Choosing the Right Bartender

When you select a bartender for your restaurant or bar, you are choosing more than just an employee. You are picking a person that will have tremendous responsibility in your food establishment. Not only will they be preparing drinks, but they will also be responsible for a lot of inventory and cash. This makes your selection an important one. There are several things you should look for in the ideal bartender.

Skills

Bartending is a task that requires skill, accuracy and speed. They should be able to prepare drinks quickly and hand them out to the customers. As liquor is quite expensive, mistakes can cost you money. Therefore, it is imperative that they know how to mix the drinks precisely each and every time.

Experience

Experience is key when you are looking for a bartender. It should be valued over training and education. Nothing will teach a bartender how to do the job like doing the job. A freshly trained candidate may have the desire and the education, but they will not have the experience mixing drinks in a fast paced environment, handling people, dealing with inventory and all the other tasks that are involved in bartending. While they may make a good bar-back, you want a bartender that knows exactly what they are doing and they do it well.

Personality

Personality is also key when you are hiring your bartender. People expect the bartender to be friendly. They should be able to converse easily with the customers. Customers should find the bartender charming and pleasant to talk to. It is common for those who are ordering drinks in the bar to expect the bartender to have a conversation with them. The bartender you select should be able to do this while also keeping up with their job.

Honesty

Nothing is more important for a bartender than their honesty and trustworthiness. Bartenders are given a lot of responsibility in their job. They are responsible for the liquor inventory, all the items needed to make drinks, as well as supplies for the bar. They will handling a large portion of the cash that comes into your business on a daily basis. You may give them access to lock up the restaurant at night when the bar closes. Because of this tremendous responsibility, you will want to ensure that you select someone that you know you can trust. Make sure to do reference and background checks on any potential employees before hiring them.

Choosing the right bartender incorporates everything from selecting someone that is good with customer service and sales to finding someone that can work calmly under pressure. This decision is as important as your selection of a manager or chef. You want to learn everything you can about your potential candidates and make a fully informed decision. Hiring the wrong person can hurt your business, but hiring the right one can enhance your profits greatly.