Becoming a Bartender

We all have one point seen ourselves behind the bar slinging drinks like Tom did in his famous movie role. But before we do, there are few things we must consider:

1. Are we ready to give up our weekends?
2. Is working late hours something we are comfortable with?
3. Are we what we call a “people person”?
4. Can we take orders and remain calm under pressure?
5. Do we deal with patrons that could become rude and rowdy?

Bartending can be a very lucrative and reward career. For others, it can be a simple sideline job while in school. Whatever it may be, bartending does require certain skills that can be taught in bartending schools and experienced in the line of fire.

A professional bartender understands both the needs of the clients and what is required to become effective during service. A bartender’s quick check list:

1. Is my liquor inventory up to par?
2. Is my beer inventory properly stocked?
3. Are my fruits and condiments prepared?
4. Do I have enough ice?
5. Does my till have enough change? 

A bartender knows what can be called the “golden hours” at which point all they do is take orders and serve drinks. To maximize the full potential, preparation is key.

Bartending School

An important part of any hospitality environment is the personnel they hire. Hospitality operators at times struggle to find the right people. In regards to hiring the right people for your bar, you may consider giving extra attention to a resume that does include a bartending school certificate or recognition.

Bartending schools are designed to teach people how to serve at the bar. They follow all the theories pertaining to the industry and then will add their personal experiences which they have lived.

 Why consider a certified bartender:

1. Knowledge of recipes
2. Methodology of makes drinks is taught: beers, wines and cocktails
3. Proper service techniques
4. Importance of liquor inventory management
5. Enhanced customer relation

It is also a good idea to call the bartending school as both a reference in regards to the employee you are considering, but also a way to create a relationship with the school for future staffing needs.

Walking the Show

Are you or members of your management team thinking of attending a tradeshow soon?

If yes, here are a few things you may want to consider:

1. What are the specific needs of the company? Is it hardware, software…?
2. Before attending, visit the host tradeshow’s website and look for products you may be need or looking for information on.
3. Locate companies that supply products you may be on the market for and make note of their booth number and website
4. It is a good idea to visit the website of the company(s) who has products you may be looking to purchase to better understand how they work and how they compare to the competition.
5. When you visit a booth, it is always best to ask questions and wait and see how the people in the booth respond. Are they knowledgeable and wanting to understand your needs or are they just there to collect names? Remember, what you see and meet at the show may be reflective of the service you will get in the future
6. If you find the product you are looking for and are ready to make a purchase, a tradeshow is a good place to negotiate a “good deal”

 With the upcoming Florida Restaurant show, it might be a good idea to visit their website; you can even sign up and get a free pass! So, if you are looking for a glass washer, a wine cellar or liquor inventory control software, doing your homework before the show certainly has its benefits.

Please visit us at this years Florida Resaurant and Lodging show on Spetember 12,13,14 2010 we will be in Booth #2144.

Hope we see you there!!

There are many people who describe themselves as bar consultants, but simply sitting at a bar and ordering a drink does not make us specialized in the field. If you are considering a bar consultant for your business, it is a good idea to understand what they can bring to your company in terms of information.

A bar consultant normally has a background in the nightclub, restaurant and hotel industry. They understand the various facets of the business from the sales, controls, marketing and human resource sides of the business. Before hiring a bar consultant, it is always a good idea to ask them where their strengths lie and of course who they have consulted for.

If you are a large nightclub with multiple pouring stations, a consultant from the hotel or restaurant field might not be suited for the job. Bar consulting must help you take decisions that will have a positive impact on your operations. There are some bar consultants that focus on controls and how to implement liquor, beer and wine inventory procedures. Others are more front of the house bar consultants and focus on service and personnel.

There are bar consultants that will help you with the image of your bar and give you marketing ideas and promotions to help increases sales. When you are in the process of hiring a bar consult, it is maybe a good idea to ask if they work alone or have a team that can cover specific or maybe all areas of the operation that need attention. In the end, proper bar consulting can bring you the added knowledge you may need to improve the overall performance and profitability of your bar.

An alcohol inventory system can cover many facets of your business and secure the profitability of each. Are you a high volume liquor bar?

Than your liquor inventory should be a priority and your focus should be on accuracy, speed and strong data that will create accountability. Maybe you sell more beer, both bottled and draft. If so, there are alcohol inventory systems that not only make counting bottled beer simple, but also help you track draft beer consumption.

If you can start counting how much draft beer is lost to spillage, foaming, waste...you will be in a better position to take the corrective actions needed to raise the profit margin bars. Wine is another component your alcohol inventory system must be able to manage. In today's hospitality industry, wine can be served by the bottle, but also by the glass and in certain concepts, wine tasting are offered as a means to increase interest and sales.

The system you choose to implement must be able to give you the information you need to take decision that have an effect on purchasing, human resources and ultimately sales. A good alcohol inventory system puts everything into perspective and gives you the tools to better manage your business today but also long into the future.

Profile of the week: The Beverage Director/Beverage Manager

Does your hotel, high volume restaurant, nightclub or country club have a beverage director or beverage manager? If the answer is yes, do they know what their job description is?

The beverage director/manager is put in place to oversee the entire beverage operation. As a member of the management team, they are in charge of hiring all beverage related personnel, negotiating and purchasing all of the beverages and beverage equipment needed by the business, creating and maintaining the standards in regards to the beverage operation.

Another key area is establishing proper inventory levels and the controls required to keep the company's profit objectives in line. In most cases, the modern beverage director/manager will work with the technology the industry has now come to embrace. Liquor, beer and wine inventory software programs help the collection and analysis of information to make the sound decisions the company needs to stay in line with their profit goals.

A beverage director will normally report to the director of operations or chief financial officer of the establishment.  The prior experience a beverage manager has is typically experience in the industry. At some point in their careers, they have worked as bartenders, servers or even been responsible for the actual inventory taking of a hospitality establishment. A management background or experience is a great asset as they will have to position themselves between the beverage staff (waitresses, liquor runners' bartenders...) and upper management. They must be able to take or report certain delicate situations which may arise with the beverage personnel with the ultimate goal of keeping the liquor, beer and wine pour cost percentages in line with the budgets created by the management team.