Post: #1

Break it down players. What are the positives and negatives? Is it fairly easy to get a job if you go to bartending "school" or whatever it's called? Hell, I wonder if you could get your license, gain some experience and travel around working in a new city every year.

Post: #2

(09-12-2012 09:21 PM)houston Wrote:  Break it down players. What are the positives and negatives? Is it fairly easy to get a job if you go to bartending "school" or whatever it's called? Hell, I wonder if you could get your license, gain some experience and travel around working in a new city every year.

the obvious downside is that you're stuck behind a bar rather than gaming the floor, and you're gonna be staying past 2AM to cleanup. the other downside is that you have to remain more or less sober, and when you're sober drunk people (both guy friends and sluts) look pretty fucking stupid and even repulsive.

the upside is that for some reason, bartending is considered a DHV even though you're nothing more than a fucking waiter.

i would much prefer to be the doorman who decides to let people in or not.

Post: #3

(09-12-2012 09:21 PM)houston Wrote:  Break it down players. What are the positives and negatives? Is it fairly easy to get a job if you go to bartending "school" or whatever it's called? Hell, I wonder if you could get your license, gain some experience and travel around working in a new city every year.

Bartending as a career? Pass. Sure, the money can be decent (depending on where you work) and it will give you plenty of opportunities to run game on high-quality targets, assuming you work at the right bar/club that is. I just don't think it's something you do long-term unless you're an owner or part-owner of the place you're working at. Just my opinion though.

Post: #4

[/quote]i would much prefer to be the doorman who decides to let people in or not.[/quote]

This right here. I was going to add I'd rather be the Host of the joint. Then you have plenty of free time to walk the floor and schmooze potential ass. Being stuck in one spot all night sucks, too. I didn't consider that.

Post: #5

From what I have seen with all my buddies it isn't all that great when you are actually doing it. The advantages come from the after parties or the days off. You never have to wait in line anywhere and never have to wait for a drink. Plus you get the first crack at all the new teenage waitresses (only have to be 18 to work in a bar in Alberta) .

Post: #6

I worked as a bartender for 1½ years before I finally quit.

I was 22 and had a terrific time, but what did me in... no intellectual challenge. Just the same shit. Every friggin night. You put your development on complete hold. In addition, it's a bitch to clean up, and you need 2-3 days to recover from a full weekend of shifts (thurs-sat), so it can be phsyically exhausting, too - especially if it's not an efficiently run show, which most bars aren't.

I was lucky and found a place where being drunk was encouraged (as long as you could still servie the guests).

I read WestCoást said a good cocktail bartender could make 150K in Manhattan.

I never went to bartending school, but I'm pretty sure most people who saw me work would consider me a professional. I've been out of the loop a while now so I'm rusty, but I can still whizz up some stuff that gets panties wet. I posted a full cocktail list in another thread (one of my first posts).

Post: #7

I've been trying to figure out what it is about being a glorified waiter makes women so attracted to you. Seriously, a lot of these girls think that if you're a bartender, you're somehow connected to the ownership of the establishment.

Post: #8

(09-13-2012 03:10 PM)Deif Wrote:  I've been trying to figure out what it is about being a glorified waiter makes women so attracted to you. Seriously, a lot of these girls think that if you're a bartender, you're somehow connected to the ownership of the establishment.

I tended bar in college and that's how I got the job. The better question is so what? I knew the guy, I didn't own the bar

Post: #9

Houston, stop finding different ways to make money and not put work into none of them. What happened to the north dakota move? Move there bro, serious money is there, forget all these other stuff.

Dont take that personal, im actually saying this to help you out because i see the potential in you but you are not acting upon it.

Post: #10

I got a certificate from my local bar and restaurant school because I thought it would be good for show when I apply for bar jobs overseas. I've also been working in my local bar for the past few weeks to lock down some experience.

Half of the time it's putting glasses through the sterilizers and taking the dead glasses off the tables. Chatting with the customers is cool, and it's not a crazy nightclub so the vibe is pretty relaxed. Most of the time I just pour beers and make a few mixed drinks. Cleaning up afterwards is a bit of a bitch but the crew I work with are really funny so it makes it better.

From what I've heard about US bars is that the starting wage is $2.75 an hour and you make most of your money from tips, and working nights like Monday or Tuesday you hardly make anything. $1 tip per drink? (Can someone give me some more insights to working the US bar scene?)

Post: #11

as a bartender, you are the official drug dealer of the evening. sounds like dhv?

Post: #12

Does anybody know how Barista salaries stack up to Bartenders? Google searches related to my own area haven't been very helpful.

Post: #13

"Why do girls like bartenders, when they're just glorified waiters?"

Let me indeed break it down. I have both been a waiter as well as a bartender since I was young.

Waiting is a subservient position

The waiter comes up to you, takes your order, goes away to get it, brings it to you, and leaves you again.
The customer is sitting down, relaxed in his seat and enjoying his butler. He can signal the waiter to come over, and the waiter complies.

Bartending is a position of power

And girls love men in power. You stand there, often elevated. Everyone has to come to you, so they are already investing in the interaction. They want something from you, not the other way around. You chose who to serve first, how strong the drinks are made and can tell rude people off. Girls love it when you discipline them for using their looks to skip the line. DHV yourself over the drink buying betas.

Adding to this: Waiters often work in restaurants and lobbies, not in awesome clubs. When I'm bartending at a boring after 'party' of a conference I am not nearly as cool as when I'm selling vodka at a festival.

You can be alpha in both roles, but bartending is more conducive to showcasing it. For example, as a waiter you can have dominant posture and react slower to requests, joke and charm. Dominant guys will often not chose to be a waiter in the first case, so this self-selection also plays a role.

Post: #14

But then again, many of my male coworkers don't pull so it's still game that gives the victory.

Being a bartender just gives you a foot in the door as hot girls approach you

You still have to look good and flirt.
You can be more direct.
They approach and they retreat.
If they want to see you again, they know they have to come to you.

Joke about them hitting on you.
Tell them to buy you a drink as well.
You can really frame it as you being the price, because you are.

If you have hot female coworkers, you have preselection.
Flirt with the coworkers and the customers will see it.
They will like you more.
Flirt with the customers and the coworkers will see it.
They will like you more too.
Flirting just because easier. Rinse and repeat.

#1 Rule: Don't give away free drinks to cute girls playing the cute girl role

They are playing you so call them out in a playful but strong way.
Win the game playing.
Joke they now have to pay double for their drinks.
Your value is in you, not in what they can mooch off of you.
Don't break this rule.
You will be tested 50 times a night.

Post: #15

Also being a waiter, you get fired if you don't act like a sweet little girl. I'm sure it's possible to pull off being a waiter in a way that doesn't involve self-patronizing, and that would be a useful social skill.

As a bartender you get away with a much more "hostile" attitude. Especially in countries where tipping is not important. In addition, as a bartender you are making the drinks, you're the mini-chef for the night, and it's a show. For the guest, watching you make the cocktail is an important part of the fun. And women love men who know how to use their hands and create marvelous things as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

Post: #16

has anyone gone into Bartending with the goal of opening a bar, and done so

Post: #17

(09-16-2012 12:49 AM)peterthephoenix Wrote:  I got a certificate from my local bar and restaurant school because I thought it would be good for show when I apply for bar jobs overseas. I've also been working in my local bar for the past few weeks to lock down some experience.

Half of the time it's putting glasses through the sterilizers and taking the dead glasses off the tables. Chatting with the customers is cool, and it's not a crazy nightclub so the vibe is pretty relaxed. Most of the time I just pour beers and make a few mixed drinks. Cleaning up afterwards is a bit of a bitch but the crew I work with are really funny so it makes it better.

From what I've heard about US bars is that the starting wage is $2.75 an hour and you make most of your money from tips, and working nights like Monday or Tuesday you hardly make anything. $1 tip per drink? (Can someone give me some more insights to working the US bar scene?)

Basically what you said. Anything from $1 per drink or a % of the bill (15-20% is normal). It's funny having to explain this to people I worked with that weren't familiar with the service industry in the rest of the world, they assumed all foreigners were just cheap (doesn't help that I'm in the south). The wage is less than minimum wage, and you'd be expected to declare your tips at the end of the shift for tax purposes. Obviously dealing in cash makes it a less than exact science.

But on a side note, I quit due to the fact that, since I have a normal job as well, the weekend bartending gig really fucked up my normal sleep and workout cycle for the rest of the week.

Post: #18

This is a timely thread as I've been thinking of making some side income by tending bar.

To anyone who knows:
- what about working Saturdays and Sundays during the day? For example, at weddings, events, bar mitzvahs, thinks like that. I don't want to work nights since I wake up at 5am. How is the money for this? I imagine that tending events where the wealthier attend could reap serious cash.

Post: #19

(09-23-2016 07:50 PM)Yeti Wrote:  This is a timely thread as I've been thinking of making some side income by tending bar.

To anyone who knows:
- what about working Saturdays and Sundays during the day? For example, at weddings, events, bar mitzvahs, thinks like that. I don't want to work nights since I wake up at 5am. How is the money for this? I imagine that tending events where the wealthier attend could reap serious cash.

I have a buddy that would take days off bartending at an upscale restaurant on weekends so that he could bartend for events instead. Mind you, he grew his network from the restaurant bar's patrons, and he worked for himself and did his own marketing, cutting out the middle man. So if you're just getting into this type of events thing, you would still need to find a way to find leads, network, referrals, etc. In any case, it was worth it for him to cut Friday/Saturday night shifts to do his event stuff.

You could also bartend at brunch places or diners on during the day, it totally depends on the spot. A busy semi-upscale brunch at a restaurant will make more than the college dive bar on a Sunday night. But you're also slinging mimosas and bloody mary's like no tomorrow for a few hours straight.

A bar with a chill patio, nice weather for professionals aged 25-35 for Sunday Funday could make a killing. Saturdays at a sports bar during football season might be ok, I do know that restaurants lose some business during football season due to college football watching (patrons stay at home or go to sports bars). Same goes for Sundays for NFL.

Also, restaurants close earlier (usually at 11pm max) than a regular bar, so you could still make good money on Saturday nights (Friday is better usually) and get home at a decent hour.

Post: #20

This point has already been mentioned in other threads, but I wanted to quote what my buddy said the other day. He's actually an entrepreneur but was temporarily working as a promoter at a club downtown so that he could learn more about the industry, and he has since left. But this club has hot bottle service girls, bartenders, etc. and through his role he said he's got so many girls in his pipeline that he doesn't even know what do do with them. He's got great social skills though (top 5 of ppl I've ever met), good-looking and his role is possibly better than being a bartender even for getting ass.

I'm in a transition period in my life and I'm looking to switch careers, and my buddy said, "dude, if I could give you one piece of advice about getting ass, is get a job in the service industry. These girls are smashing everyone, the barbacks, cleaners, everyone"

With experience in the industry, I already knew this about most female staff, but it's also true at these upscale places apparently. These chicas are all 8's, maybe some 9's.

You will meet people. You will make money. You will bang chicas.