The Floating Rib, formerly known as Jake's, was a local restaurant, bar, and boarding house in Port Charles. It received its new name after Luke Spencer gave a substantial amount of cash to the previous owner, Coleman Ratcliffe.
Jake's was initially owned by a woman named Jake, and then by Coleman until he sold it to Mac Scorpio in 2014. Mac and Felicia Scorpio managed the bar in a manner akin to "The Outback."
They consistently sponsored the annual Nurses Ball charity event.
On November 20, 2020, The Floating Rib was destroyed by a bomb planted by Julian Jerome, under the orders of drug lord Cyrus Renault, aiming to eliminate Jason Morgan, a rival from the Corinthos organization. By September 9, 2021, the site began the construction of The Bank of ELQ.
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The 'original' Floating Rib (1980)
The original "Floating Rib" was an upscale restaurant founded in 1978, located across from General Hospital. Susan Moore served as a hostess there. The establishment closed in the late 1980s, and its location now houses a popular massage parlor. On February 23, 2006, Holly Sutton, unaware that the restaurant had closed, insisted that Luke Spencer and Robert Scorpio bring her two million dollars outside the former restaurant for each vial of the antidote to the mutant encephalitis virus that had afflicted the city that month.
Jake's Bar (1996)
Situated in the less-frequented area of the city, Jake's Bar, established in 1991, remained a beloved establishment until its unfortunate destruction. Throughout its history, Jake's served as a gathering spot for numerous famed couples, including Jason Morgan and Carly Corinthos, Lulu and Dante, and Johnny Zacchara and Olivia Falconeri.
In 1992, A.J. and Jason Quartermaine, along with Brenda Barrett, saw Alan Quartermaine kiss Rhonda Wexler at Jake's. The disclosure of Alan's apparent infidelity deeply impacted the Quartermaine family, especially A.J., who was battling his personal issues.
It wasn't until 1996 that Jake, often referred to as the "Shady Lady," was introduced as the bar owner. After Jason moved out of the Quartermaine Mansion, he sought employment at Jake's and temporarily lived above the establishment. Jake departed that same year, returned in 1999, and then left permanently. Coleman Ratcliffe purchased the place in September 2002 after A.J. Quartermaine burned down his strip club, The Oasis.
Numerous brawls have erupted at Jake's throughout the years, with the most notorious being the altercation between Sam McCall and Carly Corinthos in 2005. Additional scuffles involved Johnny Zacchara and Matt Hunter, Mac Scorpio and Kevin Collins, as well as multiple clashes between Olivia Quartermaine and her cousin Connie Falconeri.
In 2006, General Hospital staff members Robin Scorpio, Emily Quartermaine, Elizabeth Webber, Kelly Lee, and Lainey Winters selected Jake's for their Girls' Night Out. Similarly, Max Giambetti, Ric Lansing, Patrick Drake, and Nikolas Cassadine organized a Boys' Night Out, where they shared fantasies about Carly Corinthos.
In 2009, Coleman aimed to "add a touch of class" and cater to his upscale clientele. He introduced a piano at Jake's and offered "a fine pinot from a Californian vineyard." Johnny Zacchara immediately took to the piano, performing Chopin. On one occasion, Johnny even played a serenade for his girlfriend at the time, Olivia Falconeri. [2]
Coleman also began hosting karaoke nights at Jake's. Performers include Lulu Spencer, Maxie Jones, Rebecca Shaw, and Diane Miller as "Maxie and the Maxettes," Robin, Patrick Drake, Spinelli, Ethan Lovett and his father Luke Spencer, Alexis Davis, Mac Scorpio, Brook Lynn Quartermaine, and even Coleman himself.
The Floating Rib sign
In 2012, Luke Spencer gave Coleman a significant sum to rename the bar from Jake's to "The Floating Rib." Luke was burdened with guilt for drunkenly hitting his grandson, coincidentally named Jake, and thought the original name would be a constant reminder to Elizabeth Webber. Coleman subsequently appointed Mac Scorpio as the manager and bartender. Following the renaming, the establishment gained fame for its ribs.
In 2013, The Floating Rib was host to Mac and Felicia's wedding and party with Karaoke performed by Mac, Kevin Collins, Maxie Jones, Lulu Spencer, Dante Falconeri, and Liesl Obrecht. The wedding itself was later crashed by Richard Simmons.
In 2014, after Coleman was arrested, he sold The Floating Rib to Mac.
In 2017, there was an attempted armed robbery at the Floating Rib, however the perpetrator was quickly subdued by Jordan Ashford with aid from the PCPD.
In March 2018, when the Floating Rib was host to Josslyn Jacks and Oscar Nero's school dance, an earthquake struck Port Charles. Josslyn and Oscar became trapped in a freezer and Drew Cain later became trapped under the freezer door after rescuing them. Drew was later saved by Franco Baldwin and Dante Falconeri. The earthquake left the Floating Rib in shambles, however Mac and Felicia had the bar rebuilt and renovated a month later.
In October 2018, the serial killer Ryan Chamberlain decapitated nurse Mary Pat Ingles on Halloween. He then placed her head in a barrel of apples, which Carly Corinthos and many guests were horrified to discover during a party at the Floating Rib.
In 2019, Mac hired Chet Driscoll as a bartender.
In September, 2019, the bachelor/bachelorette parties for Valentin and Nina are held here, during which Valentin sweeps Nina off her feet singing karaoke.
In 2020, after Marcus Taggert is supposedly killed in a mob shootout; Mac hosts his memorial service at the Rib.
In early 2020, at The Rib, Brook Lynn Quartermaine became involved in a physical altercation. Lulu and Dustin Phillips intervened to protect Brook Lynn from her manager's inappropriate advances. The Port Charles Police Department was summoned to dissolve the scuffle, resulting in the arrest of everyone involved. After being released, Lulu, Brook Lynn, and Dustin concurred to compensate Mac and Felicia for the damages incurred. Ned, Brook Lynn's father, consented to pay for the damages, with Brook Lynn vowing to reimburse him.
The Floating Rib explodes from a bomb
On November 20, 2020, the Floating Rib was destroyed by a bomb planted by Julian Jerome, per the order of drug kingpin Cyrus Renault. Cyrus' purpose was to kill rival Jason Morgan. Prior to the explosion, Jason and his son Danny are playing billiards when they are joined by Cameron Webber and Dev Cerci. Julian watches as he leaves a suspicious package under a booth, not realizing that it is in fact a bomb. Jason eventually takes Danny home and while Julian (who is Danny's maternal grandfather) leaves the building he attempts to call Cyrus using a burner phone when it unintentionally detonates the bomb. Jason and Danny barely escaped, having driven away just moments before the bomb exploded. Franco Baldwin, Elizabeth Webber-Baldwin, Cameron, Dev, Dustin Phillips, Lulu Spencer, and Dante Falconeri are caught in the explosion. Dev and Dustin are fatalities, and Lulu ends up in a coma from a cerebral edema.
As of September 17, 2021, a branch of the Bank of ELQ is being built on the site.
