KENOSHA, Wis. — A Kenosha bar on the brink of closure got a second chance thanks to the hit show Bar Rescue.
Interlude II, a family-owned bar operating since 1965, was struggling financially when the Bar Rescue team stepped in last August to turn things around.
The episode, which aired just over a week ago, showed the transformation—remodeling the bar, revamping the menu, and training staff to bring in new customers.
"Watching the episode air on TV was surreal. We're still kinda in a pinch-me moment," said Nikki Lehman, the bar's manager. "It's been a beautiful blessing."
While the remodel and business boost have helped, the bar is still working hard to keep customers coming back.
"We have a lot of new faces, but we still have our old clientele too. That was really important to my fiancée, Jimmy. Those old regulars of his have raised not only his first family but now his second family too," Lehman said. "So they're still here, and there's a lot of new faces that are mingling with the old, and that was the goal. It's working."
Regulars say they’ve noticed improvements in service and atmosphere, and new customers are showing up because of the Bar Rescue buzz.
Watch: 'Bar Rescue' revives Kenosha's Interlude II — how the bar is doing now
"It was a blessing that came, and it came quickly. We're doing the best that we can to run with it the best we can and represent Kenosha the best that we can," Lehman said.
From fighting to stay afloat to packed tables on a Friday night, Interlude II is writing its own next chapter.
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