Is Champs Sports Pub Still Open? Bar Rescue Update (Burbank, CA)

Champs Sports Pub had operated in Burbank, California since 1983, opened by former teacher Joe Handy as the area's first sports bar. By the time Bar Rescue arrived, Joe had stepped back from daily involvement, leaving finances to his wife Helen, and the business was about six months from closing. Recon visits found no beer list, bartenders who could not properly pour a draft, and kitchen output that the visiting chef found substandard, including a burger and nachos he could not recommend; the bar was also losing customers to newer, trendier competition that had opened in the area since Champs first opened.

The rescue's changes addressed both technical and cleanliness issues: an expert found sticky pour spouts, flies near the bar sink, and grease buildup in the kitchen creating a safety hazard; a mixologist and chef built a new drink and food menu together, while staff worked through a from-scratch retraining on service basics. No name change was made to the business. Jon Taffer's team also worked to re-engage Joe with the day-to-day operation, taking him to visit another successful sports bar as a model, and pushed Helen toward clearer staff communication and structure.

The bar's own website has since lapsed -- its old domain now redirects to a parked hosting page -- but its Yelp listing carried no "permanently closed" designation and continued attracting reviews into 2026, more than a decade after the show aired. Reviews describe a mix of positive and negative experiences over the years, with recurring praise for the bar's happy hour and televised sports-trivia nights alongside occasional complaints about food quality and slow service. The bar has also served as a filming location for other television and film productions, including an episode of Modern Family and the 2006 film You, Me and Dupree, and the 2004 film Slammed.