Bar management can be a demanding and stressful job. Basically working in hospitality entails long hours, a great deal of responsibility, and the unpredictability that comes with it. However, it can be a fulfilling experience in which you can combine creativity with staff management and operations. This article delves into several aspects of management and offers advice on how to become a great bar manager. So in other words, we’ll go over the important aspects of managing a lucrative and efficient bar. This starts with generally understanding the bar management job description, and duties. It further involves having prior knowledge of bar management salary, a list of courses you can register for on Udemy or Coursera to boost your resume and software related to it.
For starters, smart ordering, bar cleanliness, and organization, and making your bar a nice environment to work in are simple things to consider.
Let’s kick off already with a definition.
What Is Bar Management?
If you appreciate the nightlife and a fast-paced job, but also have managerial abilities, a career in bar management might be for you.
Bar management entails running and operating a bar that provides alcoholic beverages. If you’re in control of a bar, you’ll be responsible for a range of employees, including bouncers, bartenders, and servers.
Bar management also includes a significant amount of entertainment. Televised sports games and live events including bands and comedians are two potential entertainment possibilities. A bar manager may also have to make menu decisions and supervise the bar’s kitchen if the bar offers food.
Opportunities for Bartending Jobs
Bar managers are classified as food service managers by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). You can work your way up from various positions in a food service firm to become a bar manager. You may begin your career as a server who accepts and delivers orders, a chef who prepares food, a bartender who serves beverages, or even a bouncer who keeps the bar safe and orderly. Once you’ve been promoted to bar manager, you’ll be in charge of the bar’s overall operations. You’ll have to deal with customer complaints, keep track of the bar’s inventory, and make sure that employees are doing their jobs rightly.
Requirements for Education
Managers of bars and restaurants are normally needed to have a high school diploma and prior experience in the industry. You can obtain experience by working in lower-level professions such as serving or bartending.
However, some firms are willing to teach new employees the necessary job description and duties of bar management after they are hired. A bar managing certificate program at a vocational or technical institution may be of interest to bar managers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, certain states have strict age limits for bartenders and waiters who serve alcohol, and you may be required to study state alcohol distribution rules.
If you want to work in management, you can get an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in hospitality management with a beverage management specialization. Safety standards, legal aspects of running a bar, and effective marketing methods are all covered in these degree programs. In addition, various certificate programs in bar management are available.
What are the Duties/ Job Description for People in Bar Management ?
We tangentially addressed a good number of managerial responsibilities in the breakdown of skills. However, not all bar management jobs are created equal, thus job description may vary. The following list of generic duties for each manager. A lot relies on the bar where you work and the other people who work there. And there is a lot of overlap in job titles between bar kinds.
Managers in corporate bars, for example, typically have a more uniform and focused set of tasks.
Managers in independent bars or as part of a small group, on the other hand, sometimes have a broader range of responsibilities than their corporate counterparts. However, it will also provide them more input, control, and creative freedom.
Determine which management style and career path you’d like to pursue by determining what traits you value in a work.
Summary of Bar Management Duties and Job Description
Staffing Responsibilities
- Recruiting and training employees
- Scheduling
- Keeping track of employees during shifts
- Taking care of personnel concerns
- Getting feedback from employees and responding to it
Money Responsibilities
- Setting budget for Labor costs, liquor charges, and food expenses
- Profitability improvement
- Statements of Product and Loss
- Comprehensive review of Inventory and sales reports
- Sharing reports with owners and accountants.
Operation Responsibilities
- Inventory management
- Marketing
- Creating a menu
- Establishing and improving standard operating procedures (SOPs)
- Assigning tasks to others
Customer Responsibilities
- Guest greeting and assistance
- Taking care of and resolving concerns with guests
- During serving, touch the tables and check on the visitors.
Administrative Responsibilities
- Obtaining the appropriate licenses
- Payroll
- Payments and invoice processing
- Observance of health and safety regulations
Service Responsibilities
- Configuring the server parts
- Providing assistance and advice to waiters and bartenders
- Managing the kitchen’s workflow
- Bar Staffing and Training
- Good employees are the golden passport to success.
Generic Bar Management Job Description and Duties, Explained!!!
Focus on all 9 of the following bar management duties whether you’re drafting a bar manager job description or applying for a bar management position.
#1. Inventory Control
A bar manager’s decision on what beverages to order depending on what has been sold is one of, if not the most crucial, duties. Then, the next will be to purchase those beverages and negotiate contracts with suppliers. Bar inventory management is the term for this procedure. When done consistently and accurately, it allows bartenders to see which drinks are the most popular and profitable. If you want to run a popular and profitable bar, you need to know these two things.
Most managers will manually take inventory using a bar management inventory spreadsheet or utilize liquor inventory software to automate the process. This task can be done daily or weekly, depending on how busy the bar is. In any case, managers should not wait until an item is totally sold out before ordering more. It is ultimately the bar manager’s obligation to ensure that the bar is constantly adequately stocked, whether they want to take inventory themselves or delegate the work to other employees.
#2. Hire, Train, and Oversee Staff
A bar manager is in charge of creating bartender interview questions, employing bartenders, and growing the team. While the bar manager does not teach new employees, he or she does select the trainers and oversee the development of all bar staff training materials. Just ensure you know the answer to the question, “How old must you be to serve alcohol?”
For every shift, a bar manager oversees the work of the personnel once they’ve been hired and trained. That indicates the bar manager has prepared the workers for the upcoming shift by writing the schedule and assigning stations. They’ll also need to know how to recognize a thief among the bartenders.
At the same time, a good bar manager must concentrate on the development of his or her team. It is their responsibility to ensure that personnel have access to relevant learning materials and tools in order to maintain their professional development. You may, for example, encourage (and even pay for) staff who are interested in wine to obtain an alcohol server certification or enroll in the Introductory Sommelier course. This is one of the four levels of sommelier certification.
#3. Lead by Example
A successful bartender recognizes that they are not just managing, but also leading their team. They develop leadership by demonstrating it via their own actions and decisions. A manager should be happy to roll up their sleeves and work on the front lines, from busing tables to bartending. Plus, he’s full of energy and passion. This emphasizes the importance of each employee’s role in the facility and makes the bar manager more accessible to both bartenders and clients.
#4. Ensure Bar Cleanliness and Safety
A spick-and-span bar is a surefire way to wow visitors. On the other hand, a well-organized bar allows employees to work more efficiently. While cleaning the bar and keeping it great throughout the day is a team effort, the bar manager is in charge of assigning these tasks to staff, creating cleaning schedules, acquiring bar and restaurant cleaning supplies, and using a bar cleaning checklist to ensure that all tasks are completed at the end of the day.
#5. Market Yourself
Another major role for bar managers and supervisors is getting customers in the door. This includes anything from happy hour ideas to bar advertising ideas, managing the bar’s website, and social media presence.
#6. Maintain a Financial Plan
This is where the bartender’s astute business judgment comes into play. All of the bar’s expenses are budgeted for by the owners. To keep a profitable bar, bartenders must keep all expenses under control. Every new employee, operational decision, and marketing strategy is scrutinized via the budget lens. A smart bar manager makes the most of resources, spends as little as possible, and stays under budget, keeping the restaurant’s balance sheet in good shape.
#7. Establish Client Relationships
The success of a bar relies heavily on its regulars. They not only bring in cash during the slow seasons, but they also refer the pub to their friends, bringing in new business. That’s why it’s crucial to form close bonds with all of your visitors, especially your regulars. If a regular walks in and you recognize them, they’ll be grateful. Look out if you know their name and what they order. They’re going to adore you for it.
Furthermore, to keep your regulars satisfied, you might occasionally provide a free drink or a discount as a bar manager. It’s the little things that show them how much they’re valued. And that will entice them to return.
#8. Boost Sales
The bar manager’s responsibilities do not cease once their marketing has paid off and customers are in the door. They’re also in charge of determining how many beverages are sold and how profitable they are.
A bar manager can determine which cocktails are the most profitable and popular after taking and reviewing their beverage inventory. Their goal is to make profitable drinks popular, as well as profitable drinks popular. Menu engineering, up-selling, mixology, and supplier discounts are among the techniques at their disposal. When seeking to boost sales, bartenders frequently modify prices strategically based on the outcomes of their drink engineering. When utilized for menus, QR codes at restaurants and bars make things a lot easier. Menu prices can be changed at any time and at no expense. This provides bar managers a lot of leeways when it comes to pricing methods.
Hiring Bar Management Personel Tips
Here are some helpful tips to help you with hiring when it comes to bar management.
#1. Referrals
Personal connections are essential in the restaurant and bar sector. It’s part of the hospitality business concept. It’s also a wonderful technique to find top-notch employees. If you have an employee with a strong work ethic who excels in all of their responsibilities, you can rely on them to propose new hires while you’re on the market.
A strong worker will almost certainly only refer other strong workers. There are two reasons for this. One of the reasons is that their reputation is at stake. And because they bear responsibility for the referral, good employees will not want to refer a bad worker to their boss.
The second reason is, in a positive way, more selfish. Because it will impair their job performance and workload, a good employee will not want to work with someone who is underperforming.
#2. Industry Job Boards
Job boards like Culinary Agents, Poached, and iHireChefs are excellent places to look for qualified employees. And, because they’re industry-specific, you’ll get more qualified applicants than if you advertised on Craigslist or other general job boards.
Though posting on these forums costs money, the benefit is that you’ll have a better chance of hiring a great new employee.
#3. Asking the Right Questions
When it comes to hiring new employees, the interview process is vital. That should be self-evident. However, many pubs and restaurants that are short-staffed want immediate assistance and may wind up employing bodies rather than professionals who are an ideal fit.
#4. Compatible Experience
Many restaurants have diverse service styles. If you’re recruiting a bartender for a nightclub, look for someone who has worked in a nightclub before, or at the very least has expertise with high volume, speed, and a calm temperament.
If you run a fine dining establishment, on the other hand, you’ll want someone with white tablecloth experience, a solid understanding of wine, and clear communication skills when explaining complex dishes or suggesting food and wine pairings.
Knowing what abilities you’ll need to succeed in your environment will assist you hire people who have them.
#5. Uncomfortable Situations
When it comes to customer service, the unexpected, strange, and unsettling can happen without warning. The necessity to stop a customer from ordering drinks can be a difficult issue. Ask candidates how they would manage a situation like this, or better still, how they have dealt with similar situations in the past.
#6. Employment History
A bar managemet resume tells you more than simply your work history and references. It also conveys a message of loyalty. Though bar turnover is high, keep track of how long an applicant has been at previous positions.
A bar management resume full of job durations of two to three months may indicate that this person is more likely to leave your bar in the same time frame. Another red flag is if they don’t disclose the length of time they worked at previous jobs. This could indicate that they’re attempting to hide the fact that they’re bouncing from one employment to another.
However, because of their lack of experience, career history may not be as important for younger applicants. It’s also crucial to inquire about what led to their departure from previous jobs. The way they talk about it reveals a lot about what they value.
#7. Training Restaurant Staff
After hiring, the next stage is to train your employees. A solid training program is an excellent approach to create service standards while also providing value to employees, who will feel more at ease and competent when working on the floor.
It’s vital to realize that new hires aren’t the only ones who need to be trained. Staff training should be ongoing in order to keep them interested and provide value so that they do not become bored or uninspired at work.
#8. Build a Strategy
Every training program should begin with a well-thought-out strategy. Make a list of the objectives you want your team to achieve. Make sure they’re measurable so you can see what’s working and what needs to change to achieve success.
Apply the same plan to each new employee who joins your company, making adjustments as needed. This ensures that everyone is on the same page and held to the same set of standards when there is consistency.
Furthermore, prioritize the tasks in your plan so that your employees understand the importance of certain responsibilities over others. For example, before beginning to serve tables and make recommendations to guests, a server should have a thorough understanding of the menu.
Training should be scheduled on a regular basis to reinforce what employees need to know, introduce new menu items, and focus on areas where they are falling short.
Bar Management Salary
In bars, there is a lot of room for advancement. Once you’re behind the bar, a career path awaits you, from bar back to bartender to bar manager and beyond. The average bar manager salary is an important factor to consider when considering a career change from bartending to bar management. So, let’s take a look at the national average salary for bar management in the United States.
By averaging bar manager salaries from the five largest nationwide employment websites, here is a national average for a bar management jobs. The national average salary when it comes to bar management in the United States is $45,383. So, based on that number and the average number of hours bar managers work per week, bar management ssalary per hour is around $14.55.
Of course, this is dependent on the number of years of experience. Bar managers frequently advance to positions such as general manager, beverage director, or in-house wine specialist. However, it’s safe to assume that the average wage corresponds to a mid-career level of expertise of 5–7 years.
Bar Management Resume
Here is a bar management resumer template:
How to Write a Bar Management Resume
Regardless of the template above, trust me you would want to know how to write a perfect bar management resume.
#1. Select the Most Appropriate Format for Your Bar Management Resume
Whether you’re applying at a dingy pub with watered-down PBRs or a swanky speakeasy with $45 cocktails, your resume must be properly structured.
So ensure you give them a bar resume template with a nice layout if you want a real shot at getting the job.
Follow these recommendations for resume formatting:
- Begin with your contact information in the header section.
- For readability, use resume sections with readable headings.
- Select the finest resume format, which is usually the chronological format.
- Choose a good resume font and make effective use of white space.
- Unless the job ad specifies otherwise, send your resume as a PDF.
#2. Create a Resume Summary or Objective for a Bar Manager
A resume profile is also known as an objective or summary on a resume.
This three- to four-line introduction paragraph gives bar owners and restaurant managers a brief look at how well you fit the bar manager role.
It has to grab their attention right away, like a happy hour specials board.
If you have more than two years of bar manging experience, select the resume summary. Your management skills and experience are listed in the summary statement. It also comes with a numbered achievement to demonstrate that you’re the best option.
If you have little or no experience as a bartender, use the resume objective. Your management career goals are listed in the target statement, as well as an accomplishment to demonstrate your worth.
Pro Tip: Just because the heading phrase is at the top doesn't imply it has to be written first. Instead, save it till the end to give you a better notion of what to summarize.
#4. Write the Perfect Resume Job Description for a Bar Manager
Get the resume job history section properly, whether you’re serving diners at a town pub and grill or overseeing the tropical ambiance of a tiki bar.
Here’s how to ace the bar manager job description portion of your resume:
- Start with your most recent job and work your way backwards.
- Your job title should be at the top, followed by dates worked, the company name, and 5–6 bullet points.
- As you progress through your employment history, you should reduce the number of bullet points you provide.
- Begin each bar manager-related bullet point item with a resume action term.
- Showcase quantifiable accomplishments rather than just the typical bartending responsibilities.
- Each resume should be tailored to a specific employer. Don’t send the identical message to every bar in town.
No concerns if you don’t have prior bar experience. In your bullet points, continue to include the most bar-relevant and management-appropriate job tasks. Choose entries that demonstrate your beverage expertise, bar prowess, leadership, and so forth.
#5. Make the Education Section of Your Bar Management Resume Stand Out
The education section of a resume for bar managers may appear to be unimportant.
However, if you believe that, you will be unfit for the position of bar manager.
Here’s how to ace the education component of the exam:
- Have you worked as a bar manager for more than 5 years? Only provide your school, major, and degree. If you think it will improve your candidacy, include relevant coursework.
- Are you new to the world of bartending? Provide additional information, such as academic accomplishments, extracurricular activities, relevant coursework, and preferred fields of study.
- Have you completed your studies in university? You should not include high school on your resume.
- Are you still a student in college? As a secondary entry, include high school.
Tip: Coursework related to both food service and management, such as hospitality management, food and beverage, health and safety, leadership training, public speaking, and so on, is relevant for bar management careers.
#6. Emphasize your Bar Managing Skills
Whether it’s a dive bar or a comedy club, a karaoke bar or a brew pub, bar owners are seeking for a skilled manager.
First, here’s a list of popular bartending skills to include on a resume:
Skills for a Bar Manager Resume;
- Purchasing Beverages and Food
- Bar Specials & Menu Planning for Budget Management
- Catering and event planning
- Hygiene, safety, and health Compliance
- Hospitality Marketing Expertise
- Bartending Services
- Pairing Wines
- Communication Capabilities
- Performs Well Under Pressure
- Time Management and Creativity
- Accountability
- Leadership Skills with Attention to Detail
- Collaboration & Teamwork in Problem Solving
- Personality Qualities
- Critical Thinking and Decision Making
- Management Capabilities
But then you can’t just copy and paste this list into your resume.
That’s as unwelcome as a drunken thug.
Instead, try this:
- Make a list of your job abilities connected to bar managing, including both soft and hard skills.
- Keep the bar management job description visible and accessible.
- From the job requirements, they should highlight the abilities they want. Those are the best keywords for a resume.
- Add a highlighted entry to your bar management resume if it matches a skill on your list!
As a bar manager candidate, your CV should have an equal amount of hard talents (mixology, menu planning) and soft abilities (management) (time management, verbal communication).
#7. Expand Your Bar Managment Resume with Additional Sections
Now you’ve put together a strong résumé.
Add an extra section or two to your resume to help it stand out from the other bar management candidates.
Demonstrate to them that whereas the other contenders are Old Fashioned, you are Cosmopolitan.
Here are some amazing resume additions for bar managing jobs:
- projects requiring language skills certifications
- memberships licenses awards
- interests and hobbies
- volunteer work
#8. Include a Cover Letter With Your Resume for a Bar Manager
Don’t forget to include a cover letter with your application.
Attach a bar manager cover letter to your resume, whether it’s for an Irish pub or a cocktail lounge.
Here’s how to write a cover letter for a job as a bartender that they’ll enjoy:
- Make a strong first impression with your cover letter’s introduction.
- Describe your experience and talents as a bartender.
- To demonstrate your value to them, include noteworthy accomplishments.
- A strong call to action should be included at the end of the cover letter.
Remember to follow up on your job application. Sending a fast email or making a quick phone call to the bar owner could be enough to get you hired.
Furthermore, a strong cover letter that complements your resume will put you ahead of the competition.
Let’s take a quick look a few courses you can use to your advantage in your bar management career.
Bar Management Courses
The following are a few bar management courses on Udemy and other learning platforms . They come with a price though. Either way, it’s most not about the price but the value embedded in these courses. But note that these are just options based on online reviews, you can make your own research to pick the one best for you.
- Bar Management Training Course – 8 Areas of Focus For Success
- Bar Management Course by Eventtrix
- CPD Certified Course on Bar Managment
The Eight Habits of an Effective Bar Manager
The following bar management tips are the most crucial in the industry. Basically, if you want to be a successful bar manager you must have these at the back of your palms.
#1. Consistently Hold Trainings
Everyone in your bar or restaurant, even your employees, is an expert. Your bar has a wealth of experience that you should take advantage of. Hold weekly or monthly trainings on menu items, processes, mixology, or whatever your employees are enthusiastic about. You can also request a quick training session on their newest goods from a wine or liquor representative.
Alternatively, a line cook could provide food preparation training.
#2. Put Together a Great Team
Personality, culture fit, and passion are all factors to consider when hiring. Then think about your abilities and experience. Anything may be taught to a motivated learner. Building your team entails the creation of a whole social dynamic, thus it must be done with care.
What determines whether work is a joyful or sad environment is if your employees enjoy or hate going to work. That is entirely dependent on the persons with whom they are in contact.
#3. Lead by Example
Be visible while the place is growing crowded. Get behind the bar, drop menus and welcome tables, clear plates, run a bus tub, whatever it is you want to do. If your employees don’t believe they’re the only ones working hard, they’ll be more motivated to do so.
#4. Give Employees a Voice
Make it clear to employees that they can submit feedback whether or not it is requested. Set up a suggestion box or an anonymous web form. In huddles and shift meetings, ask for comments. This is beneficial for two reasons: your employees will take ownership in the decision-making process, and you will receive a slew of new ideas.
#5. Be a Resource for Your Staff’s Professional Growth
Make it clear to everyone of your bar’s employees that you care about their professional progress. Work with them on a professional road map if they wish to pursue a career in hospitality.
Then assist them in moving forward. That could entail assisting them in finding the appropriate online courses, guiding them toward certifications, providing job experience that aligns with their goals, or assisting them in networking.
#6. Embrace Empathy
Empathy is the best predictor of career success. The ideal way to communicate is to listen and reply with empathy, as this shows your employees that you care about them. As a result, they are much more likely to contribute to the organization’s vision and mission.
#7. Take Bar Inventory Often
Taking bar inventory on a regular basis provides you the best chance of succeeding as a bar manager because it allows you to boost the profitability of your establishment. And ultimately, that’s the most important metric for determining your effectiveness as a bartender. Prices, menu structure, sales methods, and what to order from vendors will all be determined by your inventory numbers.
#8. Plug In to Industry Trends
Look up what other bartenders are doing in terms of menu design, marketing, layout, hiring, happy hours, and so on by going online. If a table d’hote menu is popular right now, take advantage of it. If not, continue on your way. There’s a whole community of people out there wanting to excel at the same thing you are, so join forces with them. Conferences, professional organisations and societies, Meetups, and social media groups are just a few examples. Participate!
How Do You Manage a Bar Effectively?
The following are some effective methods when it comes to managing a bar;
- Consistently Hold Training
- Put Together a Great Team
- Lead by Example
- Give Employees a Voice
- Be a Resource for Your Staff’s Professional Growth
- Embrace Empathy
- Take Bar Inventory Often
- Plug In to Industry Trends
What Is an Ideal Bar Manager?
An ideal bar manager needs to be able to handle emotional situations while also directing personnel to the task at hand. They must also be able to lead by example when dealing with a rowdy customer who has most likely had one too many drinks, or smooth over customer service blunders so that dissatisfied customers depart satisfied.
What Skills Do You Need to Be a Bar Manager?
The following are skills you would need to be a bar manager;
- Leadership.
- Motivational skills.
- Organisational skills.
- Great customer service.
- Ability to meet sales targets.
- Speed and accuracy.
What Are the Qualities of a Good Bar?
7 Qualities to Search for in a Bar Effective service.
- Excellent service is what makes a bar enjoyable.
- Wonderful Cuisine. Several individuals underestimate the availability of food in bars.
- Excellent Beer Selection.
- Affordable Pricing.
- . Nice Atmosphere
- Interior Design.
- Live Music.
How Do I Attract People to My Bar?
- Gaming Tablets.
- Self-Pour Beer & Beverage Walls.
- Picture Booths Are Enjoyable for Everyone.
- Popular Bar Games.
- Real Music.
- Night of Open Mic Singing
- Trivia Evening.
- Holiday Activities
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