Is The Crowne Irish Pub still open in 2023?
Status: >> CLOSED <<
(keep reading to learn what happened)
Season: 8 | View All Season 8 Episodes
Original Episode Air Date: May 29, 2022
The Bar's Original Name Was: The Forge Irish Pub
The Crowne Irish Pub Address: 109 W Bloomingdale Ave, Brandon, FL 33511
Episode Recap
The Forge, later renamed to Crowne Irish Pub, was a Tampa / Brandon, Florida bar that was featured on Season 8 of Bar Rescue.
Though the The Forge Bar Rescue episode aired in May 2022, the actual filming and visit from Jon Taffer took place a few months before that in March 2022.
It was Season 8 Episode 22 and the episode name was âTill Failure Do You Partâ.
In this episode, Jon Taffer visits The Forge Irish Pub in Brandon, FL.
Brandon has a population of a little over 100,000 people and is located just outside Tampa, FL, which is where Jon Taffer visited a few different bars in the second half of Season 8.
The bar is owned by Patrick Crowne, who opened the bar in 2019 with his then-wife Mariely Crowne just before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Patrick had experience as a bartender in New York City and Mariely also had experience in the hospitality industry as a waitress.
Patrick said that he got butterflies as soon as he entered the bar as he knew it was the right place for his business.
Things started off amazing. In the first year, it brought in over $1 million sales, which are great numbers for a bar.
Everything was great until the Covid-19 pandemic, which happened about a year after they opened.
Health restrictions and peopleâs wariness of going to bars hurt the business and itâs never really recovered.
In 2020, Patrick Crowne lost $600,000, which is just absolutely massive. Itâs easy to see why The Forge Bar Rescue episode exists.
This financial pressure caused a lot of issues for Patrick, understandably.
He had issues with depression and alcohol during this low period, which ended with him divorcing his wife, Mariely. The divorce was filed in November 2021 â you can see the legal page here.
Despite the divorce, Patrick and Mariely are still business partners and you see both of them in the Forge Bar Rescue episode.
Obviously, this causes some tension between the two of them while trying to work together.
The staff recognizes this tension and it makes it awkward for them to do their jobs.
They also fight inside the bar, which has caused some customers to leave, too.
Things are so bad that the bar literally has a month to live if Jon Taffer and his crew canât turn things around.
As part of the rescue, Jon Taffer renamed the bar from The Forge Irish Pub to The Crowne Irish Pub, which is obviously named after Patrick.
While Jon Taffer kept the Irish theme, he made it much nicer and redid the interior.
So was The Forge Bar Rescue visit a success? Keep reading our update to learn how the bar is doing in 2023.
The Crowne Irish Pub Update - What Happened Next?
Now that weâve recapped the Crowne Irish Pub Bar Rescue episode, letâs talk about what happened to the bar after Jon Taffer and his crew left Brandon, FL.
First off, if you want some interesting back story, a local radio station actually did an interview with Patrick Crowne, the Crowne Irish Pub owner, about his experience on Bar Rescue.
The interview has a lot of juicy nuggets.
For example Patrickâs bar was originally scouted by the production crew back in August 2021, before eventually being visited in March 2020.
He said the Bar Rescue producers actually scouted his bar â he didnât reach out to them.
He called it a âblessing in disguiseâ, so he seems to be happy that they did.
He also seems very happy with the renovations and rebranding.
Additionally, he said that the renovations cost the Bar Rescue producers around $50,000-$70,000.
Bar Rescue owners never have to pay for the renovations, so this means that Patrick basically got all those renovations for free.
Patrick actually said that he thought that Bar Rescue was fake when he was just a viewer.
But actually going through a rescue, it changed his mind and he called it âunbelievableâ.
If you want to see the full interview, you can check out the video below â the segment starts at around the 3:15:00 mark and the actual interview starts at around the 3:17:00 mark.
With that back story out of the way, letâs talk about the actual business at the bar after the Crowne Bar Rescue visit.
Is The Crowne Irish Pub from Bar Rescue still open?
The Crowne Irish Pub closed on July 17, 2022, which was around four months after Jon Tafferâs visit and just two months after the episode aired on TV.
In announcing the closure, Patrick posted the following the following message on the barâs Facebook page:
To all the amazing guests at the Crowne Irish pub, formerly the Forge, past and present.
It has been an experience of a lifetime to be a member of the community and serve you all.
Unfortunately, due to a series of events, not really worth getting into, our doors will close for the last this Sunday night.
The concept of the bar was to bring a neighborhood atmosphere, music, food, and a drink or two.
A place where you could relax, unwind, and feel safe.
With that being said from the bottom of my heart thank you all again for supporting small businesses, employees current and past, musicians and vendors I couldnât have done it without you.
(Video) The Forge's Transformation đ Bar RescueI was hoping for more time for my employeesâ sake, so before any Facebook warriors complain we have lined them up with jobs.
Blessed to have such a great network of small business owners who all have each otherâs backs.
Slainte (cheers), Patrick
The Facebook post about the closure has lots of sad responses from musicians and customers, so it seems like a lot of people will be sad to see The Crowne Irish Pub disappear.
Unfortunately, I didnât take a screenshot and the Crowne Irish Pub Facebook page is now deleted so you canât see the actual post.
It is nice that Patrick was able to find his employees new jobs â thatâs a cool thing to do.
The old The Forge Brandon FL location has been listed for rent on Loopnet since The Forge closed â you can see the listing page here.
When I know what happens to The Crowne Brandon FL location, I will update this post with details for the new business.
For now, it seems like itâs still vacant.
Hereâs an embed from Google Maps street view, in case anything changes:
The Crowne Irish Pub Before Its Closure
Before its closure in July 2022, the bar actually seemed to be doing alright.
Patrick said that his customers loved the bar after the renovations because it felt more like a true Irish pub.
He also said that âbusiness is slowly picking upâ (as of April 5 2022).
The bar had also started being more active on social media and regularly posted events and specials.
Hereâs a sampling of what they offered before the closure:
- Live music on Fridays and Saturdays, with occasional Thursday night shows
- Drink specials during games for local sports teams
The bar also hosted a watch party for the Crowne Bar Rescue episode.
However, reviews for The Crowne Irish Pub Brandon, FL seemed a bit mixed, which might explain why it closed.
The bar had just a 3.6 star rating on Google Reviews and a 3.5 star.
The Yelp page still included reviews from when it was The Forge Irish Pub, but the Google Reviews were all for the new branding.
The Crowne Irish Pub Reviews After Bar Rescue
Hereâs a sampling of reviews that were written after the Forge Bar Rescue episode aired on TV.
4 star Yelp review from March 2022:
Itâs no longer the Forge, itâs Crowne.
Theyâve gone through changes after Bar Rescue.
There were 12 of us from a Foodies group, with prior reservations but Mariely Crowne never told me what was going on (after I confirmed with her 12 of us were coming) apparently she left them high and dry.
They had no idea we were coming! So unfair.
Regardless, the food was good and the mushroom appetizer was delish!
Our waiter worked very hard for us.
(Video) Woman Removes Painting Varnish, Uncovers Husband's 50 Year Old SecretI would give them a couple months to get things ironed out and more staff on hand.
They are short handed. If a larger party goes in, you wonât be served all at the same time.
It was no big deal for us, we understand the situation they got dumped in their lap.
My Rueben was fantastic! The fish was good, what you expect at a bar. Burgers good.
5 star Google review from May 2022:
I came in today and drank a Guinness poured perfectly.
The staff is very friendly.
I am looking forward to coming back, especially for the food, and potentially music on Friday/Saturday and maybe Trivia on Thursdays.
5 star Google review from April 2022:
Visited The Crowne Irish Pub on 20 April and can not say enough about how pleased I am with this Pub.
There were 5 of us and we wanted to get a good idea about the Pub since their relaunch.
We each ordered different menu items and tried a couple of different cocktails.
All of the cocktails were well balanced and good.
We ordered 2 of their specialty cocktails (Michaelâs Forge and The Dublin Mule (I think)).
Both were good and well balanced.
1 star Google review from May 2022:
Owner not friendly.
Bartender sneezes on stack of clean glasses and never washed his hands.
Hamburger patty is exactly the same size as a regular McDonaldâs patty but costs way more.
Did they learn nothing from Bar Rescue??
1 star Google review from May 2022:
I donât get the hype about this place.
Went there a couple times when it was The Forge and the only good thing was the music.
Tried again after the big revamp and WTH, like 5 things on the menu and horrific service.
Unfortunately one and done for us.
1 star Google review from April 2022:
Just horrific food and service.
(Video) Jon vs. WORST Irish Pubs âïž Bar RescueThey can pour a beer from the tap, Iâll give them that.
But the food is beyond bad.
Bland, overcooked, no unique flavoring.
Overpriced for what it is.
Name change on the door canât change the fact the food is just not good.
And sometimes takes forever to come out of the kitchen, even when noone is there.
What happened to Mariely after the Crowne Bar Rescue episode?
As far as I can tell, Mariely Crowne is working as a realtor for the Tampa Bay area with Re/Max Bayside.
She has her own profile on Realtor.com and an active Facebook page.
Sheâs also working as a marketing coordinator at a local branding agency since March 2022 (which is when the Bar Rescue visit happened).
Mariely posted a video on her personal Facebook page around the time that the Crowne episode aired on TV about her experience.
She said that she only agreed to be on film because the Bar Rescue producers would not film the show unless she was there.
She wanted the bar to succeed because sheâs part owner (and Patrick is still the father of her daughters), so she agreed to be in the show.
Mariely says the producers agreed with her that they would not discuss the divorceâŠwhich obviously didnât happen because the divorce is in the episode name!
She said that they did all of their interviews separately, so she was very disappointed to see what Patrick said in his Bar Rescue interviews.
Overall, itâs good to remember that these are real people in the episode and the producers always want to manipulate things for as much drama as possibleâŠeven if it has negative effects on those people.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Patrick, the owned, seemed happy with his experience on Bar Rescue.
While things seemed to start off well for the bar with an increase in business, it eventually closed just a few months after the Forge Bar Rescue episode aired on TV.
Jon Taffer visited several Tampa area bars in the second half of Bar Rescue Season 8.
If you want to see those other Tampa Bar Rescue episodes, you can find the updates for them below:
- JF Kicks / Jimmyâs update
- The Loft / Cerealholic Cafe update
- Jerryâs Dockside Bar / AJâs on the River update
I also have a page that lists all 26+ Florida Bar Rescue episodes, along with their current statuses.
Thanks for reading!
More Information
https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-forge-irish-pub-brandon
https://www.facebook.com/thecrowneirishpub
What did you think about the The Crowne Irish Pub Bar Rescue episode? I'd love it if you shared your thoughts on the episode in the comments below!
You can also click the buttons below to share this post!
And don't forget to check out all of the other Bar Rescue updates.
Watch Bar Rescue Episodes at Amazon
Last updated: 2023-01-30 07:38
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FAQs
Why was Bar Rescue cancelled? âș
On September 22, 2020, it was announced that the series would move to another ViacomCBS network, as part of a since-rescinded plan to shift the Paramount Network to television films and miniseries. Bar Rescue's move also never took place, as its eighth season premiered on Paramount Network on May 2, 2021.
Is State pub from Bar Rescue still open? âșBreakwall Bar & Grill, the former Irish pub on the that was transformed into a surfing-themed bar on an episode of Spike TV's Bar Rescue, has closed its doors for the last time.
Has any Bar Rescue bars succeed? âșYet not all of the bars on Bar Rescue ultimately get saved. So far to date in 3 seasons 60 bars have been 'rescued'. Of those 60, 14 have closed and 13 had either changed the rebranded name back or altered it again. Going through every season of the hit Spike TV show, we've found Taffer's failures.
Who pays for Bar Rescue renovations? âșDo you cover the cost of the renovations and upgrades or do the bar owners have to pay some of it back? My sponsors and I pay for everything. The owner doesn't pay one dime. We even leave them with food & beverage inventory, along with plates, silverware, glassware, and everything they need.
What is the most successful bar from Bar Rescue? âșTaffer's Tavern is the product of Jon Taffer, hospitality expert, entrepreneur, best-selling author, star, and Executive Producer of Paramount Network's Bar Rescue. Taffer's is the quintessential pub, a place to meet old friends while making new ones.
What bars did Jon Taffer refused to rescue? âșLike a previous rescue, O'Face Bar, Jon found the staff fighting each other and management unwilling to step in. Jon refused to rescue O'Face, but something about Mollie Malone's made him stay. According to Reality TV Revisited, the bar is still open but has experienced negative reviews.
How many Bar Rescue bars are still operating? âș90 bars are currently still open, 65 are closed.
How many Taffer's Tavern locations are there? âșAbout Taffer's Tavern
Taffer's Tavern is now open in Alpharetta, Georgia, and FedEx Field in Maryland, with additional locations planned for the Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Boston, Las Vegas and Orlando areas with more markets to follow.
Humbly dubbed Taffer's Tavern, the âquintessential neighborhood pub,â will operate out of the old Penn Commons space on Sixth St. NW next to Capital One Arena. The D.C. spot, Taffer's third full-service franchise location, is designed with traditional âOld-World taverns in mind âŠ
Does John Taffer take a percentage? âșThe percentage is 2% to 5% and lasts for a couple of years depending on the contract negotiated and the amount of planned renovations being done. However, that percentage goes to the show itself as part of its profits.
Why did barcode close? âș
They neglected the space, with their clientele now as old or older than the brothers. They are losing $5000 a month and are $139,000 in debt.
Is Jon Taffer married? âșPersonal life. Taffer lives in Las Vegas. He has been married to his wife Nicole, since 2000. Taffer also has a daughter named Samantha, from a previous marriage.
Is Bar Rescue scripted or fake? âșFormer employees are brought in, and bars are open to filming on days when they are normally closed, according to the former owner of Piratz Tavern from season 2. Everything is staged, from storylines to employees not being current employees, in order to make the business appear as more of a failure.
How much does it cost to bring in Bar Rescue? âș"In interviews v said their budget is big, in the $100,000 per episode range. But many of things they install like a POS system, bar taps, seats, tables are on lease, the show covers the fee for a few months then it is up to the owners to take over the lease terms.
How much does John Taffer make? âșWhat is Jon Taffer's net worth and salary? Jon Taffer is an American restaurateur and businessman who has a net worth of $14 million dollars. Credited for creating the concept of the NFL Sunday Ticket, Jon Taffer is also well known for his role as the host of Paramount's Bar Rescue.
Why did the end bar in Las Vegas close? âșThey had moved the location of the bar to a few doors down. Underworld Grill and Bar / The End closed in February 2016 after failing to renew their lease.
Where does Phil Wills work? âșPhil Wills - Bar Expert / Consultant / Partner - The Spirits in Motion | LinkedIn.
When did Bar Rescue end? âș"We shut down March 13, 2020 â abruptly â with seven episodes to go last season, which we never did," Taffer, 66, tells PEOPLE.
Has Jon Taffer ever got into a fight on Bar Rescue? âșâThis is the first physical altercation I've ever been in,â says Taffer, who got in Benari's face after the bar owner insulted Brian Duffy, âBar Rescue'sâ consulting chef for the episode. âI've never been hit, or hit anyone in my life.
Is Thunderbird from Bar Rescue still open? âșThunderbird KSC Tavern is open. Reviews after the rescue are mostly positive with praise for the bartenders, atmosphere and tacos. This post was last updated in March 2022. What is this?
What is the best Bar Rescue episode? âș
The highest-rated episode of Bar Rescue to date according to IMDb is Things That Go Pahrump in the Night. In addition to Taffer, the show features fellow consultants Tom Bonello and Chef Vic Vegas. Taffer's task takes a medical turn when arriving in Pahrump, Nevada to find a bar owner in desperate need of salvation.
What happened to the second line Bar Rescue? âșSpeakeasy Bar & Grill (Second Line Co.) From Bar Rescue Has Closed. Speakeasy Bar & Grill in Kenner, Louisiana which appeared on season 5 (2nd set) of Bar Rescue has closed.
What is the newest episode of Bar Rescue? âș Are dimples still open? âș(KABC) -- Dimples, the iconic karaoke bar in Burbank, will play its final song this weekend. After 33 years, it will be shutting down to make way for condos and a Whole Foods.
How many loungers restaurants are there? âșA Lounge is a neighbourhood cafĂ©/bar combining elements of a restaurant, British pub and coffee shop culture. As of March 2022, there are 162 Lounges nationwide. Lounges are principally located in secondary suburban high streets and small town centres.
What is Jon Taffer's favorite cocktail? âșTaffer, who has spent many years serving patrons drinks and helping struggling bars find success, is no stranger to cocktails. As for his favorite cocktail, that's obviously: The Godfather.
What is the difference between a bar and a tavern? âșThe Basic Difference
A tavern is typically a more upscale type of bar that also serves food. Taverns often have a more sophisticated atmosphere, and they may offer a wider selection of beers, wines, and spirits. Taverns are also usually more expensive than bars.
He has owned 17 different hospitality businesses, founded consulting firm Taffer Dynamics, and even helped create the NFL's âSunday Ticket.â As an expert in managing people, Taffer says he doesn't look for the candidates with the most impressive resumes when he's selecting new staff.
What does Jon Taffer do now? âșHost & Executive Producer of @barrescuetv. New York Times Best-Selling Author. Founder of @TaffersTavern.
Was Jon Taffer on Hell's Kitchen? âșJohn Taffer's appearance on Hell's Kitchen seemed to be underwhelming for fans. As one of TV's biggest stars, Gordon Ramsay has seen and done it all. He's opened successful restaurants, has rubbed elbows with the upper crust, and has helped crafted smash hit shows, all of which have contributed to his legacy.
Why do most bars fail? âș
Lack of funds is one of the big reasons bars fail. There are many operators who only have enough cash in their account to handle last week's bills. This is a mistake. You should always have at least 6 months' worth of rent as cash in your account.
Does Jon Taffer have a daughter? âș Did the pirate bar from Bar Rescue closed? âșPiratz was revisited as part of the Back to the Bar episode, where Taffer graded the bar an "epic fail"; the owner wanted to seek a second rescue. Within a week of the episode's airing, however, Piratz decided to close its doors for good.
What is replacing the barcode? âșRadio frequency identification, or RFID, is a fully automated alternative to barcode scanning that has seen large scale growth in adoption rates across many industries.
Who owns the barcode patent? âșRCA had purchased the original barcode patent, but ultimately, IBM (who didn't have the patent but did have Norman Woodland, the original inventor) ultimately won the race with the invention of the linear UPC barcode (more on UPC in the next section).
What is the new barcode thing called? âșWhat are QR codes? A QR code is a type of barcode that can be read easily by a digital device and which stores information as a series of pixels in a square-shaped grid.
What businesses does Jon Taffer own? âșConcurrently, Jon runs Taffer Dynamics, his business operations firm which offers dynamic models for a range of well-known establishments and brands, including the NFL, Anheuser-Busch, Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt, Marriott, Holiday Inn, Sheraton, Intercontinental, Fridays, Buffalo Wild Wings, Famous Dave's Barbecue, and ...
Who owns Taffer's Tavern? âșJon Taffer, founder and CEO of Taffer's Tavern, says his restaurant concept's kitchens only need two or three cooks, a 50 to 60 percent reduction in labor from a typical casual dining kitchen.
Does Jon Taffer have a kid? âș How many bars from Bar Rescue have closed permanently? âș90 bars are currently still open, 65 are closed.
When did Bar Rescue stop? âș
"We shut down March 13, 2020 â abruptly â with seven episodes to go last season, which we never did," Taffer, 66, tells PEOPLE. "They can put you in a hiatus but after a certain period of time, the hiatus has to end and you have to go to the next season."
Why do they wear the same clothes on Bar Rescue? âș"My reaction shots were totally shot out of sequence," explained Flore. "That's why they had me wear the same shirt for three days. They show me talking to someone, and then I can tell that the reaction shot they show was filmed on an entirely different day."
How many times did Jon Taffer walk out? âșFour Times Jon Taffer Walked Out | Bar Rescue.
Does Jon Taffer own a bar? âșHumbly dubbed Taffer's Tavern, the âquintessential neighborhood pub,â will operate out of the old Penn Commons space on Sixth St. NW next to Capital One Arena. The D.C. spot, Taffer's third full-service franchise location, is designed with traditional âOld-World taverns in mind âŠ
Is the Pirates Tavern still open? âșThere's part of me that's very proud of being the anti-hero of 'Bar Rescue,' " Rebelo said. Piratz Tavern closed in April 2015. Rebelo said social media and Spike TV reruns played a deciding factor. "There was a whole new group of people coming in who basically used their phones to find out where they want to go.
What happened to the corporate bar from Bar Rescue? âșPiratz Tavern closed in April 2015. They blamed the closure on the negative backlash from appearing on Bar Rescue that led to vandalism and prank calls at the bar. They also blamed constant repeats of the episode and their lease was not renewed.
Did Bar Rescue ever go to Minnesota? âșThe 4 Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa Bars Featured on 'Bar Rescue' The popular TV show 'Bar Rescue' has been on for 8 seasons now, since 2011, and in that time only 4 Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa bars have been on the show. One of those was a bar in Minnesota, one in Iowa, and two in Wisconsin.
Does John Taffer get a percentage of the bars he rescues? âșThe percentage is 2% to 5% and lasts for a couple of years depending on the contract negotiated and the amount of planned renovations being done. However, that percentage goes to the show itself as part of its profits.
Is The End still open in Las Vegas? âșTHE END - CLOSED - 40 Photos & 66 Reviews - 4821 Spring Mountain Rd, Las Vegas, NV - Yelp.