How Jon Taffer's First Job Involved Getting An Entire Staff Fired

TV show personality and business consultant Jon Taffer is one man who doesn't hesitate to go all out when he's working with bars, restaurants, hotels, and businesses to help them become better at what they do. According to his website, Taffer's contribution to the TV show, Bar Rescue has been phenomenal. As per estimates, thanks to Taffer, the show has contributed to around 25 percent of Paramount Network's total programming and attracted as many as 90 million viewers. The TV show basically helps bars to avoid closure and takes advantage of Taffer's rich experience in the industry. 

As per Food & Wine, Taffer now intends to help some of the eateries that have suffered on account of the coronavirus pandemic by working on a new show that will take a closer look at these restaurants and help spring them back to life. "I'm talking multi-generational restaurants that are 70, 80, 90, 110 years old that have closed across the country," he said. "...My heart is broken by it. My heart is broken by the disappearance of them. These aren't restaurants. These are legacies."

As concerned as Taffer is about the big picture today, it's worth diving into a fascinating anecdote from his first job in which he helped a restaurant fire its staff. Read on for all the details.

Taffer doesn't like holding himself back. He never has. According to an article by Vice, Taffer started his stint in the hospitality industry when he was 24 years old at a bar called Barney's Beanery in West Hollywood. When he began working at the bar, other staff members told him something that he didn't approve of. Basically, the head bartender said that the staff members stole $100 every night from the cash registers and if he decided to opt out, it would be obvious that something was amiss. 

Taffer wasn't pleased and ended up telling the owner everything. What happened next? Well, all the staff members were fired, and Taffer earned himself an instant promotion to head bartender. Even back then, while he was just starting out, Taffer refused to compromise or bow down to external pressure, trusting his instinct and making his own rules as he went along.