Pittsburgh 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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Yinzers find quick bartending jobs!! Take that recession!!

March 31st, 2010

We love it when grads land jobs.  Several of them recently picked up great bartending jobs very quickly after finishing our quick forty hour hands on bartending program. 

As is always the case, they picked up bartending gigs at all kinds of places from the fancy and chic to neighborhood bars and beyond.  Check them out.

Eric landed a bartending gig at Chili’s in Butler.  That place gets very crowded on Fridays.  Good work, man.

Ebony is bartending at the very well known, very established Omni William Hotel.  Ebony:  Good work.  That is a place where you can find some great tippers!!

Denise is both managing and doing some bartending at the Coal Hill Steakhouse.  And best of all its Spring.  Definitely that is the BEST bar scene on Mt Washington.  We have already heard about some killer nights there….and on weekdays no less!!!

Chelsea landed a great gig at the Hideout.  Very Kewl!!!  You go girl!!

Alexis is bartending at the Penn Hills Liquid Lounge.  Deffo one of the best places for HipHop in the region.!!!   Gr8 job, Alexis.  Congrats!!!!

Myles is behind the bar at Zippys Saloon.   Knock em dead, Myles.  That is a great place to earn some tips.

Spring is one of the best times of the year for hiring bartenders.  Check out our grads, and above all tip them well!!!!! 

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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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Pittsburgh Halloween Parties

October 12th, 2009

Halloween may well be the holiday that generates the most memorable parties.  Crazy costumes, meeting people who are so well costumed you haven’t the faintest idea who they are, and outrageous behavior are all just part of the magic of halloween parties.  It brings out the “best or craziest” in all of us.

If you are going to host a halloween party, here are some ideas that may make that party a huge success.

1.  We wouldn’t be who we are if we didn’t suggest you hire a bartender to serve drinks at  your party.  LOL!!  Of course if you do…you know where to get them (hint, hint–call us at (412) 921-9227)  (hint, hint).

Seriously at a fun party with costumes and outrageous behavior a bartender frees you up to spend more and better time with your guests.  They’ll help you set up before and clean up afterwards.  They can suggest especially nifty drinks that work for Halloween.

You may want a bartender in costume like some of these characters: 

       

Better yet you might want a bartender with extraordinary skills:

Speaking of “extraordinary skills”  you may want to astonish your guests with a few magic tricks. Guests love these tricks. They are easy to master. Alternatively have your bartender perform them (you know the one you hired from our school -> hint hint).

Now for your costume. You’re the host. You’ve got to look dynamite. How about some halloween face tattoos

Of course we would be remiss if we didn’t suggest special   halloween drinks. This comprehensive list includes non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks plus halloween themed punches.

Now if you are going to take your party outdoors, what can we say. If that’s the way you feel get on over to the coolest haunted house in Pittsburgh. Its a blast.

Happy halloween Pittsburgh!!!!

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Bartending-National Job Placement Assistance

September 4th, 2009

Yes.  We provide national bartending job placement assistance.  We have been doing this for years.  We provide a very direct hands-on effort to assist you in what ever market you decide to move.

First, we have been doing this for decades, not years.  We have developed relationships with bartending school operators in virtually all markets.  This comes from years of interaction, and from operating a group of bartending schools in different metropolitan regions.  We know the operators and we know some markets in depth.  Better than that, we have actually owned a bar and built it into the largest bar in its market.  We understand the business and how and why new bartenders get hired.

Our relationships are extensive.  We recently helped a grad from a New Jersey Bartending School. We just got a call from a Connecticut Bar School operator for an old grad from the Atlantic School in Waterbury moving to this area. Of course we will help the grad and establish this relationship with the owner.

But we do far more. First off, we instruct all of our students in how to find a bartending job in any market. We actually give them clues on how to turn up bartending jobs before they are advertised. How are we able to do this? We’ve been in the industry for decades.

When moving to a new region, we provide our grads with insights and advice on how to crack into the bartending industry and how to take best advantage of their training and hopefully experience.

If you want in depth exposure on how and what we do, of course you will have to attend our school. If you want more explanation, come visit us. You will find we can talk the talk and walk the walk far better than most. Why? Because we have been in the industry for decades and know exactly what works and what doesn’t. Call us. We would be glad to help you.

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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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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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Turtle Creek Restaurants–Shoot the bartender promotion

June 3rd, 2009

Do any of you live near Turtle Creek?  Any folks hang out in that area and visit restaurants or bars?  If you do, you’ve got to stop by Tommy’s Bar & Grill one night.  Its located at 1513 Maple Avenue, Turtle Creek, PA.

Two of our recent grads are working there as bartenders, Matt and Chris.  They were great in class.  One thing that is so overwhelmingly obvious about good bartenders–you have to have a lot of personality-and Matt and Chris both have plenty.  They are fun to hang out with.

Matt and Chris and the new owner Jacki have come out with a very fun/very cool promotion–its called shoot the bartender.  Customers already love it.

We aren’t going to give away the secrets…but it is already cool.  In fact there is a piece in BarSmart about this very cool promo.

The article also lists some other promos for food and drink..and what is going on at Tommy’s Bar & Grill.

Go visit this bar and these guys any evening through the week. Its fun.

Now if you are also interested in bartending school…go ahead…ask questions of either Chris or Matt.

(and always remember—tip those guys.) 

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Becoming a Great Bartender–An essential tip

June 1st, 2009

We recently finished interviewing a bartender who reached the top of his industry.  This is a guy who attended one of our bartending schools, later taught there, took a number of bartending gigs, worked his way up…and landed two of the best bartending spots at two of the hottest clubs in America. 

How hot?  He held down one of the busiest bar spots in a club rated among the top 20 clubs in the nation. From that position he moved to bar manager of a sleeker higher volume per person club, where he again handled one of the busiest bars in the venue. This guy knows how to ring up huge sales. With that, he generates enormous tips.

He gave us a list of the most important tips in becoming a great club bartender. We aren’t going to list them all here–but we will emphasize one of them.

BE FAST-AND EFFICIENT

This may seem like common sense, but in bartending there is a lot to being fast.  Nobody gets there automatically.  It takes time and practise.

Even more importantly than moving fast is moving efficiently.  Always use two hands.  That means pouring all drinks on the drip mat in front of you.  That allows using two hands for two different pours all the time.  Grab everything in front of you at one time and pour.  When you move to the back bar, grab two or more bottles at a time.  When setting up drinks grab as many glasses at one time as you can.  If you are pouring two drinks with the same vodka, set them up next to one another, so you can move the pour from one to the second in an instant.  Ice all your glasses at one time.  If your standard garnishes are set up next to one another, garnish everything at one time.  Above all don’t waste motion.

Working efficiently sets up bartenders to pour many many more drinks over the course of an evening than they could have otherwise.  Each action shaves milliseconds and they add up over the night.  Once you have this down, it becomes easy to pour an extra 50-100 drinks an hour, and easy to dramatically ring up additional sales and make dramatically more in tips.

Getting to that point is the hard part.  It does take practise.  Stop grabbing a glass in one hand, holding it up for show, and pouring from the other hand.  Get those glasses on the drip mat and pour pour pour.  Break every habit that slows you down.

There are three ways to get these habits down.

1.  Attend a bartending school that emphasizes these habits and practise, practise, practise.

2.  Pay attention to the fastest most efficient bartenders in your bar.  Watch what they do, ask them questions, and then practise, practise, practise.

3.  Some bartenders are smart enough and lucky enough to figure out how to be efficient.  They are very few and far between.  We strongly suggest you get training from someone who has already figured this out and knows exactly how to do this.

 

Good luck….and ring up big big money!!!! 

 

 

 

 

 

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Bartending Jobs in Pittsburgh–Spring Hiring is kicking off

April 15th, 2009

Spring has sprung….and that is great news for bartenders, aspiring bartenders, people looking for full-time and part-time work.  Spring is normally the number one season around the nation for new bartending hires.  For many reasons, the season coincides with many existing bartenders changing their schedules.  The industry sees significant turnover….and there are more bartender jobs than at virtually any other time.

Pennsylvania is one of those states that definitely experiences this more than others.  The minimum age to bartend is 18.  Lots of bartenders are also in school.  At the end of spring their schedules change….they make changes….and all of a sudden opportunities for new bartenders explode.  We are prepared to help our students.

Already we’ve seen a couple of recent grads of the Pittsburgh Bartender School take advantage of these opportunities.  Laura landed a bartending job at Jimmy T’sang’s, one of Pittsburgh’s largest and best known Asian restaurant.  Have you been to Jimmy T’sangs?  Its got two huge bars with lots of activity.  Of course it serves some of the best Chinese and Korean food in the region.

Lierin landed a bartending job at  Olive or Twist in Downtown Pittsburgh on 6th Street. Olive or Twist is popular both for after work happy hour and as offering the best martinis in town as noted by Pittsburgh City Paper and by BarSmart.

Check these places out. If you run into Lierin or Laura, be sure to tip them.

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