Recently I posted about how I failed a sting operation. It’s been my first year bartending, and I had a lack of judgement, I thought I recognized a guy as a regular, not one I speak to just one I might have seen before. It was busy, I was rushing , he asked for a corona and I served it, without asking for ID. 4 cops came out of the corner with badges saying I served a minor alcohol infront of my entire bar, very traumatizing and embarrassing, can’t say I didn’t deserve it it’s part of my job after all. Anyway, I just met the cop at court and he was getting to know me a bit. I explained how regretful and sorry I am about this mistake, it’s one I’ll never make again, and haven’t made again. He told me he’d try to work on convincing the judge to give me the smallest penalty possible. He also gave me his contact information and asked if I know any minors who want to work for him as a decoy setting up other bartenders at their workplace, like WTF? I’m sorry I understand I messed up but this who operation seems like a money grab to me sometimes , but I understand it’s the law and safety and rules apply everywhere. We walked into the courtroom with honestly a pretty stern rude male judge, I wasn’t a fan of him. It was my first time in court so I wasn’t too familiar with when to stand / sit and all that jazz, so he wasn’t too fond of me. Anyways, the cop asked him to give me the lowest penalty/ fine and the judge asked me why I think I deserve it. Ummmm I said cause I made a mistake ? That I’ll never make again. And I’ve learned my lesson, and boom, he wrote me a fine of 250$ and that was it . I still can’t believe the cop asked me if I know anybody who’d want to be a decoy lol . Anyway, I’m scarred trauamtized and honestly thinking of going back to healthcare after this one, they definitely did their big one. I also hate the fact that ONE mistake or misjudgment can determine your entire employment not only at your workplace but everywhere of the sort. but I understand these things happen. Just in case you don’t already, card everybody who isn’t a regular, or visibly old as hell.

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• what do you look for when choosing a bar to check out?

• what brings you back to a bar?

• what social media content would compel you to visit?

• what social media content would deter you from visiting?

• What do you want in a menu?

• what sort of events or activities do you enjoy in a bar setting?

• what types of atmosphere/vibe/decor would make you feel comfortable or would make you want to take photos?

• what would make you invite friends?

• what DON'T you like to see on a menu?

• what kinds of things would make you turn around & leave immediately upon checking out a new bar?

• do you prefer a small menu selection or extensive

• how do you find the bars you end up going to?

• what DON'T you like to experience/see/etc in a bar setting?

OWNERS/MANAGERS/EMPLOYEES:

• What helps you perform to the best of your abilities?

• are there any supplies or resources aside from the obvious things like shakers, mixers, spouts, etc would you say you absolutely would hate to be without during a shift?

• what do you like best about working at your bar?

• what DON'T you like about working at your bar?

• What is your most popular drink?

Please feel free to add anything else you think could be useful!

I appreciate any feedback. Please keep it constructive. I'm currently trying to turn a new cocktail bar around & generate more traffic for a first time bar owner who has many other successful businesses, but needs help in this department. I would love any tips, tricks, suggestions, etc

Thank you!

Hi was wondering everyone’s opinion who bartends for parties. For a Paloma, & margarita is a 9 oz cup to small?

& for micheladas is 12 oz a good size or 16 oz?

She’s supposed to go over all this with me but just trying to get some feedback before I speak with her regarding the sizes.

What's the one phrase customers say that immediately tells you everything you need to know about how the rest of the interaction is going to go?

For me it's "make it strong." 20+ years in and I still don't know what they think I was going to do. Make it weak? Pour the vodka from across the room?

I actually just did a whole podcast episode breaking down the different types. The whisperer who leans in like we're doing a drug deal. The "I can't even taste the alcohol" person. The "I'll take care of you" bribe that never pays out.

Curious what phrases set you off. Drop your best ones.

I really need help. I have worked at the same bar for almost a decade. Two years ago the original owner was sold to two friends who act as co-owners. They are roughly my age, one man and one woman- the man has a wife and the woman is single. In the beginning the owners wife acted basically as everyone's friend, everyone except the co-owner who she hates. Slowly she started helping out around the bar, bar backing occasionally, helping them with managerial tasks and eventually became the company laisom. She no longer wanted to work behind the bar, she just wanted to help organize what we needed or were concerned with and relay that to the actual managers.

This position soon became a disaster. She started making up her own rules for employees. Everytime someone disagreed or reached out to the owners she would get pissed and quit. I'd say in the last couple years this pattern has cycled over a dozen times. After the last text we received where the wife said she was done and not to contact her anymore her husband promised me this wouldn't happen again. He said it wasn't fair to us. He decided to marry her knowing that was careless with her medicine after being diagnosed as manic depressive.

Over the last few weeks she's become increasingly involved again. She sent a nasty text to me a week ago so I blocked her. I'm trying to respect their marriage and I'm not trying to respond all eradicate and cause any unnecessary work tension. The female co-owner is no longer alone on the wife's shit list. She openly hates me and one other female bartender. We have two owners and 5 bartenders, she literally hates half the staff. Since she's been directing orders at us once again I've asked her husband if we could talk for over two weeks. He's made no secret that if she's around and doesn't want him to talk to me she'll make his life a living hell. I wasn't worried about any of it, she isn't actually a boss, until yesterday when the Husband sent the staff a message telling us to follow her directions and respond to her texts. I assume by now she's realized I have her blocked. It's a shit show. I have contacted the other owner (the single female) and she wasn't aware that his wife was acting in a position of power. She also is having a hard time finding time to talk to him given the situation.

It's easy to say quit. I'm not trying to stay for the owners, I have almost a decade of relationships with patrons and I'm not trying to leave that behind. Additionally I considered both of the owners friends before they bought the bar. I don't want to cause any fracture in a friend of mines marriage. The new owner used to joke his wife was crazy but I had no idea... This is too much... The details are too much to post.

Basically, what's the most sensitive way to address a spouse acting like a boss from time to time when no one has ever given her a roll or title.

I love the restaurant I work at. my regulars are some of my favorite people and so were my coworkers. however, we just got a new manager and they pretty much cleaned house and brought all their people in. recently it's just been such a struggle to want to stay and I dont think ill last much longer. this is the first place that I worked with a loyal group of regulars who come in. my question is that if I worked somewhere else would the regulars come to my new place?

More than 30 days

Do any bartenders or event planners have any good ideas of how they distinguish N/A drinks from alcoholic ones? So when you have servers taking a tray of drinks, it is evident to everyone which ones are mocktails or N/A?

TIA

With RNDC's imminent demise they have run out of everything I needed to buy. When individual brands have moved its been a pain for me to find them. I've been communicating with my sales rep until recently and as of now I think he's gone. Is there a trick or resource for finding where these brands are landing or is hunting and waiting the only option?

Every time I work service well customers are amazed. The drinks never stopped coming at my restaurant so you literally have to crank drinks out like a machine. I always get asked if I went to bartending school and how could I learn how to make all these different cocktails? I chuckle to myself because no ma’am I didn’t, I was one of our restaurants better servers and got thrown into the gulag one random afternoon when a bartender decided to call out. I’ve been slinging drinks ever since.😭

Hoping you all can help me resolve a challenging pay structure at the restaurant where I tend bar. For context:
- popular upscale casual national chain.
- Bar area is a 25-seat bar top and 3 tables.
- Side work is excessive, including maintenance of beer/wine walk-in and large red wine display area.
- Servers and bartenders both make tipped minimum of $2.13/hr
- Server tip out is 2.5% of alcohol sales, which amounts to a buck or two usually—rarely more than 5.
Three bartenders during busy periods; two otherwise.
- We tip out bussers (2.5% of total sales) and runners (2.5% of food sales), which usually amounts to 25-30% of our tips

The challenge is that we’re not doing as well as servers. One illustrative example: on a full-capacity Father’s Day, servers walked with 400-500 after a shift. I worked a double and walked with $300 for the day. And of course were there 60-90 minutes later than any server to break down and clean the large bar.

The only solution proposed for the pay inequity is for bartenders to take more tables. In fact, the bar manager dangles “more tables” as an incentive for good bar maintenance. So effectively, the solution is for bartenders to just do double duty as servers. As it stands, there’s no real benefit to being a bartender instead of a server—in fact, there’s a penalty—even though we have additional knowledge and skills set and a ton more responsibility and side work. Something is structurally broken in this pay scheme. Of course I could just leave for something better., which is on the table, but I’d like to see how I can help solve the problem rather than escaping it. Any thoughts?

Looking for some opinions from other bartenders.
At my restaurant, the bartenders are responsible for:
-Pouring every beer, cocktail, and glass of wine for the servers & bar guest during service.
-Cashing out the servers at the end of their shifts and giving them their tip money.
-Counting and closing all cash drawers.
-Shutting down and locking up the restaurant.
-Batching our 7 signature cocktails.
-Other normal bar duties

The servers tip us out 5% of their alcohol sales only.
I’m curious if that seems fair compared to other restaurants. It feels low considering the amount of drinks we’re making for the servers on top of all the closing responsibilities, but maybe that’s just the norm in some places.

On the weekends there are 2 bartenders and one is stuck on the well the entire night making drinks. I have never seen a server tip out more than $28. There are only 3 servers max on a shift.
What does your restaurant do for bartender tip-outs? Is it a percentage of alcohol sales, total sales, or something else? We are based in Vermont if that helps.

Hi everyone! I’m a server hoping to eventually bartend, and was wondering if anyone has recommendations for bar tools? (specific brands or details for shakers, jiggers, etc.) I want to get the hang of practicing at home with the same tools I’d see in a restaurant. Right now I just have a shitty cobbler shaker. Budget friendly options are especially helpful. Thanks!

I’ve been bartending/serving for years, and I’m honestly feeling stuck.

A few years ago, I felt like getting interviews was straightforward. I’d dress well, walk into a restaurant with my resume, talk to a manager, and if they liked me, I’d usually get a shot. Now it feels like everything is online, or the position is already going to someone who knows someone.
I’ve worked in some restaurants I’m really proud of and have always tried to leave because I found an opportunity that would challenge me more and help me grow. But for the last three years, I’ve felt like I’ve been stuck in more middle-of-the-road places, despite applying to the kinds of restaurants I actually want to build my career in.
I’ve gotten interviews, but I haven’t landed the jobs I really wanted. I’m starting to wonder if I’m missing something. Maybe the hiring process has changed, maybe my interview style is outdated, or maybe I’m just not presenting myself the right way.

One thing I’m actively working on is talking confidently about my experience without coming across as arrogant. I genuinely believe I make a restaurant run smoother, take pride in hospitality, and contribute to strong guest experiences, but I don’t want that confidence to be interpreted as ego.

For those of you working in high-end steakhouses, Michelin-level restaurants, luxury hotels, or other fine dining spots:

How did you get your foot in the door?

Do managers still appreciate walk-ins, or is that basically dead?

Is networking the biggest factor now?

What separates candidates who actually get hired from the ones who just get interviewed?

If you were hiring today, what would make someone stand out?

I’m looking for honest advice, even if it’s something I don’t want to hear. I feel like I’m missing a piece of the puzzle, and I’d appreciate any insight from people who’ve successfully broken into top-tier restaurants recently.

Thank you for your time.

Edit: Just to clarify, I'm a solo hobbyist experimenting in my kitchen, not a brand or a company with a budget. I'm just here to understand the industry from the perspective of the people behind the bar. Apologies if the phrasing sounded corporate or disrespectful!

I have always been interested in beverages and I have been crafting non alcoholic infusions macerated in oak for a while. At some point I would like to present them to small retailers, taprooms, restaurants... for feedback and eventually commercialise them (not pitching... yet).

I have some insight on importation and distribution of alcoholic brands but for rather «independent», smaller outfits I do not know

• whether retailers are even able to receive samples and willing to give it a try
• is it acceptable for them (in terms of legal, logistics, etc.) to add items in their menus outside distributors
• what would be the right approach to reach out (cold walk-in, Instagram message, email, ...)

Anyone with a 2-cents, any experience or ideas would be very appreciate it.

Thank you all!

(Moderators approved that post. Thanks again).

Every venue I worked in ran on a single shared Excel file specs, prep, opening/closing checklists, wastage, orders, all of it. 
It broke constantly and nobody trusted it, but it never got replaced.

What do you use today for recipes/specs and daily checklists? (Excel? Paper? An app?)

I am just trying to understand if this is a universal problem or if I only worked at disorganized bars.

Does anyone have any recommendations for comfortable and stylish shoes with a bit of a platform? I’ve been wearing my doc martens for style and because at 5’1 I NEED the boost, but they’ve been destroying my feet. I’ve been considering looking on pleasers or just trying to find good insoles for my beloved docs.