On the Bar Rescue episode “Dragon Lady,” Jon Taffer travels to St. Louis to visit Van Goghz Martini Bar & Bistro. In 2013, bartender Dani Davis bought the bar from the owners. The first six months were great, she says, but she quickly became daunted by the responsibilities of ownership. She realized that the more money the bar makes, the more taxes it has to pay. And then when things start to break, she panics, not knowing where the money is going to come from. She quickly amasses $250,000 in debt.
On Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer helps Davis turn Van Goghz into Crafted, a bar that specializes in pressed cocktails. They use fruits, herbs and spices with alcohol in a press similar to a French coffee press. Davis says: “About 90 percent of our customers love the pressed cocktails, but a lot of our regulars are pissed because they can’t get their Martinis anymore since we no longer have all the ingredients on hand.” She added, “We do have a seasonally rotating Martini that’s a favorite with old Van Goghz regulars. We try to keep people happy that way.” Bar Rescue airs Sundays at 9pm on Spike.
