Gipsy Bar Rescue Update (SBLV) – Las Vegas – Still Open in 2024?

Is Gipsy still open today?

Status: >> CLOSED <<
(keep reading to learn what happened)

Season: 3 | View All Season 3 Episodes
Original Episode Air Date: August 4, 2013
The Bar's Original Name Was: Gipsy
Gipsy Address: 4605 Paradise Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89169

Gipsy Bar Rescue Update

Episode Recap

Gipsy, briefly renamed to SBLV Ultra Lounge, was a Las Vegas, Nevada bar featured on Season 3 of Bar Rescue.

Though the Gipsy Bar Rescue episode aired in August 2013, the actual filming and visit from Jon Taffer took place before that.

It was Season 3 Episode 15 and the episode name was “Play. Some. Janet. Jackson!” .

Gipsy is located in Las Vegas, Nevada on the iconic Paradise Road, the same road where Paradise Cantina would later appear in Bar Rescue Season 8.

Note – the bar’s name is spelled Gipsy, not Gypsy. A lot of people list the bar’s name as Gypsy because that’s the common spelling, but it’s officially spelled Gipsy.

Paul San Filipo opened the bar in 1993.

It is a historic gay bar in Las Vegas.

Gipsy Las Vegas owner on Bar Rescue

It was the first gay nightclub in the area until the competition appeared in the 1990s.

However, the bar is stuck in the past.

No one visits the bar anymore.

The bar has been fined for refusing to pay live entertainment taxes, and they are in debt.

To assess the situation, experts in Las Vegas nightlife spy on the bar for Jon. 

The drinks they order are served in plastic cups.

They have no vermouth, so their martinis also taste bad.

Paul is rude to his staff and is drinking in the bar, which is generally a bad sign for any bar.

In my experience watching Bar Rescue, it seems like owners who drink at the bar are rarely effective at running a business.

When Jon confronts Paul, he says his team deserves the abuse he dishes out to them.

Paul drunk

When Jon tries to talk to him, Paul becomes confrontational.

As a result of this, they send him home in a taxi to sleep it off.

Jon returns the next day, and Paul is sober.

Jon Taffer makes Paul promise not to drink in the bar while he is there and makes him apologize to his staff.

Jon brings in his experts to inspect the bar.

There is a lot of dirt around the bar, including moldy produce.

The team has to clean the bar before they can start training.

The expert mixologist, Rachel, teaches the bartenders how to serve a gin martini.

A professional bartender will operate the first-hour of the stress test so the staff can watch her in action. 

The professional bartenders are great during the relaunch.

They get pulled, and the staff of Gipsy gets put behind the bar.

They are very nervous and keep dropping things.

Gipsy bartenders

The next pair of bartenders are so much better than the first two.

Jon commends the staff for their performance during the stress test. 

Jon meets Paul inside the bar and explains he wants to create three stages with three different shows just a few minutes long.

That way, service doesn’t have to be stopped while the shows are in session.

Bartenders will also be able to perform in Jon’s new stage show.

Jon brings in an expert, Dominique Kelly, to train the staff on dance moves.

She starts training the group on the first number. 

Rachel introduces new drinks.

The sunshine and Florida inspire them.

After thirty-six hours of renovation, Jon calls the staff to see the bar.

The bar has been renamed and is now called SBLV Ultra Lounge.

The SBLV stands for South Beach Las Vegas and is inspired by 1950s Miami.

SBLV Bar Rescue renovations

The exterior is eye-catching, with bright signs for SBLV.

Inside looks more upscale, but Paul is not happy with the changes.

In fact, Paul calls the changes “horrible”.

The rest of the staff loves the changes and the space.

There are new furnishings, and the sound system was updated.

Everyone is working well during the relaunch.

However, Paul left that night and never came back on the show.

Yeah…not the happiest ending.

So was the Gipsy Bar Rescue episode a long-term success?

Keep reading my update to learn what happened next and if the Gipsy Las Vegas location is still open in 2024 and beyond.

Gipsy Update - What Happened Next?

Now that we’ve recapped the SBLV Bar Rescue episode, let’s talk about what happened after Jon Taffer and his crew left Las Vegas.

Unfortunately, Gipsy did not have a successful Bar Rescue experience.

Paul returned a few days after the renovation and renaming to SBLV Ultra Lounge and shut the bar down.

Paul also moved his staff to another one of his bars.

Because the bar closed so quickly, this means that I can’t find any example Gipsy bar reviews for you.

Around a year after the visit, Paul was planning to gut the bar again and reopen it as something new.

It seems like he really didn’t like Jon Taffer’s changes to Gipsy.

However, Paul was unable to complete the remodel due to permitting and contractor issues.

Is Gipsy from Bar Rescue still open?

Gipsy from Bar Rescue closed very shortly after the Bar Rescue visit and, while Paul had plans to reopen it, it is now permanently closed.

The old Gipsy Las Vegas location was bulldozed in 2020 and, while Paul was planning a big fancy rebuild, we can’t find any record of that happening.

It’s very possible that Covid-19 got in the way of his plans, as he bulldozed the location right before the pandemic really kicked off.

In an interview with the Las Vegas Spectrum, Paul said the following:

“I have a passion for this business and I’m not sparing any expense.”

He expects the rebuild will cost approximately $5 million.

If a new Gipsy reopens in the Las Vegas location, I’ll be sure to update this page.

Here’s a shot of the old location as of April 2022 – it appears to still be an empty lot:

Old Gipsy Las Vegas location

Here’s a Google Maps street view embed of the Gipsy Las Vegas location so that you can keep tabs on it…

In the most recent update (December 2022), you can see that a building is under construction, so there is progress being made there.

If you know what the new building will be, please let me know.

It seems like they might actually be rebuilding Gipsy (under new ownership)?

There are signs indicating that the new building will still carry the Gipsy name.

If you zoom in, you can see the following on the sign:

  • Preliminary location suitability for: Tavern and Class A Gaming
  • Applicant: Gypsy, LLC

However, I’m not 100% sure yet.

One thing I am sure of, though, is that Paul will not be involved…

What happened to Paul San Filipo from Gipsy Las Vegas?

Unfortunately, Paul San Filipo passed away in April 2022, so there will be no Gipsy nightclub reopening from Paul.

Here’s a screenshot of Paul’s obituary:

Paul Filipo obituary from Gipsy

RIP Paul.

It’s possible that someone else might reopen the bar given its history, though.

Based on the progress at the old Gipsy Las Vegas location, it seems like that is what’s happening.

If you want to see an update for another Las Vegas gay bar that Jon Taffer rescued, you can check out my Badlands Saloon Las Vegas update.

For some other nearby Bar Rescue Las Vegas episodes, you can check out my updates for Club Platinum, La Casona, and Hammer and Ales / The Hammer.

Or, you can browse my full collection of all the Las Vegas, NV Bar Rescue episodes. There have been 25+ visits and counting.

And if you want to share your thoughts on the Gipsy / SBLV episode, you can do so using the comments section below.

Thanks for reading!


More Information

https://www.yelp.com/biz/gipsy-las-vegas-2



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Last updated: 2023-05-24 06:04

28 thoughts on “Gipsy Bar Rescue Update (SBLV) – Las Vegas – Still Open in 2024?”

All comments are the sole opinion of the commenter and are not endorsed by RealityTVUpdates.

  1. Honestly I hope Paul is not able to rebuild a new club or open any other bars or clubs. I think Jon should have just walked away from this rescue after seeing how Paul treated his staff and the obvious fact Paul was the type of alcoholic no one can help. When bitter old queens become alcoholics there is just no helping them and the best thing anyone can do is just walk away and wish them the best but knowing they will just destroy everything in their life. Paul is the kind of guy that is just an embarrassment to the gay community. Im honestly happy to read the update here and see that this loser is still a loser. Hope he knows no one will play any Janet Jackson for him on skid row, where he belongs. Brandon should have punched that little bitch queen out. All I can say is Paul is lucky I didnt work at Gipsy or he would have ended up with no teeth. Alcoholics will always kill all life around them. The fact this asshole thought he could teach Jon something just shows he has no sense of reality.

    Reply
    • I don’t believe in kicking a man when he’s down. The man has issues that need to be addressed. What I will say is that I hope the bar reopens another gay establishment. It’s easy to throw stones at people what’s harder is to give a man a helping hand when you think he’s going to slap it. I wish this man all the luck in the world and I hope he’s over it up. I have 25 years of being sober. So I do have a soft spot for people that need help
      I was sad to learn that this place had closed

      Reply
  2. The bar looked like my grandmas garage after the remodel. The name was terrible too. It doesn’t flow. I felt like the owner durning the reveal. I would have walked away.

    Reply
  3. I don’t know how this guy still has people willing to help him. I personally would have punched him in the face several times and walked away. He isn’t worthy of the people that have stood behind him and taken his abuse.

    Reply
    • Thanks for sharing the link. It’s sad to hear that Paul San Filipo passed away. I will update the post.

      Reply
  4. Just commented in Facebook. Short and sweet: RIP Paul. He’s now listening to All of the JJ he wants. Hope the staff got great new jobs. Jon missed the mark on this redo-1950’s South Beach?! Not 1920’s or 1980’s but 1950?! Did Jon even Think this through?! It looks like a warehouse (from Granny Trannies), of old furniture that someone was saving Since the 50’s. I lived there. I know. And it wasn’t even the hip, sharp, Sinatra kind’ve redo. Jon blew it.

    Reply
  5. Just finished watching this episode and read that Paul passed (police are looking into it so it might be foul play).

    Paul had some issues but TBH…Jon completely blew it. The name sucked, the decor sucked, the platforms were way too small to really move around on and drag shows are BIG in gay clubs. Killing the drag show was a dumb move by a straight man who didn’t understand the gay culture.

    I mean I love the 1950s but that decor? Honey…it looked like a damn thrift store. Just UGLY. If I was Paul, I would have walked out as well. I mean his original club was pretty ugly too but idk that nasty green/yellow color on all the furniture was NOT it.

    I would have done another era. 1920s art deco or 1980s neon for Florida.

    Reply
  6. This Paul guy must have had some serious coin as trying to dig yourself out of a $2 million debt would be quite a challenge. Then to close it without even trying it out to see if it would work.
    I figure he had some mental issues that he was dealing with
    He certainly was a narcissist that we know.
    And his death notice said peaceful in his sleep may have been an overdose but who knows

    Reply
  7. While Paul should have given Jon the respect since he is THE leader in this arena, he is not totally wrong here.

    I’ve seen just about every episode and this was one of John’s worst visions. The play should have been off of NY or LA, NOT a south beach theme, and the 50’s?…

    And hould have renamed it The Gipsy to keep it in play…

    Reply
  8. When you zoom into the sign on the fence via google. It shows it is slated for a tavern and class A gambling. It also indicates it will be open as the Gipsy.

    Reply
  9. I’ve been binge watching Bar Rescue lately since it’s on Paramount+ and while I’ve disageed on some of the concept changes and name changes Jon has made, this is the first time I’ve disagreed on nearly every decision he made.

    I didn’t like the name or the concept. Since it was the first gay nightclub in the area, I wouldn’t have minded keeping the name. Jon said it was about leaving the past behind and moving towards the future…and then he makes the club South Beach Florida in the 1950s? How is that the future? I didn’t see him change Champs’ name with the pervy old man and his first karaoke bar in the country. I feel maybe Jon didn’t have experience with gay bars or understand the culture very well because I did not like him 86ing the drag shows. I’m a huge fan of the art of drag and I understand how important it is for queens to have those longer performances since many rely on the tips they make from them. I don’t blame Paul one bit for hating it. Jon really phoned it in on this one. RIP Paul

    Reply
    • Thanks for letting me know! I will probably still leave this marked as closed because it has no connection to the Gipsy from Bar Rescue, but I will update the post to include the fact that there is another place named Gipsy open there now.

      Reply
    • Does anyone know where the name 86 comes from? Such as 86this or that. I’m sure ( if you worked in a bar or restaurant . But, it comes from a bar in Manhattan. And the address was 86 Bedford st. I’m pretty sure it’s closed now.I used to go there. It was in a basement, but caught on fire Also, it was a couple doors down from the building the the show FRIENDS was supposed to be.

      Reply
  10. Taffer’s remodel looked like my grandma’s basement. Paul was right when he said it was horrible.

    I’d love to see shots of the new Gipsy interior to see what the new place looks like.

    RIP Paul.

    Reply

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