I’m not gonna lie, bartending has one of the highest turnover rates I’ve seen in any field. I’ve seen bartenders come and go at ridiculous speeds. I remember early in my career, this guy comes in for his first night. Now mind you this was his FIRST EVER bartending gig, so they decided to put him at the waitress station. I gave him a the usual prep talk, helping him familiarize himself with that particular bar. For some strange reason though he was unusually sure of himself(if I remember right, he was fresh out of bartending school), giving me the ‘I got this’ attitude. I gave him space to let him do his thing, and proceeded to begin the night. I checked on him periodically, and he seemed alright but it was still slow. As it started to get busy, I saw he was having trouble keeping up. When I finally asked him if he was alright he gives the most distressed expression and says ‘OH MY GOD!!!’. He was way in the weeds(backed up orders) and couldn’t handle it. I proceeded to help him leaving some customers hanging, which caught the eye of my manager. My manager takes one look at the dude panicking, promptly instructs him to get from behind the bar(I won’t repeat what he said here), ends up handling the service well for the rest of the night. Needless to say that dude never came back. Read More »
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There’s this coffee house down the street from my place that makes the best matcha green tea smoothies. I never knew I liked them until I tried them there for the first time. So me thinking I’m onto something new, I tried one somewhere else. It wasn’t the same: too sweet, powder tasting, and the mixture just didn’t taste right. I was told beforehand not to try it anywhere else, but I’m hard headed and had to find out for myself. The two smoothies I got from the place I like were made by two different people, yet they tasted the same. There’s only one person holding down the store at a time, so who knows how much business that place might have lost if they didn’t make that smoothie the same. Can you see where I’m going here? Read More »
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Man, I used to drink like a fish!!! I was that dude that could throw back shot after shot with the best of them. I was the dude who never turned down a drink ’cause I was a SOLDIER! At least I thought I was, then one day not remembering half of the night before or how in the world I drove home didn’t seem so funny anymore. Fortunately, I made it through that part of my life without doing any irreparable damage to my car/criminal record/life/somebody else(I shudder at the thought)/etc. I checked myself and realized i was headed down a dead end. Unfortunately, though I hold high hopes for everyone, some people aren’t there yet. Hard as it is to believe, I don’t find satisfaction in ‘keeping the party going’ for someone who’s obviously had enough. Overserving a patron is really a bartender gambling not just with someone’s health, but their own job and sometimes their freedom. Read More »
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I’ve served lots and lots of folks. From the regulars, to the seasonal, to the out-of-towners, to the one and dones. It’s a good thing I’m really good at remembering faces, because if I was expected to remember all the names of people I’ve met behind the bar it would have been a wrap for me long time ago. Add that with the fact that for some strange reason I’m extremely good at remembering people’s orders after one order(I’m at about 85% consistency with it), and I can honestly say that it has been a big factor in my job security. Read More »
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I don’t touch well alcohol. Even before I got into this business, I knew better than to drink anything I can get in a gallon handle bottle at the liquor store for under $8(well I knew from learning the hard way, but that’s neither here nor there). Now that’s strictly based on my opinion and experience, so don’t think I’m frowning at those of you that don’t have a problem drinking Taaka, Smirnoff, etc. I say it to give a perspective, something every bartender needs to take into consideration at all times. Why? It’s understanding perspectives that will guarantee that you can increase your sales without breaking any more of a sweat than you are already. Read More »
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“Worry about what you do best” – Terry Wygal(a friend of a friend).
This has to be the greatest quote I’ve heard all month. Seems pretty simple, but for some reason it has resonated with me in a serious way. My guess is the timing, as it was exactly what I needed to hear at that moment.
So I was discussing blogs on Twitter with fellow bartender @justinewalshe(cool lady from England), and she mentioned she had taken a look at my posts. She remarked to me ‘I think your type of bar tending is more professional than working in a pub here’. For whatever reason, this reminded me of all the times that I’ve talked with other bartenders that think I have a ‘real’ bartending job in comparison with theirs. I find that pretty weird because I don’t spin bottles(it’s called ‘flair’), I’m not as educated on beer and wine as I guess I should be, and I can’t give a scotch history lesson like some. Not that I think these are useless qualities, I’m actually impressed with those that go the extra mile to sharpen their craft. My point is, no matter how good you are, there’s always someone better. Read More »
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Anyone that follows me on Twitter(ahem…here) knows when I’m behind the bar, I tend to tweet about my experiences during the down times. I’ll talk about all the interesting things I see and hear(well not everything, trying to keep this blog PG!) just to give people an idea of what a bartender goes through night after night. I can honestly say that very rarely is the job predictable. There’s always something to talk about, I just get really busy and can’t tweet all of it.
Now some of what I talk about might be considered complaining. The dude who didn’t tip me, or the lady who got an attitude don’t really bother me like they used to. I’m not like a monk or anything, there are still stressful moments dealing with customers that get under my skin. Those times I tend to remind myself that there’s no point in getting worked up because 9 times out of 10 I’m dealing with someone who is under the influence. ‘The customer is always right’ idea is pretty much out the door when alcohol is involved. I just do my best to accommodate the unhappy party however I can. Now some people there’s just no pleasing, and all I’ll say is that in the past I’ve definitely shown my ‘vocal’ side to those who choose to try to belittle me. I’ve since learned ‘the look’, the one that says ‘I’m the one who can make or break your night’. That usually dissolves any issues I have. Read More »
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I’m gonna be real honest with yall: I used to HATE making lemon drop martinis with a passion. Not that I’m too fond of making them now, but I used to detest when customers ordered them or when the waitstaff called them. There were times when I would almost purposely make them taste bad so people wouldn’t order them so frequently, but my conscious nor my pockets would allow me to follow through. Crazy thing is, much as I hated making them, people have always loved my lemon drop martinis. Imagine my distress when I’d make one for a lady customer and she let her friend sample it. My heart would sink as her friends eyes would light up upon first taste, excitedly exclaiming ‘I’ll take one of those too!’. Add that with 20 other customers impatiently waiting for drinks. Oh, the horror… Read More »
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Seriously, there’s a lot of reasons to love bartending. The great and flexible hours, the laid back environment, the interesting people you meet, I mean I could go on all day. That’s all fine and well, but let’s keep it painfully real here. This business can be quite lucrative, and if it wasn’t for the quick chunk of change that comes with tips the allure of all the other perks wouldn’t even matter. You would think knowing this, ALL bartenders would be doing whatever it takes to ensure that every night is a great one. Truth is, it isn’t always the case. Not that it’s always their fault, no one has ever made them aware of some critical points of interest that can turn good nights into GREAT nights. I mean aside from the obvious(looking presentable and having at least somewhat of an understanding of what you’re doing behind a bar) here’s a few reasons I’ve noticed watching other barkeeps and even from my own experience that you are losing tips:
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So last night was nuts. NUTS. From the moment I stepped behind the bar at around 6:30 til the lights went up, my job was complete pandemonium. The line was wrapped around the building. People waited over an hour to get in(sorry to those friends of mine trying to cut in line-it wasn’t gonna happen). Then there was the crowd. I felt like I was defending the Alamo(S.A. stand up!), valiantly fighting a losing battle. It was like there was no end in sight. I don’t care how young you are, in shape you are, or what enhancements you take in(I’m talking energy drink, ginseng, etc.-no extracurricular activities), a busy night like that will wear you down. Not that I’m complaining, cause what all that work brought in at the end of the night made it all worth it.
So in a no win situation, what do you do? Give up? Not if you want to wake up tomorrow and still have a job. I’ve seen bartenders get fired mid-shift cause they couldn’t keep up. I’ve seen servers belittled to tears by managers that don’t care that you’re swamped. In situations like these you must rely on your mental, because your body will fail you if not kept in check. Remember, liquor only pours so fast, there’s no speed adjustment to your gun, and your barbacks can only keep so many glasses coming. Strategy and consolidation is the key. Read More »
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