Jon Taffer

Red Bull uses predatory contracts to lock bars into exclusive energy drink deals

Red Bull has like predatory contracts. So when you sign a deal as a bar with Red Bull... in the contract, it says you are not allowed to do business with any other energy drink. They buy you in, so to speak, and they lock you in.

Sports only drive bar business about 70 days a year

Sports will only fill a bar about 70 days a year... And a lot of people think, oh, but a sports bar, they come every night. That's not true. They don't come for every baseball game, only postseason. They don't come for every NBA game, only postseason...tops 70, 80 days.

Women over 34 need backs on barstools, while younger women prefer stools without them

When you have women over 34, you put her back on a barstool... Under 34, you don't. And the reason why is over 34, women get very sensitive about their asses... Under 34, I want you to spin around for interactivity.

The incidence of play on pinball machines is much higher when they are placed near dartboards

If you're going to have dartboards, you've got to have at least one pinball machine, and here's why. When people are waiting to play darts, they'll play pinball. And the incidence of play on pinball games is much higher when there's dartboards nearby for that reason.

The craft beer industry is currently being killed by bankers

Craft beer is getting freaking killed right now. And what's happened in the craft beer world... originally when people started making craft beers, they were into the beer. Now they're freaking bankers that are into the money. So half the craft beers now suck.

Millennials ruined the service industry because they prioritize social media gratification over hard work

There is a difference between the people that we hire today and the people we hired 15, 20 years ago... When you grow up with social media today, you can post a picture of yourself looking the worst you've ever looked and somebody's going to say, man, you look great today... So we grow up getting this instant gratification all the time... when millennials now go get jobs, the gratification isn't as quick as they're used to, so they leave and they don't stay very long.

I would immediately fire any server who posted a celebrity's bad tip on social media

[If a server took a picture of a celebrity's bad tip and posted it on social media], I would fire him. Absolutely. [As an owner] I would probably tip her... and I'm going to promote [the celebrity visit]. I'm going to try to turn it into something good... You can't determine who's good enough for you and who's not.

The 'Farm to Table' label is a crock of shit because it isn't legally defined

[Farm to Table] is a crock of shit, because most of it isn't farm to table. For example, the spices come out of a jar... unfortunately, those terms aren't legally defined. So you can say them and get away with a lot of gray fringe bullshit on those.

Alcohol-detecting 'sniffers' in cars are bullshit because they aren't 100% accurate

[Interconnect systems] are sniffers in cars... it sniffs your breath and it knows if you've drank. So if you get in the car and the sniffer sees alcohol in your breath, the car will not start... my point is it's only about 80% accurate. So 20% of the time, that car is not going to start, and it's not your fault. That's bullshit.

The phrase 'Don't Drink and Drive' is an extreme slogan that hurts the alcohol industry

There's a phrase in our industry that says don't drink and drive. That's a good phrase. No it isn't. Because you can have a glass of wine and drive. It doesn't mean don't drink and drive. The statement should be drink and drive responsibly... 'Don't drink and drive' is extreme and if people buy into that premise, it can destroy our industry.

No one will own cars in 15 years because of automation

He [CEO of Mercedes-Benz] says in 15 years that we're not going to own cars anymore. They're all going to be electric vehicles... The vehicle will pull up in front of your house... those changes are going to change the entire world. [Auto insurance and repair industries will disappear].

Partnering with someone who cheats on their wife is a bad business move

Somebody said to me, man, don't be partners with somebody who would cheat like that because he'll screw you in a heartbeat... I went into business with the guy... he ripped me off over 500 grand.

People with the biggest egos usually have the thinnest wallets

Ever notice that people with the biggest ego have the thinnest fucking wallet? Because he doesn't listen to anybody. His ego gets in the way, they're typically not very successful.

Digital menus where you touch items to see pictures are the future of dining

Here's what's going to happen with digital menus... We're going to look at a menu. We're going to see stuff listed... When I touch the item, I'll see the picture... and then it'll disappear... so I can see it when I want to.

Never partner with someone in business who cheats on their family

Somebody said to me, man, don't be partners with somebody who would cheat like that because he'll screw you in a heartbeat. ... If you're cheating someone else, then I'm convinced you're going to cheat me too.

An excuse is nothing more than a rationalization of a mistake

I realized everybody's got a [fucking] excuse for their shortcomings. ... An excuse is a rationalization of a mistake. ... Every time we come up with an excuse, it makes us feel good about something we should feel bad about.

People with the biggest egos have the thinnest wallets

You ever notice that people with the biggest ego have the thinnest fucking wallet? Because he doesn't listen to anybody. His ego gets in a way that's typically not very successful.

A 'hangover bar' is a bad business idea because it makes the establishment look irresponsible

The problem with [a hangover bar] is that when bars start to support hangovers, we're perceived as irresponsible. ... We're giving you more of a motivation to have one.

A restaurant cannot charge more than $12 for an entree if there are pictures on the menu

Is a restaurant classier if it has pictures on the menu? No. ... The minute they put a picture on the menu, they can't go past like $12 per [entree].

Millennials drink craft beer that sucks just because they think it's cool

Millennials are very relevancy-driven. Millennials will drink a craft beer that sucks because it's cool. ... Millennials don't react to logical things. They react to what is cool.

Tom Brady was definitely drinking real beer on Colbert's show because of the lacing left on the glass

What that is called on the side of the beer is lacing. ... Lacing is what happens when the foam sticks to the side of the beer glass. So it's beer. ... That was beer.

70% of people make a right-hand turn when they walk into a mall

i'm just i'm just a fucking nutcase guys i mean i pick apart and study and you know everything like 70 of people that walk into a mall make a right hand turn now that bothers the shit out of me and because it's true

Adding a second staircase to elevated bar levels significantly increases social interaction

I used to build elevated levels in bar and restaurants like everyone else with a staircase... you feel like a freaking idiot. You've got to turn around, walk back the other way. You're busted... So I simply put a second staircase in on the other side... social interaction went up big time. I'm guessing there are people that are married to this very day because of that freaking staircase.

NFL teams should use comedians or bands as opening acts to improve the stadium experience

what is the kind of stuff that, you know, cat can get that he can't get at home? ...putting a band before a game or after a game so that you can infuse a different type of entertainment into a show doesn't hurt either. I mean, you're going to laugh at this, Dan, but how about a comedian to open as an opening act?

Empty seats in NFL stadiums are a bigger embarrassment than 'minor league' promotions

Isn't that interesting that it's beneath them, but the empty seat isn't beneath them? I mean, it's pretty asinine and pretty egotistical. To me, the empty seat would be beneath everything.

Cold urine smells less than warm urine, which is why bars put ice in urinals

cold piss does not smell as much as warm so is that what it is is it is that why okay because we always just assumed because we're guys we like to pee on snow and ice... I can tell you this. Cold piss does not smell as much as warm.

An overcrowded bar actually makes less money than one with 20% fewer people

You know what's funny is that bar with 20% less people in it would actually make more money that night. And that's the sign of a rookie owner. Because when a bar gets that crowded, I can't get waitresses to you. Bartenders can't serve everyone. Half the people in the room don't have drinks.