bartending

Watching the World Cup in Pittsburgh Bars

June 9th, 2010

The World Cup is right around the corner.  Its the most popular sporting event in the entire world.  Okay….its not the most popular sports event in Pittsburgh…but its still exciting and it offers a whole different twist.

The exciting and different thing is when you are watching a match with natives, ardent fans, and followers of one of the competing nations.  If they are true fans the place will resonate with yells, cheers, songs, and all sorts of fun reactions as they reflect the fandom of their favorite national team.   Its one of the most excting packages of fan excitement you might find anywhere.

So where are those folks hanging out in Pittsburgh? 

We know that  The Pipers Pub on East Carson Street has a rep as a soccer bar and English pub….but I can’t believe that the rabid fans from around the world all want to be caught in an English pub during this event.

American TV is showing the world cup through ESPN this year…so soccer (football) fans can find it everywhere. Where will the Dutch, the South Africans, the Brazilians, and Mexicans and others in Pittsburgh be congregating, celebrating, hoping, and rooting for their native teams?

We searched around ….and dang didn’t find an answer…but we did find this cool article where a Pittsburgh resident who is a native of every competing World Cup team spoke about their national team and experiences. Its from the Pittsburgh Trib and its worth a read.

If you can find a local bar where the native fans are congregating and rooting for their home team arrange to watch it at the same time.

But, let us know. We want to take in the excitement.

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Pittsburgh Bartending School Cost

May 20th, 2010

We operate several bartending schools.  People always ask about the cost.  Its one of the first questions that comes up.  We are happy to discuss it.

When people ask the cost, they should always consider the payback that a bartending school can provide.  Its actually fantastic and far better and faster than any kind of trade school anywhere.

State regulated bartending schools typically cost somewhere between $300 and $1000 depending on the city and the market.  Our school falls somewhere in the middle of that range.  At a state regulated school you should get the following:

• hands on training behind a real bar
• learn a lot of recipes that are popular in all kinds of bars
• learn about alcohol, tastes, colors, mixers, etc. so you can start creating  drinks surprisingly fast
• alcohol management training
• VERY IMPORTANTLY an active local job placement program with real leads/contacts and a system to land bartender jobs.

We feature that kind of job placement program.  Its the critical step in earning back the cost of the 40 hour program.  We can’t guarantee jobs.  That is against the law.  It would be stupid for us to guarantee jobs to anyone.  We don’t do the hiring. 

But our Pittsburgh bartending school has incorporated a bartending job placement program that was developed elsewhere and in early 2010 alone helped grads land over 350 jobs by Mid May.  Not another bartending school in the nation is wiling to show that kind of information.   We will.  We want you to be able to earn that money back and more and do it quickly!! 

Meanwhile a graduating bartender can often land a job quickly, often within a week or two, and start making money back fast.   Here is exactly what we see from our grads in Pittsburgh and other cities where we have operated bartending schools.

A beginning bartender who isn’t fully skilled yet, might find him or herself earning somewhere in a range of $100/night in tips, give or take about $50/night.   Not bad.  That’s about $500 in one’s first week.  That alone pretty much pays for bartending school.

Once you get more comfortable and more efficient we see graduate bartenders in Pittsburgh earning in the $200-$400 range on solid evenings.  These can be weekdays or weekends and it depends on the bar and the type of bar.  It could be a club, it could be a fancy restaurant.  Its got to be busy and popular for you to make good money.

At that rate its easy to see how a good full time bartender can earn $30-$60,000/year.  Imagine that after a 40 hour program that can be finished in one or two weeks depending on scheduling and costs far less than $1,000.   That is incredible.  No other type of trade school training offers the same opportunities.

If you are bartending part time its also easy to make that investment in bartending school payoff.  Imagine making it your fun extra part time job.  You work one or two nights/week possibly making about $300/week and you only do it about 40 weeks of the year.  That is an extra $12,000 in a fun job.  Again you are making it from an investment of far less than $1,000 and investing it in yourself and your skills.

One nice thing about a state regulated bartending school like us is that we help all our grads all the time.  Say you take the course, graduate and don’t bartend for a period and then decide now is the time.   Come back to the school.  Take a FREE refresher class(es).   Get updated job leads and start working.  The investment in yourself still works.

Enough of this talk about money though.  Bartending is fun.  Its like being at the party, having fun…..AND GETTING PAID.  Nothing beats that.

So if you want to know more about our Pittsburgh Bartending School call us at 412-921-9227.   Arrange to visit the school.  Get the exact costs there.  Watch class in session.  Speak with our staff.  Ask questions.  Find out about our placement program.

Better bring a smile though.  Its bartending!!  Its a lot of fun!!! 

   

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Pittsburgh Bartending –Openings, Closings and Jobs

March 1st, 2010

Here are some recent updates from our school, and news in and around Pittsburgh.

Have you guys been to   Heat NightClub It recently opened…and of course hired several of our grads. We were there for opening night. C.R.O.W.D.E.D . Good luck Heat!!

On the sad side Rythm House Cafe in Bridgeville closed. Long time home of the Pittsburgh Jazz Society…what a great venue for music. Speaking of great venues, grad Cary landed a bartending job at the Wheeling Downs Casino. You go girl. Meanwhile at least 8 grads will be bartending at the Pittsburgh Film Fest at the beginning of March. What an easy way to make money.

Meanwhile we have been working with a lot of grads of our school and bartending schools around the nation in finding bartender jobs. One of our grads went to the West Coast where she got job placement assistance from an excellent Los Angeles Bartending School. Meanwhile we have had grads of schools in Denver and DC while one of our grads went to Seattle and she is possibly getting a cruise ship opportunity.

Meanwhile, one of our grads is one of the leaders of the growing Pittsburgh Hip Hop community and her web site Rep Pgh HipHop won the 2010 Pgh Hip Hop award for best web site. Hey if you want to know about what is going on in the Pittsburgh Hip Hop community check it out!!!  Good bartenders know that a busy venue with hot music is always one of the best places to bartend.

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Merry Christmas Pittsburgh Don’t drink and drive!!!

December 24th, 2009

Imagine if Santa was drinking during his trip….he’d never finish delivering presents…..

 Don’t drink and drive, Pittsburgh.  Merry Christmas

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West Virginia, Pittsburgh, and Pennsylvania Bartending Jobs

December 7th, 2009

Our grads are landing bartending jobs.  Its the holiday season.  That makes it one of the prime periods for part-time bartending opportunities. 

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving up to twelve grads worked a major gala in downtown Pittsburgh, arranged by the Hilton.  Later, we had a request for a fill-in bartender by the Omni.  Looks like it is turning into a regular job for one fortunate bartender.

Meanwhile in West Virginia we learned that Bob landed a bartending job pretty far away.  He used his knowledge and bartending job hunting skills to become a 3 day/week bartender at Pete’s Bait Ranch in Sutton, West Virginia.  Bob does excellent web video work, so if you are looking for a drink or an expert web video expert in Central West Virginia, Bob is your man.

Nicole is an energetic go-getter.  That is the perfect type of person for Sauce in Bridgeville, South of Pittsburgh.  Sauce is just a couple of years old, but already popular and has developed a reputation for some  of the best burgers and sandwhiches in the Pittsburgh area.

Finally we provided some national bartending job placement.  Toya relocated from Maryland.  We found out at a bartender news site that Toya landed a Pittsburgh club job. Congrats Toya. Enjoy the Burgh!!

Speaking of Pittsburgh clubs, we learned from one of our grad/experienced bartenders that the post Thanksgiving 3 day bartending bonanza was an $800-900 weekend. Congrats. Good money!!!

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One bad driver can eliminate a lot of potential drunk drivers

November 2nd, 2009

Do you want to see how to flush $150,000 of vodka and cognac down the tubes?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stDWNam7RtE

OMG!  Do you realize if you lose money bartending  by waste, theft, under reporting, etc. they often take it out of your tips.  If that’s the case in this Russian warehouse….this guy will be paying off his employer for decades!!!  ugh.

OTOH.  With a $150,000 less of cognac and vodka I suspect there will be a lot less drunks driving on the road!! 

  

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Pittsburgh Bartenders

September 3rd, 2009

Are you looking for a bartender to serve drinks at your party, catered event, public meeting, business meeting, holiday event?  Look no farther.

Our school provides bartenders for catered events all over the region.  Our grads are well trained, certified, and know everything about bartending from A to Z.  They can set up a bar, break it down, suggest what alcohols to buy, how much ice you need, and all sorts of little critical tips.  They will help make your party a big success. 

You will have more time to spend with guests.  You will be free of the small questions and  and details that plague hosts.  On top of that you have an extra hand to set up and break down and clean up when the event ends.

We have grads from all over the region and can staff events on all weekends or weekdays.  Call us if you are looking for the best in Pittsburgh bartending.   (412) 921-9227. 

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Bartending Jobs where you can earn more money than you ever imagined!!

August 18th, 2009

As owners of several bartending schools over a couple of decades we see many bartending jobs and bartending job opportunities.  We  see more than the bar managers in a single club or neighborhood restaurant who have never worked anywhere else.  You know, they are the one’s that say they never hire a grad from a bartending school.  Maybe they don’t.  But we contact and see the managers that do hire from our schools.  It provides us with a wide overview of the industry.

Over several decades we have made it a practice to simply contact thousands of employers.  We work at the process.  Our ownership owned and operated a bar, hiring, firing and promoting bartenders.  Between operating bar schools for decades and doing the actual hiring, firing, and promoting we have a broad perspective on opportunities.

Now here are two types of bartending opportunities that the vast majority of bartenders never even think about.  If you hit the right one’s they can be incredibly lucrative.  We aren’t saying there are tens of thousands of them, but we have found them in different cities and different markets….and they are ALWAYS a tremendous surprise to those that land those bartender gigs.

AIRPORT BARTENDERS

Not every bartender in every airport makes killer money…but surprisingly in many airports around the country there are killer bartender positions where you will make as much as bartenders in the hottest clubs. 

Okay, what works, and where are these jobs.

What we have found is that as the airlines have cut back on meals or priced them ever more expensively, airport restaurants are picking up the business.  Go to a busy airport.  Check out the waiting lines at the different places to eat.  Those lines can be monstrously long.

Which airport bars make money?  We will give you some clues that we have found in different cities and why the bartenders can do so well.

1.  The restaurants are a little airport upscale compared to the other restaurants in the terminal.

2.  The restaurants are near very busy terminals.

Here is what we have found and learned.  

  Customers come by all during the day.  Often there is as much bar seating or close to it as table seating.  The customers want to order.  They hate airline food.  The bartenders serve meals and drinks.  Hey that is great.  You are getting tipped on everything you serve. 

Here is the key.  Turnover (or turns in restaurant lingo) is enormous.  Over a busy 8 hour shift, you can have up to 15 customers a seat.  Wow.  That is a lot of ordering a lot of customers and a lot of tips.  If you get people standing by the bar and ordering drinks on top of everyone who is seated….whoa….you are making a ton of money.

You can be busy the entire shift.  That is incredibly different from most clubs or happy hour bars where you tend to make almost all of your money in a few frenzied hours of ultra busy-ness.

Business Hotel Bars at the beginning of the Week.

Experienced bartenders know they’ll make lots more money from Thursday till Saturday or Sunday.  Then the partying, the drinking, and the ordering all but stops.

But not at business hotels.  Not even close.  That is often when the bars get busiest.

Business hotels that are jammed with corporate business meetings see their biggest crowds from Sunday evening till Friday afternoon.  People fly in on Sunday during the day or Monday morning.  Corporate employees from out of town are hanging at the bar, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  They are almost always on an expense account.  Boy that is sweet.  Its not their money.  They can afford to tip!!!

Experienced bartenders often find this is a great way to make big $$$ early in the week when most of their bartending brethren are scraping by with few customers.

As an added benefit, if you are into Part-Time bartending…and you want to make some great extra money…look for those business hotels in your market.  There might be some killer opportunities there.

Over many decades we have learned of endless opportunities for bartenders.  You have to simply have the energy and the willingness to land the job.

 

Happy serving!!! 

 

 

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Great Long Term Part Time Jobs–Bartending

July 28th, 2009

We recently spoke with a number of staff and graduates of our bartending schools.  The resounding theme was that bartending makes for a great long term part time job.

Here are some of the stories:

Jennifer, a grad of about 11 years ago, recently added part-time work at one of our schools.  She took our bartending class in 1998.  She bartended in clubs part time ever since.  She has a full-time job as a meeting planner with a large institution.  She recently shifted to a new killer restaurant/bar/family restaurant with a killer fun theme that appeals to young professionals and families alike.  She is working one day a week, and ranging between $125-$350/night.  That beats watching television.

Patrick, one of our instructors, got one of his first bartending jobs at a killer restaurant/bar that has been popular for about 25 years.  Its got a very long large bar that is busy 6 days a week.  Its staffed by 2-4 bartenders every night.  Of about 20 bartending colleagues, 15 of them had been there about 10-15 years, every one of them working part-time, 1-3 nights a week.  Every one of them had full-time work, ranging from their own businesses to working for the “man”.  That is 10-15 years of non-stop extra money.  Patrick said the great bartenders there, ranged from $150-up to $4-500/night.  A killer bar.

Finally Steve, a graduate of about 12 years ago recently started picking up parties AGAIN from one of our schools.   We get lots of calls from throughout the region.  People are looking for bartenders to cater their parties and weddings.  Steve is a banker.  He was one of our most reliable and professional catering bartenders for about 7 years and then took a break.  Now he is back picking up weekend and weekday events.  He is averaging about 1 event/week.  The $100-$300/night doesn’t hurt.

Looking for a great way to make extra money?  Check out bartending.  It is clearly one of the best ways to make extra money….and hey…its fun. 

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Pittsburgh Bartending - Grads getting jobs

June 24th, 2009

Grads of our Pittsburgh Bartending School are landing jobs around the region.  They are in the city, in the suburbs, part-time and full time.  They are working at neighborhood places, fancy places, fine dining, sports bars, catering at parties…and everything out there.  Its a great opportunity to make more money, land a job, change careers, etc.

For instance:

Lierin has been working Friday nights and some other shifts at Olive and Twist downtown.  Its known as one of the best martini bars in the city and is a great happy hour stop off after work.  She has  a dynamic personality.

Jake has been bartending weekends at Ibiza in SouthSide.  Amazing place.  Unique tapas restaurant, wines from around the world, and special martinis. 

Totally different kind of environment?  Chris and Matt have been bartending at a neighborhood bar in Turtle Creek;  Tommy’s Bar and Grill.  This place has dynamite promotions…and is just great fun.

Another Jake graduated and landed a bartending job near his home in Yukon Pa at Jay’s Bar and Grill.  He landed the job within a couple of days of graduating.

Bridgett recently landed her second bartending job.  She got her first job directly off our jobs lead list this past spring.  Two months later Longhorne Steak House called off an initital application.  Bingo, she landed the Longhorne job on Robinson Street.  The initial experience helped her take the 2nd faster, busier job.

Will a grad with a bit more life experience has been weekdays at El Campesino in North Hills.  The bar also includes nearby bar tables and great TV’s.  Excellent choice for drinks and Mexican food after work.

Here is a late June update.  John is bartending on the balcony bar on Friday and Saturday nights at Charlie Murdoch’s/ a full concert experience

Meanwhile our event and catering bartenders have been picking up opportunities at weddings, parties, etc. 

Classes are fun.  Do you want to see what goes on in a bartending class?  Check out this video from a   bartending school in Arlington, Va.

Hey its a blast.

If you want to find out more check with us at (412) 921-9227.

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