‘Bar Rescue’ Revamps Two Milwaukee Taverns

Royal Street MKE, 4191 N. Green Bay Ave. Photo taken March 25, 2025 by Sophie Bolich.

When India Guster began receiving phone calls and emails from purported “Bar Rescue” producers, she thought she was the victim of a clever scam. That is, until she spoke with her mother-in-law, a “super-fan” of the Paramount Network reality series who is now credited with prompting its return to Milwaukee.

“She happened to see that they were coming to the Midwest — I had no clue,” Guster said. “So she contacted them and said they should come to Milwaukee.”

And that they did. Ahead of filming, “Bar Rescue” issued a call for local businesses to be featured. Many local spots balked at the request, but Guster and her husband, Michael, decided to give the show a shot, inviting the crew to their northside daiquiri bar, Daq Shack (now known as Royal Street MKE).

Opened at 4191 N. Green Bay Ave. in 2021, Daq Shack was inspired by Guster’s relatives, who live in New Orleans. It was also the direct result of Michael’s misgivings about the frozen cocktail.

“He’d say it was basically a slushie,” Guster said. “So we visited my favorite cousin and went to some of the local spots in New Orleans — not even on Bourbon Street or anything like that.”

Michael was an immediate fan, and floated the idea of opening a similar establishment back home. The couple spent several years working in bars to gain experience, then set out to launch their own.

Three years after opening, the business got a facelift last summer from the team at “Bar Rescue.” With guidance from show host Jon Taffer, Daq Shack changed its name to Royal Street MKE, added a light menu of po’boy sandwiches and debuted a brand new look.

“It’s like night and day,” Guster said, noting that the previous space was “bright and white.” It’s now decorated in darker colors, like blue and burgundy.

“Jon [Taffer] and the entire bar rescue team were amazing. I have nothing negative to say about them,” she said. “I think there’s a lot of misconceptions about the show, but if you’re doing what you’re supposed to, in terms of cleanliness and effort to run a successful business, I don’t think it’s a bad experience at all.”

So far, customers have been enjoying the change. The bar saw an especially large crowd on Tuesday, its first day open since the episode’s air date. “It was bananas,” Guster said.

Royal Street offers 10 different daiquiri flavors, with liquor choices including rum, vodka, apple whiskey, tequila, cognac and others. The bar plans to expand its food menu in the coming months.

In addition to their recent TV appearance, the couple have several exciting projects in the works. Royal Street will be highlighted in a guide to Wisconsin businesses, which will be published ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay. Guster said the feature will include photos and an interview, along with a video appearance and social media shoutout.

“They gave us the kickstart we needed,” Guster said of “Bar Rescue.”

Royal Street is open Tuesday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Tropic Lounge

Tropic Lounge, a Jamaican-inspired bar at 518 N. Water St., also received the Taffer treatment. A visit from “Bar Rescue” reimagined the business as Montego Bay Beach Club, a Caribbean-style bar and kitchen. After the show wrapped, owner Hyacinth Nembhardt decided to stick with her bar’s original name. But the remodel and menu tweaks are here to stay.

Today, the bar and restaurant serves a selection of craft and frozen cocktails including rum punch, mango-Tajín margaritas, caramel espresso martinis and prickly pear palomas. To eat, there’s chicken wings, jerk tacos, pizza, Jamaican patties and more. A special Taste of Jamaica menu is available on Sundays, featuring dishes like jerk chicken and curry chicken. Tropic also offers hookah.

Nembhardt, who also operates Concoctions on Brady Street, opened Tropic in 2022. The business is open Thursday from 5 p.m. to midnight, Friday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.

In each season, “Bar Rescue” travels cross-country to struggling bars and nightclubs, typically implementing drastic changes to revitalize the businesses while chronicling the fast-paced — and often drama-filled — process. The show has come to Milwaukee twice before. In season four, the show transformed Packy’s Pub, 4068 S. Howell Ave., into Campbell’s Irish Pub. The establishment later closed. The show also took on Y-Not III, 1854 E. Kenilworth Pl., which has since been demolished.

Season nine of “Bar Rescue” is available to stream on Amazon Prime and Paramount+. The Royal Street MKE episode aired on Sunday, March 23. The Tropic Lounge episode has not yet aired.

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