Emily Carter
The Chicken Bone was featured on Season 1, Episode 7 of Bar Rescue. The episode, titled Bad To The Bone, aired in August 2011, and saw Jon Taffer step in to help rescue the bar, which was facing financial troubles. Despite the episode's success, with improvements to the food, drinks, and music, The Chicken Bone closed in November 2014, blaming the closure on the economy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Original Name | The Chicken Bone |
| New Name | The Bone: Chicken and Tunes |
| Owner | Bill Rodenhiser |
| Location | 358 Waverly St Framingham, MA 01702 |
| Episode | Season 1 Episode 7 |
| Episode Name | Bad To The Bone |
| Status | Closed |
| Reason for Rescue | Out-of-control costs, dated decor, family-friendly concept, poor Yelp reviews, unrefrigerated items, mold and mildew, unsanitary food and bar areas |
| Year of Closure | 2014 |
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What You'll Learn
The Chicken Bone's financial issues
The Chicken Bone, a bar in Framingham, Massachusetts, faced financial issues due to a combination of poor financial management, operational challenges, and changing market dynamics.
Owner Bill Rodenhiser had no prior bar experience when he purchased The Chicken Bone. Despite initially strong sales, the bar struggled to generate profits due to high costs and poor financial controls. In an episode of "Bar Rescue," Bill revealed that the bar made $2 million in sales, but $1 million disappeared, and he could not account for it. This financial discrepancy highlighted the underlying economic issues plaguing the establishment.
Bill's lack of industry knowledge also led to critical mistakes, such as opening a second location in downtown Boston without fully understanding the bar business. This expansion failed, resulting in significant financial losses and forcing Bill to return to his previous job to support the bar's operations.
The bar also faced operational challenges, including a confusing menu, poor sanitation, and health code violations. These issues likely contributed to its financial troubles, driving away customers and incurring additional costs to rectify.
Additionally, external factors such as seasonal fluctuations and economic downturns impacted The Chicken Bone's financial performance. The bar closed for the summer in 2014 due to low trade, and the owners cited economic challenges and rising living expenses as reasons for their reduced profits.
The combination of these factors led to The Chicken Bone's financial woes, ultimately resulting in its closure in November 2014. Despite efforts to rescue the establishment, including a revamp by Jon Taffer, the bar could not recover from its financial issues and ceased operations.
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Jon Taffer's intervention
Taffer's intervention began with him and his wife, Nicole, sitting outside the bar in their SUV, reading through Yelp reviews. Nicole went into the bar as an undercover spy and noticed that the floor was dirty and the menu was confusing. She also noted that the bar, which had been made into a family restaurant by Bill, was driving customers away. The bar was facing issues with profitability, despite reporting 2 million dollars in sales. It was discovered that 1 million dollars had gone missing, with no explanation as to where it went.
Taffer met with Bill and discussed how the family-friendly concept wasn't working. He also wanted to change the name of the bar, which he felt didn't suit the offerings. Bill initially resisted the idea of changing the name, but eventually came around and trusted Jon's expertise. Taffer brought in experts to help with the remodel and provided resources to improve the bar's operations, such as new pint glasses.
During the episode, Chef Spike was brought in to elevate the chicken wings, and there was a focus on improving the kitchen operations, which faced challenges due to computer issues. The general manager, Jeff, was mentioned as someone Bill didn't fully trust to make crucial decisions.
Despite the initial success of the intervention, with positive feedback on food, drinks, and music, the bar ultimately faced further challenges. It closed temporarily in June 2014 due to low trade and economic factors, and then permanently in November 2014, failing to reopen after the summer closure.
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The bar's name change
The Chicken Bone was a bar in Framingham, Massachusetts, that was featured on Season 1, Episode 7 of the first season of Spike TV's Bar Rescue. The episode, titled "Bad To The Bone", aired in August 2011, but the filming and visit from Jon Taffer took place before that.
The bar was owned by Bill Rodenhiser, who had previously owned a successful excavating company. He decided to take a risk and venture into the bar industry by buying his favourite local bar, The Chicken Bone. Despite having no prior experience in the industry, Bill opened a second location of The Chicken Bone in downtown Boston. However, this location closed after only five months due to poor performance, which forced Bill to take on more hours at his excavation company to keep the business afloat.
Facing bankruptcy, Bill called on Jon Taffer and the Bar Rescue team for help. Jon Taffer's wife, Nicole Taffer, went undercover inside the bar to assess the situation. She noticed that the floor was dirty and the menu was confusing. Bill had also made the bar family-friendly, which drove customers away. Jon Taffer decided that the name "The Chicken Bone" did not suit what they offered and wanted to change it. Bill was initially resistant to the idea but eventually agreed, trusting Jon's expertise. The new name chosen was "The Bone: Chicken and Tunes".
The Bone: Chicken and Tunes closed in November 2014 after failing to reopen following a summer closure due to low trade. The business was put up for sale, and the closure was blamed on the economy. Despite the efforts of Jon Taffer and the Bar Rescue team, The Chicken Bone ultimately could not be rescued.
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The Chicken Bone's closure
The Chicken Bone, a bar in Framingham, Massachusetts, was featured on Season 1, Episode 7 of Bar Rescue, which aired in August 2011. The episode, titled "Bad To The Bone", saw Jon Taffer step in to help turn the bar around. The bar was owned by Bill Rodenhiser, who had previously run a successful excavating company. Rodenhiser had no prior bar experience when he bought The Chicken Bone.
Despite being packed and popular, the bar was losing money. Rodenhiser opened a second location in downtown Boston, but this closed within nine months to a year due to poor performance, which put a strain on the original location. The Chicken Bone was also cited for health and safety violations, including unrefrigerated items, mould and mildew, and unsanitary food and bar areas.
Taffer changed the name of the bar to The Bone: Chicken and Tunes, and brought in new equipment to elevate the food offering. He also advised Rodenhiser to cut down the menu and move away from the family-friendly concept. The bar's floor, which was described as looking like a children's playroom, was refinished, and the confusing menu was streamlined.
Despite these changes, The Chicken Bone closed in November 2014. The bar had closed for the summer in June 2014 due to low trade and never reopened. The business was put up for sale for $175,000, and the owners blamed the closure on the economy.
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The Chicken Bone's reputation
The Chicken Bone, later renamed The Bone, was a popular bar in Framingham, Massachusetts, that was featured on Season 1, Episode 7 of the reality TV show Bar Rescue in 2011. The episode was called "Bad To The Bone".
The bar was owned by Bill Rodenhiser, who had previously run a successful excavating company. Five years before the show, he decided to take a risk on a second business venture and bought The Chicken Bone, his favourite local bar. However, despite having a loyal customer base, the bar was losing money. Bill had no prior experience in the industry, and his decision to open a second location in downtown Boston ended up losing a lot of money and closed after only five to nine months.
The bar was known for its wings, beer, live music, and lively crowd. However, it had a reputation for being a dive bar, and its family-friendly concept was driving customers away. It also faced issues with poor hygiene, with the Framingham Health Department citing the bar for over a dozen violations, including unrefrigerated items, mould and mildew in an ice dispenser, and unsanitary food and bar areas.
The bar was also associated with an incident involving President Obama's Uncle Omar, who was arrested for drunken driving outside The Chicken Bone in 2011.
Despite the efforts of Jon Taffer and his team on Bar Rescue, The Chicken Bone closed in November 2014. It had closed temporarily in June 2014 due to low trade and delayed its reopening several times before ultimately confirming its closure.
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Frequently asked questions
The episode was called "Bad To The Bone".
Jon Taffer changed the name of the bar to The Bone: Chicken and Tunes. He also brought in a new set of pint glasses and helped elevate the chicken wings with new equipment.
Despite the bar being packed and popular, it was not making money. Owner Bill Rodenhiser had no prior bar experience and the family-friendly concept was driving customers away.
Yes, The Chicken Bone closed down in November 2014. It had closed temporarily in June 2014 due to low trade but failed to reopen.
