In 2012, Vin Durand and his wife Vanessa Santos opened up Heat Restaurant & Lounge in Hollywood, Florida. When the bar first opened, business was going very well - raking in $10-15 thousand a week. Unfortunately, Vin and Vanessa’s success was short-lived in the highly competitive market of Downtown Hollywood. As the business plummeted, Vin’s bright idea was to slash prices.
Heat Restaurant & Lounge has many problems. And it all starts with the name. Heat is neither restaurant nor lounge. With no food or cocktail menu and the ambiance of a tacky strip club, Heat is falsely advertising what they offer. Instead they need to clean up their act and redefine themselves as a true nightclub.
Stressing the importance of consistency in cocktails, master mixologist Phil Wills, teaches the bartenders basic techniques that will help them create delicious drinks, quickly. However, getting the staffs inappropriate behavior under control is the most challenging aspect of making sure that bar succeeds. Another key aspect of turning around the bar is utilizing the unused kitchen. Chef Jamika Pessoa was brought to create some spectacular dishes that will keep patrons longer. Implementing a ‘hapas’ food program - tapas program focused on happy hour – will help to increase revenue
Taffer decided to play off the different demographics of Hollywood, Florida and came up with a concept that will work from happy hour to dinner and throughout the night. Heat Restaurant & Lounge the male friendly strip club was transformed into Ele – a chic restaurant and nightclub fit for any respectable customer. The stripper poles were at long last removed and Taffer added elevated seating allowing potential patrons to see customers from the street; helping to drawn them to the door. Six weeks after relaunch, late night sales have gone up 30%, happy hour sales have gone up 100% and the waitresses have found they can make money without dancing on a pole.
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Anatomy of a Rescue – Shop the Show – Recipes