Last Sunday, on a new "Bar Rescue," season 4 continued with an episode titled, "How to Train the Dragon." Jon Taffer had his work cut out for him when his job was to investigate why George & Dragon, a failing bar located in Phoenix, Arizona, couldn't make any profit, despite once being a thriving business capable of earning nearly two million dollars a year. David Wimberley is an Englishmen and owner of the English-themed pub and his brother, Tony Wimberley, helps him run the establishment. It turns out their mother passed away a few years ago and ever since David has lost his enthusiasm for the bar.
David spends about four nights a week playing poker and drinking while his bar loses about $5,000 a month and he sinks further into an overwhelming $700,000 downward spiral of debt.
Taffer diagnoses the problems at George & Dragon
The bar has fallen into disrepair and David spend most of his time socializing. The furniture is disgusting and nothing has been repaired, replaced or upgraded in twenty years. Bartenders Jen and Kat are embarrassed at the health hazard they work in and seem unhappy with the way David treats them. Taffer noticed right away that, on the outside, pieces of neon are falling down in the window and, on the inside, the room has no warmth. Jon sends in his recon team, a local radio personality and a local comedian, to the location, which sees about 13,000 cars a day travel down the street outside the bar.
They find the location dingy on first appearance and the drinks are unbalanced. The food is inedible because the fish and chips are too greasy and the kitchen is a disgusting, filthy mess.
Specialists are called in for help
For the bar, Taffer brings in Phil Wills, a professional master mixologist and co-owner of The Spirits In Motion beverage solutions.
For the kitchen, Jon brings in nationally recognized Irish chef Gavan Murphy, owner and head chef at The Healthy Irishman Catering Company in Los Angeles, who has vast experience with British pubs. Murphy was trained in the world renowned Ballymore Cookery School in Ireland and has been a private chef to Tom Brady, James Cameron and supermodel Molly Sims.
When confronted about the kitchen, David is argumentative and seems oblivious to the fire hazard he is harboring. Jon calls the pub a palace of a loser and David is emasculated and ashamed of what his pub has become.
The turnaround of George & Dragon
Jon decides to leave George & Dragon with the same name, but makes numerous upgrades and improvements to the internals that give an element of cozy British authenticity, which should give the Wimberley brothers a fighting chance to succeed. Taffer also gives Tony more power as a supervisor to manage the business. The kitchen is cleaned spotless and a new food program filled with authentic British food including fish and chips and roast beef is installed by Gavin.
At the bar, Phil trains the staff and gives the pub a drink program based on London dry gin with consistency and balance that reflects the rich English heritage and will lead them to bigger profits. The process works and, six weeks after being rescued, George & Dragon had a 50% gain in business revenue across the board and David now sees a future in his business.
