(keep reading to learn what happened)
Season: 4 | View All Season 4 Episodes
Original Episode Air Date: November 16, 2014
The Bar's Original Name Was: Plush
Osteria Calabria Address: 256 N Keswick Ave Glenside, PA 19038
Episode Recap
Plush, later renamed Osteria Calabria, was a Glenside, Pennsylvania bar that was featured on Season 4 of Bar Rescue.
Though the Plush Bar Rescue episode aired in November 2014, the actual filming and visit from Jon Taffer took place before that in early 2014.
It was Season 4 Episode 7 and the episode name was “A Dash of Bitters”.
Plush is located in Glenside, PA. Glenside is a suburb of Philadelphia, located just a bit North of the city proper.
Bruno Smoje is the owner.
Unlike a lot of other bar owners on the show, Bruno grew up in the hospitality industry.
Bruno took out a lien on his grandmother’s home to get the money to open the bar.
Bruno’s ex-wife Shari helped to manage the bar.
The club was trendy right away and started off strong.
However, in 2013 Shari and Bruno divorced. Once Shari left, so did the patrons.
When Jon arrives, Shari is in the SUV with him.
Mia Mastroianni, mixologist and Chef Nick Liberato assist Jon with the bar.
Bruno owes Shari money from their settlement that he barely had begun to pay back.
The bar is a mess. Bruno works in the kitchen because he can’t hire more staff.
Jon reached out to 200 people to go to Plush to see how it functions on a busy night.
There is a theater across the street, and Jon wants it to be as if the theater had just let out across the street.
The staff is overwhelmed, and some customers begin dancing on the stripper poles.
The bar staff is rude to the customers. Jon thinks Bruno is hiding from the chaos in the bar.
Jon and Bruno get into a fight when Jon enters the bar with Shari.
When Jon meets with the staff the following day, he tells them there will be no more drinking behind the bar.
Mia trains the team on the proper way to make cocktails fast.
While Mia is working on the drinks, Nick shows the kitchen staff a few dishes on the menu for the stress test.
Jon wants Shari to work the bar for the stress test, but Bruno doesn’t like the idea.
Bruno is annoyed but says he will put his personal feelings aside for the moment.
They open for the stress test, and right away, Shari and Bruno aren’t communicating.
Many customers wait for their drinks for a long time. Jon has the staff close the bar for the evening.
Bruno and Shari meet with Jon. He tries to mend their relationship.
Mia shows the staff new theater-themed drinks like Curtain Call and After Show.
The chef teaches the kitchen new Italian-themed dishes.
Everyone loves the fresh food.
Now, the bar just needs a design to match.
To that end, Jon and his crew start the renovations on Plush.
As part of the changes, Jon renames the bar from Plush to Osteria Calabria.
Unlike some of Jon’s other decisions, Bruno loves the new name and decorations. He thinks it is fabulous.
Jon has bought the bar two new POS systems from Revention.
They are also given a six months subscription with Partender.
Jon Taffer does love his Partender, right?
The bartenders are having a great time making the drinks for the customers.
Jon states this rescue was one of his most difficult ones, but he’s glad it all came together.
So was the Osteria Calabria Bar Rescue episode a long-term success? Keep reading the update to learn what happened next and if the bar is still open in 2025 and beyond.
Osteria Calabria Update - What Happened Next?
Now that we’ve recapped the Plush Bar Rescue episode, let’s talk about what happened after it was renamed Osteria Calabria and Jon Taffer left the building.
Things started off well. Six weeks after the visit from Jon, sales were up by more than 20%.
This extra money has allowed Bruno to keep paying what he owes to Shari, his ex-wife.
Additionally, he can handle the lien on his grandmother’s house and there’s no longer a risk of foreclosure.
However, Bruno decided not to keep the name that Jon Taffer gave it.
I can’t say I disagree with Bruno, as Osteria Calabria is a bit hard to remember.
Instead, Bruno changed the name to The O.C. Bar and Bistro.
Is Plush from Bar Rescue still open?
Plush closed for good in May 2015, less than a year after the Bar Rescue episode aired on TV.
At that time, it was doing business as The O.C. Bar.
While business was good, the bar had to close because the building where it was located was sold to a new owner.
While Bruno originally had plans to reopen the bar at another location, those plans never materialized and Plush remains closed for good.
As of 2023, the old Plush Glenside, PA location is occupied by a Japanese restaurant called Na Go Mi.
Reviews for the new restaurant seem solid as it has a four star rating on its Yelp page.
Here’s a Google Maps street view show that shows Na Go Mi in the old Plush Glenside building:
Plush reviews after Bar Rescue
At the time of its closure, Plush / Osteria Calabria had a 3 star rating on 10 Yelp reviews.
That’s not great, but I’ve also seen way worse ratings for bars that were featured on Bar Rescue.
Here’s a sampling of reviews that were written after the visit from Jon Taffer…
4 star Yelp review from November 2014:
Decent prices, good ambience, good tunes, great and fun bartenders.
Great–and I mean great–food.
Bar Rescue really helped the place.
Great fare, respectable prices, friendly staff…
What more do you need?
Now named The OC, great place to hang in Glenside.
Check it out!
Chicken spring rolls and wings are especially fab.
2 star Yelp review from November 2014 – this is a funny review because the person seems to be upset about them having a Bar Rescue watch party:
Stumbled upon this place and went in to watch the Eagles game.
Upon entering, was told that my boyfriend and I couldn’t sit at the bar because the owner and his friends/family were coming in to watch some TV show (apparently this bar was featured on a show called Bar Rescue).
There were only 4 people in the bar- you’d think when business is that poor they wouldn’t be telling their customers they can’t sit where they want.
We stayed for a drink and I got the molton lava cake (which was burnt!).
Only reason I didn’t give them 1 star was because their prices were reasonable.
Definitely won’t be returning.
5 star Yelp review from November 2014:
I actually went to what is now The O.C. Bar and Bistro twice last weekend:
The first time was to check it out after Bar Rescue, and the second time was to retrieve my phone.
I definitely wasn’t disappointed either time.
Bartender Jay is fantastic — very friendly and chatty (possibly because he and my fiancé have the same name and bald head!).
For appetizers: the grilled chicken spring rolls and dipping sauce are to die for and also come with a little salad.
The next night, I had those famous arancini and they were just as great.
As for entrees, the gnocchi was oily the first night but perfect the second night; the chicken parm is a huge portion size and worth every bite, and the pulled pork sliders were pretty good but I liked the other plates better.
These were the first two times I’ve been to Plush/OC/etc, so I didn’t see it before the makeover, but the bar is back to the original top which contains lots of trinkets, pictures, scrapbook type things.
I think it’s really personal, and if liked finding all the details.
Will definitely be back.
What happened to Bruno Smoje from Plush?
While Plush closed for good, Bruno wasn’t finished with the bar/hospitality industry.
In 2016, Bruno partnered with two other people to open a new restaurant called Tavern on Pine, near the Philmont SEPTA station in Huntingdon Valley.
While Tavern on Pine had a good run, that restaurant is also now officially closed.
Overall, Plush / Osteria Calabria was not a succesful Bar Rescue, which fits with the other Philadelphia Bar Rescue episodes because every single Philadelphia area bar that was featured on the show is now closed (0/4).
If you want to see those other Philadelphia area updates, you can check out my posts for Swanky Bubbles / Sheer, Downey’s Irish Pub, and Lickety Split / 2nd State Lounge.
Thanks for reading!
More Information
https://www.yelp.com/biz/osteria-calabria-glensideWhat did you think about the episode? I'd love it if you shared your thoughts on the episode in the comments below!
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And don't forget to check out all of the other Bar Rescue updates.
Last updated: 2023-02-14 06:35
Jon could have done better with the branding in that one. Cast Party, Curtain Calls, The Orchestra Pit Martini Bar, Casting Call, All Comedy No Drama! Lol. Knee Slappers! I’m being silly now. Love ya Jon Taffer, you’re awesome!!!
It’s sad was a waste of time and money on your end to try and somewhat established that place. That place would previous owners has always been garbage I’m 39 it’s been like that since I was 19. Hate to see money wasted on nonsense like this when you can’t fix stupid or bad reputations regardless of what the name of the company will be what is transformed to try to be and who owns it Philly will maintain what it knows. Use to be hot spot for underage drinking, to strip bar, to gay bar now….got 30 seconds into this episode to see it’s johnny Depp and whatever her name is divorce court type nonsense
Can’t fix Stupid or Bruno!
I don’t understand why Osteria Calabria closed; the reason of new building owners doesn’t make sense, when there is now a new restaurant there. That suggests the Bar could have also remained there with the new building owners. Disappointing. Sorry for the child.
Should have named that bar Claudia’s after the owners daughter. To remind him of why he’s there and what his number 1 priority needs to be.
this was really cool to read! plush was my parent’s place, they opened a year before i was born, and i have a lot of memories tied to this bar. i spent a lot of time with my grandfather while my mother was filming into the odd hours of the night. she kept it a mystery to me until filming was over. when i was younger, whatever parent was opening in the morning, be it my mother or my father, would turn on the bar’s playlist over the speakers and start opening for the day. a lot of my taste in music is built off of those moments and that playlist especially. i remember really digging the mural of the Calabrian coast that taffer and the crew painted in the dining room, and i was a little salty when my dad decided to cover it. personally i didn’t like how they turned plush, a lively bar, restaurant and night club, into an early stage stereotypical Italian restaurant. i felt like it changed a little too much from its original feel. god, i could probably go on for hours (and definitely get some details a little muddy). i miss plush!
Strange what perspective brings. I hope the rebranding & offerings at least drilled some of your Calabrian roots in. As we get older (much older) we become our parents & ancestors; connecting through food & music are big ones. I agree about the mural. Overkill. Would have been cool to see a bar with arancini & a few Italian small plates, though. Hope your family is well & thanks for weighing in.
It was nice reading your comments about your memories of your parents life and their business. I hope you hold onto those cherished memories and that you and your family are enjoying a great life. Watching Bar Rescue gives us a glimpse into the business but it’s awesome hearing from someone on the front lines with history behind what we watch on the show. ❤️
There’s been few episodes where Jon exploited and instigated bitter feelings within a marriage or divorced couple. Exaggerating and or unfairly vilifying one side without very little actual knowledge. For drama sake, quite disgusting ethically. While pushing the “my crap don’t stink” angle as a husband. He seems like a caring and sensitive person overall, but I really don’t like when he uses that angle involving peoples marriages. It’s scumbag behavior just to cultivate a little reality tv drama.
So he was like $250,000 in the hole?
I bet if he fired his entire staff for anyone else and I mean anyone, that didn’t drink his booze on the job, they would have never been such a debt. In the spying phase of this episode, every employee could have been fired for cause. Especially the drunk bar tender screaming “chill out” at a patron.
You should try working in a business married and then have it crush you and see your ‘loving’ spouse turn and you having to leave and take care of the kids. That perspective to everyone left behind sucks and causes a lot of businesses to fail which is evidenced by the many that were drinking themselves to death while the spouse tried to hold everything up or they left and bar owners brought in younger flings to hang in front of their kids who worked beside them. So, sometimes Jon can use it when kids are involved. Parents should realize they need to change their focus and not play the punishing game in front of their kids. The kids suffer ‘always’ in the end. What you see and what many others see are obviously two different things but the end result for their girl fit.
I don’t think they gave it much of a chance and they could have easily got the bartenders, servers or anyone to pass around O’ Calabria instead of trying to remember the whole name. I don’t think “Claudia’s” would have been catchy enough.
Bruno was a typical jerk that didn’t like losing his marriage. He fought for a concept that was gone. The fact that he couldn’t work that out was as he said, “too emotional” and that is a killer in any business. He couldn’t separate the two as his ex did. He just wanted to hurt her like he felt he was hurt. Does this sound familiar? It’s such a waste of time trying to kill the person you feel hurt you and think that what you say or do will make them hurt more and if you do get them to hurt, then you have an enemy. What do kids learn from that? Just sad to see that anger in his face toward her when she was trying to help him and then when he finally did realize it, he only got a glimpse of what he should have shown appreciation for a long time ago. If he had, he probably would still be married. In my humble opinion.