Raise the Bar

An Action-Based Method for Maximum Customer Reactions

By: Jon Taffer, Karen Kelly

Narrated by: Luke Daniels

If there’s anyone who can prevent a bar or restaurant from going belly-up, it’s Jon Taffer. Widely considered the greatest authority in the food and beverage, hotel, and hospitality industries, he runs the biggest trade show in the business and has turned around nearly 1,000 bars and at least that many restaurants.

As host and executive producer of Spike TV’s Bar Rescue, a documentary-style series, Taffer gives struggling bars one last chance to succeed with a mixture of business acumen and tough love. Now he’s offering his no-nonsense strategy for eliciting just the right emotional reactions in customers to everyone.

Raise the Bar distills the secrets to running a successful enterprise with Reaction Management, a strategy and philosophy Taffer developed and uses in his business and on Bar Rescue. It works whether you’re running a storefront operation or a web-based company, whether you’re manufacturing widgets or providing a service.

Taffer’s overarching philosophy is this: All business is about creating the right reactions in your customers. Even better: You can control those reactions to a very large degree. Raise the Bar is the definitive manual on transforming a bar or restaurant with actionable, proven strategies for immediate impact.

©2013 Jon Taffer (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Nicely informative.

I was already a fan of bar rescue and Jon Taffer and this book just solidified it.

Not Jon’s voice, but still recommended

I was hoping to hear Jon’s distinct voice, but the speaker did a fine job.

Wish Jon was the narrator!!

I'm a hospitality "life-er" and really enjoy Jon's show Bar Rescue, but found the narrator STIFF! Don't get me wrong, the narrator showed emotion but...Come On! This woulda been 5 stars all around if Jon read this! It's missing why he's such a likeable steamroller! His distinctive/badass NY accent, his sassy attitude, the fact you can hear him salivating when he lays into some dumdum bar owner who is resisting change and in denial-he is a character! Though the book is great, full of pertinent stories and useful information, I'm just sad that he delegated the job of narrator to an anybody, when why I enjoy his show and purchased this book was because I enjoy him! This seems to be recurring issue with audiobooks. Makes listening lack-luster.

My reaction to this book is Excellence

I don't own a bar or restaurant but after this book I feel I could be successful taking over one if the opportunity arose. This book was very insightful and most of the principles discussed apply to all business. The author truly has a passion for business, bars and nightclubs. I like the idea of all business selling customer reactions. The opening about bar history was very intriguing as well as the story of changing a drink name from Blue Hawaii to Blue Death in L.A. and selling 900 more drinks.

Sounds like a radio announcer

I would have loved a more emotive narrator. Still, I was able to pay attention to the meaty bits I needed. Will definitely listen again and might even purchase the paperback so I can bookmark my notes

Not just for the bars. Helps any business!

Took me awhile to finish the audiobook. I kept stopping and writing notes, and then starting again and stopping to write notes!

Great Book

This book has great information for bar/restaurant people. It can help you look at the same problem a different way. I would recommend to anyone whether you are just starting out or are experienced.

A lot of real life experience

Great experiment definitely one of those books I'll reread over and over to gain new information Everytime

Bar Rescue focused

I've read Taffer's newer book and it relates to all businesses, this one is bar/restaurant specific.

Must read for anyone in the hospitality industry

Must read for anyone in the hospitality industry

Great book. His style is different but his business models are proven.