7 Questions With Bar Rescue's Jon Taffer: Bar Sludge, Big Hugs, And Why He Doesn't Mind Yelling When 'I'm Fighting For Something'

Jon Taffer is in the business of rescuing bars, but on a recent rainy Friday, he was off the clock. 

Taffer sat at an upstairs table in the Times Square Dallas BBQ, an array of barbecued meats and all their fixins laid out before him. Wearing a collared shirt and sports coat, no tie, and a black baseball cap with his company's logo on it, he apologized profusely for tucking into the meal — his first sustenance in a long day of promoting his series, "Bar Rescue" — during a late-afternoon interview.  

"I'm eating as we talk," he said, smiling easily and generally looking a lot more relaxed than he does on the Paramount Network reality show. "Bar Rescue" is currently in its 10th season — airing Sundays at 10/9c — and the formula hasn't changed much from the start: Hospitality consultant Taffer finds ailing watering holes, shows up with a camera crew and some fixer-uppers, and gives bar owners and staff some tough love designed to help save their failing businesses. 

"in the beginning, I thought I was rescuing the bar," he said. "I'm not. I'm really rescuing the people."

While Taffer dined, TVLine picked his brain about how he does what he does — and why Season 10 was the first to make him cry. 

TVLINE | Congratulations on your 10th season. As you look back on the show's run, what are you proudest of so far?
JON TAFFER | I'm proudest of the families, the families that I've made a difference in... [There's] one that comes to mind, where I had two twin brothers in their 50s [who] hadn't spoken to each other in nine years. And they own this bar, 50/50. They're working in the same room together. Nine years! Haven't spoken together. So I fight with them and fight with them. Finally, I get them to admit they need each other to be successful. They hadn't had a holiday meal together in nine years. Finally, I had them talking. When I left, I got an email a couple months later, pictures of them having Christmas dinner together. That's the stuff that is really powerful to me, when I can change that family dynamic. 

I'll tell you another one. When I get hugs at the end of episodes, our microphones are in our chests, so you can't hear what they say. And the things they say to me are unbelievable. I'll tell you my favorite one, man... The greatest one ever: "Thank you, John. My wife slept in my bed last night for the first time in six years." When you can change the dynamic of a family, it's so rewarding. And those hugs are so powerful to me.

TVLINE | Those are hard conversations to facilitate. Do you ever have any hesitation, or did you ever in this process ever have any hesitation, of like, "Oh, I don't, I don't know if I should go there in this conversation"?
In the beginning, I got sick to my stomach before every episode. Think about this. I'm walking into your business, your domain, and I'm gonna attack you.. It's a very uncomfortable thing to do to somebody. I wouldn't like it if it was done to me... I've never treated people this way in my life. I've never screamed at people or thrown food at them. It evolved.

TVLINE | When was the first time you threw food at someone, knowing it was to evoke a reaction?
You know, I can't remember the first time I threw food. The one that I remember most of all, is when I had this disgusting sludge behind the bar. And I picked it up on a napkin. I said to the owner, "What do you think about that?" He goes, "Not much." And I threw it on his shirt and said, "What do you think about it now?" [Laughs] So, it evolved. I never thought I would scream at people. That wasn't certain. What happened was, I had a 60-day project, and I got four days to do it in. So I'm a raving maniac. It causes me to push, push, push. It's a clock in the back of my head every second... Now, here is a real secret: Probably 60% of the time that I'm angry? I'm not angry. It's deliberate. Sometimes I get loud for a purpose. Sometimes embarrassing them is what they need. Sometimes calling them a failure is what they need, as hard as that is in front of their spouse or whatever. These things are difficult to do to people. . Yeah. But when I did that, the next one was a little easier, and the next one was a little easier. The ones that fight me the hardest give me the biggest hugs.

TVLINE | After you're done with a bar, how often do you hear back from people that you've worked with?
Pretty often. I'd say 20% keep in touch, 80% don't. I leave it up to them... I can't express the level of gratification that I get. What's incredible to me is this fake environment — it's a reality show, there's cameras there — creates a level of honesty in reality that I've never seen in my life... I find that this reality environment allows me to connect with people. It allows me to challenge them in ways that I couldn't do in normal life.

TVLINE | You had a relationship show, "Marriage Rescue," that is no longer in play. Are there other concepts you've thought about applying this formula to for another potential TV show?
We played with a few other things. "Marriage Rescue," I enjoyed. "Marriage Rescue" did well. The network gave me a choice: Do you want to do "Marriage Rescue" or "Bar Rescue"? I chose to do "Bar Rescue" for selfish reasons: It was less traveling. But I enjoyed doing it. I think we had 11 couples, and I think I made a difference with nine of them.

TVLINE | All right, so let's say I'm a casual bargoer. Maybe I go once every couple weeks. What's something that's a red flag in a bar that I wouldn't notice, but you would zero in on, right way, as being a problem?
The first three steps are everything, when you walk into a business. So, is the music right for you? I like country, you might like classic rock. Smell. Organization. Our houses are organized. When you walk into an environment that isn't, you sense that, even subliminally. Attitude of employees. You know, I always look at the front door, the front area. If it's dirty, imagine what the back is. Little indicators like that.

TVLINE | I read that, that you said, this season was a little bit more emotional than some other ones have been, especially because the economy is so rough, and there's always such thin margins in the food-and-beverage business. That made me wonder: Is that a weird thing for you? Do you tend to get emotional when you are with people in this situation?
Sometimes I do. Sometimes their situation is so dire. They've been through such a difficult time, my heart breaks for them. Sometimes, the owner's a jerk, and it's the spouse at home my heart breaks for, honestly. Sometimes, my heart breaks for the employees, when their dignity is taken from them... It's interesting: Often, I'm fighting for the person I never met. The owner is a jerk? I'm fighting for his wife, even though I never met her. I'm fighting for the kids. I'm fighting for the house. In my mind, I keep it positive. I'm fighting for something. I'm going somewhere here.