Pittsburgh

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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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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Networking in Pittsburgh–try a bartending job

April 21st, 2009

Okay, the Pittsburgh Bartender School is part of the great big blogosphere and the wide world of web networking.  Our school is a part of social media.  We network.  No kidding. 

Do you guys realize how great and easy it is to network while bartending?  It is one of the hidden benefits.  It works incredibly well.  If you are trying to expand contacts, meet new people, find new opportunities…you simply can’t believe how great bartending can be to open doors.

Here is the secret.  (shhhh…don’t tell everyone else)–and you have to be a good bartender to pull this off…you have to get customers to like you…(Its not hard at all)

Bartenders can find so many contacts in so many lines of work….its rediculous.  We have seen this happen hundreds of times.  In fact, I picked up business while bartending part time and holding down a consulting/sales job.  Its amazingly easy.

Here goes.  Customers really get to like their bartenders.  Its astonishing.  Do a good job of pouring beer, making gin and tonics, chilling martinis and treating your customers with respect…and they just think you are the greatest.  In fact they’ll love you.  (I’ve said for a long time–bartending makes you cooler)

Say you are a young professional, trying to find more opportunities.  Get work in a sort of upscale bar/restaurant.  In the Burgh try and get work in or near downtown where the after work crowd goes for happy hour.  Land work in other heavy employment centers.  Alterternatively get a  bartending gig at a medium to upscale restaurant.  During the hours when the bar isn’t packed and your not slammed you will have plenty of time to speak with your customers;  that is the critical time when you secure relationships and develop your network.  Its the ideal time to make contacts, learn about opportunities, get your resume spread around, get introductions, and find out where to make your next move.  Its simply astonishing.  The likeability factor increases 100 fold with the ability to consistently make a good drink, make your customers feel comfortable and build a level of trust that isn’t that available anywhere else.

Here is a prime example.  Years ago, while I was a professional in sales, one of my prime clients headed the regional offices of an investment firm.  He had been a semi-star football player at a local college.  He became a bartender after school.  He made friends easily.  One of those friends got him into the stock brokerage business because he had lots of personality and was reasonably intelligent.  Better yet…he already had this huge network of potential clients from bartending.  He advanced through the ranks.  He had a ready stock of clients, in part through the many friends through tending bar and pouring beers.  He rose through the ranks becoming manager of an office than regional manager by the time I met him.

Walk into a bar with him….and everyone knew him and loved him.  He easily parlayed bartending into an excellent high paying career.  He admitted to scarcely knowing a drink recipe…but he kept his bar customers happy. 

We have written about this earlier, specifically for real estate brokers.  Gee, I can’t count the times former students mentioned how they sold homes through customers from their bar (talk about a super TIP)…but it works for anyone looking to network into almost any field.  Its simply easy…being behind that bar is an invitation to get folks to like and trust you more easily….

Now get out there and land a bartending job….and if you want our help with the job leads we have at the Pittsburgh Bartender School–call us at (412) 921-9227. 

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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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Economists Think Bartenders Stink. That is Great News Pittsburgh Bartenders

October 29th, 2008

About two weeks ago an amazing blog piece from a totally unexpected source entitled Why Are Bartenders so Rude? drew a huge response from its readers.

Why is this so surprising and why is it good news for Pittsburgh bartenders?

The blog is a serious economic commentary written by PHD’s (in this case a Professor of Economics). The post drove dramatically more comments than any other piece in this serious blog for weeks before or after. It seems people who like to read and comment on complex economic issues would rather speak about drinking and bartenders.

The comments were startling. The writer described how he recently spent a fair amount of time bar hopping with friends. Again and again the bartenders were rude and the bar service was lousy. He couldn’t understand it.

37 comments followed. A lot of these economic readers and commentators agreed. They discussed bartending customer service in the language of economics. Some suggested, like good economists, that the writer should “vote with his feet” and leave the places with poor customer service.

A former club owner and bartender added comments. (Who would think that club owners and bartenders are well versed in complex economic concepts?).

So what could be the good news?

Lets face it. Most bartenders forget about good customer service. They go about their business and often ignore customers, especially new customers. So many of the writers above suggested that the only time good customer service occurs is when the customers become regulars.

Hey guys, make it your business to make all new customers feel welcome. You couldn’t do anything smarter. So many customers feel the exact same thing as the unhappy commentators in the blog piece above. They want ONE nice place in which to hang out. Make sure your bar is it.

Become the one nice place. Build your customer base. Increase your regulars. Make customers feel comfortable.

I know so many bartenders at so many unassuming bars around the country that make so much money!!!! These are not the “coolest” “hottest” clubs by any stretch of the imagination. They don’t gain press, and they aren’t the slickest places in any city. Meanwhile the good/smart bartenders in all those places with big loyal followings make more money than the cool club bartenders.

Why? They have tons of happy comfortable regulars that tip them like crazy. The bartenders were just a little bit friendlier, a little bit nicer and converted a lot of customers into regulars.

Its actually easy, as the economists explained to us earlier. Most bartenders are rude.   Make sure you turn your bartending shifts into the ones that make new customers feel comfortable.

4/18/09.  Update.  had to turn off comments due to a spammer.  sorry :D 

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Pittsburgh Realtors and Mortgage Brokers–Have you tried bartending?

October 7th, 2008

For over two decades every time we see the real estate markets crash our schools see a lot of realtors and mortgage brokers.  It makes a lot of sense.  Bartending enables you to make daily money.  It takes the place of commission income when that dries up.

Once they have taken the course and gotten bartending jobs, we invariably hear this feedback;  I sold a house (to/for) a customer at my bar.

One of the neat tricks about being a bartender is that you very quickly become “best friends” with your customers.  Okay, not necessarily BFF’s texting and talking all the time, but customers and especially regulars get to like and “trust” their bartenders very quickly.  Serve up a couple of beers, a gin and tonic, or a well aged scotch to a customer across the bar….and suddenly they like you.

Realtors know that one of the biggest hurdles is winning the trust factor from customers, whether it is buyers or sellers.  Realtors compete for this in the professional environment and look for all sorts of different ways to network and connect with potential customers.

Bartending is an easy way to do that, and “here is the kicker”…you are making money while you are networking; earning tips while getting to know your regulars.

Once realtors get comfortable behind the bar, sooner or later the conversation might turn to real estate, homes, the neighborhood or community, work, etc…..and a bartender with his realtor card available can quickly make a customer aware of your real estate expertise.

We usually suggest realtors get bartending jobs in either upscale restaurants or bars, bars frequented by young working professionals, or upscale to medium restaurants in your target communities or neighborhoods.

When push comes to shove, the best tips I ever made came from serving up a few tall cool ones to customers that later became my real estate customers.   

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Can Bartenders Contribute to Pittsburgh

September 29th, 2008

In small and larger ways bartenders contribute to the fabric of a community.  Pittsburgh bartenders are like all others.  We have our part in making Pittsburgh a better city.  This blog is an effort to (okay–we gotta be transparent)  promote our school;  describe the job of bartending, focus on bars, restaurants, clubs, etc. within the region, and reveal job opportunities for grads and potential students.  Beyond that there is a rich world in which bartenders make their contributions. 

In terms of doing this we are going to mention some of the blogs that enrich the Burgh scene.  They describe uniquely Pittsburgh activities, Burgh folks, quirks and funny aspects of our way of life, and neat events around town.  Some of them are very personal and could be written from anywhere but intertwine their perspectives with life here, and others focus on Pittsburgh.  We’ll be adding some of these and others to a blog roll that will include local blogs of interest, bartending sites, restaurant/food beverage/club/and alcohol sites, and finally an eclectic mix of other interesting sites.

So here are some of the local blogs that have caught our eye:

Have a good sandwichby one of the co founders of the Pittsburgh bloggers (of which we are members). If you want to find out about different perspectives in Pittsburgh you should start here, and you might as well include the founder’s blog.

I’m not sure what a the perspective of a a Pittsburgh mom and her baby have to do with bartending….but we think its fun to read!

A must read for locals is The burgh blog by Pittgirl. She and her blog have been around for a while and they get around. Its good reading.

If you want to get a feel from some people engrossed in the business of promoting Pittsburgh and its businesses spend time at I heart Pgh. Great reading.

It appears we will be losing a lot of activity from Pittsblog. This writer will be winding down activity on this blog while busy elsewhere…but for a review of several years from Burgh perspectives, it can’t be beat.

Hopefully we will be enriching the scene with comments by and about local and other bartenders.

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Catering/Bartending Jobs–the ideal part time job

July 10th, 2008

Are you looking for that occasional part time job?  You know… something that isn’t regular or scheduled…but fits your needs when you need them.  Something that can be fun and profitable, and it might require hard work….but it pays off really well.

Catering /bartending at special events, parties, at hotels, receptions, etc. is a terrific part-time opportunity.  You’ll be surprised at how much money you can earn….how easy it is to master, the number of opportunities……and did we mention…..how much money you can earn!!

Just two quick examples to give you a feel.  One of the grads from our Pittsburgh  school recently earned……(drum roll)…..get this…..$60/hour catering for a large party.  She is experienced,  can work fast,  presents well, customers like her;  so she gets a lot of requests……and it is absolutely a terrific way to make great money.  The party didn’t take that long;  she had an assistant help her when things got busy.  She handled a very large crowd very efficiently during the event.  The size of the party was larger than she was told, but she took control and handled it well.   After all was said and done the party only lasted about 4-5 hours….and she still had plenty of time for the rest of the weekend.  Do you want to learn something else……many of these catering jobs are straight cash.   Its a coup!!!!

Meanwhile a new graduate from one of our other schools, with no prior experience, hooked up with a multi day event for a major caterer in a different city .   After 4 days of long work he averaged about $25-30/hour.   He was slammed at certain short intervals, but was more than trained.  He had the speed and efficiency and sufficient practice to be able to perform well.

The caterer loved him and has assigned him to two other immediate jobs.  They want him for major events when the season gets hotter.  And he enjoys it.  He had no job before he started class, had just returned after years in Europe, and is looking to get into bartending for a while. 

We have given him more leads to capitalize on catering opportunities, which he really enjoys.

By the way…that very first catering job more than doubled the price of the school.  It was a very fast payback.

Catering/bartending is easier than regular bartending…but does require a lot of flexibility.  Different settings will require you to adjust how you operate.  The bartending tools and equipment at your disposal will vary.  Set ups can be very diverse.  On the other hand you generally pour a limited inventory of drinks.  That makes it easy.  When the hosts and guests like you….you will be amazed at how many referrals you pick up.

We have a lot of catering opportunities through the school.  If you are interested in the classes and the opportunities give us a call at (412) 921 9227.

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Graduates getting jobs–Very Fast Success Stories

June 28th, 2008

Two graduates had almost immediate success in finding jobs after finishing our program this June.

Mara graduated from the 40 hour program on June 27 and started a bartending job on June 28.  That is fast!  Brad graduated in mid June and by late June had 2 bartending jobs, both off our job leads list.  He might be sticking with both….he may move from one and work full time for the second job.  That is up to Brad.

Both of these students were looking for full time jobs.  Mara recently finished her military duty and was looking for new full time work.  Not only did she start her bartending gig the day after she graduated but its located in Penn Hills, not far from where she lives.  Fast and convenient, Mara.  Congratulations.

Brad had moved back to Pittsburgh after living elsewhere.  He also was very interested in finding work.  In fact he was very eager.  He really worked our system and leads to find a fast job.  Not only did he connect with a job virtually immediately after we received the lead from an employer, but he continued to work our bartender job placement process.  Now he has two opportunities.  Its a great way to pick up a skill in only 40 hours, and put it to immediate work.  

And a bit more good news.  On Thursday this week we had 23 job leads in total with some additional on call opportunities….and as of Friday we had 27 full and part time bartending opportunities plus the on call job leads.   We are adding job leads and helping grads find bartending jobs…both full time and part time.  If you are looking for bartending jobs or part-time or full time work, give us a call.  We will be happy to try and help you. 

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Bartending Jobs in Pittsburgh–23 New Job leads in June

June 26th, 2008

We have added 23 bartending job leads in Pittsburgh and the surrounding towns in the month of June.  They are exclusively available for our graduates.  On top of that we have a great list of part time and on call bartender positions.  These additional jobs are great part-time opportunities.

Its not just Pittsburgh, though.  Our lists include bartender jobs in all directions and throughout the region.  Our bartending school has obtained job leads in a variety of nearby towns including, Butler, Coraopolis, Penn Hills, Finleyville, Cranberry, Oakdale, and Mckeesport.   Some are full time and others are part-time.  In fact in one case the hiring manager is a graduate of the school.

More good bartending job news.  One of our sister schools has established a relationship with a bartending employer that hires periodically around the nation.  They are actually one of the major employers for events all during the year.  This means our network of contacts with bar employers nationwide is dramatically strengthened as we will be coordinating hiring bartenders in metropolitan areas nationwide.

If you want to see this list simply call the school at (412) 921-9227 and arrange a day and time to visit.

Serve em up with a smile!!!!!   

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