Bartender & Bar Server Duties
Bartender Responsibilities:
- Welcoming customers, reading and listening to people to determine beverage preferences, making recommendations, and taking drink orders.
- Planning drink menus and informing customers about new beverages and specials.
- Selecting and mixing ingredients, garnishing glasses, and serving beverages to customers.
- Checking identification to ensure customers are the legal age to purchase alcohol.
- Taking inventory and ordering supplies to ensure bar and tables are well-stocked.
- Adhering to all food safety and quality regulations.
- Handling cash, credit, and debit card transactions, ensuring charges are accurate and returning correct change to patrons, balancing the cash register.
- Maintaining a clean work and dining area by removing trash, cleaning tables, and washing glasses, utensils, and equipment.
- Developing new cocktail recipes.
Bar Server Duties and Responsibilities
Bar servers are hired by a number of establishments, including hotels and restaurants, but the basic duties and responsibilities are the same everywhere and include the following:
Serve Drinks to Customers
Bar servers serve wine, bottled beer, draft beer, mixed drinks, and cocktails to customers.
Mix Drinks and Prepare Cocktails
Bartenders do not fill every single drink order; for simple orders such as draft or bottled beer, the bar server will be required to prepare these items themselves.
Take Beverage Orders
Bar servers must accurately record all drink orders from guests and servers.
Provide Customer Service
Bar servers must respond to customer complaints and find the appropriate person to handle customer problems as they arise.
Check Customer Identification and Monitor Customer Drinking
Bar servers are responsible for making sure all persons being served alcohol meet legal age requirements. Bar servers must also determine when customers have had enough to drink and stop serving people who have reached this limit.
Make Menu Recommendations
Bar servers advise guests on which menu items to purchase and make recommendations about pairing food with beverages to maximize flavor. This means that bar servers must be very familiar with all drink and food menus in the establishment where they work.
Record Orders and Collect Money
Bar servers must keep track of all customer drink orders and make a record of them for the final bill. When this bill is presented, bar servers must collect money from customers.
Cut and Prepare Drink Garnishes
Bar servers’ stock the drink garnish station and replenish supplies throughout the night. Bar servers apply all necessary garnishes to drinks before serving them.