Bartender: What is the cost of hiring?

What is a bartender?

A bartender mixes cocktails, pours drinks and serves bottled beverages to customers in a business or at a private event. They help keep operations compliant and efficient by verifying customers’ ages, processing payments and managing cash. Bartenders also typically manage inventory, adhere to local and state laws, such as host liability laws that address customers’ intoxicated behavior, and maintain a clean bar environment.

Why hire a bartender?

Bartenders communicate with customers, reinforcing your brand identity while they serve drinks. They can help increase customer loyalty and boost the likelihood of repeat business to help your company succeed long-term.

You might hire this type of professional if your drink order volume exceeds your staff’s capacity or if you plan to expand the business.

Contributions of a great bartender:

• Build rapport with customers and create a welcoming environment
• Organize the bar area and develop accurate inventory management systems
• Increase the number of drink orders your business can process per shift

Defining your hiring needs for a bartender

As you determine how to hire a bartender, analyze your worker availability, reservation volume and order data to decide if the position should be full-time or part-time. For a small restaurant or an establishment that’s only open on the weekends, a part-time bartender may be sufficient. Full-time workers are common in bars, clubs and restaurants with high-volume drink sales.

Related roles you may want to consider include restaurant server and barback.

Types of bartenders

Bartenders may specialize based on the size or complexity of the business, their industry or their specific duties. Types of bartenders include:

• Mixologists: These professionals specialize in preparing high-quality craft cocktails. They typically have extensive knowledge of spirits, flavor profiles and ingredients. They may also be skilled in developing new mixed drinks or adding a creative element to popular recipes.
• Flair bartenders: Professionals in this role add a performance element to drink mixing. They might use fire, magic tricks or tricks such as spinning or flipping, to entertain customers.

To increase the visibility of your job post, consider including top keywords that candidates are searching for. According to Indeed data, these are the most popular search terms that lead to clicks on bartender job postings:

• Bartender
• Server
• Bartending
• Restaurant
• Server restaurant
• Bar
• Barback
• Waitress

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Where to find a bartender

You can find bartenders through employee referrals, food industry job boards and social media. Networking with other professionals in the bar and restaurant industry can help you connect with candidates with relevant skills and experience.

To find the right bartender for your business, consider trying a few different recruiting strategies:

• Employee referrals: Ask whether your existing team of servers and bar employees know others in the industry searching for work.
• Internal promotions: Consider training a server, barback or line cook in mixology and bartending tasks.
• Social media: Post your job opening on social media to reach job seekers familiar with your establishment.
• Job fairs: Attend job fairs that are focused on the service industry to meet potential candidates in person. 
• Post your job online: Try posting your bartender job on Indeed to find and attract candidates.

Skills to look for in a bartender

A great bartender will have many of the following skills, developed through a mix of professional experience, training or education:

• Ability to correctly prepare various cocktails and mixed drinks
• Knowledge of state alcohol laws and food safety rules
• Proficiency in point-of-sale (POS) systems and cash registers
• Experience managing inventory for liquor, mixers, glassware and supplies, such as garnishes or liquor pourers
• Strong communication and customer service skills to take orders and create a welcoming environment
• Attention to detail for mixing drinks or handling cash

Writing a bartender job description

A strong bartender job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the required and preferred skills for the position. You may also want to include information about your company culture, benefits and perks to attract top candidates.

Ready to get started? Check out our full guide for writing bartender job descriptions.

Interviewing bartender candidates

To get a better sense of a candidate’s skills and experience, be prepared to ask questions about the following topics:

• Staying organized while serving multiple customers
• Familiarity with popular cocktails and mixing techniques, such as shaking, stirring or muddling
• Handling conflicts and safety issues, such as physical hazards from slips 
• Communicating with customers and building rapport
• Understanding and enforcing state liquor laws regarding serve policies and properly checking customer identification