MOUNT DORA EPISODE of "BAR RESCUE" AIRS SUNDAY, AUGUST 13

If the title is any indication, tons of drama will be dished out during Sunday’s airing of the reality show filmed in Mount Dora last May.  Bar Rescue’s “Daddy Dearest” episode  hits the airwaves at 10 p.m. on Sunday, August 13.

Over three dozen Spike TV crew members descended into the quaint Central Florida town to document the transformation of Sidelines, a fledgling Mount Dora bar and restaurant.  The owners of the restaurant had applied to Bar Rescue, a show that provides expertise and renovations to bars on the brink of closing.  

The straightforward host, Jon Taffer, often doles out harsh criticism to establishments on the brink of closing.  Taffer combines his keen observation and market research to develop changes to help make the restaurant profitable. The show’s different crews worked feverishly for 36 hours to implement the plan, re-train the staff, change the menu, re-brand the business, and complete renovations.  

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Bar Rescue rebranded the restaurant to “Lake House” and the cheesy, bold colors were painted over with warmer, more sophisticated colors and decor.

The event revealing the restaurant’s changes lured over a hundred Bar Rescue fans to wait for hours to catch a glimpse of Taffer and be one of the first customers seated inside the family-owned restaurant.   

As the customers waited, owner Rich Marinacci, family members, and employees arrived blindfolded to the restaurant.  Taffer peppered them with questions about the stressful process and alluded to their difficulties.  At the time, all agreed it was a wake-up call and the final edited episode may prove to be a reminder.

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See behind the scenes photos

Opening night’s revamped menu featured basic seafood, burgers, sandwiches, wings and salads at reasonable price points geared to the local market.  The most intriguing items are the burger with butter-poached crabmeat and caramelized onions ($10.95), the hand-rolled soft pretzels ($5.95)  and the spicy clam pizza ($13.95).

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