Who Runs Turtle Bay Now? Bar Rescue Update (New Orleans, LA)
Current status
As of September 2026, realitytvupdates.com reports Turtle Bay changed ownership; reviewed by our team, not yet independently confirmed.
Last verified
What the source shows: Reality TV Updates (last updated March 2024) documents Spirits on Bourbon's sale and closure around December 2023, citing a February 21, 2024 in-person visitor post (@JustWonOne on X) showing the space operating under a new menu and concept, The Tipsy Trumpet, at 615 Bourbon St.
- Season / episode Season 3, Episode 1
- Original air date
- Address 615 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130
- Current name The Tipsy Trumpet
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What happened after Bar Rescue?
Turtle Bay opened directly on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, built by owner Brad Bohannan using much of the same tropical theme, color scheme, and signature-cup design as Tropical Isle, the bar across the street where he had previously been a partner before a falling out pushed him out of that business. When it appeared on the February 10, 2013 season premiere "Turtle on Its Back" (Bar Rescue S3E1), Jon Taffer found a bar so devoid of its own identity that his recon team walked past it without noticing, according to Wikipedia's episode summary; the copycat approach had also drawn threats of legal action from Tropical Isle over the similarity. The bar was losing roughly $15,000 a month, hampered further by microwaved food and a kitchen and bar staff with no set drink recipes. Taffer's team, including bartender Ricky Gomez and chef Ron Duprat, rebuilt the food program, introduced a new signature cocktail called The Resurrection served in a light-up skull cup, and renamed the bar Spirits on Bourbon, building the new concept around a local legend that a barber had once been murdered in the building, complete with an installed barber's chair as a physical prop.
The rename proved to be one of the more durable outcomes to come out of the show: Spirits on Bourbon operated under that name for roughly a decade, with owner Brad Bohannan and Jon Taffer maintaining a public relationship that included podcast appearances and a return visit for a Mardi Gras-themed follow-up episode. That run ended around December 2023, when the business was sold to new owners who began operating a different concept, The Tipsy Trumpet, in the same space. Reality TV Updates' March 2024 update on the bar cites a February 21, 2024 in-person account posted to X by user @JustWonOne, along with a matching Reddit report, both describing the interior as fully converted to The Tipsy Trumpet's menu and branding; per that same visitor account, the exterior Spirits on Bourbon sign remained in place even after the changeover. Because the change involved both a new operator and a new concept at the same 615 Bourbon Street address, this record is coded new_ownership rather than renamed.
Featured on Bar Rescue
- Show
- Bar Rescue
- Original air date
- Episode title
- Turtle on Its Back
- What was featured
- copycat tropical bar rebrands around a ghost-themed cocktail
- Role
- Featured restaurant
- Name on the broadcast
- Turtle Bay
Frequently asked questions
Is Turtle Bay still open in 2026?
As of September 2026, realitytvupdates.com reports Turtle Bay changed ownership; reviewed by our team, not yet independently confirmed.
What happened to Turtle Bay after Bar Rescue?
Turtle Bay opened directly on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, built by owner Brad Bohannan using much of the same tropical theme, color scheme, and signature-cup design as Tropical Isle, the bar across the street where he had previously been a partner before a falling out pushed him out of that business. As of September 2026, realitytvupdates.com reports Turtle Bay changed ownership; reviewed by our team, not yet independently confirmed.
What is Turtle Bay called now?
Now: The Tipsy Trumpet (formerly Turtle Bay). As of September 2026, realitytvupdates.com reports Turtle Bay changed ownership; reviewed by our team, not yet independently confirmed.
Where is Turtle Bay located?
615 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.
What season and episode of Bar Rescue featured Turtle Bay?
Season 3, Episode 1 of Bar Rescue, first aired February 10, 2013. The episode is titled “Turtle on Its Back”.
Who owns Turtle Bay now?
As of September 2026, realitytvupdates.com reports Turtle Bay 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 Turtle Bay?
The episode first aired February 10, 2013. Our most recent check was September 7, 2026 — 13 years later —: As of September 2026, realitytvupdates.com reports Turtle Bay changed ownership; reviewed by our team, not yet independently confirmed.
Is Turtle Bay still using the Bar Rescue menu or branding?
Reality TV Updates' March 2024 update on the bar cites a February 21, 2024 in-person account posted to X by user @JustWonOne, along with a matching Reddit report, both describing the interior as fully converted to The Tipsy Trumpet's menu and branding; per that same visitor account, the exterior Spirits on Bourbon sign remained in place even after the changeover. 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
- 615 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130
- Venue type
- bar
- Official website
- None found
- State hub
- TV restaurants in Louisiana
Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.
Sources
- realitytvupdates.com — https://realitytvupdates.com/bar-rescue/spirits-on-bourbon-turtle-bay/
- twitter.com — https://twitter.com/JustWonOne/status/1760139205949186154
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar_Rescue_season_3
See something wrong?
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Record br-021 · last verified .