'Bar Rescue' Co-Host Phil Wills on What Makes a Bar Successful

After being so fortunate to interview one of my TV idols in Jon Taffer from Bar Rescue, and later, Chef Ashish Alfred from season nine of the show, a thought came over me. I told my girlfriend, Catherine, that I think overtime I'm going to tag the bases and try to interview all the mainstays of the hit Paramount Network reality TV show.

A "shoot my shot" email and some subsequent correspondence later, and I found myself on the phone with Phil Wills, one of the most recognizable faces on Bar Rescue. Wills has served as one of Jon Taffer's most trusted bar consultants since season three.

For season nine, Wills stepped into the role of "co-host," managing the rescues and rehabs of a handful of bars due to Taffer's increasingly busy schedule. I got to chat with Phil Wills about his work on Bar Rescue, and pick his brain about the hospitality industry. We discussed everything from trademarks of exceptional bars to overrated spirits, and Wills' own beverage consulting company, The Spirits in Motion.

When asked about the most common mistake bar-owners make, Wills had a compelling response local bar-owners in Dubuque and beyond can take into account with their operations:

I always tell people, when you open a bar or restaurant, you're not doing it for yourself. Too many people want to open a bar or restaurant because it's something that they love or like. It's a business. It's there to make money. So, when I go in and i create a menu, or I create a concept, it's not a concept that per se I would want to go to or drinks that I would necessarily want to have. It's what make sense for the demographics and the area that they're in.

If you're going to go into the bar and restaurant business, make sure you're building that business for the people and the area around, and not just for yourself, and if you can do that, you're going to be successful - Phil Wills, per our interview

Wills also shared some details about his professional relationship and friendship to Jon Taffer. Wills has been part of the hit reality show Bar Rescue since 2013, and recently took on the role as co-host, filling in for Taffer as the one manning the rescue and rehabbing process on the latest season.

Above everything, Phil Wills is just an interesting person. He answered every one of my questions in thoughtful detail. He continues to be a strong, recurring presence on Bar Rescue, and of course, with his own consultancy business, which he touched on during our conversation.

Take a listen to my interview with Bar Rescue's Phil Wills below, and find out more about The Spirits in Motion on their website.

LISTEN TO MY INTERVIEW WITH JON TAFFER FROM BAR RESCUE
LISTEN TO MY INTERVIEW WITH CHEF ASHISH ALFRED FROM BAR RESCUE