Bartender

Bartender Job Description & Responsibilities

Bartending is a game of multitasking that can be very fast paced & very rewarding. Not only are you maintaining guest service at the bar but you’re also providing the entire restaurant with drinks. To be a successful bartender you’ll need to be clean, organized, knowledgeable, quick, & personable. You will be face to face with guests more than any other team member, so personality counts for a lot in this role.

1. Opening & Closing Tasks: Opening & closing the bar each day seems obvious but can be a real point of contention if not done consistently & properly. You may have heard the phrase, “Close like you’re opening, open like you’re closing”. Bartenders should be meticulously going through & completing all open/close side-work daily in a way that sets everyone up for the most success & maintains a clean environment for staff & guests. Managers will be monitoring & signing off on tasks as needed. Opening/closing may include, but are not limited to:

• Setting up all barware.

• Cutting fruit.

• Retrieving ice.

• Stocking wine, beer, & spirits.

• Making backups of juices & mixes.

• Sweeping/mopping.

• Trash removal.

• Stocking to-go items.

2. Proper & full knowledge of Food & Beverage Menus: You must know what you’re selling to sell it. You wouldn’t buy a car from someone who couldn’t even tell you what year it is. Guests will be looking to you for menu knowledge; whether that means making suggestions, ingredient explanations, portion sizes, or even allergen information; you should know the answer! Menu testing will be a routine part of training & developing training.

3. Proper & full knowledge of Wine/Beer/Spirits: The world of bar knowledge is large. It’s always changing, evolving & growing. Having the base knowledge of these elements will give you the tools needed to create excellent beverages that guests will love. As you progress with us as a bartender, continuing education will be emphasized & encouraged. Staff & guests will rely on you to answer questions that help in the decision-making process of ordering.

4. Communication with Teammates: Bartenders must communicate with all team members. The host will be able to give insight into the pace of the restaurant & when to be expecting lulls or rushes. Expo will be able to tell you just how long your food may take coming out of the kitchen or if items are 86’d. Servers will be able to tell you if large parties are about to order a lot of drinks or may have questions from guests about certain drinks. Server assistants will be able to tell you how long it will take to get specific silverware or other needs to you. Other bartenders will be able to ask for help or even offer assistance to you. Communication is non-negotiable.

5. Warm, Welcome, & Prompt Greeting: 30 seconds to a guest can feel like a full 5 minutes. A 30 second greeting will be the goal. Once contact with the guest is made, your greeting should be exciting, warm, & welcoming. For example: “Welcome in, friends. Thanks for choosing to spend your evening with us. My name is (insert your name here), is this your first time dining with us?”. Determining if it’s the guest’s first-time dining with us & if they’re celebrating anything should be the first 2 questions asked. This will tell you whether you need to fully go over the menu options or if you can allow them to peruse & ask questions at their leisure. Knowing if they’re celebrating will determine the goal of the evening & who is being celebrated specifically. A first impression is incredibly important. Bartenders have the advantage & the disadvantage of being watched closely. Guests tend to expect more interaction with you than you’re fully capable of in a moment. Practicing acknowledging gestures & working quickly/efficiently will ease that pressure.

6. Suggestive selling: Suggestively selling is a skill that will come with getting comfortable with the menus. This can include describing featured dishes with colorful words such as “fresh”, “spicy”, or “made in house”. This can also include bringing a personal touch to the suggestion by describing what you order every time you dine at the restaurant. If suggestive selling isn’t your strong suit, the best way to practice is by choosing 2 items per week & talking about them in detail to guests until you feel comfortable suggesting them to anyone. This technique will increase your check average as well as guest satisfaction.

7. Consistent Presence Tableside: There’s nothing worse than feeling as if you’ve been forgotten or overlooked at a restaurant. An open line of communication ensures that guests aren’t left guessing about what’s going on. Keeping checkpoints in your head throughout the dinner service will guarantee that you’re maintaining a consistent presence with your guests without being overbearing. These checkpoints should include:

• Initial Greeting/Menu Spiel

• Beverage Order

• Delivery of Beverages

• Order Taking

• Food Delivery

• Checking in after the first 1 to 2 bites

• Beverage Check In

• Clearing the bar top

• Dessert offering/delivery

• Check & Final Thank You’s

8. Meeting Guest’s Needs: The needs of our guests range from face-to-face interaction, cleanliness, food, beverages, answering questions & everything in between. Team members should always keep an open mind & a calm, collected, & even enthusiastic attitude when being faced with the need of a guest or group of guests.

9. Mediating the needs of Unhappy Guests: No matter the circumstance, management should ALWAYS be told immediately if any guest complains or seems unhappy. Unfortunately, we will have unhappy guests & servers do seem to take more of the heat in those moments when food is slow to come out of the kitchen or the bar is falling behind. Keeping a calm & even temperament & understanding that the problem is NEVER personal will help to ease the tension in these situations. Standard procedure is to stop, listen, empathize, & alert management. Problems will always be faced together, never alone.

10. Creating an Experience: Our main goal should be to create a memorable dining experience that gives guests a reason to return. Restaurants are used to celebrate, to commemorate, to ease the tension of difficult life situations, as a convenience when life gets hectic, & countless other emotional moments. We want guests to feel as though we’re experiencing those big life moments right along with them. The experience is more than just a transaction of food & service for money; it’s about the feelings that we can invoke through hospitality.

11. Working with a Positive, Team Focused Attitude: Working as a team is crucial to the success of our restaurant. Knowing when to ask for help, offering help when/where it’s needed, fulfilling tasks that keep the team moving forward, being gracious, listening well, & being genuine are all non-negotiable. A few examples of teamwork include but are not limited to:

• Running your food & other’s food to tables/the bar

• Garnishing drinks properly for your teammates

• Cleaning up a mess that may not be yours

• Helping a guest that may not directly be your guest with a need

• Asking if you can lend a hand with an overwhelming task

• Getting the dishwasher & kitchen team water

Qualifications

• Previous bartending experience in a restaurant, nightclub, or catering environment is preferred.
• Familiarity with Aloha POS or Micros POS systems is advantageous.
• Strong time management skills with the ability to multitask effectively in a high-pressure environment.
• Excellent customer service skills with a focus on creating memorable experiences for guests.
• Basic math skills for handling transactions accurately and efficiently.
• Knowledge of food safety practices and proper food handling techniques.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including nights and weekends as required by the business needs.
• A passion for the food industry and commitment to continuous learning about new trends in mixology and beverage service. Join our team as a Bartender where your skills will shine in an exciting atmosphere dedicated to exceptional service!

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

Pay: $10.00 - $23.57 per hour

Ability to Commute:

• Sumter, SC 29150 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Sumter, SC 29150: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person