This Beloved Sports Bar Throws a Hail Mary on 'Restaurant Impossible: Last Call'

Co-hosts and successful restaurateurs Jen Agg and Aarón Sánchez’s first impressions of Pitcher’s, a local sports bar and restaurant located in a suburban strip mall in Ontario, are “not amazing,” according to Jen. “It looks like it was designed in the ’70s and has never been looked at again.”

The frozen-in-time, wood-paneled, dark and frankly depressing space is as familiar and cozy to its elderly regulars as an old, beat-up recliner. Unfortunately, that vibe isn’t exactly attracting a younger audience, despite being located in a college town filled with potential customers.

Jen and Aarón learn that the time capsule-like space was purchased by Jae, a former Pitcher’s regular, who has fond memories of coming there with his late wife, Robin, and his daughter, Jenna, who now works alongside him. The bar holds a very special place in Jae’s heart, and it is clear that buying it made more sentimental than financial sense. “I haven’t had a paycheck in two years,” he tells a shocked Jen and Aarón.

Aside from having no restaurant or bar experience, Jen and Aarón also quickly learn that Jae’s staff finds his management style confusing at best and, at worst, completely absent. There is a lot of work to do to get Pitcher’s back on track, and they only have three days to make some serious changes.

The signage out front of Pitcher’s boasts pizza and wings as two of its signature menu items, so Jen and Aarón are hopeful as Jenna places platters of both in front of them to try. “The pizza actually looks pretty appetizing to me,” Jen says optimistically. Unfortunately, she is completely underwhelmed after sampling it. “If I were very hungry and I had had four pints of beer, it was after midnight and I was 20 years younger, I would be very happy with that pizza,” she says.

Things continue to go downhill from here: Aarón notes the overall lack of presentation and the obviously bottled wing sauce. “When you have wings in the actual name of your restaurant, you need to make sure that you nail them,” he says.

The feedback is hard for Jae to hear, but Jen and Aaron implore him to understand that it’s now or never. “We have to refresh that menu, elevate this bar food and we need to get you figuring out the boss stuff so that you can bring your team to alignment,” they urge him.

Conceding that this may be his last chance, Jae tearfully agrees. “If I don't get help to turn this place around … I'm going to lose it.”

It’s clear to everyone that Jae needs to let Jenna step into a bigger role and help carry some of the burden with her dad. “Trust Jenna to get into the business,” Jen urges Jae. Not only is she clearly ready, but being young is actually a huge advantage. She can lean into her network and her social media savviness to bring a new generation of customers to Pitcher’s, which the bar desperately needs.

Up until Aarón and Jen’s arrival, Jae’s daughter, Jenna, was the bar manager in name only. “I feel like I should have a little bit more of a say, but I feel like I need to go to him for every little thing,” she admits. Jenna isn’t the only one feeling frustrated by Jae’s management style. At their first-in-a-very-long-time staff meeting, the Pitcher’s staff shares their concerns, too. They voice everything from not having clear communication about day-to-day operations to not having any communication at all. “Not being able to get a hold of you is frustrating,” Fred, one of the bar’s cooks, tells him.

Jen and Aarón are ready to overhaul this bar from top to bottom. First up, they will be giving Pitcher’s a much-needed makeover. The numerous “death plaques” memorializing the deceased bar patrons are sweet, but it’s hardly the most inviting ambiance for a place trying to revive itself. “The way Pitcher’s bar was set up was sort of like a mausoleum, so we’re turning it into a moment, a place that you’re going to see when you walk in the door, and you’re going to want to go there,” Jen promises.

Aarón takes the lead on the food; he wants to help Jae and his staff create new menu items that are both delicious and have better profit margins. He’s introducing hot honey wings and an elevated fried fish sandwich. Both will be priced higher than Pitcher’s usual dishes, but Aarón tells him that it will be worth it. “I think maybe your older customer base might not be as receptive to this, but what is desperately needed here is a younger crowd,” he says.

And finally, Aarón and Jen want to make sure that the staff at Pitcher’s understands that the true key to their success will be working as a team. With Jenna being able to take on more of a leadership position, regularly scheduled staff meetings, and kitchen inventory and consistency taking priority, you can almost see the stress leaving the building. “Teamwork makes the dream work,” Aarón reminds them.

After three days of nonstop work, Aarón and Jen bring Jae and Jenna in to see the restaurant’s makeover. The transformation is stunning. New lighting brightens the space and makes it cozy and inviting. The original Pitcher’s sign was salvaged, but painted bright white to be more of a focal point over the original bar, and Jen added pennants and other “vintage varsity vibes” to appeal to both the old and new customers they hope to attract. “We really wanted to make the bar the feature … it’s really the heart of this space,” Jen explains.

They’ve also added additional seating and a cabinet filled with games that will hopefully entice people to come in and stay a while. “That’s so fun,” Jenna says.

For Jae and Jenna, though, it’s one small detail that seems to be the most impactful: a framed photograph of Jae, Jenna and Robin, his late wife and Jenna’s mother. “It’s the love of my life,” Jae says emotionally as Jen shows them the family photograph that she enlarged and placed near the bar.