A bartender asked: “So when choosing a new place to tend bar what (do you) look for? …”
I answered: “Is the bar liquor (Bartender) or are they looking for a Server-Bartender (food and liquor), how packed it is (or how packed does it get), the back bar and POS, rubber floor mats, the garnishes (old and crusty, brown and slippery or dried out), management & employees, is there tip sharing, the specialty menu, how long is each shift and are there breaks.
But there are three other questions now to add – what is the legal occupancy capacity (how many people can be fit into the place?), how many bar stools are there? (25 are good, 40 are better) And how many bartenders are behind the bar? (I’ve seen up to 5 bartenders behind a bar I could handle by myself – so they (the extra four bartenders) are SERIOUSLY eating into my tips).
Site Author, David Jonathan Curtis: David Jonathan Curtis, a seasoned professional in his fifth decade of bartending and bar management, began his career in Midtown Manhattan, NY, tending and managing bars before diving into Manhattan’s bustling nightlife scene. Over the years, he has mastered high-volume, high-pressure bartending as the lead bartender in both iconic Midtown clubs and Wall Street bars, generating over $1,350,000.00 annually in personal drink sales. He has since extended his expertise to establishments in Georgia and now Tampa, Florida. David’s roles as a Bartending Instructor at the American Bartending School in Tampa, while maintaining a second job bartending, and his years experience of managing bars, and working as a Brand Ambassador along with his extensive professional library of over 1,000 bartending books, highlight his dedication to continually refining his craft. He holds a diploma in Bar Management and is BarSmarts certified by Pernod Ricard.
