Hospitality jobs

Tiffany the experienced Bartender knows more than French scientists!!

October 17th, 2008

This one is for all the bartenders and bar managers and owners that want to increase sales.

Back in July, a published study by French Scientists found that increasing the volume and speed of music in a bar increased the rate of alcohol consumption. Customers were drinking more and faster.

Hundreds of news articles and blogs around the world reported on this

We have known this for years. Its industry lore. But we were curious. When did bar owners and managers first learn this and when did they first start putting it in practice?

We talked to experienced bartenders and owner/managers all over. Most of them knew about this. Nobody could tell us when he or she learned it. Then we ran into Tiffany.

Tiffany works at an Irish sports bar in Arlington, Va. She has twenty years of experience. She told us exactly when she first learned and experienced how loud music makes customers drink faster.

In 1993 as a beginning bartender at TGIF’s in Philadelphia, Tiffany saw Friday’s suddenly make huge changes to the bar and bar lounge. They removed some stools from the bar forcing more customers to stand. They removed tables with seating and replaced them with stand-up small bar tables just big enough to hold a couple of drinks and appetizers. Starting around 4 PM they began to dim the lights and continued it through the night.

Then they started to work on the music. Again at 4 in the late afternoon they changed the music from mellower easy listening to louder faster top 40 songs. Over the night the music would get progressively louder and faster.

What happened? Tiffany and the rest of the bartenders started ringing up more sales and much better tips. She laughed when she told me this story. She said none of her co-workers changed a thing with regard to customer service. They simply benefited from the changes instituted by experienced restaurateurs.

Now, if it comes to increasing sales whom are you going to listen to; famous French academic social scientists or Tiffany the experienced bartender. I’d go with Tiffany any day of the week.

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Get a career in two weeks of training

October 10th, 2008

There was a great article this week about a grad from one of our sister schools. The article is called Pour Me Another and it describes how it takes two weeks to acquire a skill you can use forever.

That is exactly what Brett, the Spring 2008 grad from our sister bartending school in Northern Virginia said.

We follow a very similar program in Pittsburgh. You’ll see how the April 2008 grad tried a number of initial jobs before he found one that worked for him. Not unusual. In fact he is already a bar manager. Fast work. You’ll also note he received a lot of job leads directly from the school.

That is how we work. Both schools constantly contact a couple of thousand regional bars, clubs, hotels, restaurants, etc. in their market regions. We make more effort to turn up more leads than most other sources combined.

To get back to what Brett said….”If you’re outgoing, friendly and have a genuine smile, conversational skills and openness to a variety of people, take a look at bar school.”

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How to Become a Great Bartender

September 25th, 2008

We aren’t going to lie to you and suggest that bartending school will turn you into a great bartender overnight. That doesn’t happen at this school. It doesn’t happen at colleges, doesn’t happen when you go to school to learn auto mechanics, and doesn’t happen after you get out of Harvard Medical School. I deffo wouldn’t want a new grad from Harvard Med school to perform brain surgery on me….no matter how much I may need it.

Experience really works. Watch others. Trade stories with other bartenders. Ask other bartenders how they would handle situations. Practice, practice, practice.

We also know there is a world of great information out there. Its especially available throughout the web. Our goal is to collect as much great information as possible and pass most of it on to our students and a large part of it on to readers.

We’re starting a blog roll with sites that offer excellent tips and insights into the industry. Here is one we found that offers the insights from someone with decades of experience in the food and beverage industry. We’ve been reading through posts and comments. Its getting a lot of commentary from others with lots of experience. Try out http://waiterextraordinaire.blogspot.com/ . The author, Steve Nicolle has over 25 years in the industry, has worked throughout the front of the house, teaches bartending, and describes the ins and outs of great customer service. It applys equally well behind the bar, serving tables, or for being the manager.

Evolving from a bartender to a great bartender takes years of work, as with any work or profession. Lots of luck ….and make those tips!!!!!

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Hospitality Jobs in Pittsburgh–Start with Bartending

September 23rd, 2008

We just spoke with Meghan, a former grad, who developed from bartender to manager, to employer of bartenders. Now she has a new exciting career in the hospitality industry. Fortunately for us and for our grads she still hires graduates of the Pittsburgh Bartender School.

Meghan has a great career story and a neat profession. We have seen this kind of career development again and again over many years. It is always rewarding.

A few years ago she enrolled in the school looking to develop a skill and get work. Immediately upon graduating she picked up a job directly off our job leads list in the Pittsburgh area. She definitely made the most of it.

She took a job bartending at an American Legion Hall. Yah. We know. Not many of you might think about this as an exciting bartending job. But wait a second. See how Meghan made the most of it.

Within a very short period Meghan’s skills and talents became apparent. She started managing the American Legion Hall and became responsible for the many events they threw. Not only was she bartending and managing, she was hiring bartenders to staff big parties.

Meghan found something she enjoyed and was talented at. After a couple of years she enrolled in college level courses at the Pittsburgh Technical School. She majored in business and hospitality. Within 2 years she had an Associates Degree.

While there she picked up a working internship. It turned out to be with one of Pittsburgh’s conference and event centers. Boy did she do well.

Meghan is now the operations manager. What a great job. They run events on a regular basis. It could be a corporate training session. It could be a wedding or a party. Meghan has to handle a myriad of details to get everything running for a wide variety of clients and needs. She hires caterers. Yup. She still hires bartenders. She has to oversee the set up and breakdown of the facility on a regular basis. When she is doing her job…..she turns satisfied customers into repeat users of the facility. She is definitely winning a lot of friends and admirers.

A few years ago Meghan was trying to figure out what to do and how to get there. She took our bartending program. In a short 40 hours of hands on training she learned a myriad of drinks, customer service, and how to work her way through the big hospitality industry. Now she is a pro.

Congratulations Meghan.