Any Bartenders here?

[Ogata]

After contemplating on what kind of work I want to do in the food and hospitality industry as well as talking to friends. I have decided to get in to bartending and I know a school near my place as well.

I am curios to know if anyone bartended before and what places did you bartend and how did you like the whole experience?

 

[Gregolian]

I don't bartend but I am a bouncer at a bar. Not sure if anything I see will be relevant but is there anything specific you want to know?

 

[IIIIIIII]

i've never been a bartender, but from what i've seen, i wouldn't bartend at a place with a younger crowd. the odds are higher in dealing with drunks and general douchbaggery.

 

[Gomezjiujistu]

Bartender for the past 8 years. Used to bartend in Times Square and all over NYC, now I'm at a place by UCF. Great Job if you're a night owl who likes making cash, and having lots of chicks to fuck around with.... Fuck going to Bartending school. Get a job as a bar back and work your way up, best way to do it.

 

[highkicknomore]

MetalGear is looking for a bartender. You should apply.

 

[Ogata]

I don't bartend but I am a bouncer at a bar. Not sure if anything I see will be relevant but is there anything specific you want to know?

Actualy, I would like to know what the ratio of male/female bartender is in your club. Also, the bartender you work with, do you like him or her or is he or she have a bad attitude towards co-workers/customers?

i've never been a bartender, but from what i've seen, i wouldn't bartend at a place with a younger crowd. the odds are higher in dealing with drunks and general douchbaggery.

Good point, I thought about this as well and I am aiming to work in banquet events or country clubs. Really, anywhere with older establishment as oppose to nightclubs/bars.

 

[KoreanZawmbie]

Bartending at a poppin spot = $$$$

 

[Gregolian]

i've never been a bartender, but from what i've seen, i wouldn't bartend at a place with a younger crowd. the odds are higher in dealing with drunks and general douchbaggery.

This. Especially college towns. Your clientele will act like conceited exceptionally entitled people.

Actualy, I would like to know what the ratio of male/female bartender is in your club. Also, the bartender you work with, do you like him or her or is he or she have a bad attitude towards co-workers/customers?

We have 1 male bar back, 2 male bartenders, and 2 female bartenders though we used to have 3 female bartenders before one girl moved to San Diego for school and 1 of the other female bartenders is going back to school so she can only work like 2 nights a week.

I love my coworkers. We will usually go out at least once a month to watch movies and shit on a spur of the moment type thing. One of the bartenders at my bar owns this awesome wolf/malamute mix that is like a giant living teddy bear that howls.


Every once in awhile we bouncers and the bartenders get, well, abusive with our clients but it's usually because the client is in general being a douchebag.

Like, we have one guy that comes in almost every week that is nice enough... but also a bit of an ass. He thinks all of us staff are his best friends and tries to constantly talk to us. He was trying to talk to my boss one day and my boss is a really nice guy (and almost looks like Nate Marquardt) and finally my boss lost it and is like:
"Do you think I am your friend?"
"Huh?"
"I'm not your friend so get the fuck away from me"

This was last week and he was back again this week. This guy will go to our bar to get a drink and to try and get the bartenders attention (our bartenders are really good at keeping track of who is "next" so to speak) he will try to get their attention by raising his hand. But the way he does it almost looks like the Nazi salute.... and one of our bartenders is Jewish and it's easily identifiable because he has the Star of David tattoo'd on him in a real prominent place.

Things like this are common mostly because we are a college nightclub I think.

Good point, I thought about this as well and I am aiming to work in banquet events or country clubs. Really, anywhere with older establishment as oppose to nightclubs/bars.

Older people generally won't get as drunk, but when older women get drunk they get sloppy drunk and it's just embarrassing to see people your parents age acting like high school kids.

At the bar I work at everyone gets a percentage of the bar sales and credit card tips. Bartenders get a bit more but older crowds won't buy as many drinks and you do notice it on the paycheck.

Bartending at a poppin spot = $$$$

Depends on age group.

I bounce at a bar in a college town that on Wednesday night can have upwards of 400 people in there (capacity is 432 I think). I will walk home with as little as $5 in tips from the bar on those nights. Granted, the bartenders get a bigger cut but still.

 

[Rhood]

If you go to the bartending school near you, ask if they have job placement after graduation. Then find out which bars/restaurants/nightclubs they network with. This information is very crucial before you enroll.

It's a fun job, but may lead to burnout depending on where you work. And when I talk about burnout, I mean the shifts you get where you make no money. (Sundays being the worst)

 

[MaureenCretis]

Fuck going to Bartending school.

You have bartending school in the US?

 

[M3t4tr0n]

I've worked as a bartender/ ID checker in a bar on a military base from time to time has it's good moments and annoying moments.

 

[Terry Noonan]

Cash is probably pretty nice

 

[Ogata]

This. Especially college towns. Your clientele will act like conceited exceptionally entitled people.



We have 1 male bar back, 2 male bartenders, and 2 female bartenders though we used to have 3 female bartenders before one girl moved to San Diego for school and 1 of the other female bartenders is going back to school so she can only work like 2 nights a week.

I love my coworkers. We will usually go out at least once a month to watch movies and shit on a spur of the moment type thing. One of the bartenders at my bar owns this awesome wolf/malamute mix that is like a giant living teddy bear that howls.


Every once in awhile we bouncers and the bartenders get, well, abusive with our clients but it's usually because the client is in general being a douchebag.

Like, we have one guy that comes in almost every week that is nice enough... but also a bit of an ass. He thinks all of us staff are his best friends and tries to constantly talk to us. He was trying to talk to my boss one day and my boss is a really nice guy (and almost looks like Nate Marquardt) and finally my boss lost it and is like:
"Do you think I am your friend?"
"Huh?"
"I'm not your friend so get the fuck away from me"

This was last week and he was back again this week. This guy will go to our bar to get a drink and to try and get the bartenders attention (our bartenders are really good at keeping track of who is "next" so to speak) he will try to get their attention by raising his hand. But the way he does it almost looks like the Nazi salute.... and one of our bartenders is Jewish and it's easily identifiable because he has the Star of David tattoo'd on him in a real prominent place.

Things like this are common mostly because we are a college nightclub I think.



Older people generally won't get as drunk, but when older women get drunk they get sloppy drunk and it's just embarrassing to see people your parents age acting like high school kids.

At the bar I work at everyone gets a percentage of the bar sales and credit card tips. Bartenders get a bit more but older crowds won't buy as many drinks and you do notice it on the paycheck.



Depends on age group.

I bounce at a bar in a college town that on Wednesday night can have upwards of 400 people in there (capacity is 432 I think). I will walk home with as little as $5 in tips from the bar on those nights. Granted, the bartenders get a bigger cut but still.

Thanks for the info!


I actually used to be a security/concierge in a mixed residential building and I had to deal with a similar character like the guy in your bar. It gets annoying when he tried to get personal but I learned to give him just enough attention to keep things polite and professional but not too much attention that can slow down the other tasks I had to do since I had to multitask like a motherfucker.

Btw, speaking of bartenders leaving for school or different cities. I am curios to know what is the major reason people stop bartending and how often do people do it for?

 

[Gregolian]

Thanks for the info!


I actually used to be a security/concierge in a mixed residential building and I had to deal with a similar character like the guy in your bar. It gets annoying when he tried to get personal but I learned to give him just enough attention to keep things polite and professional but not too much attention that can slow down the other tasks I had to do since I had to multitask like a motherfucker.

Btw, speaking of bartenders leaving for school or different cities. I am curios to know what is the major reason people stop bartending and how often do people do it for?

My bar just had it's 6 year anniversary this weekend. So it's an ongoing thing kinda. Only 2 of our currently 5 bar staff (including the barback) are original employees and of the bouncers which there are 6 of us on payroll and about 3-4 who come in from time to time when we are super busy... NONE of us were here 6 years ago. Hell, one of the guys that got hired when I got hired isn't here anymore even.

The thing about my bar which may be different at other places is whoever is the "lead" bartender for the night is also responsible for counting up the tills at the end of the night and tabulating that and also helping count out the dips and divide them up among the bartenders and bouncers.

At the place I work at as well us bouncers are responsible for sweeping/mopping the dance floor and bathrooms and such while the bartenders have to clean up behind the bar which includes sweeping and mopping as well.

 

[Crono7]

Do bartenders complain like servers when they don't get tips for popping the cap off your beer?

 

[Gregolian]

Do bartenders complain like servers when they don't get tips for popping the cap off your beer?

I don't see the bartenders at my bar really complain until the end of the night. And it's usually in relation to tiresome clients that order $50 in drinks and tip us nothing.

 

[lowsingle]

Ive posted about it a lot, including your waiter thread, but i know that industry inside and out

Ive bartended and the key is making friends with the customers. Girls can do it by flirting but guys usually have to become friends with the customers, people who go to bars everyday, go for the bartender. Working in a sportsbar, i sometimes made $200-$300 in a 6 hour shift, then other people made $100-150 during the same weekday and time. The bar would get packed because i was working. Same with a flirty 10/10 bartender, she worked in 3 bars and there was a flock that would go to whatever bar she was working that day, she never had a slow shift

Youd have to change your approach depending on where youre working, but people would come to watch sports at mine. I had informal fantasy leagues going, people bantering about their teams, betting beer over 3rd down conversions etc. Even if it was something nobody would care about like horse racing, i would have people picking horses, talking shit on each other's jockeys etc. not only was it fun for customers, but i got them engaged with each other rather than staring at a tv in silence

The money is good but its mentally exhausting and VERY fast paced. There are some days where you go 3+ hours with every second counting, working as fast as you possibly can. Trying to make enough time to engage every customer, restock, pour drinks, get food out, clear plates, clean glasses, cash out checks, put in orders etc. and you still cant look like youre in a rush and you cant dismiss people trying to tell you stupid drunken shit because youre too busy.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

After contemplating on what kind of work I want to do in the food and hospitality industry as well as talking to friends. I have decided to get in to bartending and I know a school near my place as well.

I am curios to know if anyone bartended before and what places did you bartend and how did you like the whole experience?

I thought bartending school is considered unnecessary.

And why not try to a cook? You can apprentice within a high quality place. There are plenty of chef extraordinaire on here.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

Ive posted about it a lot, including your waiter thread, but i know that industry inside and out

Ive bartended and the key is making friends with the customers. Girls can do it by flirting but guys usually have to become friends with the customers, people who go to bars everyday, go for the bartender. Working in a sportsbar, i sometimes made $200-$300 in a 6 hour shift, then other people made $100-150 during the same weekday and time. The bar would get packed because i was working. Same with a flirty 10/10 bartender, she worked in 3 bars and there was a flock that would go to whatever bar she was working that day, she never had a slow shift

Youd have to change your approach depending on where youre working, but people would come to watch sports at mine. I had informal fantasy leagues going, people bantering about their teams, betting beer over 3rd down conversions etc. Even if it was something nobody would care about like horse racing, i would have people picking horses, talking shit on each other's jockeys etc. not only was it fun for customers, but i got them engaged with each other rather than staring at a tv in silence

The money is good but its mentally exhausting and VERY fast paced. There are some days where you go 3+ hours with every second counting, working as fast as you possibly can. Trying to make enough time to engage every customer, restock, pour drinks, get food out, clear plates, clean glasses, cash out checks, put in orders etc. and you still cant look like youre in a rush and you cant dismiss people trying to tell you stupid drunken shit because youre too busy.

Yep, some male bartenders are like your therapist, psychiatrist. Those are my favorites kinds. That is one of the main reasons I schlepp it over to the local bars. If the bar is packed I wont go in because I cant get my therapy session.

The female bartenders that dress all sexy sometimes don't like when you just gawk at them, even though that is what they are for.

Also airport bars, restaurants, I hear make bank. A lot of these business types flying first class on company expenses just mozy on over to the various joints set up inside.

 

[Ogata]

I thought bartending school is considered unnecessary.

And why not try to a cook? You can apprentice within a high quality place. There are plenty of chef extraordinaire on here.

See thats where I am stuck in my decision!

In one hand, I hear that if you work your way up as barback you get more respect and other places take you seriously because you paid your dues.

On the other hand, the bartending school that I have an eye on lets you practice as much as you like once the course is over even if years has passed. They mentioned that if you keep either the receipt or certification you can still come down to practice for free of charge regardless how long ago it was that you took the course.

So now I am at a cross road here...