The Federal feeds off its ‘Rescue’

By GUY D’ASTOLFO

dastolfo@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

It was a battle of art vs. burgers, and the winner was The Federal.

Formerly known as Martini Bros. Burger Bar, The Federal was the focus of Sunday night’s episode of “Bar Rescue.”

Show star Jon Taffer identifies the flaws in each bar he visits, and at Martini Bros. the biggest flaw was co-owner Jacob Harver’s efforts to use the room as an art center.

Taffer and his crew of bar experts visited the downtown bar- restaurant in August and gave it their signature three-day makeover. A few hundred people streamed into The Federal to watch the episode’s premiere Sunday.

“Are you ready to be famous?” one bartender asked some patrons who were there for the shooting, moments before the show started.

The Federal is owned by a team that includes Harver, and brothers Dan and Joey Martini. The conflict of the show was between Harver, who is the landlord and runs an art gallery in a back room, and the Martinis, who run the restaurant-bar.

Taffer got the three on the same page so they stop losing money, while his crew gave the bar a classy makeover. He banished Harver’s finger-painting sessions, and even forced him to paint over the psychedelic ceiling mural in the dance area.

The Federal, and its prior editions, has always been at the forefront of downtown’s rebirth as a nightlife district, but was in dire need of a boost. It definitely benefited from the show’s help, said Joey Martini.

“We want to be at the front and center of this resurgence,” he said. “We were trailing before [the makover], but now we are ahead. We set the precedent [among downtown bars].”

Martini was nervous before the show aired, because he feared that his kitchen would be made to look dirty and poorly run. His worries proved to be well-founded, as Taffer socked it to him.

Still, Martini is glad it all happened.

“Most people know it is TV,” he said. “It was a fun experience, and I love the changes. Business is better. People wanted something new. It is more welcoming now – people want to stay and eat. We needed the change. We got a facelift, and everyone who works here has a new attitude. We’re getting a good crowd now.”

Bartender Dave Tablak noted that a couple from Mentor stopped in the other day on a visit made expressly to see the “Bar Rescue” place.

The show spent a considerable amount of money at The Federal. Renovations included new furniture, a new bar facade and backdrop, a stone wall treatment, and new computer systems and beer-tap system.

The Federal’s dance floor gets packed on weekends, so Taffer installed a fog machine and laser show in the area. “People love it,” said Martini.

Sunday’s episode at The Federal comes on the heels of last week’s show, which featured The Royal Oaks, the East Side watering hole.

The show tends to get raw, but Mike Ray, 4th Ward councilman, put it in perspective while watching the show unfold at The Federal.

“Remember, it’s Hollywood,” said Ray. “We have a lot to be proud of in Youngstown, and this show does not make or break our reputation.