This week, we speak with Jonathan Taffer, who is best known for 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.
He describes how he learned the ropes at the infamous Troubadour, which booked such acts as Lenny Bruce, The Byrds, the Eagles, George Carlin, Elton John, Jackson Browne, Dead Kennedys, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, etc.
From that beginning, Taffer learned the nuts and bolts of running hospitality businesses. Having seen the success of Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares, he pitched Paramount on what eventually became Bar Rescue; the show is now in its 7th season with more than 200 episodes done.
Taffer discusses the state of bars and restaurants under lockdown today, and suggests several what needs to be done beyond the pandemic to what is needed to ensure they survive. Taffer fears 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 small 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 Tuesday.
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.
Jon Taffer Authored Books
Raise the Bar: An Action-Based Method for Maximum Customer Reactions by Jon Taffer
Don’t Bullsh*t Yourself!: Crush the Excuses That Are Holding You Back by Jon Taffer
Favorite Books
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber
