Ep 3. Whipped Into Shape

In the third episode of Bar Rescue's eighth season, entitled "Whipped Into Shape," Jon Taffer and his team are called upon to save a failing bar in New York. The episode begins with Taffer and his team, Jesse Barnes and Tiffany Derry, evaluating the bar's current state and finding some alarming features.

The bar owner, Bryce, is discovered to be a former professional bodybuilder who has taken his passion for fitness to the extreme and incorporated it into the bar's theme. However, his love for working out has taken a toll on his business, and the once-popular hangout has since become a barren wasteland.

Making matters worse, the few customers that do come to the bar complain about the unfriendly staff, the overly complicated menu, and the lack of nightlife entertainment. Taffer quickly realizes that Bryce's persistence on maintaining his fitness-centric vision has blinded him from the glaring issues that are causing his bar's downfall.

With the bar's physical condition quickly deteriorating and a staff that is bored and unmotivated, Taffer and his team get to work on a complete makeover. Barnes and Derry revamp the menu, creating dishes that better reflect the bar's personality and clientele. Taffer focuses on the staff, training them on the correct way to be hospitable to each customer who walks in the door.

In addition to menu changes and staff training, the team rebuilds the bar's outdated interior and replaces the many non-functional gym machines with a more modern set-up that offers the first-class workout routine the customers initially came for but also transforms into tables and stands later in the day marketable to the customers.

However, the most significant change comes in the form of the entertainment offered. Taffer brings in a DJ and hosts a fitness-inspired nightclub event that perfectly captures what the bar is all about, to impress some of the younger demographic in the area.

The night, while successful, presents a few final challenges for Taffer and his team. First, he must figure out a way to get Bryce to let go of his fitness obsession and see the bar with a different perspective. The second challenge comes in the form of a disgruntled employee who refuses to adhere to the new menu, but Taffer and his team are quick to handle the matter.

Eventually, the bar reopens to a packed house, and in the end, everyone is pleased with the results. Taffer's changes had a tremendous effect on the bar's business and brought new life to the once failed establishment.