Summit House Grill and Tap before Bar Rescue
In 2014, Josh and Alexia Lubliner left their office-based careers and opened Summit House Grill and Tap in Lakewood, Colorado. The business was met with immediate success as the coffers welcomed $30 grand on a weekly basis. As profit soared, the couple believed that the bar can survive without their hands-on management. They delegated multiple managers and only visited the establishment a couple of times in a week.
However, these managers felt that they weren’t given the right tools and resources they need to effectively do their jobs. Josh had no other choice but to return to the bar and take control as his team of managers did more harm than good. Since the stress in this business was too much to bear, Josh turned to drinking to ease the burden. Additionally, his apathetic nature proved to be infectious as some of the employees chose to have a good time instead of doing their jobs properly. The negative effects of Josh’s habits also strained his relationship with Alexia.
Now, with $750,000 worth of debt and a marriage on the rocks, Josh had no other choice but to call Jon Taffer and Bar Rescue for help.
Summit House Grill and Tap on Bar Rescue
Taffer, along with Alexia, drove around town and learned that Summit House was at a serious disadvantage due to a chain of restaurants nearby. The Bar Rescue host also faced another challenge: the city’s codes and ordinances prohibited changing the bar’s name and façade.
Through Taffer’s surveillance cameras, the pair watched how Josh and the other male employees goofed around inside the bar. The owner’s drunken state also made him spit out disrespectful words towards the two female customers who drank with him on the counter. Alexei went into the bar as Josh was becoming increasingly furious due to the bartenders refusing to serve him drinks. As she gave her husband a serious tongue lashing, the latter even had the gall to put the blame on her for the bar’s failure. This caused Taffer to charge inside and spill some beer on Josh’s shirt. The show’s host also pummeled Josh with a verbal whoopin’ right in front of the customers.
The next day, Taffer convened with the Summit House staff where the employees unloaded the negative things they felt towards Josh. Â After realizing how costly his misdeeds were, Josh had a change of heart and vowed to take things more seriously from now on. Taffer then brought in his experts namely cocktail guru Rob Floyd and chef Michael Ferraro. Floyd tested the bartenders with the basics of serving, starting from greeting the customers up to saying a proper goodbye after serving a drink. In the kitchen, Ferraro introduced an improved mac and cheese dish that was guaranteed to be a hit to the clientele.
During the stress test, the staff members still struggled in properly doing Floyd’s hospitality basics. Service was also at a snail’s pace as the growing number of customers overwhelmed the employees with orders. Nichole, the general manager of Summit House, displayed exemplary performance behind the bar which earned her praise from Taffer and the experts. As for Josh, he did his best in helping his troops serve the orders. However, the efforts of the workers in the establishment were in vain as they were crippled by the lack of systems.
The following morning, Taffer sat with the owners for a brief pep talk. Behind the bar, Floyd mixed a cocktail named The Hot Choddy which was well-suited for Colorado’s weather. He also enhanced bartender Travis’ hospitality skills as the man struggled in that department back in the stress test. In the kitchen, Ferraro prepared a signature dish with cooking techniques proper for the high altitude and made good use of a short rib, onions, and mashed potatoes.
The renovation gave the interior an atmosphere that resembled the outdoors since the bar’s name had the word summit on it. Artificial plants and rocks served as décor while wooden floors and dividers made the place warmer. The employees were given a brown uniform that made them look like park rangers. The bar proved to be quite a success not only due to the changes made by the show, but also to Josh’s sobriety and improved attitude.
Summit House Grill and Tap Now in 2018 – The After Bar Rescue Update
As of 2017, Summit House Grill and Tap is still open, although it seems that the quality of their service deteriorated.
The bar has numerous reviews on their Yelp page, and a majority of these feedback are negative. People complained about the poor customer service and noted that some of the employees were rude. The food quality was horrible with one customer said that there were strands of hair in the dish. Moreover, it seems that Josh was back to his drunken ways.
Last December 2016, the bar was subjected to an inspection which it failed with around 14 critical violations. Some of these offenses include the lack of soap at the sink, employees washing hands for too long, the use of moldy lemons, and the unhygienic conditions of some of the kitchen equipment.
Summit House used to have a Facebook page, but for some reason it was taken down. They also had an official website which was gone as well.
If you want to read the reviews on Yelp, click here.
