Anyone With Bartending Experience??

I'm thinking of becoming a bartender and there is a school in my town. I've read though that going to a bartending school can be a waste of money since you can work somewhere and learn the ropes and work your way up without spending $300-$400 to do the same thing. I thought the schools provided the license though?

Also, really...how much $$$ do bartenders REALLY make? I know it varies depending on where you work...how good you are...and if you're somewhere where people tip. I've been to some clubs for college night Thursdays and I wonder how many of those college students tipped the bartender? So when I see websites saying a good bartender can make over 100k a year...I'm skeptical. Maybe if you're REALLY lucky and willing to relocate to get the perfect job.

Buy yourself a bar tending book at any liquor store and save yourself the money. The rest is learning how to put up with drunk assholes.

Good luck getting in though.

I would venture to say national average is $30k if that.

there is a waiting list but once you are on, you make good money.

If you don't know the law, you could get in very deep shit legally in a hurry.

Here in Colorado, there's the usual law prohibiting bartenders from serving alcohol to someone who's visibly drunk, as well as the usual drinking age laws and all the rituals developed to keep servers and establishments from getting busted, having to pay fines, losing their liquor licenses, etc. If you're in Utah, there' all sorts of strange laws. Some localities forbid mixed drinks, you have to serve the ingredients separately. Some places ban certain types of drinks.

One way or another, I'd definitely recommend figuring out how to stay on top of the laws in your area.

You will make a heckava lot more in a high-end restaurant with a wine cruvier than hustling $0.25 draft beers to the college crowd.

Also, there is more money to be made from waiting tables in higher-end restaurants than bartending. Just something to consider.

Go to a bar/restaurant and talk with the bartender there.

Are there want ads for bartenders in your local paper? Read them and see what the local places are expecting.

In my experience, the qualifications can vary greatly between markets - even neighborhoods. In some markets, you're just opening beers. In other markets, more knowledge is required.

There's an enormous amount of variation in that field: hotels, restaurants, neighborhood sports bars, nightclubs - all vary widely.

you'll start out at the bottom and work your way up. There is no magic bullet for experience and knowledge. The schools will fill in the knowledge gap, but only experience will get you experience. I think a copy of Mr. Boston's Drink Guide http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Boston-Official-Bartenders-Party/dp/0446676888 will be just as effective as the school. Memorize it. Good luck.

finally got a job about a year ago. At a good chain restaurant. Working double shifts Friday Saturday and Sunday she brought home about $100 week after week.


She quit a couple of weeks ago. The grind wasn't worth it. She's on my health insurance for 5 more years, I can easily pay for her stuff the $100 covered.

was early twenties, 5'3", 105 lbs and some kinda cute & vivacious. No where near $100k, maybe half that and no benefits. She worked local chains with young middle class clientele. Saving grace was most of the income was cash.

You can start as a bar-back and learn the new trendy drinks but for the most part it's not that exotic. As for license, that's state by state so you need to check with the local alcoholic (oops, meant alcohol *edit*) commission.

It really is a personality dependent profession.

would be fine with me for a while until I found something better. That's all I'm asking for right now.

you can probably get a used one for under 5. but even a new one for not much. maybe something like that might be a good thing to read first.

nt

you need experience and good references. my wife started at a beer and shot and over the years she`s worked from the low to the high end bars.if you are good and have the personality you`ll make money but like any trade you`ll put up with a lot shit before you`ll make decent money.

here`s a great magazine for bartenders and owners..http://www.bevinfogroup.com/ME2/Default.asp

my wife gets the print edition but check out the online edition. you could get the print edition if you fudge a bit..hint, hint.

good luck!

just memorized recipes. Never worked as a bartender.

tell you to forget the school. My nephew manages an establishment in Seattle. They never hire bartender school graduates prefering to promote bar backs and wait staff.

I went and never got a job as a bartender. I did, however, work as a bouncer for many years and eventually as a bar manager. Protip: make friends with bartenders - they know who is looking for help and a good word will open doors for you. It's all about looks and personality, at least here in South Florida.

Being a certified mixologist is worthless. If you want to work as a bartender the banquet dept. at your local resorts are one of the easiest routes.

People skills are a must, which I seriously doubt they can teach you at any bartending school.

I had to leave because I couldn't deal with the hours anymore. I worked from 5pm to 5am, mostly by myself. Money was great but I just couldn't tolerate other people's problems anymore.

I did this while I was in college, started out as a shot girl and "graduated" to bartending, it was all on the job training. The take home pay was not the greatest and they didn't offer a lot of benefits, like health insurance, but the big money is in tips or private parties our bar offered. It may also depend on where you work, I was in Manhattan and the money really flowed. JackBeck is right. You have to have people skills. If you enjoy being with people, it shows and they will warm up to you. I enjoyed it. The people I worked with and some of our "regulars" were the best. Yes, you have to put up with some obnoxious drunks, sometimes, but our bouncers handled them quite well. The hours are rough, and you have to be a night person. I don't know if I could have handled it as a full time job. But it was great then, because I needed the money. Once I graduated from college, I stopped, because I had other goals. Personally, I wouldn't go to school for it...try getting in on the ground level...maybe as a barback, first, to see if you even like it. Good Luck!

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/11/bartenders_slaying_horrifies_l.html

MENTOR-ON-THE-LAKE, Ohio -- Ann McSween spent Thanksgiving night working her bartender job. Better times were coming, she told friends. Friday would be her 49th birthday. The day after that she was moving into a small apartment next to the pub.

Instead, McSween was stabbed to death early Friday after closing up the lounge. Her body was found in a nearby woods around 8:30 that morning.

On Saturday, Mario Cacaic, owner of Mario's Lakeway Lounge, couldn't stop reliving what he believes were McSween's final moments after she punched out from work at 3 a.m.

I started as a bar back at 18 over 20 years ago at a nightclub. Worked about a year doing that and was promoted to bartender. Worked from about 9PM until 4am and routinely made $100-150/night. Considering min. wage was $3.35/hr, it was a nice paying job for a 19 year old. I only worked weekends while going to school during the week. Worked in the restaurant/bar business until I graduated. The hardest part of the job is learning to save money. You leave with your paycheck in cash every night. Must have the discipline to put some away for bills. If you can find a place that does a solid business during the week and work 5 shifts/week. $50K is possible.

That's the way most people do it.. Those schools are usually a way to extract money from you...

If you hang out at a particular place, ask if they could hire you as bar-help, and then just watch & ask questions

but then he was the OWNER, I don't think the people who worked there did that great though.