TV Restaurants

Who Runs The China Grove Trading Post Now? (China Grove, TX)

New owners reported

As of September 2026, mrjimstradingpost.com reports The China Grove Trading Post changed ownership; reviewed by our team, not yet independently confirmed.

Primary source
mrjimstradingpost.com ·
Secondary source
sanantonio.culturemap.com ·

Last verified

What the source shows: Mr. Jim's Trading Post's official website posts September 2026 event flyers, current hours, and contact information, and CultureMap San Antonio reported that the Sutters bought the property from the Jenkinses and reopened it under this new name in March 2019.

  • Season / episode Season 6, Episode 35
  • Original air date
  • Address 7393 US Highway 87 East, China Grove, TX 78263
  • Current name Mr. Jim's Trading Post

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What happened after Bar Rescue?

When Jon Taffer arrived at The China Grove Trading Post outside San Antonio for the episode "Big Trouble in Little China Grove" (aired 2019-05-12), he found a neighborhood bar run by longtime owners Wendy and Raymond Jenkins who were nearing retirement and struggling to rein in family friction that was spilling into the business. The episode centered on a strained family dynamic at the bar, with the couple unable to set boundaries with a relative whose behavior was hurting operations. Recon inside the bar turned up chaotic scenes, including a wandering possum that became one of the more talked-about moments of the visit, according to CultureMap San Antonio. Taffer's team overhauled the physical space and rebranded the bar as The Tipsy Bull, giving it new signage, a refreshed bar program, and a revamped menu built around the honky-tonk character of the original spot, while keeping fixtures like a taxidermied coyote that had long hung over the bar.

The rebrand did not hold. Filming took place in June 2018, roughly eleven months before the episode aired, and CultureMap San Antonio reported that The Tipsy Bull had already closed by October 2018. Texas alcohol-sales records reviewed by CultureMap showed only a modest bump in business after Taffer's visit, and the Jenkinses did not make a public statement about the closure, though they had hinted on camera that they were close to retirement.

The story did not end there. Two longtime regulars, Jim and Sue Sutter, bought the property from the Jenkinses and quietly reopened it in March 2019 under a new name, Mr. Jim's Trading Post, according to CultureMap San Antonio (2019-06-28). The Sutters kept the reopening low-key for months before publicly announcing the new ownership in a June 19, 2019 Facebook post, and they leaned into the bar's television history by hosting a viewing party for the original Bar Rescue episode when it finally aired. The taxidermied coyote from the Taffer-era remodel remained on display.

The bar continues operating under the Sutters at the same Highway 87 location as Mr. Jim's Trading Post, with the venue's official website posting live-music, karaoke, and event listings for September 2026 and providing current contact information and hours. The listing represents new ownership and a new name at the original address rather than a continuation of either the original China Grove Trading Post or its short-lived Tipsy Bull rebrand.

Featured on Bar Rescue

Season / episode
Season 6, Episode 35
Original air date
Episode title
Big Trouble in Little China Grove
What was featured
the struggling bar and its owners' family tension before Taffer's rebrand
Role
Featured restaurant
Name on the broadcast
The China Grove Trading Post

Frequently asked questions

Is The China Grove Trading Post still open in 2026?

As of September 2026, mrjimstradingpost.com reports The China Grove Trading Post changed ownership; reviewed by our team, not yet independently confirmed.

What happened to The China Grove Trading Post after Bar Rescue?

When Jon Taffer arrived at The China Grove Trading Post outside San Antonio for the episode "Big Trouble in Little China Grove" (aired 2019-05-12), he found a neighborhood bar run by longtime owners Wendy and Raymond Jenkins who were nearing retirement and struggling to rein in family friction that was spilling into the business. As of September 2026, mrjimstradingpost.com reports The China Grove Trading Post changed ownership; reviewed by our team, not yet independently confirmed.

What is The China Grove Trading Post called now?

Now: Mr. Jim's Trading Post (formerly The China Grove Trading Post). As of September 2026, mrjimstradingpost.com reports The China Grove Trading Post changed ownership; reviewed by our team, not yet independently confirmed.

Where is The China Grove Trading Post located?

7393 US Highway 87 East, China Grove, TX 78263. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.

What season and episode of Bar Rescue featured The China Grove Trading Post?

Season 6, Episode 35 of Bar Rescue, first aired May 12, 2019. The episode is titled “Big Trouble in Little China Grove”.

Who owns The China Grove Trading Post now?

As of September 2026, mrjimstradingpost.com reports The China Grove Trading Post changed ownership; reviewed by our team, not yet independently confirmed. We name individual owners only where a source we cite names them.

Did the makeover last at The China Grove Trading Post?

The episode first aired May 12, 2019. Our most recent check was September 7, 2026 — 7 years later —: As of September 2026, mrjimstradingpost.com reports The China Grove Trading Post changed ownership; reviewed by our team, not yet independently confirmed.

What do reviews say since Bar Rescue?

Texas alcohol-sales records reviewed by CultureMap showed only a modest bump in business after Taffer's visit, and the Jenkinses did not make a public statement about the closure, though they had hinted on camera that they were close to retirement. We summarise what dated sources report; we do not publish our own rating.

Is The China Grove Trading Post still using the Bar Rescue menu or branding?

Taffer's team overhauled the physical space and rebranded the bar as The Tipsy Bull, giving it new signage, a refreshed bar program, and a revamped menu built around the honky-tonk character of the original spot, while keeping fixtures like a taxidermied coyote that had long hung over the bar. Anything newer than our last check on September 7, 2026 may not be reflected here.

Every status on this site carries a confidence label and a date, and names the source it rests on. Read the Editorial & Corrections Policy for what each label means and how quickly we act on corrections. The questions above are generated from this record's own published fields — we never publish a question we cannot answer from the data.

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Visit info

Address
7393 US Highway 87 East, China Grove, TX 78263
Venue type
bar
Official website
mrjimstradingpost.com

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