another.
I'm at VFW Post 9644
in Sheridan, Colorado,
which is right outside of Denver.
This is the third VFW that I've rescued.
[gasps]
Oh, my goodness.
And each one has been both important
to the community that they serve...
- We appreciate everything. - Sure.
- This is wonderful. - Thank you.
And special to me personally.
I want more members like you here.
VFWs have been a lifeline for returning vets
for over a hundred years.
And this Post has its 75th birthday
in just a few months.
Its losing money, losing membership,
and a Post like this is so important
to the future and transition of our vets,
I wanna fight to bring it back.
So for this rescue, I've asked two of my favorite experts
whose families have ties to the military
to join me in my command center.
Thanks guys for meeting me.
- Of course. Of course. - Absolutely.
So we're in Sheridan, Colorado.
So we're just a few miles out of Denver
at a VFW, and in December,
- it's their 75th anniversary. - Wow.
narrator: For the bar,
Jon brings in Derrick Turner,
a mixologist from New York City
who's named a top 10 bartender by Time Out magazine.
Derrick has worked with both craft spirit brands
and major breweries across the country.
For the kitchen, Jon brings in Chef Anthony Lamas.
From growing up on a farm
to cooking at kitchens across the country,
Chef Lamas brings in uncommon voice
to any bar's menu.
You guys know I love helping VFW Posts.
You know, these are really important parts of the community.
Not only do these posts serve the vets
but the vets serve the community.
They're at the children's hospitals.
You know, they're the fundraisers.
They're the ones that are doing, you know,
the pancake breakfast to raise money.
So these are not only important
for the veterans,
this is an important part
- of any community. - Absolutely.
Here's what's interesting about this VFW Post.
They operate the bar
as a separate entity within the Post
so they can invite the outside public in.
- Wow. That's good. - It's great. So it isn't
- a members only bar. - Wow.
Anybody can come into this bar.
So they have a chance to make money.
- Absolutely. - But they're not.
- Right. - And Paul Gremse
was an Air Force veteran of 22 years.
It must be nice to have a drink.
You bought that, Ralph.
He is the commander of this Post.
He's been commander since 2019.
And interestingly he only wanted to do it for one year
but nobody else stepped up. So he's now been doing it
for three years, but...
there's a new commander who's taking over in January.
His name is Todd.
Ron is about to check with them.
Okay. Yeah. For that? That'd be awesome.
- Yeah. - Yeah. Please.
There's Rob.
I was gonna just clean up this
a little bit right here,
just so we don't have the bloody mess.
He is the senior legislative officer.
So he's got some political power.
[chuckling]
[whistling]
That one set that doesn't wanna come apart, right?
No. I just hit the paper.
There's Ron.
Ron is the vice commander.
Do we have any more buns?
I'm watching here and I'm looking at those
12 hamburgers cooking on that grill
and I'm wondering why would he be making
12 hamburgers at once?
Well, it looks like he's precooking them.
It looks like he's going into a pan
maybe with a little broth,
but, hopefully, that's at temperature
'cause that's always a concern
and they're gonna dry out.
It's gonna toughen up the meat.
It's gonna become like a hockey puck or something.
- Yes. - Okay.
So here's the problem, guys.
Look at him. He's a vet.
He's here serving his peers.
- Absolutely. - He doesn't know how to cook.
He's doing this from his heart.
- Yes. - So how do we make him
a better cook and respect him every step of the way?
Uh, they're cooking the hamburgers now.
- Okay. - Do you want a pizza?
The pizzas you have to pay for.
- The burgers are free. - Okay.
So that's Jandra.
She is what they call the canteen manager.
This is what they call the canteen,
is the bar and the restaurant.
Next to her is Penny.
She's a bartender.
So how have you been?
The average age of membership is 72.
- Wow. - And here's what's interesting.
There's a lot of young guys
- that have served overseas. - Absolutely.
They wanna join. Often the old guys
- push them out. - Right. Right.
It's sort of their club
and they don't want anything changing.
But, you know, they're not gonna perpetuate this
if they don't let new membership in.
- Here you go. - All right. Thank you.
The first thing that I noticed is the margaritas. Neon-colored.
And it's because she poured a bunch of orange juice,
a bunch of syrup inside of it.
They don't even have the right utensils.
They're using the small tin inside of a pint glass.
Not knowing how to shake. They splatter everywhere.
That's a big problem when you serve in a crowd.
They--they--they're trying to do something
but they don't have the know-how.
- These are our vets. - Yeah.
And these are people serving our vets.
You know what? We can sit here and we can watch them
and beat up on them, but you know what?
I say the three of us go in, sit down.
Let's try some of the drinks, let's try some of the food
- and let's take it from there. - I like that.
- Let's do it. Let's go in. - Awesome.
- Welcome to our VFW. - I [indistinct] here.
Hi, friend.
[laughter]
[tense music]
Hi! Hi, folks.
- How are you doing? - How are you doing?
- How you guys doing? - Good.
narrator: Jon and his experts enter VFW Post 9644,
a massive 7,000-square-foot facility
with a large hall and corner bar for events,
a main bar canteen area, and a kitchen
that is located between the two.
Right now, I'm just working on the three.
Hello, gentlemen. How are you?
- Good. How are you? - Good. Hi.
- [indistinct] seven. - So, ladies, really quick.
I wanna tell you, my name is Derrick. Jon sent me behind here.
And I'm just gonna be checking up on how you do things.
He's gonna yell at us.
- Hi. - Hi.
- How are you guys? - Doing well.
Good. Okay. So question, do you feel like
you're back in 1975 a little bit?
Does it feel--it feels a little dated to you?
- Yes, it does. - The wood paneling.
Yeah. It certainly does.
So did somebody come and sell you those drinks
or did you go up to the bar and get them yourself?
- We went to the bar. - Okay.
- So nobody is serving you here? - Uh, no.
We were a little confused at first
as to what we were supposed to do.
But they said they'd be by with food.
It's interesting.
All of these people here,
nobody has any food at all.
I'm gonna go check the kitchen.
I need five cheese burgers and then...
So let me ask you a question. Are those burgers--
- is that what they're doing? - They are. They--they--
Why--it takes six minutes to cook one of those.
Why not cook them fresh to order?
- It takes long. - I'd like to see one
of the ones from the bottom of that container.
- Can you get me one? - Yes, sir.
First of all, that's not cooked.
I mean, look at it.
Does this look right to you?
Yeah. That's the way I've done it for long time.
Okay. Doesn't mean it's right though, does it?
- No, it doesn't. - Okay.
'Cause it isn't.
I understand what you're thinking.
You're thinking ahead
but you really could do it to order.
Usually on hamburger night, I cook 24 precooked.
And what happens when you only sell 20?
What do you do with the other four?
Oh, I stop before I--I-- I--then I--
So do you ever throw away burgers at the end of the night?
No.
- Never. - Okay.
Well, it just it's a lousy way to serve a burger.
So do you ever throw away burgers
- at the end of the night? - No. No.
- Never. - Okay.
Well, it's just it's a lousy way to serve a burger.
But we'll figure that out together, guys.
That's why I'm here.
I wanna make this the best Post in America.
You guys with me?
One hundred and ten percent, we're with you, man.
A 75 year anniversary,
- right, guys? - Yeah.
This is a great time to energize this Post.
So what are you making right now?
- Two margaritas. - Two margaritas.
Oh, I only make them one at a time
'cause I have a itty-bitty glass.
Got you. Do you guys have a bigger
metal tin for a shaker?
Because what I see that's being used
- a smaller tin. - No, sir.
Todd, you are our new commander.
Yes, it is. Pleasure to meet you.
- It's a pleasure to meet you. - Thank you so much.
- You know, congratulations. - Thank you.
And there's a lot of excitement around you taking hold
- of this Post. - Yeah. I hope so.
You know, and add some new young blood to this,
get the membership up, little energy.
- That's my goal. - So I wanna empower you...
- I'm here for that. Yeah. - ...with knowledge
and the energy to fix these kinds of things.
- We got it. - Thank you.
You bet. Thank you.
I--I was ready for Jon to come in
and--and chip away at us a little bit.
You know, the--the place has been lived in for a while.
You know, the burgers are, you know, for sure
need to be a little better.
Jon was absolutely right.
Cheeseburger. You know, we are an all-volunteer force,
but that doesn't excuse us
from putting out something that is just
maybe just a bit subpar for what we should be doing.
Can I talk to you guys for a minute?
- Of course. - Do you mind?
- No, not at all. - Not at all.
What is that?
- It's a tequila sunrise. - And how is it?
It's--it's better than the margarita.
- Okay. - So we're moving this up a bit.
So you're notching up slowly but surely?
- We're slowly--up there, yeah. - Slowly, yes.
Do either of you have any family member
that are in the military?
Um, I do have family member in the military.
- You do? - I also was in the military.
- Oh, you were? - Yeah.
- Wonderful. - Yeah.
So you understand how important a place like VFW is?
- Absolutely. - Picking your mind.
Would you ever join this place from what you see here tonight?
- I don't think I would. - No?
- Not really. - I'm not feeling it.
Not when I can go to a bar right down the street
and get better drinks.
I think if I was able to find
some more veterans my age around here.
I'm looking for that--I know they exist. They're out there.
- I'm out there. - They sure are.
So with younger members comes younger people like you?
- Exactly. - Yeah.
- Okay. Thanks. - Of course.
- Appreciate that. Thank you. - Not a problem.
[dramatic music]
Anyone know how it went behind the bar with Penny?
They said the margaritas were too sweet, so...
I'm not even sure Penny knows
- what's in a margarita. - [laughter]
That's probably more margaritas than I've made in a year.
And then they ask me if I would drink one.
But as you know, I don't drink, so a little hard to do that.
- Hello. - Hello.
Come on over. Let's meet.
Let's see.
Commander, would you introduce everybody to me please?
Sure. This is Jandra.
She is our bar manager.
Ron is my senior vice commander.
Misty is our bartender.
Todd is our incoming commander.
And when we needed a bartender, Penny will step right up.
I know you guys, you stepped into the battle
without training,
so that's worthy of a lot of respect.
But now I wanna give you a little ammunition
so you step into battle with a little knowledge.
Easier said than done, isn't it?
- Yeah. - Especially the last two years.
Especially the last two years, of course.
People are scared to be in the same room with each other.
So the whole premise of camaraderie
and being together was destroyed the past two years.
That creates a greater need for now
- all of a sudden. - Yes.
And you have a new commander coming in, correct?
- Him. - Todd, who's gonna be
the youngest commander, I think, in the history
of the Post or something, right?
- Could be. - Darn close?
- In the history I know of. - Yeah.
Well, would you go look at the board?
- Yeah. - [laughter]
But you know what's interesting when I listen to you,
so many of the older members resist new membership.
You can mentor young guys
and have a powerful influence on them.
And you think about what are the benefits of membership,
it's just that, right?
Obviously it's social. But it's having a mentor.
Maybe somebody a little older than me,
somebody who's a little wiser than me, somebody who's been
through the same things that I've been through.
That's a powerful thing that you can give to people
that'll change lives. But that's a reason to join.
- Right. - Right. To have that--
But for no other reason
just to come here and find someone else
that's been through the same experiences,
you can't just go downtown and find someone like that.
So this is--this is the home
where they know they're-- they can go there and find that
- and be comfortable. - Yeah.
So, Commander, what have you seen in the past few years
as far as a shift? Just less and less people?
You know, there's been a change in society.
I mean, when everyone came back from Korea and Vietnam,
these were a hub of a community.
But society has changed.
Leisure time in America as a whole
- was down about 35%. - Right.
And, I mean, there's--
there's nothing that say that we are a VFW.
And you can drive right by and not even notice you.
- Yeah, you can. - And if I don't notice you,
then you're irrelevant right from the get-go.
- Right. - We need to go to work.
We have a very specific objective, don't we?
Let me get my experts in here.
Derrick is one of my favorite mixologist.
His family has some military background.
He knows how to put it together.
Simple but great.
Anthony Lamas is one of my dear friends.
Also a great chef.
He has a lot of creative ways to be efficient
without killing quality.
- Exactly. - He's the master of that.
So, Derrick, you saw what happened here last night.
Yeah. It was a lot of heart but it just--
you guys didn't know how to execute.
So that's why we're here is to make sure
you execute every single time,
no matter who's here.
So often in "Bar Rescue,"
people know what they should do and they don't do it, right?
It's driven by irresponsibility, lack of accountability,
and it's an attitude problem.
Not here. Not here.
So we're treating you very differently
than we would other people.
I'm not angry for what you did last night.
You did the best you could with the knowledge that you had.
If we increase the knowledge and you guys
keep doing the best you can,
- we're there. - Exactly.
So it's all about knowledge.
And that's what we're gonna focus on.
But it's funny, guys, I've worked with other Posts
and, you know, every Post suffers
from the same basic issues.
Dated facility,
the inability to attract new, younger members.
So we need a facility and an environment
that makes your efforts pay off.
Easier said than done, isn't it?
- Yeah. - Yes, sir.
So that's on me. I can do that.
Here's the challenge.
We have to bring the operations up to match what I'm doing.
And what I saw last night was a major issue.
Three drinks, all different colors.
And the burgers. Guys, we can't cook a burger,
put it in a pile at room temperature.
When they came out, what did the guests say?
- Did you hear it? - Rubbery.
Rubbery, spongy.
It's just no way to do it.
You're doing things that are convenient for you,
not what's best for the guest.
So somebody's gotta stand up
and say, "Hey, wait."
"These are our vets. These are our members, man."
"We gotta do better than this."
So somebody's gotta stand up and say, "Hey, wait."
"These are our vets. These are our members, man."
"We gotta do better than this."
- We're military people. - You're right.
If I give you guys objectives,
we know how to come up with strategies
to achieve our objectives, right?
- That's right. - Tonight, the stress test,
there's only gonna be three drinks
and three food items that they pick.
It's a very military way to go about this, isn't it?
- Any questions? - None. Excited.
- Let's do it. - Great. Okay.
Let's go to work, guys.
[upbeat music]
How are we doing?
- Good. And yourself? - All right.
I'm doing good. How are you guys feeling?
- Excellent. - With a group like a VFW,
they have the integrity to actually get things done
but they don't know how to do it.
What I saw last night was no structure.
Cocktails and margaritas were done wrong,
inconsistencies. They didn't know how to shake.
They didn't know how to pour.
So today I'm gonna make sure we give them
those tools so they succeed.
One of the most important things that Jon wanted to point out was
you need new blood in this place, right?
So with that, you need new cocktails.
Things that are vibrant. Things that make sense.
So to start off, we're gonna be doing the PFA,
Pretty F-ing Awesome, Smash.
A classic drink but with a twist.
So we're gonna start off.
You're gonna get two sprigs of mint.
We're gonna slap it. Put it in.
Half ounce of simple syrup.
Three-fourths of an ounce of peach nectar.
One ounce of lemon juice.
And then two ounces of bourbon.
Ice it up.
Now, this has mint inside of it so you really
wanna shake it to break up that mint,
get that oil going, okay?
So this is gonna go to a rocks glass.
Now, you get your mint for our garnish.
- Slap it. - Slap it.
Yes, ma'am.
The straw always goes in the back.
And that is the PFA Smash.
- Wow. - I am super excited about the PFA Smash.
Our members are going to refuse them at first,
but I think once they get the taste of them...
I think we will sell a lot of them.
- All right. - Okay.
- All right. Let's do it. - Let's do it.
- All right. - Thank you.
- Hello, gentlemen. - Hi.
- How you doing? - Good. Good.
Last night, the hamburgers just were like rubbery,
not juicy at all.
So what I wanna do is just take something simple.
And it just wasn't a good burger,
so we're gonna change that.
So here we're gonna introduce a classic burger.
We're gonna call this the VFW Burger.
I like to salt both sides, but we're gonna do the first one.
Generously.
We're gonna lay that right down.
I'm gonna go ahead and season the other side, okay?
Simply salt and pepper.
I'm gonna get my bun.
I'm gonna take a little butter.
Actually, I'll just put it right down here.
All right. We're gonna put that bun there.
Looking at your burger
and you can start to see it kind of--a round curl.
You'll kinda know.
What do you have the temperature on your grill at?
Right now, I have it like a high.
You know, not fully but a little high.
On this bun, I made a what we call dirty sauce.
Basically taking like a thousand island and mayo
and mixing it together, just to add this creaminess.
Now, watch this.
- Do you see that crust there? - Yup. I do.
That's what's locking in those flavors.
I know that was probably about
two and a half minutes on that one side.
VFW Burger.
Bottom bun. I'm gonna put that right on top.
Put some, some onions right on here,
tomato, and a couple pickles.
Just very classic. Quick.
- As simple as that. - Wow.
Cooked fresh to order, VFW Burger.
So let's cut this up and we'll try it.
- That's a good burger. - That's a good burger.
- [chuckles] - So stress test tonight.
This is where Jon's gonna kinda visualize
and see what we need to work on.
Let's get ready.
I'm gonna get prepping, get you guys set up,
and we're gonna rock this tonight, okay?
- Thank you, Chef. - Great. My pleasure.
[upbeat music]
This is gonna to be a challenge tonight
because we only have the one POS system.
The thing is don't get flustered.
As soon as you get flustered,
you're gonna start making mistakes.
Come on over, guys.
Okay. Have you figured who's running this tonight?
- You are. - You are.
[laughter]
- I'm gonna guide you... - Yeah.
...and help you but somebody has to be in charge internally.
That'd me. That's me.
So that's you. Okay.
So the military is all about procedures,
systems, respect of those procedures, right?
- Correct. - And, and a hats off
to the military and those we serve,
let's be as respectful of procedures
as they are, as you guys were,
because that--in that, lies was our success.
- You agree? - Absolutely.
You look terrified.
- He is talking to you. - Oh, I am.
[laughter]
She, she, she...
I am terrified.
What's the worst thing that's gonna happen to you tonight?
I make a bad drink and someone gets upset and they yell at me.
- So calm down. - Okay.
Let your personality come through.
The greatest asset you bring
to this business is that smile...
- Thank you. - ...and your personality.
Don't lose that, guys, okay? Keep that tonight.
Okay. So let's get ready. Let's go.
All right. 9644, let's do it.
[cheers]
[indistinct chatter]
Welcome to VFW Post 9644.
Come on in and have a great time.
- Hello. - Hi.
both: Come on up.
- Yeah. Come, guys. - Um, so we are just
- sticking to those drinks. - All right.
Let's see how they do.
The 9644 special.
It is, uh, rum, simple syrup,
lemon juice--or I'm sorry.
Uh, orange juice and apple cider.
Since that one's all greasy, I'll get you another one.
- Hi, friend. How are you? - Hello.
Doing well?
We have PR codes that you can check out.
We're open.
They have one POS system.
They gotta get food orders and all the drinks
through one POS system.
They have only one workstation.
They gotta get all the drinks out of one workstation
with one soda gun.
All these food orders are gonna hit the kitchen,
they're gonna get slammed.
I'm not sure they'll ever dig themselves out.
But they got spirit. We'll see.
9644. You got that right.
Okay.
Shake hard.
There we go. Get the dilution.
I wanna gonna see a little bit more skill too.
Do it inside the clear like you used to
so you can see what's going inside there.
Oh! So I shouldn't have put it there.
Uh, so far, zero but we have a double up right here
that's happening. It's smashing.
Uh-oh.
You might be there for a while. You okay with that?
Pull up a stool, relax, kick your feet up,
grab a newspaper.
They're doing the best they can, boy.
We gotta a lot of spirit here.
But we need to get faster.
- Let's go. - Hustle that up.
Spank that mint.
Boom.
One.
I wanna--I wanna hear that shake.
Oh, yeah? [chuckles]
You haven't taken an order from them yet?
- No. - Okay.
You got it. Like a breather.
They are really good.
All right. I'm gonna go get this in
- for you right now, okay? - Thanks.
- Remember, flip that glass. - Flip that over.
Flip it over.
Smile. Yeah, put on a show.
You're doing a good job. Yay, girl.
When you shake it, you smile, right?
Shake it! Woo!
- Come on, guys. Let's do this. - Go. Moving.
You got ketchup? Did he take your order yet?
Can I have your receipt for food?
You bet. So you had a burger.
Okay. I'll go grab that for you.
It'll be a minute.
Yeah, the one thing that's not working
is the food's coming out one at a time
rather than a table at a time.
So we're serving half tables.
So we gotta try to keep it by ticket.
I almost missed that. Good.
All the way. All the way. All the way. All the way.
Beautiful. Tap it hard.
Onto the shoulder. Fantastic.
- [sighs] Okay. - You know this.
- [chuckles] - You know it. It's in your mind.
I did it all wrong.
- You know this. - [sighs] Okay.
- [laughs] - You know it. It's in your mind.
I did it all wrong.
If this was a civilian bar,
they would have normal levels of service.
Service people out here, drinks would get out
in four to five minutes,
and the systems would be very different.
They almost need to be better here.
This is a member's club
and members should be treated with a level of respect
that even exceeds a strange guest.
When you're standing on a line like that,
we're not building relationships.
We're not connecting with the membership.
We need the workstations and the systems to improve this
if we're gonna to connect with our member base like we need to.
- Come on out for a sec. - Sure.
So when I look at here, see?
We need to put in a system where people are served at the tables.
Whether it's bartenders going back and forth
or somebody else going back and forth.
If we just do a hot dog and a hamburger
and some few things really well, we'll get them back.
We appreciate, you know,
you coming in here and doing what we need to do
so we can really serve our veterans.
We're gonna close this down in a few minutes, Paul.
So if you wanna let those last few orders
come out of the kitchen, then shut it down.
- Okay. - And I want my remodeling team
to go to work tonight.
So we gotta get a jumpstart on it.
And then we're gonna train all day tomorrow
and get the whole team elevated.
- Okay. - Okay. Thank you.
Thank you.
Okay. Listen up, everyone.
Once you're all finished, we're gonna shut it down
and we're gonna let Jon and his staff come in and...
Yeah. Bring the magic. All right? Thank you.
So what would you guys-- what do you--
what do you guys not want to happen here?
We don't wanna lose the history.
The history in this place.
Yeah. The history of this place.
What makes our VFW 9644,
we do not want to see that go away.
Well, I'm gonna promise everyone one thing,
and I think overall
we're gonna-- we're gonna love it.
But we're not gonna please everyone.
Well, you know, I thought of something today.
This is change for me.
- Yeah. - And it is for everybody else.
These came around and I was kind of skeptical,
but now this is everyday part of my life.
This is change.
So that's what's gonna happen in here.
And change is great.
Well, it might bring new numbers.
- It is hard. - Which is what we're really
hoping that this is-- this might--
It might bring newer, younger members.
It's inevitable. Change is inevitable.
And we'll be the Post to lead the way for the younger guys
that--when they wanna come see what the VFW's all about.
Let's be that Post.
Let's raise our glasses. Thank you guys very much.
Here's to your new year and thank you for your three years.
- Thank you, guys. - Thank you for your service.
[dramatic music]
How we doing?
- Hi, Derrick. Doing good? - We're doing good?
- Doing good. - Okay.
So I'm gonna tell you what I saw last night.
We saw a lot of backup there in the bar.
It's a little bit slow, and because of that,
we wanna make sure you guys are always fluid,
you guys are always communicating, because that's how things happen.
All right. Let's get started. Let me get our blender.
And then, first off, three-fourths of an ounce, how many seconds is that?
- Three. - Three.
One, two, three. Of lime juice.
An ounce and a half a pina colada mix.
Two ounces of spiced rum.
Island Oasis is simple. So you just put it in,
press one because that's our glass size.
[blender whirs]
Take it out.
So we're gonna get a half ounce of blue curacao.
Put it on the side.
Then a half ounce of raspberry syrup.
And that, ladies and gents, is the Bravo Zulu.
In the 60 years I've been around the VFW,
I've never seen drinks like these.
I think it's gonna go over well.
All right. So we have a lot of work to do.
Let's train. Let's go to boot camp.
Whatever we need to do, we're gonna get there,
and I promise I'll take you there.
- Okay? - You got it.
All right. Let's do it.
All right, gentlemen. So stress test last night.
What I saw, there were some difficulties
with not having systems in place.
The food was well received though.
So that was good. We know we have hot dogs, right?
So we're gonna introduce another dog.
Get that guy searing.
Then we're gonna get our beautiful bun.
And what I'm gonna do next is I'm gonna put
some coleslaw right in this bad boy.
I'm gonna do some crispy onion for a little texture.
And then we're just gonna go with the barbecue
right on there as well.
And there you have it. The barbecue dog.
Simple but, look, this comes out like that
and then you're going, "Ooh, what's that?
What's going on there?" It's just a visual thing, right?
- Cheers. - All right, gentlemen.
Relaunch is tomorrow. Let's get ready.
Jon's gonna bring a lot of people in here.
I'm very excited, gentlemen.
Very grateful for what you've done for our country.
Thank you, gentlemen.
[dramatic music]
I wanna sit with Paul and Todd.
The two that are gonna control the future of this operation.
I wanna see what their strengths and their weaknesses are
and see what else I can do to make sure they're successful.
Jon's been running bars for many years, so
- we're just learning-- - There they are.
- Hey, Jon. - Hey, Jon. How are you?
- Good to see you. - Good morning, Paul.
- Good to see you. - How are you?
So what do you think of last night?
It was a learning experience, but, um, I think it went well.
Everything wasn't perfect,
but, boy, we came a long way, didn't we?
- Yeah. From day one. - Yeah.
You know what's exciting to me?
His confidence in his ability to get new members.
- I know he's gonna do it. - Yeah.
And your confidence in him and his confidence to do it.
You know, when I go to other Posts,
there isn't somebody like you...
- Uh-hmm. - ...who's stepping up
that can really do this.
Anything worry you right now?
No. No. I have complete confidence in these people.
This isn't a business.
- It's a responsibility. - Yeah.
That's what so special about this.
So I'm gonna give you great food.
Simple but great.
We're gonna put in the right POS systems,
the right accounting systems, the right inventory systems.
We're making the Post beautiful.
- Good. - Wait till you guys see it.
- I can't wait. - It's gonna be a source
of great, great pride for you.
Yeah.
- I gotta go to work. - Thank you, Jon.
- All right. Thanks, Jon. - See you tomorrow.
Thank you.
That's gonna be amazing.
These aren't general managers.
They get no paycheck.
They're here because they love our vets.
They're here at a passion. And, boy, did that show.
Could you imagine having a new Post?
I don't know if I'm more excited to be outside of this.
[both laughs]
They are so excited about the future.
Todd has got this.
He's gonna get those new members.
And he's confident.
Paul has set Todd up for success
and now I'm the icing the cake.
[dramatic music]
[band music]
[indistinct chatter]
[applause]
He can [indistinct] [laughs]
The VFW Band of Colorado.
Well done. Thank you for being here.
[cheers and applause]
What do you think of this week, Paul?
I could never imagine
or even dreamt of anything like this happening.
It's not my Post.
- It's our post. - Yeah.
That's why you are such a great commander.
It was never about your personal accomplishments.
It was always the objective of taking care of our members,
taking care of our vets, taking care of our community.
So when you've been serving me your whole life,
think of what an honor it is for me to serve you
for just this small amount of time.
I wanted to create an environment
that was broad but cozy, comfortable.
What a club should be.
- Are you ready? - Yes.
Here we go. One, two, three!
[cheers and applause]
Wow.
You got a new sign outside.
A nice look to the outside of the building.
But the best is yet to come. Go ahead.
- Let's go. - Let's go.
[laughter]
- Look at that. - Look at--oh, wow.
Wow!
What?
Look at this.
Wow!
- Look at the TVs. - This is amazing.
No more TVs sitting on top of corners.
And they kept our jukebox.
[cheering]
What do you think?
What he's made it into is just...
There are no words to describe it.
So I got a lot to show you guys. Grab a seat at the bar.
So back here, guys, we got two workstations.
Complete separate workstations.
And I got you Shift4 Harbortouch
POS which is world-class.
And you got two SkyTabs
so you can take these around the room.
You put the order in right here.
I got you a PathSpot machine at the end of the bar.
You know, sanitation is so important today.
And let's face it, we have some elder members.
That white unit over there is a Bluezone by Middleby.
It's a purification system that kills 99.93%
of all bacteria and viral matter in the air.
Then I got BarProducts.com to give us all-new glassware,
all-new bar tools and supplies.
I got Ink Monstr to do special vinyl wraps
around the post to tie the design together.
And one of my favorite things.
I got you two Island Oasis frozen drink machines.
Then I got Mile High Beverage Brothers
to overhaul the draft beer system, clean it.
Make sure the pressure's right. The temperature's right.
I don't wanna dump any draft beer down the drain,
right, and lose your profits that way.
And then I got Jim Needham Plumbing
to come in, pull extra lines,
get the new station in with cold water, hot water,
drainage, everything needed
'cause we have two complete workstations.
Then I got Paramount Audio Video...
- Oh, wow. - ...to come in.
And look at the video they created for you guys.
That's amazing.
And then I got Standard Restaurant Supply
to give you a double-decker pizza oven in the kitchen.
Have you seen that? And double bucket deep fryer.
I got you Partender
so we can take a complete inventory,
track our numbers in a matter of minutes
so that you know exactly where we stand,
so we won't have that problem anymore.
You're a great VFW.
Every one of you steps up for our vets all the time.
Guys, are you ready? We gotta get to work.
- Ready? - Let's do this.
Rah, rah, rah.
Who are we for?
9644!
Woo!
- [applause] - Let's go do it.
[upbeat music]
[cheers and applause]
Are you guys ready?
all: Yeah! - [chuckles]
You're gonna be amazed.
- Yeah. Come on in. - Come on.
[upbeat music]
Hi, guys.
Do you want anything to drink?
Hi, father. What'd it be?
[tumbler rattling]
You see this?
- The Repo Man. - Yeah.
That--that's a free margarita.
Another VFW Burger, a hot chicken sandwich,
and some tenders walking in.
How we doing? Feeling pretty comfy?
- Absolutely. - I see the chicken
- is getting golden brown. - Absolutely. Good.
Well, those are good, guys.
What do you think? Great guys, huh?
They are. I'm telling you,
volunteers but they, they have heart
and it's like they own this place.
Thank you for letting me be a part of this
'cause this is very heartfelt...
- Yeah. It sure is. - ...you know, giving back
to these guys who give so much.
The chicken sandwich.
[blender whirs]
- How you doing? - Doing well. Doing well.
- What do you think? - They're starting to move
their--get that confidence. They're speaking to people.
Always put it up here.
And they're remembering the [indistinct]
- and that's fantastic. - They are? Nice.
That is the Bravo Zulu.
Is it better than a normal burger?
[laughter]
During stress test,
Penny was terrified she was gonna fail.
She wasn't gonna make it. She couldn't do anything right.
Look at her now.
She's got confidence.
She's getting drinks out pretty darn quickly
and she's getting better and better still every minute.
So this team has really pulled together,
and it shows great attitude and willingness
to learn overcomes ignorance.
Because they absorb the knowledge
and now they're using it.
I wanted to just say to both of you, first, take a look.
- Happy people. - Happy people.
Hopefully, now we can increase our footprint,
get more members, serve our vets better,
serve our community better.
You know, this isn't about a bar. You know that.
And in the end, it's not about a Post.
- It's about people. - It is.
- Veterans. - And it's about serving
those veterans well,
serving their families well
sometimes when needed,
serving the community well when needed.
- So my work is done, guys. - Thank you, sir.
Jon, I can't thank you enough.
It's an honor. It's an honor, Paul.
- Thank you so much. - It's my pleasure, guys.
- This is gonna be great. - It's an honor, guys.
- Thank you very much. - I know you'll make us
- all proud. I know you do. - We got it.
- Congratulations. - Thank you, sir. Take care.
[dramatic music]
[chuckles]
[upbeat music]
narrator: Promotional consideration provided by:
Partender, PathSpot, SkyTab POS, Roxy on Broadway,
CleaningPros, Befort Plumbing,
Paramount Audio Video Corp., Bluezone,
Mile High Beverage Brothers, Bar Products,
Standard Restaurant Supply, Jim Needham Plumbing,
TiCoat, Island Oasis, OneStone, and ESRI.