Jonathan Taffer learned the ropes at the infamous Troubadour, which booked such acts as Lenny Bruce, the Eagles, Elton John, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Red Hot Chili Peppers, James Taylor, etc. From that beginning, he learned how to run all aspects of the hospitality businesses. Once Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares aired on television, Taffer pitched the nightclub/bar version. Bar Rescue is now in its 7th season, just having aired its 200th episode.
His prior foray into television was creating the NFL Sunday Ticket (the predecessor to NFL Red Zone). He was one of the first inductees in the Nightclub Hall of Fame. He is the creator and host of the reality series “Bar Rescue,” and author of Don’t Bullsh*t Yourself!: Crush the Excuses That Are Holding You Back.
Taffer discusses the state of bars and restaurants under quarantine today, and suggests what needs to be done to ensure they survive. He estimates as many as 40% of all U.S. bars and restaurants won’t make it through the current environment. His proposal is for the federal government to extend lines of credit to these businesses so they can ramp up their inventory and re-open. He mentions purchasing Shift4Cares gift cards as a tool to steer money to your favorite local bar/restaurant.
His favorite books are here; A transcript of our conversation is available here. You can stream and download our full conversation, including the podcast extras, on Apple iTunes, Spotify, Overcast, Google, Bloomberg, and Stitcher. All of our earlier podcasts on your favorite pod hosts can be found here.
Be sure to check out our bonus Memorial Day weekend podcast, with Michael Lewis, author of Moneyball, The Big Short, and so many others. We discuss the second season of his podcast Against the Rules, which focuses on Coaches.
