Bartending: Building A Foundation For A Profitable and Rewarding Career
Selling alcohol can be an incredibly rewarding profession. But before you pick up a shaker and start looking for a job, there are a few things you'll want to know about the world of bartending. We've compiled some basic tips from experienced professionals that will help guide your first steps into this exciting and tricky career in the service industry.
The bar is one of the most common places people go on their nights off, with more than $21 billion dollars spent annually on alcohol nationwide. As at any retail establishment, it's crucial for unskilled employees to know how to communicate with customers effectively and efficiently as well as translate customer needs into quality customer service. Though bartending may seem like an easy job, it can actually be a very difficult one if you don't know what you're doing.
"The days of the bartender who knew how to make a couple of drinks and mix them efficiently are gone," says Frank Aversa , head bartender at Washington, DC's Tavern Company Restaurant. Bartenders have to train themselves to be able to make a wide range of drinks and master the most common techniques in what is known as bar mathematics: understanding measurements, being able to make more than one drink at once (not just the usual one drink = one tip routine), and knowing exactly how long each drink should take to prepare.
"Mixology is the most popular bartending style now," says Bobby Stupak , author of the Bartender's Bible, which includes step-by-step techniques and recipes for all kinds of drinks to be served at a bar. "It's much more challenging because you have to know a lot more about what you're making and how it should taste. It adds a lot of complexity. But it's been growing in popularity because people are learning what they like, and even if they don't know exactly what they want, they've got an idea. They want to be able to use a sophisticated approach to what they're ordering."
"Some people get very excited when they come in and say, 'I want a vodka martini.' But if you ask what kind of vodka they like, you're lost. So if you could ask for the vodka and then add the ingredients, then you can give them something better. But bartenders are selling their product all day long by selling the cocktails and wine so that's how bartending is different from other service jobs." Another difference between bartending and other service careers?
"The server has to know that he or she has to be there from five minutes before opening to five minutes after closing," Stupak says. "You have to be there, on time and ready to go. If you're not, you can't make your sales. And in a lot of places, if you're not making your sales, you've got to leave."
Bartenders also work under high pressure and experience a lot of stress because they are often the focal point of customers' happy hours or celebrations. "I do see a lot of bartenders who have kids and spouses," says Stupak . "There's always that pressure from the home life that comes in . . . I see it all the time."
Aversa agrees: "Most people don't realize how important the times between shifts can be for a bartender. It's a living, and there are things you do to survive. When you're not working there are all kinds of things that can take your mind off the job. There's always something going on with friends and families. If you're not feeling so good, you may put it off until the next shift."
Being a bartender also requires patience: "Bartending is unlike any other service job. If a customer doesn't want to pay their bill right away, they don't have to wait 20 minutes after they leave," Stupak says. "They could be sitting in your section waiting until they can get out of your section so they can go get a drink somewhere else. Customers will wait so they can take a table at some other bar. Some people don't seem to care how long it takes to get their money, or how much it costs."
The alcohol industry is changing though, with more restaurants, bars and even hotels offering happy hour specials and deals that encourage customers to stay for drinks rather than just one or two. "We've been able to offer specials where you can get a drink from 3-5 p.m.," says Stupak . "But being a bartender is not what it used to be. There's more competition now from other restaurants and bars who are making their own special drinks that are very different from the ones we're making. It's a lot harder to sell a classic Manhattan if you can get a $5 one somewhere else that tastes pretty close to the same thing."
Working as a bartender is not for everybody, but those who stick with it and make it past the first year, are likely to be able to make money from their jobs. The average annual salary for bartenders in 2002 was $24,960 . But there are many variables that are likely to affect income levels.
"At the lower levels in tourist areas, you're talking about people making $8-$13 an hour," says Stupak . "But there are a lot of bartenders who make $100,000 or $150,000. They're able to make good money if they go to bars that are packed on Friday and Saturday nights. I don't think that's true for a lot of the smaller bars [where] you don't have any business."
"There is really no set way to determine income at this time," says Aversa . "If you own a high volume restaurant, your income would definitely be higher than the average. It's not guaranteed though. If you don't have good service, you're going to have a hard time making ends meet."
The bottom line? Bartending can be a great job for people who love to interact with others and make drinks. And bartending is certainly better than working in fast food or retail. But bartenders are not immune to the ups and downs of the economy or fluctuating food trends, so it's important that they get good training and create a strong work ethic. After all, when you decide to go into bartending as a career, you need to put your whole heart into it.
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