Where to Bartend? Where to Start Looking?

So, where to bartend? Now that you've decided to bartend, all that remains is finding a venue where you can start showing off your bartending skills, right?

Before you start filling out applications, you might first want to figure out what type of venue would suit you.

The reason this step is so crucial is because the establishment where you bartend will determine many aspects of the job, such as the types of clients you will to serve, personal attire, level of customer service that you are expected to give, client interaction, drink knowledge, etc.

These are all important factors that will help you decide where it is you want to bartend.

For your convenience, I've broken down the types of venues below, and have added my own personal commentary when appropriate. In determining where to bartend, you should consider the following items: atmosphere, drinks and food, customer service, and money.

I've elaborated more on these factors and things to consider when deciding where to bartend. Look through the list and see which one you think will work best for you.

Where to Bartend - Lounge

If you're a bit unsure of your bartending skills or feel slightly overwhelmed, lounges are nice place to start bartending.

Lounges are nice. They're not too loud, but they're not dead either.

Lounges lack the crazy hussle-and-bussle and loudness of a club, but are still lively enough to feel vibrant and energetic depending on the night and crowd.

Atmosphere

Lounges are typically characterized as places where people can, no pun intended, lounge. As a result, special emphasis will be placed on the interior design and decor.

The vibe and theme will vary depending on the lounge, however, you can bet that there will be comfy chairs, sofas, and perhaps even cabanas all arranged in a way that encourages group seating and conversation.

Lounges may or may not have DJs, but regardless, they will most likely play music ranging from anything such as jazz, classical, to house, but the music will never be too loud so as to hinder conversation.

The decor and ambience of these places are usually posh and very high-end. Clients will most likely need to dress up, as would you.

Drinks & Food

As a bartender, you will most likely have to learn how to make various signature drinks specific to the lounge menu, and also need some working knowledge on the different types of wine the house carries.

Also, depending on whether the lounge serves food or not, you may have to memorize the food items and know how to pair different dishes with certain drinks and wine.

You can most likely find lounges that are a part of a restaurant or, if you're lucky, part of a hotel chain. The latter is, in my personal opinion, a gem if you're able to score a gig here.

Because these lounges are a part of a hotel chain, they will offer great benefits such as higher hourly wage, benefits, and discounts to their employees, in addition to the tips that you ear. The extensive benefit factor is definitely something to consider when choosing where to bartend.

Customer Service

Customer service is key, particularly if you're a bartender working at a lounge. Patrons come to the lounge for the atmosphere and service.

Sure they might come for the tasty drinks or delicious appetizers, but the majority of them are coming for the atmosphere and vibe. And whether you like it or not, at a lounge, you are a part of the ambience and atmosphere.

As a result, no matter how busy it gets, you will always be expected to provide timely and personable customer service to the patrons.

Money

The money you make at a lounge will depend on the quality, not the quantity, of tips you receive from the patrons. It's quality, not volume. Because although lounges tend to be busy, they will most certainly not be packed like a club, so the tips that you generate depend largely on the generosity of the patron, which in turn is determined by the quality of service you provide.

Don't get me wrong. Of course you will run into stingy tippers. But in general, at least based on my personal experience, if you take care of the customer, they will take care of you.

Where to Bartend - Sports Bar

Atmosphere

Determining where to bartend might depend on your interests as well. How so? Well, I'm from Boston. And Boston is a city that takes its sports seriously. And so it's without a doubt that sports bars have played, and will continue to play a major part in the social night scene in Boston. Depending on how well you can stomach sports fans, and whether you're an avid fan yourself, may play a crucial role in determine where to bartend.

If you yourself are a die-hard sportsfan, a sports bar might be a fun place to bartend.

Sportsbars are actually my favorite! They range anywhere from a small neighborhood bar where locals gather to watch a Red Sox or Patriots game to multi-leveled bars decked with more flatscreen TVs than they have beers on tap.

Imagine walls covered with sports memorabilia, framed newspaper clippings, and photos from greatest moments in sports history. Couple that with diehard fans packing the bar every game night, and there you have it. A typical night out at a sports bar.

Drinks & Food

Don't expect to be making classic martinis or signature cocktails. You may get a request once in a bluemoon for a martini or mojito here and there, but expect to spend most of your time pouring beer and opening up beer bottles.

After all, how often do you find someone sipping on a glass of wine while rooting for their favorite baseball team?

As for food, you're most likely going to be serving typical bar food, such as burgers, fries, buffalo wings. Nothing too crazy. As long as you have a working knowledge of the menu, you should be golden!

Customer Service

Again, customer service is vital. Patrons expect good service when frequenting their favorite sports bar. It's not just a place where they can get beer, but it's also a spot where they can chit chat with the bartender and engage in heavy sports talk with their friends. So customer service is going to be pivotal.

Money

Similar to the lounge, the money you make while working at a sports bar will come primarily from tips. In sports bars, it's not so much the volume of customers, but the quality of tips customers leave. So be sure to treat your customers well, and they will treat you well too.

Where to Bartend - Club

Atmosphere

The atmosphere in a club is going to be fast-paced, chaotic, and at times hectic. So definitely, ask yourself if you'll be comfortable in a club setting, before determining where to bartend. The music will be loud, the lights low. The decor and design of the place is going to vary from club to club, but for the most part, expect a dance floor, several bars (they can range anywhere from 2 to as many as 6 or more depending on how big the club is), and limited light.

Drinks & Food

Chances are you won't be working from a cocktail menu, but depending on the venue, you may or may not have to concoct martini drinks. For instance, in the first club I worked at, we were not expected to make intricate cocktails such as mojitos and old-fashions, but were expected to make simple vodka martinis.

With a few exceptions, you will almost never serve food at a night club. I've been to a number of clubs across the country and the world, and I have yet to come across a club that serves food during regular club business hours.

Customer Service

Customer service is important, but not as important as it is in the other joints. Why? Because of the sheer volume of drinks you have to make, and the number of transactions you will have to carry out, you simply do not have the time or the resources to provide high-quality care to your customers. And most of them aren't even expecting it. How often do you go to a club expecting to chit chat with the bartender? Almost never, right? In fact, yoou'd be lucky to get a drink within the first 5 minutes of stepping up to the bar.

So bottomline is: treat the customers nicely, but don't bend your back to cater to their every need. Half of them will most likely be drunk jerks anyway. ;)

Money

The money that you make at a club depends entirely on the volume of tips you earn, which are dependent on the number of drinks you make. The key is this: the faster you make the drinks, the more tips you will earn.

Where to Bartend - Restaurant Bar

Atmosphere

Restaurant bars are everywhere. These are restaurants that primarily serve food, but also have a full-service bar where customers can sit and relax while enjoying a drink. Uno's, Legal Seafoods, and Cheesecake Factory are a few that come to mind.

In terms of bar atmosphere, I would say depending on where you work, it is a mix bewtween a sports bar and a lounge. For instance, UNO's might have more of a sports bar atmosphere, while Cheesecake Factory might have a more "loungey" vibe.

Drinks & Food

You'll most likely need to have a good amount of knowledge of the house menu and should be able to pair drinks and beer with specific dishes-both appetizers and entrees. You're also going to need a working knowledge of wine and food pairings.

Customer Service

Customer service in restaurant bars is pretty crucial. Not only will you be dealing with customers up-close-and-personal, but you will also be spending a good amount of time interacting with these patrons, so putting in an effort to provide good service and thereby build relationships are key factors to doing well.

Money

As a bartender at a restaurant, you will not only receive tips that you generate at the bar, but also money from the servers who declare, or tip out, a portion of their liquor sales to you. This is definitely a plus factor, and may play a role in helping you determine where to bartend.

Here's why. You will be making drinks for both customers seated at the bar, and customers seated in the restaurant. You won't be getting tips directly from them, but from the servers.

Usually, it's anywhere from 10 to 15 percent of a server's alcohol sale that they have to declare to you. So if a waiter sells $500 worth of drinks in one shift, and they're supposed to tip you 10% of that, you will walk out with $50. It makes sense, right? After all, it's only fair that your work (making the drinks) is acknowledged and rewarded.

I hope I've managed to shed some light on both the ins-and-outs of working at particular venues.

Hopefully, you will find it easier to determine where it is you'd like to bartend :)