Top Shelf To You is Southern Oregon's premier mobile bar service specializing in serving alcohol at private parties, weddings, benefits, and public events. We bring the spirits, supplies, mobile bar, and private bartenders to the event. Located in Medford Oregon. Hire a bartender and shake things up at your next event— unless, of course, you prefer them stirred! From wedding cocktail hours to upscale corporate receptions, The Bash makes it easy to locate and book professional bartenders and mixologists for private events in your area. Exclusive Bartenders has catered to many of the top entertainers in the entertainment business, but you don't need to be a celebrity to enjoy our quality bartending services. We will cater to any event (large or small), and help you figure out what's needed to have the most exciting and successful event possible.
Have you ever wondered why your bartender seems annoyed? It's because, more often than not, you or another fellow bar patron (or both) have done something to deserve it. We deal with more attitude and disrespect on a daily basis than you know.
First, people assume we aren't on their level. But on the contrary, we bartenders are incredibly smart individuals. Some of us hold multiple degrees, or are students pursuing our passions when we aren't behind the bar. Some of us are career bartenders, passionate and highly knowledgeable of spirits or wines. Some of us are artists who couldn't possibly sit behind a desk and watch our dreams disappear while we age into a profession that was never what life intended for us.
For this reason, most of us enjoy chatting with new people, helping you decide on the best drink, and showing you and your friends a good time. But here's the truth: We have the booze, which means we also have the power. You will not get drunk without us. So please, for the love of all things good and pure, do not make our jobs harder.
I spoke to 10 fellow bartenders in Brooklyn, Manhattan, LA, and Boston to find out the most things that we all want you to know about being a good patron. Here are our suggestions for 15 rules every bar patrons should follow.
1. Don't Be Afraid To Admit Your Ignorance
I'm glad and deeply impressed that you can order a classic cocktail off the menu. What I'm not impressed with is having to ask you what brand of whiskey you want in your drink after you've been staring at a spirit list for several minutes. What I'm also not impressed by is you finally telling me 'Smirnoff vodka is fine.' So, wait, you don't want a Manhattan? You want a Martini? WHAT DO YOU WANT!?
Do not be intimidated. If there is a cocktail you've heard about and you want to know what's in it, just ask us. We're here to help.
2. That Cocktail Napkin Is For Your Drink, Not Your iPhone
I understand that your phone is your everything — it's my everything too. Unfortunately, the bar is not the best place for your 500-dollar phone.
All bartenders splash occasionally, but customers spill their drinks constantly. When the napkin is placed in front of you, it's very tempting to put your prized gem on it. But guess what? Since the bar is basically a haven for spilled liquor, that napkin is actually for protecting the wood from becoming damaged from your drink. Keep your phone in your pocket, and the drink on the napkin.
3. It's Not Our Job To Charge Your Phone
Speaking of your precious phone, please come to the bar with it charged, or at least carrying a charger. Do not get mad because your bartender has an Android and you can't charge your iPhone. The bar is usually not equipped with hundreds of outlets for patrons, and sometimes, we already have two phones charging behind the bar, and there is no room for yours.
Don't be rude because you lost your charge. If you need to call a cab, I will definitely help you out with my fully-charged Android.
4. Please Drink Responsibly
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When I check your ID, I expect that your legal age means you can drink responsibly. Of course, I am constantly proven wrong. Most bartenders will not serve someone seven dirty martinis, because we know that no one should drink seven martinis!
If you want to have an unsafe drinking experience, you should go to your home where you are at least safe and don't need to worry about traveling home or acting like a complete lunatic in public. We reserve the right to cut you off at anytime, but please do not make us do that.
5. Do Not Beg Us For More If We Cut You Off
Please, don't beg. Being cut off doesn't mean we want you to immediately leave the bar. Personally, I would rather give you a bunch of water, maybe some coffee, and a snack to help sober you up before you leave.
6. Remember: A Bar Is Not A Playground
Even if it's in a restaurant, most states do not allow children to sit at the bar. Please find another place for your child while you wait for your table, and do not sass us about it. We have to follow the law, just like everyone else.
And if you are an adult drinking at the bar? Please act like one. Read the room; if no one else is dancing on the bar, neither should you.
7. Do Not Ask Us How Much Your Tab Is Every Time You Order Another Round
I have enough parenting to do at my job. I have to make sure that no one is thirsty, that no one is completely wasted, and that everyone pays — all while cleaning and keeping my bar stocked. If I ask you if you want another drink and you make constantly me go back to the computer to tell you how much your tab is, it inconveniences me for the sake of something that you should be keeping track of in the first place.
I definitely want you to be able to pay your tab, but I also need you to keep track of your budget for the evening. Ask me once? Fine. Ask me twice? I grow increasingly annoyed.
8. If We Wanted A Shot, We Would Pour Ourselves One
Although it can be very sweet when a patron offers to buy me a drink or a shot, it's usually unnecessary. If you haven't seen me pour myself a drink or a shot, that's probably because the establishment I work for does not want me drinking on the job.
If your bartender politely declines, do not beg and tell them they are no fun. At the end of the night, when you go home and pass out, imagine us having to get people out after last call, clean up an entire bar, count money, and set alarms. If I want to keep my job, I need to be sober to do all that. Word online, free.
9. Know That We Are Not Licensed Therapists
It may seem like we are the doctor of booze, but don't get it twisted; we are humans just like you. Countless times, people ask me for dating advice, and I literally am no help. I AM A STRANGER. I do not know anything about you besides what you are drinking.
I'm happy to listen to your gripes and carry on with light banter, but I also have a full bar of costumers who also want attention. I can't be there for you the entire duration of your time at my bar. Please don't take it personally.
10. Please Don't Ask Us To 'Make It Strong'
I know what I'm doing, and so does my bar manager who creates the drinks. When a patron says 'Make it strong' before they've even tasted the drink, I always ask, 'Do you want to make it a double?' If you aren't willing to pay for the extra two-ounce pour, please don't ask for it. Chances are the drink is strong enough.
11. I'm Being Nice To Your Date Because I Have To Be Nice To Everyone
Ladies and Gents, we are not flirting with your date. Being nice to them doesn't mean that we are trying to take them home with us or steal them from you. It simply means that we are working for tips.
12. Do Not Touch The Merchandise ..
If you want an olive, a lemon, or any garnish from our caddies, just ask us! We are more than happy to give you extra garnishes, but please don't put your grubby paws on them. I'm sure the other patrons at the bar would appreciate that as well.
13. .. And That Includes Your Bartender
While we're on the topic, do not grab me across the bar and try to hold my hand. And if you see me from behind the bar, don't grab me to tell me your drink order. I may be your bartender, but your 20 percent tip does not mean that you now own me. Keep your hands to yourself, or you likely won't be welcome back.
14. If You Know A Place That Makes A Better Drink, Go There
If you order a daiquiri that isn't even on the menu and your bartender is nice enough to make it for you, please don't tell them that 'Applebee's makes a better daiquiri'. A simple 'Thank you' would be nice — even just saying, 'You know what? I'm not in love with this cocktail, would you mind making me something else?' would be fine.
On that note, restaurants (particularly chains) have their signature cocktails (read: mixes), and chances are that if you aren't at that restaurant, another bar may have a hard time recreating it.
15. For The Love Of God, Tip Your Bartender
I may have 'just' poured a glass of wine or merely opened a bottle of beer for you, but you still need to tip me. If you don't tip, have fun trying to get that second round, because we are likely to pay more attention to our patrons who are actually paying us.
In some states, we only make roughly $3 dollars per hour as tipped employees. Which means that if people don't tip us, we are not even making regular minimum wage. Do not assume that we are racking in millions of dollars a year because you see a full bar. Always, always tip your bartender.
Image: Georgie Pauwels/Flickr; Giphy
If you’re a restaurant or bar owner, then you are probably familiar with the qualities you need to look for in a good bartender. More times than not, great bartenders tend to be extremely intelligent. Unfortunately, many owners have bad experiences with their bartenders stealing from them.
On one hand, it’s great to have such bright people on your staff earning you lots of money, but it’s also a risk in this business. The fact is, there’s a lot of potential for thievery in bartending. And if your bartender is one of the good ones – the bright ones – but is inclined to steal from you, catching them or stopping them from stealing could prove to be incredibly difficult.
That’s one of the biggest give-and-takes when it comes to hiring good bartenders. Realistically, a great bartender could be stealing from you and still be making you a greater profit than an honest but average bartender who isn’t trying to pocket extra cash on the low every night.
So, what’s the right course of action in such a scenario? The right things to do would be to value honesty over profit, simply because you need to set standards for your entire organization. If you are tolerating theft from your top bartenders, what reason would your servers or hosts have not to do the same?
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If you are committed to running an honest business despite the short-term profits that might come from turning a blind eye to the theft of an excellent but dishonest bartender, here are some examples of steps you can take to make it difficult for your bartenders to steal from you.
Own Your Inventory Process
The more relaxed your inventory process is, the easier it is to abuse it. First of all, taking inventory should be a process in which the bartenders are not involved – it should be left up to the management to record this data and keep accurate records of how much liquor is being served compared to how much money is being made.
By cutting the bartenders out of this process entirely, you are quickly putting an end to the possibility of cheating bartenders altering the numbers to cover the money they’ve taken.
Basically, the best way to prevent bartenders from messing with the inventory data is to make it impossible for them to do so. If you are trusting them to take care of this aspect of the job for you, you’re practically setting yourself up to be ripped off. Take responsibility and either manage the inventory counts yourself or let a trusted colleague that isn’t a bartender do it.
Monitor End-of-Shift Cashouts
Once again, the name of the game here is simply not providing bartenders with the opportunity to steal, or at least making it much harder for them to do so. Most bars run the same way when it comes to closing down for the night. Cash from the register is used to create an opening bank for the next shift and the rest goes to a deposit slip. The exact process might vary from one establishment to the other, but it’s basically the same principle wherever you go.
The sneakiest of bartenders will stash away the money they have been skimming throughout the night in one area of the cash register and then take that money out and pocket it when closing down the shift.
Of course, the best way to stop this from happening is to have someone else do this. It might be a hassle to have someone who is not a bartender close down the shift, especially if it’s a late night one, but if you want to gain full control of the process, it’s best to do it yourself.
Technically, bartenders will still be able to steal if they intend to do so. The difference is that they would have to try and remove the stolen funds during the shift, which while not impossible, is a much more risky proposition than simply being able to pull the money out with no one around at the end of the night.
If you can’t make it impossible for them steal, at least try and make it extremely difficult for them to do so successfully.
Create Strict Tip Jar Rules
Here’s another rule of thumb to follow – keep the tip jar as far away from the register as possible. The closer it is to the register, the easier it is to take funds from the register and divert them into the tip jar. The tip jar should be in plain sight and it should be easy for customers to put money into it and very difficult for bartenders to put money into it without being seen.
You need to set strict rules regarding the tip jar. In a best-case scenario, you should be able to lock it and make sure that no one can open the jar besides managers, who would then distribute the tips evenly at the end of the shift.
Many bartenders use the tip jar for change and to break bigger bills. Put an end to that practice as well. Keep a box or drawer with smaller bills and change next to the register and keep the tip jar shut until the end of the shift.
Modify Procedures for Giving Change
One of the oldest tricks in the book when it comes to theft behind the bar is the old “no sale” trick. The “no sale” feature is used to open the register without registering a sale, usually to make a change. However, it is also one of the easiest ways that a bartender can steal from you.
Unless you have someone watching the register’s screen all day, you can’t really be sure how many times a night the bartender is using the “no sale” feature. The bartender can charge a customer for a drink, press the “no sale” button – which means the sale isn’t being rung into the register – and then just stash away the money.
Firewall sophos xg 135. Obviously, the best thing that you can do is disable the “no sale” button. In that case, you’re going to have to provide an alternative method for your bartenders to make a change, just like in the case of locking up your tip jar and making it off limits for that purpose.
If you are restricting some aspects of the job, you are going to have to make the effort to make sure that it does not affect their work in any way and that they have no qualms with the restrictions. If you’re providing bartenders with a container or drawer where they have enough money at all times to make change, then they really have no legitimate reason to use the tip jar or “no sale” option to do so.
Enforce “One Strike” Policy
Don’t give second chances. If you catch someone stealing, that’s it – they’re fired. It’s important that you are setting an example for the rest of your employees and sending a very clear and loud message that stealing of any kind will not be tolerated.
Stealing is a serious offense and technically, you could even press criminal charges against an employee who has been caught in the act. That might be a bit too much though. The best thing to do is to react swiftly and show them the door immediately.
Many managers at bars and restaurants might be prone to give their bartenders a warning before firing them, especially if the bartender is really good and makes them a lot of money. Letting go of a rockstar bartender might be incredibly hard to do, but if they are stealing, it’s the right thing to do.
Conclusion
No matter what you do, there’s probably no way to stop bartenders from stealing entirely. It’s simply part of the job. Bartending is a very tumultuous job, it takes a quick wit and tireless body and mind. It’s also a type of position that managers simply can’t monitor around the clock. Like it or not, there’s going to be a lot of moments when bartenders are working without direct supervision.
And remember, bartenders are not just stealing from you, they are probably stealing from customers as well. Why? Are they bad people?
No. Because they can, and because it’s just a part of the profession, and it has been forever. Stealing money is fairly easy to do. It’s also hard to detect by managers and almost just as hard to prevent. But that doesn’t mean that you should just surrender and throw up the white flag. Putting some of these above-mentioned concepts into effect can definitely decrease the chances of your bartending staff robbing you blind night in and night out.