Friar Tucks Sports Bar & Pub is a castle bar in Pomona, California and in 1996, Ivan Vuich was given the keys to the castle. As Ivan attempted to manage his out of control staff; his temper reached a boiling point. To help relieve some of Ivan’s stress, Sami was brought in to assist as manager. Instead of turning Friar Tucks around, Ivan and Sami clashed at every turn. Their hostility towards one another trickled down to the staff. Now it’s owner against manager, bartender against bartender and the toxic relationships are threatening to tear down the castle walls for good.
In addition to the out of control attitudes the management structure is killing the business. Strict procedures and policies need to be in place for a bar to succeed. If Ivan and Sami worked together, one managing the front of house and one managing the back, things might run smoother. However, Ivan is the cook at Friar Tucks, and while he is not half bad, he cannot run the bar from the back of house.
Taffer brings in master mixologist Jason Bran to help behind the bar. Bran gets started first by replacing all of the pour spouts with one that will pour a quarter ounce a second to increase pour accuracy. He also teaches the bartenders the art and importance of classic cocktails along with the techniques used to create them. Chef Aaron McCargo was brought in to help Ivan in the kitchen. In addition to teaching Ivan how to properly cook a seasoned burger, McCargo dives into to helping Ivan elevate his skills in the kitchen to impress customers and keep meals from being sent back.
With the staff finally trained and working towards a common goal, Taffer and his team to completely revamp Friar Tucks. People are willing to pay 60% more at a well-planned themed bar. Taffer decides that a German theme that will accentuate the castle structure without creating an uncomfortable children’s vibe. The food menu was altered to sausages and German dishes and cocktails were created with apple flavors and premium ingredients.
Six weeks after the relaunch of Stein Haus Brau & Brat, total sales have gone up 15% and Ivan and Sami continue to work together in harmony. Attitudes have turned around 100% and things are running smoothly. Ivan continues to be passionate about cooking and is currently training a chef to work under him.
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