Bar Bartender

Roles and responsibilities

A Bartender is responsible for preparing and serving drinks to guests in bars, restaurants, clubs, or other hospitality settings. The bartender’s role extends beyond simply mixing drinks, as it involves customer service, maintaining the bar area, handling cash transactions, and creating a welcoming atmosphere for guests. Below are the key skills, attributes, and responsibilities associated with the role of a bartender:

Essential Skills and Attributes

1. Mixology Expertise

• Knowledge of a wide variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, including classic cocktails, signature drinks, and trending concoctions.
• Ability to prepare and present drinks with precision, garnishes, and correct measurements.
• Understanding of ingredients and flavors to create customized drinks that match guest preferences.

2. Customer Service

• Excellent interpersonal skills to engage with guests, provide recommendations, and ensure a positive drinking experience.
• Ability to handle customer complaints or dissatisfaction with professionalism and tact.
• Creating a welcoming, friendly, and energetic atmosphere that encourages repeat customers.

3. Communication Skills

• Clear and effective communication to take orders, relay information to the bar staff, and coordinate with other servers or team members.
• Listening actively to understand customer preferences or requests and ensuring accuracy in drink orders.

4. Multitasking Ability

• Managing multiple drink orders simultaneously, especially during peak hours.
• Balancing drink preparation with customer service and maintaining cleanliness in the bar area.

5. Attention to Detail

• Ensuring all orders are prepared to specification, including correct garnishes, glassware, and alcohol selection.
• Keeping track of guest tabs, drink orders, and inventory levels without mistakes.

6. Cash Handling and POS Systems

• Accurately processing payments through cash or credit card transactions.
• Familiarity with point-of-sale (POS) systems to input orders, manage tabs, and generate bills.

7. Physical Stamina

• Ability to stand for long hours, carry trays, and lift heavy kegs or bottles.
• Working in a fast-paced environment, often under pressure, during busy shifts.

8. Knowledge of Alcohol Laws and Safety

• Understanding and adhering to legal requirements for alcohol service, including checking IDs to verify legal drinking age.
• Maintaining a safe environment by refusing service to intoxicated customers and handling difficult situations professionally.

9. Organization

• Keeping the bar clean, organized, and well-stocked, including cleaning glasses and tools, and ensuring the bar is free of clutter.
• Managing the flow of drinks efficiently while keeping an eye on stock levels and reordering supplies when necessary.

10. Teamwork

• Collaborating with other bartenders, servers, and kitchen staff to ensure a smooth and efficient service.
• Helping colleagues during busy periods and maintaining positive working relationships with other staff members.

Desired candidate profile

You are a bar professional which is in an artistic and creative role, and as such the management team will look to you to develop original and exciting beverages using the best of local ingredients and traditions. You are responsible for ensuring that guests are delighted by the quality, creativity and variety of our beverage offerings. Your key duties and responsibilities are to serve the guests in accordance with our standards and quality in a gracious and courteous manner, to make sure that the bar is professionally set up at all times, and to process drink orders quickly and efficiently. You will be expected to take pride in all facets of service, quality, appearance, and cleanliness of yourself and your area of responsibility, and you must understand and adhere to the Beverage Department Standard Operating Procedures, and Beverage Manual.

Qualifications

• High School diploma
• Previous experience in Food & Beverage/Restaurant operations
• Passion for excellent service
• Excellent team player
• English speaking