So you wanna manage a bar?
MANAGING A BAR IS AMAZING
- you learn the ins ‘n’ outs of what it takes to make a successful cocktail program
- you get to hire and train incredible individuals that will likely become your friends
- you get the opportunity to work side by side with owners, chefs, and general management to create a cohesive customer experience
- your vision and your creativity meld into one beautiful flowing symphony with the restaurant or bar
- chances are meals are included and if your chef is half as good as the one I currently work for, you’re eating GOOD
But you have to accept the position first.
Below are the major talking points that anyone interviewing for a bar management position should consider. Management does not mean you manage people - it means you manage people’s expectations. Start with your own.
HOURS - are you working a 40 hour work week? What does your schedule entail? Do you get consecutive days off? What holidays are you giving up ? Is your schedule a mix of bar shifts and management shifts?What kind of T.O is offered? Is it paid? Who handles problems when you’re there? Who handles problems when you’re not?
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT - Unless you plan to one day buy into the bar/restaurant you are managing, there is zero reason you should be on call 24/7, 365. For your mental health and well being you should be able to enjoy your life how you see fit - hiking, traveling, dinner with friends, or even cuddling with your cat and watching movies - without your phone going off every ten minutes. The most valuable thing you are given in life when you are born is TIME. Asking these questions is a strategic part of using this asset wisely.
RESPONSIBILITIES - What falls in your wheelhouse and what does not? Will you be making the schedules for the bar team or does the GM handle that? Are you a hiring / firing manager? How often are you supposed to change your cocktail menu? What are the business owners’ expectations for their cocktail menus? What is their operational cost ? Who is in charge of paying the invoices? When is inventory done and is there a system in place? Are you creating that system? How many vendors do you deal with? Who has the final say in what cocktails make it to the menu? Who makes the syrups, juices, garnishes?
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT - The blurred lines of who does what can lead to you taking on more than you expected, becoming over worked, and then feeling under appreciated and resentful as a result. As a manager you can share ideas for improving operations, but your boss should ALWAYS have the final say. At the end of the day it’s not your livelihood on the line; leave the responsibility of the final decisions up to them.
SUPPORT - Who has your back if there is an unruly guest at the bar? Is there a list of updated contacts if the low boys go down on a Friday afternoon? Who is dialing those numbers? Who is helping you pull everything so that the weekend supply of garnishing flowers and fresh juiced pineapple don’t turn? If the POS system has a glitch, what is protocol? If someone is unhappy with their experience, how is it handled? Are you alone most of the day and night or is your boss in the trenches with the bar team when 3 bachelorette parties walk in and order 1 of each cocktail but with vodka instead? And if they can’t make cocktails are they running the floor in a way that keeps the guests happy and entertained until you can get to them in a timely manner? CAN YOUR BOSS CHANGE A KEG? (The last three of these - for the love of everything good - please do not ask them so directly - rephrase and curiously inquire.)
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT - If you are showing up every day and doing all the things discussed during the responsibilities part of this post then you should - in theory - have a smooth shift. BUT WE’RE BARTENDERS AT HEART. And we all know that things happen. If you have the right support you will be able to focus and prioritize during a hectic night, which will leave you and the rest of the staff feeling like warriors once everything is said and done. It will allow you to be the best version of yourself as an employee and fuel your fire to go above and beyond.
The answers to these questions should be one’s that you’re happy and comfortable with. Only you know what that is so be honest with yourself. ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND - you’re looking for your life to be better or stay the same. Against popular opinion it’s okay to decline a job that may steal your soul if the trade off is gaining some experience at a cool place with a well known name.
If you are the type of person who arrives to each shift ready to give your best, then you deserve a position in a healthy work environment. They’re out there - you just have to ask the right questions.