- I help you a lot.
You go to me for everything.
You're constantly over there, asking for help.
DAVID: I never see you pick up a plunger.
I've never seen you, like, go back there
and scrub some floor.
- Do you pick up a plunger?
Do you ever--
- Yes, I do.
I have to.
NARRATOR: For over 30 years,
Jon Taffer has traveled the country, saving hundreds
of bars from failure and ruin.
- I started rescuing bars
decades ago because they're part of the backbone of America.
Let's go!
We're doing it.
But as the industry continues to explode,
the amount of failing bars is increasing at an alarming rate.
(SHOUTING) When do have you say, that's not gonna work?
But I can't be everywhere at once.
So I've handpicked some of the nation's
top hospitality experts--
- You got to interact with guests.
- --to help me lead the charge.
- You don't have a [bleep] clue
on how to run a bar, do you?
NARRATOR: Now Jon is sending
legendary mixologist Phil Wills to Downey, California,
to rescue Epic Lounge.
- We are determined to raise the bar
and rise to the occasion.
NARRATOR: In 2019, after operating mostly as an event
space for over a decade, Hollywood promoter David
Devis bought Epic Lounge in Downey, California
for $2.7 million.
DAVID: Really nice area between Orange
County and Los Angeles.
They call it the Latin Beverly Hills.
But Downey was pretty dead.
And after 5:00, there was nothing around.
So I took all my savings and everything I had, and we
said, let's open up a bar.
That was the first live entertainment
venue in downtown Downey.
And after that, a lot of other venues started opening.
NARRATOR: And his decision to open in downtown Downey
proved to be a successful move.
[music playing]
DAVID: It was great for a while.
And then little by little, people
didn't come through here.
NARRATOR: As the novelty of being the new Downey hotspot
wore off, David did his best to draw people back to the bar.
DAVID: We had garage bands, live music.
It's been an art gallery.
At one point, it was even a wrestling ring.
We've done so much here.
NARRATOR: But what worked for David as a promoter
wasn't working as a bar owner.
- So I think David is a good businessman.
I think that he does the best with what he knows.
- It's not working today.
PHIL: If you could describe
David's management style in one word, what would you use?
- Unorganized.
[laughs] Definitely.
- There we go. (ON) ALY: That's how it is here.
And you fake it till you make it.
NARRATOR: Struggling to run his own business,
David often calls on his longtime friend Judy
to volunteer her services at the bar.
- When was the last time that this was cleaned?
Everything here is unorganized.
DAVID: She gets paid once in a while for a gig
that we booked or something like that.
But she goes beyond.
NARRATOR: However, unable to pay Judy
regularly, her status as a manager has caused
confusion at the bar.
- I feel like Judy is more like, oh,
like, it has to be this way.
And then David is like, no, but I prefer it this way.
They can never agree to one thing.
- That's every month.
That's every month.
Nothing changes.
NARRATOR: With only weeks left before closing,
David has decided to pull back the doors, bust open the books,
and make a call for help.
Bar Rescue.
- Blood, sweat, and tears into the Epic Lounge.
I'd just hate for it to be an epic fail.
- For this rescue, I've asked
one of my long time experts, Phil Wills, to lead the charge.
I've seen Phil grow as a real leader
in the hospitality industry.
And he knows exactly what event and music venues just
like this need to find success.
PHIL: Here we are, guys.
Downey, California, at the Epic Lounge.
You see how it's not lit up? (ON) VIC: Not very much at all.
NARRATOR: For the kitchen, Jon
brings in Vic Vegas, an executive chef
with over 25 years experience.
Vic has worked with major food distributors
while also owning and operating his own successful restaurants.
- So David bought this building
back in 2019 for $2.75 million.
- That's a lot of money.
NARRATOR: For the bar, Jon brings in Rebecca Dowda.
A nationally recognized mixologist, beverage
consultant, and bartender development specialist, Rebecca
is known for creating well-balanced cocktail
menus that inspire both her peers in the industry
and guests alike.
PHIL: This bar has been in the community
for about 20 years.
So it's a legacy to the city of Downey.
This place is owned by David right there.
- Yeah, I remember when I got my liquor license.
- And David, he's a big Hollywood promoter.
But obviously, he doesn't know how to run bars.
That's why we're here.
He's just kind of standing around.
So this is Judy, and her and David are great friends.
Judy actually serves as the general manager here.
- Customers are fine. (ON) JUDITH: We have one table.
PHIL: But for the last two years,
it's been a little bit part-time.
- : Do you have a menu you could bring us?
- I'll bring it out to you guys.
- : OK. Thank you.
- : Thank you.
- They have a young staff here.
We have Jose.
- So I added more watermelon,
and then it tasted good.
- We also have Aly.
There.
- It is the sweet and sour.
PHIL: That's America
- Bags of ice to the freezer,
and you can put those containers on top of the freezer.
PHIL: She does serving sometimes.
She cooks.
She's just kind of, like, all over the place and does a lot.
- Oh!
Oh!
PHIL: And then in the back of the house, you have Nathan.
He's the cook back there.
VIC: You can tell from what we're seeing,
they're just kind of thrown there.
And whatever happens happens.
- Yeah.
- All right people are using our menu,
so I took a picture for you.
- Oh, OK.
- Yeah, go ahead and check it out.
- Do you care if we have your phone?
Or do you want us to take a picture of it?
NATHAN: You guys can hold on to it.
It's fine.
- OK.
- He took a picture of the menu with his phone.
What the hell is going on here?
It's a huge bar top, too.
It wraps all the way around.
It literally takes up that whole room.
Oh, my gosh.
VIC: That right there is a combination of fire grease,
splashing grease, and-- oh, and that black water
grease sitting in that rack.
- Look at the hood.
VIC: Well, of course, because that's
going up into the hood, see?
So that's a reflection of what's in that fryer.
- Gross.
- All right, guys, let's
try to get everything ready.
Do we have any cherries or anything like that
that we're gonna use?
- No cherries. (ON) PHIL: All right, guys.
Tonight for recon, I need to know a little bit more
about this bar and about their food.
So I'm thinking that you guys go in and try some food,
try some drinks. (OFF) VIC: All right, my man.
- Thank you. Good luck.
NARRATOR: Jon's experts enter Epic Lounge,
a 3,000-square-foot space that is
currently under construction.
It features a small bar area and a large kitchen in one room,
and a large stage dance floor and a seating area in another.
Connecting the two is a small pathway.
JOSE: Hello.
ALY: Hi. Welcome.
- Do you have a cocktail list?
ALY: [laughing] No, we don't.
- Can I come back to you in just a sec?
I'm just helping out some people.
- That's fine. (ON) NATHAN: Yeah.
- They do not look impressed.
- We're gonna order mozzarella
sticks, chili cheese fries, and the Buffalo wings with ranch.
- Buffalo wings with ranch.
VIC: Thank you, sir.
CUSTOMER: You know what you want to drink?
- Yeah.
PHIL: You know, none of this makes any sense to me.
They have to go to the bar top in order to order.
- What can I get for you?
- I'm gonna get a ranch water.
- Um--
I don't know what that is.
Ranch water?
- Are you kidding me?
- Tequila, and then sparkling water almost.
- I don't--
I don't think we have that.
- OK. That's OK.
- You could probably just
use, like, regular soda water.
[sighs]
PHIL: These bartenders have absolutely no skill.
- It actually just tastes like straight tequila.
- Where is David in all of this?
He's got four people in his bar.
DAVID: What's the ETA on the chili?
Yeah, we're having a problem with the chili.
It's still frozen.
- It's frozen.
So they're force-thawing it out.
- Oh god, this thing is still frozen.
- Is he stabbing the chili right there?
- Why am I killing the chili?
PHIL: Oh, man.
I can't believe what I'm watching here.
This is ridiculous.
Not only is that stupid, but it's incredibly dangerous.
CUSTOMER: I swear, dust is, like, falling in my eye
right now.
PHIL: Oh no.
Come on.
NATHAN: There you are. (ON) VIC: Thank you, sir.
NATHAN: No problem.
Let me know if you need any more napkins or anything else.
VIC: Oh.
Wow.
The cheese sticks is supposed to be hot.
Don't even feel like it's cooked.
PHIL: I mean, this is literally the blind
leading the blind when it comes to the food, to the bar.
My experts are disgusted.
Judith is not running this place like a general manager
should be running this place.
David has no clue of what the hell he's doing in there.
And I need to find out what the hell is going on in there.
- Aly, when you get situated
and settled, a guest walked in.
Maybe go check on them.
There was a table here, and then I just saw a guest walk in.
- Hello?
Hello!
JUDITH: Hi. How are you?
- Actually, not so good.
I'm Phil. What's your name.
- Judith. (ON) PHIL: Judith.
Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you, Phil.
- Jon Taffer sent me in here.
Told me that you guys are having a lot of issues in this bar.
- Yes we are.
- So I'm here to help you guys.
Are you the owner? (ON) JUDITH: Uh, no.
I am the manager (ON) PHIL: What do you manage?
JUDITH: Staff.
Um. David?
- Tell you what.
Let me get David out here. (ON) JUDITH: OK.
Give me a second.
David?
They want to talk to you.
DAVID: Oh, they do?
What did I do?
Hi. (OFF) PHIL: How are you doing?
DAVID: Fine. How are you?
- I'm Phil Wills. (OFF) DAVID: Nice to meet you.
- Good to meet you too.
Jon Taffer sent me here.
Been in this business for 25 years.
I can spot what's going wrong with the place,
and then I step into it.
Do you see your place?
- Yeah. (ON) PHIL: Yeah?
- It has potential. Yeah.
- Well, I'll tell you what.
My expert sat over here and got some shitty ass
food from you guys.
- Really? (OFF) PHIL: Yeah.
Really.
And you would have known that if you walked over
and checked on them and asked them how their food was.
DAVID: I didn't hear any complaints.
I mean, it's just me running this place.
PHIL: Listen. You don't need a team of people.
You know what you have?
Come here.
Hi, guys.
You guys work here? (ON) ALY: Yes.
- Yeah. (ON) PHIL: Oh.
There's a team.
Come here. Hey, guys.
You guys all work here? (ON) NATHAN: Yeah.
- Yeah. (ON) PHIL: Oh.
Wow. There's some more of your team.
DAVID: Well, they're busy, you know?
- You're giving me way too many excuses.
I want to show you something.
Do you have recipes in your bar?
- Uh-- yes.
And--
- Is this a recipe for your chili cheese fries?
DAVID: It's usually not frozen.
We thaw it out, and we didn't have time today.
We just got hit.
PHIL: Got hit by what?
This whole back area that's absolutely disgusting.
Why wouldn't we have people cleaning this?
Because we're so busy?
Come here.
This looks like a setup at a college fraternity.
This is not a bar.
I feel so bad for you guys, working back here in this bar.
DAVID: It's a work in progress.
PHIL: You have no rhyme or reason to your setup
back here at all.
There's no way you're gonna be able to produce
the amount of cocktails that are needed
to be produced out of this bar.
It's impossible.
Come here.
This place is disgusting.
- It looks better in the dark.
PHIL: You're a [bleep] idiot, dude.
Are you kidding me? "It looks better in the dark?"
That's your response? (ON) DAVID: Everything--
- That's what you want? So look.
You're telling me that people that are hanging
out at your bar top, this fan turns on,
this is what's happening?
You have no systems in place in here.
These bartenders don't know what the hell they're
doing when they come in here.
I don't blame him.
I blame you.
I blame your general manager.
You guys don't have the systems in place here.
And then you're wondering why people aren't coming here.
You want this to be an epic lounge?
It's not it's an epic disaster.
It's not.
It's an epic disaster.
Listen to me.
Jon sent me here to save your ass.
There's no way that we're gonna succeed if you don't pull
your head out of your ass and start to look at your business
like a business owner.
Do you want to succeed? (ON) DAVID: Yes.
- Show me tomorrow.
- OK.
JUDITH: We've got to clean this up.
- I guess we're cleaning tonight.
This is my place.
And for my guests to feel a dustball in here,
I feel really bad.
I'm not proud of my venue tonight.
So we'll be here a while cleaning
this dust off these fans.
- Definitely, I was embarrassed.
It's true what he said.
Anyone can see that.
I felt it was necessary.
I felt that it was necessary.
Yeah.
[music playing]
- Well, today, I'm tired.
Last night, we got our ass kicked.
I mean, there wasn't that many guests,
and we still couldn't handle a couple of tables.
It was stressful.
And then when Phil walked in and started yelling at me,
it wasn't fun.
- We had to clean all night.
AMERICA: We stayed till 12:30 cleaning.
I don't know how long you guys stayed.
- We left-- we got home, like, 4:00.
- 4:00 AM?
- Yeah.
JOSE: Oh my god.
- I didn't realize, honestly, until we
were cleaning how bad it was.
- You know what's crazy?
They asked David if he saw.
He's like, no, because it's always dark in here.
[laughter]
- He's like, you don't see this?
- Last night was very difficult with David.
He is not an involved owner, and his place
was absolutely filthy.
- There's spots I never knew it was dirty.
I thought my place was fine.
- So I'm concerned that David is not
going to be able to step up to the plate and be the owner
that he needs to be.
What's most important is that David understands
that every detail of his business, he needs to know,
and he needs to be the one enforcing it.
All right, you guys did some cleaning last night, huh?
- Yes.
PHIL: Looks good, looks good.
I could tell that you guys put some effort in,
which is what I asked.
So I appreciate that.
So I saw that there's a little bit of effort coming
through, which is important.
Last night when I was in here, I saw a lot of things
that make a business fail.
It was bad.
Hi, Judith. (ON) JUDITH: Hi Phil.
PHIL: It's good to see you again.
- Good to see you again.
PHIL: So you and David, you guys have known each other
for a long time, right? (ON) JUDITH: 20 years.
- 20 years? (OFF) JUDITH: Mm-hmm.
- Wow. Wow.
And you've been helping him out with his bar
for the last five years? (ON) JUDITH: Five years, yes.
PHIL: OK.
But for the last two years, it's been a little bit part time.
JUDITH: Yes.
PHIL: Have you been getting paid?
- No.
PHIL: You haven't been getting paid.
How do you do that?
That makes it so difficult. I mean,
it kind of blows my mind that somebody would
come in and give their time.
How are you doing? (ON) MARTIN: Good, good.
I'm Martin.
I'm a bartender.
- I'm curious about the relationship
between Judith and David.
Like, what is their dynamic?
- It's peculiar.
I don't think I've seen anything like it before.
- OK.
What does that mean?
- Judy enables him to take advantage of her.
- David, how do you feel about that.
- Um--
- Do you feel like that you take advantage of her?
Because she's your friend, you know she's gonna say yes.
- No.
I take advantage of the situation
that she's so available sometimes.
But I don't think I'm taking advantage of her.
- OK.
Well, she is the situation, so you
are taking advantage of her.
You know that she's always there available for you.
JUDITH: When Phil mentioned
that David is taking advantage of me,
honestly, I wonder that at times.
And I think what I do is I probably brush it off
because, again, he's my friend.
So in a way, it felt good to see if he'll notice that.
David has been my best friend for 20 years.
So whenever he needs anything, I'm there.
- I have a question for you, Judith.
Are you enabling him?
Because you're always saying yes?
You're always there for him?
You never say no?
- I feel that I am to a point, yes.
- We can't move on like that anymore because for you,
Judith, if you're coming in here and you know you're helping out
a friend but you're not getting paid for the job
that you're doing, you're probably not performing 110%
every single time you walk in. Is that fair?
- Accurate, 100%. Yes.
PHIL: OK. All right.
And you probably don't have the authority to really
run this place, right?
What's your name?
- I'm Aly.
PHIL: Hi, Aly. (ON) ALY: I'm a bartender.
- How long have you been here?
- For, like, two years.
- When David is here, what is it like being
here versus when Judy is here?
- When David's here, it's more, like, lenient.
Kind of-- some things will get-- like, some things will slide,
and he'll just let it go, whatever.
When Judy's here, it's like shit gets done.
[laughter]
PHIL: So it's kind of like a good cop,
bad cop type situation.
- I'm the bad cop.
- But in my mind, you're the good cop--
- Thank you.
- --to be quite honest because that's what needs
to be done in the business.
Yeah, I think David is actually the bad cop because he's
not [bleep] doing anything.
Right?
What is your vision with this place when you
first created the Epic Lounge?
Because please don't tell me this was your vision.
DAVID: Uh, it's supposed to be
a rustic performance venue--
live music.
Back when I started here, there was no entertainment
in downtown Downey.
It was pretty much a ghost town after 5 o'clock.
So I said, let's bring some music and get it going.
It was hard.
It was a challenge.
But I got it going little by little.
I booked a band here and there.
And here we are.
- Started to develop a name for yourself around town?
DAVID: Yeah. (ON) PHIL: Yeah?
People understood that you can come to Epic Lounge
and get some live music?
- Yes.
Yes, for the most part, yes.
- Martin.
What do you think of this bar?
- Uh-- it needs a lot of work.
Definitely.
PHIL: It needs a lot of work?
David, let me ask you something.
How much money are you losing every single month here?
- About $5,000.
Bad time to own a restaurant.
- Not necessarily.
People have money.
They're out there spending money.
There's people that I work with every single day that
are doing well in their restaurant
because they know what they're doing.
If you understand your numbers, you
understand where the money's going,
you can stop the bleeding.
You can make adjustments, you can fix the problems,
and you can move on.
So I've had this company Partender come in here
over the past couple of days.
They measure all of your bottles.
Then you guys run business for a couple of days.
Then they come back, and they measure
where your bottles are again.
This is what they found in just one weekend.
You poured over $4,000 worth of liquor.
The amount that was sold, which was rung in
was just about $3,000.
Whether it's given away for free, whether it's overpoured--
which is probably likely--
we were missing $1,200 in those two days.
In the year, you're losing $166,000 in alcohol.
Do you think that would help you if you had that money back?
- Oh, yeah.
ALY: I honestly expected more from David.
I thought, like, maybe he'd be more on top of it
and realize how much money he was losing.
But now that he knows how much he's lost,
I think he probably-- he's like more like, damn, I [bleep] up.
I need to do better.
- How much did you purchase this place for?
DAVID: Um, $2.75 million.
PHIL: $2.75 million.
DAVID: Correct.
- So you have to pay that money back, right?
DAVID: Oh, yeah.
PHIL: We're overpouring $166,000 a year.
Do you think that money would help you pay off that?
- It would definitely help.
Yeah. (OFF) PHIL: It would?
Do you have any more money to sink into this place.
- I'm done.
I invested everything I have into this place.
So this is it.
I don't want to fail them, and I especially
don't want to fail my daughter.
I want to leave her something here.
- That's what you're fighting for here.
DAVID: That's why it hurts.
My daughter Noelle.
She's only six.
But I want to leave this place for her someday.
It's a challenge.
I get up every morning.
It's a lot of work.
But I know I have to do it.
I mean, this is--
she's my life.
- Now, I can't do this on my own
so I do have my experts that I need to bring in.
Hey, guys.
REBECCA: Hi.
- Welcome back.
Guys, two great friends of mine.
My chef, Vic Vargas.
I also have Rebecca Dowda here, who
I've known for a lot of years.
VIC: We're here for all good intentions.
We're here to help the situation.
We've been through a lot in our careers
to know what we to be able to share everything that we
have obtained with you guys. (OFF) PHIL: All right, guys.
We'll come back in and we'll get training going, OK?
- OK. (ON) PHIL: Let's go, guys.
JUDITH: Thank you.
VIC: So last night was rough.
I mean, what you had took so long.
And then when we got the food, it really wasn't done.
Everything was crazy.
It was a real rough start.
Heading into training today, I'm looking
for food with more quality, something
that'll get out quick.
We need something more related to the establishment,
something more club-like, something
that looks like the place.
Now that you cleaned the fryer, the goal
is something fast, something that
makes them thirsty that can really wow people,
that you can keep up with.
My goal is all these items under three minutes.
OK, what's the name of your establishment?
- The Epic Lounge.
VIC: So we got to go epic, man.
[chuckles]
Took some popcorn chicken.
Dropped it.
We chose popcorn because it's smaller pieces, cooks faster,
and it'll get around the table more.
More drinks ordered.
There's a method to the madness.
OK, popcorn chicken bites.
Let them drain.
Always let your stuff drain so it's not greasy.
- It's not greasy when you bite into it.
- Oh, there's a lot of grease in that food last
night, guys.
We're gonna do two types of heat--
Buffalo sauce, Tre's Chili Powder.
Heat makes people what?
- Thirsty.
VIC: He's faster than you. I'm gonna come back in a year.
He's gonna to be running the place.
[laughter]
We are gonna garnish it up so it looks
nice and purty because somebody's
gonna take a snapshot of it.
And here it is, Buffalo chicken bites.
We're about halfway to the amount of food
I ordered last night.
- I'm feeling excited.
Like, these foods are way better to cook, way easier,
have some ideas for them. (ON) DAVID: It's good.
- It's really good.
VIC: In bars, people come for the drinks.
But if you can get them with the food every now,
and then it's just a bonus.
[laughter] (ON) NATHAN: I'm ready.
Like, I just want to start cooking already.
- Take what we gave you from me to you guys.
Get ready.
It's almost time for stress test.
[music playing]
- Last night, the bar was really filthy.
The bartenders didn't know what they were doing.
In training today, I want the staff
to focus on speed and accuracy.
Aly, I think just going back to basics would be helpful here.
Do you mind making five whiskey sours for me?
- Isn't it just whiskey and sour?
- Let's go.
The more drinks you serve, the more money you're gonna make.
These drinks have two ingredients.
They should be able to pour them quickly and send them out.
And they should all taste the same every single time.
OK, I'm gonna taste this.
[giggles]
Um--
[laughter]
You definitely got the sour in your whiskey sour.
Go ahead and take a seat.
That's just why it's important that we're
all pouring consistency.
And that's why we're going to practice
our new cocktails that we're gonna be making back here.
OK, so who here has heard of a ranch water?
Ranch water is something that is very drinkable.
So if you're out on the dance floor,
you can have two or three and it's not gonna slow you down.
So we're going to make an epic ranch water, OK?
Start off with a half ounce pomegranate juice from
our friends at Twisted Alchemy.
We're gonna add a half ounce of lime juice, one
and a half ounces of tequila.
We're gonna top this with ice.
And then we're gonna top that with club soda.
We'll garnish it with a lime wheel.
And that is our Epic Ranch Water.
[music playing]
- Oh my goodness.
[chuckles]
- It's definitely Epic-worthy.
[music playing]
PHIL: Here we are--
the stress test.
What's most important tonight when
it comes to food and drinks?
We're not letting anything go out that isn't perfect.
Let me ask you, David.
If there's issues or problems, who's
gonna be watching the staff when things are going wrong
or they need help?
- I'm hoping they could watch themselves.
- Let me help you out with something right now,
David. (ON) DAVID: All right.
PHIL: You can't just rely on your staff and hope
that they do right, OK?
You have to have eyes on everybody at all times.
So the way we're gonna set this up
is we're gonna open up these doors
and we're gonna to send in everybody that's outside.
And when a band is done playing, what does everybody do?
- They rush to the bar.
PHIL: They come to the bar.
So we're gonna simulate that 30 minutes
of the band taking a break.
Everybody's gonna come rushing to the bar.
So we're gonna monitor and see how many people you
guys can actually get served.
All right, let's finish getting set up.
Let's get ready.
Are you guys ready?
David? (OFF) DAVID: Yes, I'm ready.
PHIL: Let's get them in here.
- Let's go.
I think we're understaffed and we're gonna be outnumbered.
But we got this, you know.
We've been challenged before.
Come on in.
Welcome to Epic Lounge Hello.
Welcome.
To Epic.
CUSTOMER: I'll have the ranch and the popcorn chicken
- Guys!
Let's go!
We got 30 minutes.
30 minutes.
- You guys are kind of crowded in there.
PHIL: You guys all look thirsty sitting over here.
[chatter]
- Just bear with me.
And then let me go check on your food, OK?
- Thank you. (OFF) AMERICA: Uh-huh.
Two fries, right?
- Two orders of fries--
- And one grill?
- Yeah, one grilled cheese is on the thing.
I'm gonna flip it.
PHIL: Where are we at?
- So right, now, we've evolved
from handwritten tickets into multiple choice,
like when we went to school.
So the actual menus are coming back here with circles on them.
PHIL: You know what's crazy is that they're gonna
run out of menus and take pictures and start
walking around with a camera.
- Oh god.
Rebecca, I don't know what I'm doing.
- Sorry?
- I don't know what I'm doing wrong.
- Um, you're not shaking it.
Start over.
Make sure you're counting. (ON) MARTIN: Yeah.
DAVID: Are all the orders out?
- OK, your order for Jackie's been ready.
And it's been here for a while already.
DAVID: All right.
This was over here.
Sorry.
MARTIN: I've got to get his ice.
DAVID: You need more ice?
- Yeah.
- David, we're running low on ice.
DAVID: Excuse me.
Can I get ice?
PHIL: David is walking around,
and he's trying to do everything that he can.
But he really doesn't know what to look for or what to do.
- We gotta break the ice.
- You're not gonna be
able to scoop that ice, David.
- I know, I know.
- David brought ice, which was great for him
to come replenish the ice.
But it's in huge chunks.
MARTIN: I cut myself.
- No.
Where?
ALY: Oh my god
- OK.
OK, we got a bartender down.
- Oh, my goodness.
Uh, we're struggling.
Our strongest bartender was injured.
So I had a few orders that I was waiting on.
He wasn't able to make them.
So here I am, attempting to make them to serve
them to communicate with David and communicate
with the kitchen.
I'm hanging in there.
The ice is literally a block of ice.
DAVID: Let me go get the ice--
JUDITH: And every time we're trying to scoop it,
we're injuring ourselves trying to scoop it.
- Be careful. Don't injure yourself.
ALY: I already did. (OFF) PHIL: Oh, my gosh.
All of our bartenders.
- The wheels have fallen off.
JOSE: Do you have a Band-Aid?
- You cut yourself too?
JOSE: Yeah. (ON) DAVID: What's going on?
Why are you guys cutting yourselves?
- Oh my gosh.
- Do you have a Band-Aid?
- You cut yourself too?
- Yeah. (ON) DAVID: What's going on?
Why are you guys cutting yourselves?
- There's so much that is going on right now.
Martin is bleeding.
Aly just cut herself.
Jose cut himself.
It's a health hazard.
We can't have them work anymore.
So we're gonna have to lock it up.
Night's over. (ON) DAVID: OK.
- All right?
- I'll let everybody know.
- Let everybody know. Close them out.
DAVID: Listen up, guys.
I'm sorry, but today's stress test, we failed.
Give it another try again Friday.
We'll make it better, and we'll get you guys all served
and ready to go.
PHIL: I'll tell you what.
Listen.
I want you to take a little bit more ownership, OK?
The staff members are back there getting injured.
And they're dropping like flies, bleeding all over the place,
cutting their arms, not being able to make these drinks.
So I'll tell you what.
He's being nice.
We didn't just fail tonight.
We [bleep] blew it, OK?
We're gonna come back on Friday.
We're gonna make this thing right
because Downey deserves to have a bar that they
can go out and be proud of.
[applause and cheering]
We're gonna do that for you.
DAVID: Thank you.
Thank you.
- We're gonna lock it up.
We're gonna shut it down.
Come back and see us on Friday night.
DAVID: We got slammed.
It was chaos in here.
Really overwhelming, you know?
My staff did the best they could.
We failed.
But you know, I'm still proud of them.
- Man, that was stressful.
Oh, my gosh.
- Dude.
- Check it out, guys.
Here's our map, OK?
We're here in Downey, California.
Now remember, this place has been
here for about 20 years, OK?
Epic Lounge is known in downtown Downey.
People also know that it sucks, OK?
So they stopped coming here.
We have to build on that menu that we already have in place.
REBECCA: Yes.
- And people were loving
it when they finally got it.
They liked it. (ON) VIC: Finally.
- Easy to execute for the kitchen.
And we have to reconfigure that bar to floor to make sense,
to be able to get more people in there,
have it more user-friendly behind the bar
so that we're not bumping into people
and we're not hurting ourselves.
Tell you what, guys, we have a lot of work to do.
Let's get to work.
[music playing]
- Hey, guys.
- Hey.
- How's everyone doing today?
- Well,
REBECCA: OK, so we're gonna add some signature
cocktails that they can only get here,
and they can't get in the bar down the street.
So our next new drink is going to be a tropical punch.
So we are gonna start off with two ounces of the Twisted
Alchemy pineapple juice.
One ounce of the Twisted Alchemy triple citrus base.
A half ounce of blue Curacao.
And one and a half ounces of white rum,
And this is gonna be served in the pouch vessel,
so we're gonna fill this with ice.
And then we'll strain that over a fresh ice.
And we're gonna top that with a splash of soda.
And then for our garnish, a lime wheel, a lemon wheel,
and an orange wheel.
And that is our tropical punch,
- I like it.
It's like a vacation in a bag.
- That's a great way to describe it.
It's cool.
On the dance floor when people are out,
that's gonna look really nice.
OK guys, we still have a lot of work to do.
We've got relaunch tomorrow.
We need to get our heads in the game
and show Phil that we can do this.
- Got it.
[music playing]
- Stress test last night was a disaster.
They didn't know what they were doing
on how to run their business.
Today, I need to sit down with them.
And I need to understand the dynamic
between Judith and David, make sure moving
forward they can be cohesive.
I saw you guys work last night together,
and it was kind of cool.
It was almost like brother and sister.
So you're currently helping him out.
- Mm-hmm.
PHIL: Just whenever he needs help, right?
JUDITH: I step in with pretty much everything
as much as I'm able to.
DAVID: Yeah.
But I'm aware now that I've been asking you for too much,
you know.
I should compensate her because she didn't do it for money.
She does it because she cares about me.
PHIL: Do me a favor and look in her eyes.
And tell her what you told me.
DAVID: I'm so sorry that I--
[sighs]
--I call for you all the time when I'm drowning
and you're busy.
And so I will be more conscious.
If I can make a little more money,
then I can afford to bring her back full time.
- No apology needed. But you know it's accepted.
As long as you step it up, we're good.
- I will.
PHIL: Now that I've gotten you woken up,
what needs to happen is, when I walk away,
if you go back to your old ways, there's
no way you're gonna succeed.
We're gonna start making some money
so you can hire Judy full time as a general manager.
We're gonna give you an amazing spot.
And the problem is, it's such a big space that we
have a ton of work to do.
I believe in you. (ON) DAVID: Thank you
- And don't let me down, all right?
- All right. (ON) PHIL: All right, brother.
- Thank you. (ON) PHIL: All right.
I'll see you guys tomorrow. (ON) JUDITH: Thank you.
- Get some rest tonight.
[music playing]
I finally was able to break through with David.
And I can see that him and Judith,
they're on the same page.
Hey, Brendan, Laura. (ON) LAUREN: Hey, Phil.
- How are you guys doing?
But we have a ton of work to do.
All the talks that I had with Jon,
he really wants to kind if complete
the vision that David originally had, and really make it better.
You know, we've done a lot of bars together.
But this one is just really, really massive.
And we have to figure out a way to get people to make
their way over to the bar top.
We really want to tunnel them to where
we're gonna make some money.
[music playing]
These bartenders cannot function.
We have to put in two wells in this bar-- have to.
- It would be a whole rework of all
the equipment behind the bar.
LAUREN: That's huge.
Honestly, this alone is usually what takes up our entire time.
- So I have to bring in all the reinforcements.
BRENDAN: We got a lot of work to do, all right?
[crickets chirping]
[music playing]
DAVID: This is it.
- What's up, guys?
[applause and cheering]
- Hi Phil.
- How are you guys feeling?
- Anxious.
- Yeah?
- Oh, my god.
PHIL: So anxious?
- Yeah.
- David.
How was this week for you, man?
- Man, it's emotionally draining,
physically draining.
But I'm really proud of my team.
PHIL: Yeah. (ON) DAVID: Really proud.
They pulled through. (ON) PHIL: How about yourself?
- I learned a lot. (OFF) PHIL: You did?
- Yeah.
I learned there's got to be changes now.
- What's most important is that you've changed.
- Yes. (OFF) PHIL: I have.
- You're not gonna take advantage of her.
PHIL: No I'm not.
- You're not gonna enable him?
- No. (OFF) PHIL: No?
- No. (OFF) PHIL: Good.
And David, let me ask you something.
DAVID: Yes, sir.
PHIL: Who are we doing this for?
- For my little girl. (OFF) PHIL: Your little girl?
- Yeah. (OFF) PHIL: She here tonight?
- Oh, she is here.
PHIL: She is?
Where's she at?
Noelle.
[applause]
- Love you.
- Noelle, are you proud of your papa?
- Yeah.
PHIL: Yeah?
I'm proud of him, too.
You guys ready to see this place?
- Yes.
- When I say three, OK?
[applause and cheering]
One.
Two.
Three!
Turn around.
[cheering]
- Oh my god!
ALY: I'm gonna cry.
- Two.
Three.
Turn around.
[cheering]
- Epic Live.
Epic Bites.
Wow.
PHIL: Now that's epic right there.
[laughs]
If you could see, it's called Epic Live on this side,
Epic Bites on that side.
So when people now walk by or they see this place,
they know exactly what's going on inside.
All of your signs was from a company called Signfastic.
Do you guys want to see what's inside?
- Yes!
- Go for it.
- Oh my gosh!
Let's go!
You go first.
Oh my god!
No what the Oh
JOSE: Dude.
Are you kidding me?
ALY: Oh my god.
NATHAN: What?
They did a stage.
Now this is a VIP area right here.
JUDITH: I can't believe how it looks over there.
MARTIN: Wow.
Finally, we have barstools.
JUDITH: No!
Buddy, buddy, come here.
- What?
JUDITH: Come here!
- No.
- Yes!
Open it.
DAVID: What?
Oh my god.
[chatter]
ALY: No more hard ice!
Oh my god!
No more hurting ourselves!
[laughs]
DAVID: Oh my god.
ALY: Oh my god.
DAVID: Oh.
- It's amazing.
This place is so much better than I
would have ever imagined.
NATHAN: Yo, we have a TV.
- They have given David all
the tools he needs to succeed.
The rest is just up to him.
NATHAN: Totally epic.
ALY: This thing's right here.
NATHAN: Phil. Phil.
- What do you think?
- You did a great job.
- You guys--
- You deserve it, brother.
- Thank you. (ON) PHIL: You deserve it.
DAVID: I don't deserve all this.
- Let's go sit down at the bar.
I'll tell you everything that we did.
All of this stuff right here, all of these cool graphics
and your signs and logos, was done by a company
called Surf City Graphics.
All of this artwork-- you guys see all the cool artwork?
It's done by a local artist here in LA named Jim Chelius.
All of your glassware is from a company called Barproducts.com.
We got you guys SkyTab POS by Shift4--
not one terminal, but two terminals.
We had Partender give you guys a lifetime subscription to
their bar inventory software--
lifetime.
Remember when we were here on stress test,
when you guys were in that ice well, like banging
on that big ice block?
We got you guys a brand-new ice machine from Manitowoc.
I mean, the last thing to do with this place is actually
just open it and make some money.
- Yes.
- But I want to make sure
that we don't run into any problems when we do that.
So just in case--
- First aid kit.
[laughter]
- The line is filling up.
They're thirsty.
They're hungry.
Let's get our uniforms on and get
this place set up for success.
Let's make some money tonight, OK?
- All right. All right, you guys ready?
Hi, everybody.
[cheering]
Welcome to the new Epic Live, Downey.
Come on in.
JOSE: Hi.
What can I get for you?
CUSTOMER: Tropical Punch.
- Hope you enjoy that.
Let's find out what's good, sir. You got it.
- And are you ready to order food as well?
CUSTOMER: Can I try the empanadas?
- You're doing great.
MARTIN: Thank you.
Appreciate it.
Well, compared to the stress test, yes.
Ladies first, gentlemen. (ON) CUSTOMER: Oh, of course.
MARTIN: You're next.
- How you doing, Martin?
MARTIN: Excellent.
- Yeah?
Judy. (ON) JUDITH: Hi.
PHIL: How are things going?
- Everything's going great.
Everything is so organized. I'm excited.
I'm gonna go run this drink.
- You're doing a great job
- Thank you. Appreciate it.
Thank you so much.
- This is still live.
This one hasn't been completed yet?
- It hasn't been completed.
- OK, I'll take it.
- When I first got here,
David absolutely didn't know what he was doing.
- Table 18 right there, they
haven't gotten anything yet.
- Now David's taken more control.
And he actually looks like he can run this bar
as well as own the bar.
- I'm pumped up, man, you know?
This is a big, big deal in Downey.
There's a big buzz in the community right now.
This is gonna be a great future for us.
PHIL: Let me ask you a question.
- Yeah.
- What do you think of this place?
- It's amazing now. It's amazing.
What a difference, night and day.
It's night and day, yes.
Everything's running smoothly.
I have all the tools I need to operate this business.
- I tell you, I can see it in your eyes.
I see that there's, like, a future for you,
a future for your daughter, a future
for the community here in Downey,
which is what this is all about as well.
I'm proud of you. (ON) DAVID: Thank you.
- I'm proud of you. (ON) DAVID: Thank you so much.
We did it. Thank you.
- Great job, man.
We took David's vision and made it exactly what he wanted it
to be and really exactly what the city of Downey
needs and wants.
MUSICIAN: Let's get ready to rock.
- I'm proud of this place.
I think we knocked it out of the park.
[music playing]
VOICEOVER: Promotional consideration
provided by SkyTab POS, Partender, Signfastic,
Barproducts.com, Twisted Alchemy, Manitowoc, Surf City
Graphics, Jim Chelius Art, Joseph's Bar & Grill,
Triple P plumbing, and Esri.
[audio logo]
(SINGING) MTV.