Jon Taffer on serving up the “intense” new season of ‘Bar Rescue’

Make your reservation now: Paramount Network will be serving up the ninth season premiere of its hit Bar Rescue on Sunday at 10 p.m. ET.

The show’s fiery host, bar expert Jon Taffer, famously rehabs bars, and bar owners, getting them back into the black.

It’s never easy, but this season things are different, he says.

“It’s sort of a gloves off season, it’s been fricking intense,” Taffer tells ABC Audio.

“You know, the pandemic is over. The excuses are over,” he continues.

“Some of these people are still stung by the pandemic. They’re, like, in this pause mode, but they’re in a lousy fricking place. And I’m finding they sort of need a kick in the a** to get them moving again and, you know, get them aggressive again,” Jon expresses.

Taffer is grateful to the fans for keeping the show going, explaining that at the center of its success are the stories behind those failing businesses.

“I shot my 250th episode last week, man, which is just — I’ll watch my language — I’ll just say it was unbelievable,” Taffer says of the accomplishment.

He recalls of the landmark episode, “I’m rescuing a bar and it’s an ugly family situation. You know, what I’m realizing [is] this is not about a bar. This is about the impact that a failing business has on a family. And it’s serious stuff.”

Taffer adds, “I looked at this guy and I said, ‘You know, your bar — it can break your wallet or it can break your family. In your case, it broke your fricking family, man.”