Update: The hubbub continued this week as the “Rock House” was partially unveiled to friends and guests as part of a “stress test.” Thanks to YouTuber TnT Kids & Home, here’s some video footage from the event:
The Bar Rescue crew has also recommended a name charge for the establishment: Tim Owens’ Traveler’s Tavern. Final filming is tonight at 10 p.m. It’s recommended that any folks who want to participate get there early. -AN
Originally posted: Aug. 20, 2015 at 3:00 p.m.
Tim “Ripper” Owens may remember this week as the week from hell or the week that saved his Akron restaurant, “Rock House.” The former lead singer of Judas Priest (no, not this one) is hosting the loud, and often angry, Jon Taffer and the rest of the “Bar Rescue” crew. Owens follows a storied lineage of rock and roll stars opening flailing restaurants in northeast Ohio (See: Alice Cooper’s Cooper’stown). The show, airing on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. on Spike TV, has spent the entire week working with Owens while exposing him to all kinds of reality television hijinks, name calling and overwhelming stress.
“It’s been pretty stressful since Saturday night when they first showed up and started doing some filming,” Owens told Akron Beacon Journal’s Rich Heldenfels.
One of the staples of a “Bar Rescue” episode is the taped “stress test” where the show runners basically shove as many people as they can down the restaurants throat and then verbally abuse the staff and owners when shit hits the fan, which it always does. Then, lessons learned and occasional hugs take the audience at home to the next commercial break. Owens hopes these lessons will save the Rock House.
The Rock House has been able to keep its doors open for two years as competition comes and goes but Owens told the Akron Beacon Journal that the restaurant has never been in the black and continues to lose money every day.
Owens’ hellacious week will conclude with the reveal of the “Rock House’s” makeover by the “Bar Rescue” crew. “Bar Rescue’s” makeovers are rarely modest so make sure to head out to the Rock House at 2727 Manchester Road after Saturday to see what reality television can do for a failing bar/restaurant.
This article appears in Aug 19-25, 2015.
A business that has done a backstroke in red ink for two years – with no end on the horizon – is either a necessary tax write-off or a hobby. Hopefully, the Reality-TV shaming for a neat makeover will deliver a long-term turnaround.
As much as watching “Bar Rescue” is a guilty pleasure, restaurant & bar rescue type shows have an abysmal rate of any sort of success afterwards for the places featured…
“Bar Rescue” usually highlights some combination of owner/manager alcoholism and/or absenteeism, disregard for cleanliness and public health and safety, misplaced loyalty to poor workers, and love of a poor decor or theme.
We are looking forward to be patrons of Ripper’s Rock House for many years to come!
It also doesn’t help Ripper’s cause when the Akron music scene he pulls his “entertainment” from is absolutely abysmal. Why would anyone want to hang out there when the live music is all 3 Doors Dowm/Hoobastank jock rock retreads night after night?
Agreed^^^^ Funny part is that they claim they help out the local rock and metal music scene, despite most of their acts are cover bands and washed up has-beens from the 80s
Never seen this show, but if its generic template is a Gordon Ramsey type guy being condescending to the staffs genuine efforts,…. if some twatty prick ponces around and talks down/insults Ripper,…. he’s going to get slugged in the mouth from me. – Tim is a WAY nicer person than he needs to be, and it will INFURIATE me to see him being spoken down to or insulted in any way.
There is nothing real about reality television. You can’t learn to run a bar by watching TV. http://bit.ly/FixBars