It’s been nearly a year since Jon Taffer and the crew from Paramount’s Bar Rescue rolled into the Boise area and tried to reinvigorate four bars that could benefit from some additional training in best practices and a new aesthetic.

When all was said and done, Taffer visited a total of four bars in our area. We all know how that first “rescue” went. If you don’t…well, we’ve written about that embarrassing episode at length and you can catch up HERE and HERE.

Where Did Taffer Make a Difference?

We’d say we’re glad that Taffer didn’t give up on Idaho after that disastrous experience, but we’re like 99% sure that was the last episode he shot while he was here. The episodes aren’t airing in the order they were shot in. We had a long wait before the episode filmed in Horseshoe Bend aired on Mother’s Day.

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In that episode, he visited what was used to be the Corner Cafe in Horseshoe Bend. While the episode description teased that there were some leadership issues with their general manager, LD Bauer, the full episode revealed a bigger problem. Owner, David Johan, bought the small town bar for $450,000. Horseshoe Bend reminded him a little bit of the small farm town in France he grew-up in. His parents owned a restaurant there and he was really excited to bring a bit of his childhood to the bar. He wanted to be a hands-off owner, so he hired LD to run the show because she knew the community well.

She admitted that she didn’t have the right experience for the job and was really learning as she went. David said he was losing about $5,000 a month and said if things didn’t turn around he was about six months from closing the bar.

After all the ups and downs for the Bar Rescue process, Taffer helped David and LD turn their bar into something the community could enjoy during dinner AND after dinner.

Bar Rescue Actually DOES Save a Meridian Bar

The next Bar Rescue episode shot in our area was shot at Meridian Lanes. Andy Propst, a real estate investor, bought the alley in 2017. He admits he’s a bad bowler. He doesn’t drink and really hadn’t stepped into a bar until he bought the business, which also included Striker’s Bar. He eventually enlisted Roger Hare, who had bowled in leagues at Meridian Lanes, as general manager after Hare retired from the military.

With management lacking bar experience, Meridian Lanes and Strikers were totally taken over by bowling and dart leagues because no one else was visiting the bar. Andy estimated that he’d invested $3 million in his hometown bowling alley, but wasn’t making any profit. He didn’t want to be the guy to close a business that had been part of Meridian for 60 years, so that’s why they took a shot at Bar Rescue.

Jon’s already expressed that he has a soft spot for locally owned and operated businesses, so a lot of thought and care went into the new name (Bullseye Sports Bar and Kitchen) decor and equipment for the bar.

Nampa Gets the Last Boise Area Bar Rescue Episode

That leaves one more rescue to go and that rescue happened at the former Firehouse Pub in Nampa. It’s since been rebranded Dave’s Firehouse: A Local’s Bar, named for the bar’s owner, Dave Olsen. In a clip that aired earlier this season, you see Dave get emotional and tell Taffer that he outdid himself but a new clip from the episode shows the two of them butting heads early on in the process!

So when can you watch this remodel? It’s scheduled to air for the first time on Sunday, June 4 at 8 p.m. on Paramount on both Dish and DirecTV. Sparklight doesn’t offer Viacom channels, so it won’t be on local cable.

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