'Bar Rescue' targets Garner bar and grill

Characters Quarters is getting the "Bar Rescue" treatment this week as the Spike TV show takes over.

Posted 9:55 p.m. Mar 27, 2013 — Updated 9:19 p.m. May 10, 2013

Kathy Hanrahan

GARNER, N.C. — Characters Quarters, a Garner bar and grill located along U.S. Highway 70 West, is getting a makeover this week courtesy of the Spike TV show "Bar Rescue."

On the popular show, nightlife expert Jon Taffer and his team redo bars that are on the verge of closing or in significant financial debt. They teach the bar and kitchen staff proper techniques and completely redo the menu and physical appearance of the location. In many cases, the bar's name is even changed.

On Wednesday, crews were unloading a large truck filled with chairs and other items to go inside the bar.

A "Bar Rescue" producer on-site Wednesday confirmed the show was filming there. She said they would be filming again Friday night around 10:30 p.m. when the new bar is revealed to the staff and owner. The restaurant will remain closed Thursday as crews work inside.

According to posts on the business' Facebook account and website, the show put the staff through a "stress test" Tuesday night to determine the staff's weaknesses. The staff had to deal with 125 guests and only 75 drinking glasses to serve with. Also, they were only allowed to use three servers instead of the typical five or six.

"Though it was exhausting, we are very grateful to be provided with the opportunity to learn our weaknesses and grow from the process," Characters marketing diretor Rebecca Hurst said in an email.

Characters Quarters opened in 2010.

"Characters Quarters is proud to be part of the Garner community, and we are very appreciative of the support of our customers during this process. We are determined to learn valuable lessons from this experience and become Garner's most loved bar/restaurant," Hurst said.

Suggest A Correction