All bars · South Central · Texas
The Morgue
The Morgue (originally Kiva Lounge and Bar) in San Marcos, Texas has closed. It closed in October 2019 — 5 months after its Bar Rescue episode first aired. Its run exceeded 26% of the 141 rescued bars with a recorded closing date.
The episode
| Status | Closed (as of October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Episode | "Miles from Success" |
| Season | Season 6, Episode 32 |
| Originally aired | April 21, 2019 |
| Original name | Kiva Lounge and Bar |
| Relaunched as | The Morgue |
| Location | San Marcos, Texas |
| Address | 202 N LBJ Dr Ste A San Marcos, TX 78666 |
| @kiva_78666 | |
| Yelp | As Kiva Lounge and Bar |
| Google reviews | Read reviews on Google |
Key dates
- April 21, 2019Bar Rescue episode “Miles from Success” airs — Jon Taffer's rescue of Kiva Lounge and Bar, relaunched as The Morgue, filmed earlier.
- October 2019Closed.
The rescue
Jon Taffer relaunched Kiva Lounge and Bar as The Morgue.
The Morgue name was dropped within months and the bar traded again as Kiva Lounge and Bar until it closed in October 2019. The owners kept the location and rebranded it as Axis.
What happened next
Six weeks after the rescue, sales at The Morgue were up. The owners nevertheless reverted to the Kiva Lounge and Bar name, explaining on Facebook that 'The Morgue is where bars go to die' and that Kiva had been a beacon of the local community. They said they had kept Taffer's name initially to benefit from the show's attention, but learned the episode would not air until the following year. The bar closed for good in October 2019, a closure announced on Facebook. Miles and Henry then rebranded the same San Marcos location as Axis, a college bar without live music, with Miles remaining an owner, and the business grew under the new concept. Reviews of Kiva were poor, at 2 stars on Yelp across 8 reviews.
By the numbers
| Season | Season 6: 25 of 42 bars have closed (60%). |
|---|---|
| Texas | One of 20 rescued bars in Texas; 11 still open. |
Quick answers
Is The Morgue still open?
The Morgue (originally Kiva Lounge and Bar) in San Marcos, Texas has closed. It closed in October 2019 — 5 months after its Bar Rescue episode first aired. Its run exceeded 26% of the 141 rescued bars with a recorded closing date.
What did Jon Taffer rename Kiva Lounge and Bar?
Jon Taffer relaunched Kiva Lounge and Bar under a new name: The Morgue. The rescue is Bar Rescue season 6, Episode 32 (“Miles from Success”), first aired April 21, 2019.
When did The Morgue close?
The Morgue closed in October 2019.
Where is The Morgue located?
The Morgue was located at 202 N LBJ Dr Ste A San Marcos, TX 78666.
Sources: Reality TV Revisited · Reality TV Updates · Yelp · Wikipedia episode list. Compiled October 2026; cross-checked against local reporting and each bar's own web presence where available.
More rescued bars nearby
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