Doing something because “it’s the way it has been done in the past,” in reality, is to do something because it is familiar and may only serve to perpetuate a costly, inefficient or otherwise unfounded practice.More>>

To my way of thinking, a tour of duty as a bar back is the best way to become a bartender. You learn that bartending as a nightlong series of interactions and transactions interspersed with making a few hundred cocktails.More>>

Keeping an operation running at optimum efficiency, takes knowing what to look for and making the necessary adjustments at the appropriate time. Therefore, beverage operations have to be hitting on all cylinders to crank out maximum profits. More>>

What advice would you give a bartender working your bar for the first time? Following is a short list of things to cover in your bartender's initial pre-shift meeting:More>>

I am what is referred to as a business traveler. One of the downsides of traveling is having to dine alone. So why is it that from the moment I enter a restaurant alone, I’m treated like some pathetic excuse of a human being?More>>

I recently mentioned my skepticism about traveling bartenders — those who hop around the country for guest shots and work in multiple bars. My main complaint was on behalf of the customer, but following are two interesting twists to the trend that might soften me up: More>>

I have heard "no" far too many times. This way of thinking actually makes me mad! We are in the service industry; it is our job to serve our guests, our duty to make our guests “raving fans” and our livelihood to provide a service to our guests.More>>

My mentality has always been the same: The guest experience must be the most important subject in the service industry.More>>

Let’s be honest, bad service stinks. Rankle our sensibilities, trod on our concepts of lounge etiquette and we’ll rebel. There are unwritten conventions governing professional bar conduct. You know most of them intuitively. Then why is it so many bartenders consistently step on these...More>>

“Let me check with the …” They may seem innocuous, but these five little words make me cringe. This phrase means the server is not educated about a huge percentage of your establishment’s sales. More>>