My Interview Got 86'd: Part Two

What is the employment outlook for Bartenders these days? Good? Bad? Why? How does one find work?

As far as I know, bar business has only been improving since the days of Prohibition. The economy doesn't affect a bartender as much as other workers. When times are good, people drink to celebrate; when times are bad, people drink to mourn. The restaurant/bar industry is the 2nd largest employer in the U.S., second only to the government, with a projected 1 million establishments within the decade.

As bars grow and expand there will be much opportunity at the entry-level. However, it also means that things are more competitive on the high-end. Bars, as well as bartenders, find themselves needing to do more to distinguish themselves from everyone else in their field. Flair bartending, a style of bartending that incorporates throws, catches, dance, and juggling, is just one niche that has evolved to compete in an ever-competitive market.

Also, since bartending is generally seen as a low-skilled trade requiring little or no education, there are fewer barriers to entry. Competition at the entry-level of the market can be excessive, especially in a slow economy as workers look to supplement a full-time income with a part-time job bartending.

What factors can affect the salary of a Bartender? Is it all tips and a base wage? Sports bars vs hotels bars etc...

Many things affect the salary of a bartender. In my career, I've made a wage as little as $3/hour plus tips and as much as $12/hour plus tips. Bartenders truly depend on tips. Oftentimes my paychecks are $0 after taxes, so whatever I've brought home at the end of the night is ultimately my take-home pay.

It's a common notion that high-end, fancy, or exclusive establishments provide the best opportunity for a bartender to make money. While that may be true for a few places, I'll take a busy bar over a five star establishment any day of the week, twice on Sunday. Bartending is a sales job, and good commission is better dependent on volume rather than a few expensive sales. Busy is key.

I don't have a source to site this, but I've heard a few times that when the Green Bay Packers win, the bartenders/servers in Green Bay make about 30-50% more than if they lose. Makes sense, people celebrating are more generous with their tips. On occasion, the money you make has little to do with you or your work, but rather right-place right-time situations. When I lived in Las Vegas, I discovered it was custom in local establishments for the video poker players to tip the bartender 10% of their winnings – after all, drinks are free. A bartender friend of mine would make $150 one night and $1500 the next. Those kind of instances aside, there's something to be said about building a following and creating a rapport with your patron base that will definitely increase your income. Also, bars have their own vibe or personality. Find a bar that fits your personality and you will optimize your income.

Can you recall any humorous or memorable moments as a Bartender?

Sure. Almost every week has something funny or memorable. The excitement and lack of routine is one of the reasons I've stayed with the profession so long. During three years at the Comedy Club on State, I met Pauly Shore, Louie Anderson, Tommy Chong, and hundreds of lesser-known but insanely funny comedians. Last weekend, I chatted with the actress Juliette Lewis for a second while she was locked out of the venue where her band was playing. Once, at a horse track, I got to serve my childhood baseball hero from the MN Twins, Kirby Puckett. He was a great tipper – though it might've had something to do with management comping his $100 tab.

Generally, however, the most hysterical and memorable moments have nothing to do with anyone famous, just the usual patrons in the bar. Watching people for ten hours a night, four nights a week for a decade – especially people who have been socially lubricated by alcohol - is a study in human behavior and psychology. I've seen people at their best and worst. I've been tipped in drugs (no thanks) and tipped in women's underwear (thank you!) I've been sucker-punched in the face for simply doing my job. However, the truly worthwhile and memorable moments usually have to do with coworkers. Meeting and working with people from all over the world, at all ends of the age spectrum, from all different backgrounds, has been one of the more profound and rewarding experiences of my lifetime.

I've been fortunate enough to compete in bartending competitions, from Minneapolis to Cleveland to Windsor, Canada. I've met and competed with some of the best bartenders from around the world – Rodrigo Delpech, Ati Tedesco, Martin Janica, Rodrigo Cao. And I've found the ones at the top of their profession are some of the warmest and most welcoming people in the world. A career spent catering to others' needs will do that.

My Interview Got 86'd: Part One

So just before Thanksgiving I got an exciting email from an editor of another website. It's a website about careers and he wanted to email-interview me about bartending. I gladly said yes, in an attempt to spread the word a lil' bit about this website. So last week, in lieu of posting here for you, my faithful and beloved patrons, I spent a few too many hours filling out his interview... only to find out someone else beat me to it. Turns out he sent a request to a number of online bartenders and posted the first one he got back. What an ass. Anyway, karma's got a bite and I'm content to know that some bartender some where is making him wait 10 minutes for his Cosmo just because he's got a funny feeling about this guy.

So as to make the effort not in vain, I figured I'd share the interview here with you guys, in two installments. Next Monday, I'm looking forward to a post from my friend and flair bartender Joey Stepp. Joey is a performer and professional barman of the truest sense from West Virginia who will share some insight on flair bartending. That'll be Monday. And now, for my brilliant interview...

Can you describe IN DETAIL your career path in becoming a Bartender? Training?

I thought being a bartender on a cruise ship would be a great way to spend the summer after my freshman year of college. I enrolled for a two-week class at the Minnesota School of Bartending, and even though I never ended up on a cruise ship, I landed my first job bartending at a country club. From there, a job bartending was always a nice supplement while I was in college studying for an English degree. For the first five years after graduation I generally had a day job while bartending on the side a couple nights a week. Eventually, I realized that my bartending job was what had been sustaining me, both financially and personally.

I've gained valuable training in almost every establishment that I have worked at, though the best experiences are the ones where you are a part of the opening staff of a brand new bar. One restaurant I opened focused heavily on scotch and wine and provided me with extensive training in fine dining service, as well as an education in scotch and wine. The last establishment I opened and worked for two years in was a flair bar, where entertainment is the focus of service. I was paid to learn flair bartending from some of the best flair bartenders in the world. Other than that, training is an ongoing process: reading industry magazines, attending conventions, participating in local promotions and tastings, and sharing stories with other bartenders.

What advice would you give to those seeking a career as a Bartender? Do you recommend the bartending schools or should someone learn on the job?

Having graduated from a bartending school myself, I won't slight the work they do. Bartending schools are effective at teaching things like basic mixology and mechanics such as freepour. The irony is that you can generally learn in your first three days on the job most everything you learned in a couple weeks at school. However, the best thing about a bartending school is that they will usually help you land your first job, which can be no small task in a competitive market.

If bartending is something you really want to do, be willing to start at the bottom. That means a few different things. At busy establishments, be willing to work as a bouncer or a busser; many bars only promote bartenders from within their current staff. Otherwise, be willing to work a year or two at a less popular joint like a bowling alley or a small pub. And be willing to work the slow shifts: usually daytime or Monday/Tuesday nights.

Bartenders at great establishments can make $40-80,000 working four nights a week - I've met flair bartenders in Las Vegas whose salary is well into six figures. But they've paid their dues. Jobs like that take years of experience to get into. The top earners in any field usually have the resume to justify it.

Go to Part Two: