On Location with “Bar Rescue:” Canyon Inn in Yorba Linda, Calif.
Hello and welcome back to the exclusive blog of Spike TV’s “Bar Rescue!”
As the series’ culinary producer, I’m fortunate to have a unique perspective on the behind-the-scenes process of making the television show AND the bar a success. I work very closely with Jon Taffer and our experts to improve the bar and food programs, including menu development, design, pricing, and installation of necessary equipment. I’m thrilled to be part of Jon’s team and eager to share the inside scoop with you.
“The daytime regulars and nighttime college crowd want two different things.
How can I please them both?” – Paul, owner, Canyon Inn
The only bar in the city of Yorba Linda who has a liquor license safely grandfathered-in, Canyon Inn has seen generations of Orange County customers. But because of it’s Dive Bar meets Strip Mall meets Sports Pub meets Battle of the Bands setting, the Canyon Inn is a confused little spot with an identity crisis, who’s bar tabs and clientele are at an all-time low.
Sidled between pizza and tattoo parlors, even from the outside, the bar has seen better days—the flowerbed has become a giant ashtray, band stickers adorn the shabby front door, and the neon sign is half lit. The inside is even more dilapidated—the tile floor has sections missing, old chewing gum is stuck under tables, and the bar top itself is falling apart. To be sure, this shabby place is dusty and dark!
Owner Paul Ambrus was a bouncer here in the mid-1990s. When the owners retired in 2004, Paul got first crack at taking over the keys. Since then, Paul says business is down 30% and he knows something needs to change. Because Canyon Inn is the only bar with a grandfather clause and able to serve alcohol, the local clientele runs the gamut. The array of customers varies dramatically throughout the day, shifting with the changing light, as the sun moves from east to west. From daytime faithful regulars, to the evening’s younger college crowd, the Canyon Inn’s demeanor is in constant flux.
Enter Jon Taffer (the head of consulting firm Taffer Dynamics and president of the Nightclub & Bar Media Group), who encourages Paul to realize, “A successful bar needs to hook all crowds every day!”
Taffer explains his strategy: in order to do this, we must create different environments specifically for the older daytime crowd with lunch specials and happy hour cocktails. But once the clock strikes 9, we feature an after dark party atmosphere for the younger collegiate drinker, with a menu featuring hip fun drinks as well as late-night eats utilizing the same in-house inventory.
A key element in achieving this dichotomy is through menu engineering and design, something Patrick Henry Creative Promotions is a master of. Menus are an effective tool in influencing guest purchases and increasing revenue. The design team at Patrick Henry uniquely hand-craft every menu for the series to reflect concept and image. Love these guys!
I can’t give away much more than that, but tune into Spike TV this summer to see how the rescue panned out, and check out nightclub.com for exclusive coverage of each episode.
