"Pay attention" is one of the common themes in being a good barback, and this includes really listening to what's happening around you.
Listen for chits printing out. If the lead bartender steps off-bar for a few minutes, he shouldn't come back to five chits and have to suddenly catch up. Hear them print, grab them, make what you can, and if the other bartender isn't busy at all, hand him a drink or two. The former is the most important. A bartender doesn't want to come back on-bar and see tons of chits in the printer or above his well and have to sort out a bunch of wine and beer orders that you could have done already.
Listen to the guests at the bar. Even if you're doing something else, if you can hear the guest at all, be aware of what is being ordered. If they're ordering a snack for sharing, you should already be grabbing small plates and napkins. If mains or appetizers are being ordered, you should already be grabbing napkins and cutlery. Likewise with drinks - if something is being ordered that requires a product from the backbar or a juice that's in the fridge, you should be grabbing it before the bartender has to ask. This is really where cocktail knowledge becomes very important. It's really not a big deal if the bartender asks you for something - your job is to help - but wouldn't it be awesome if you're already placing it next to him before he even has to ask? If someone orders a Blood & Sand, grab the cherry heering, if someone orders a particular Scotch, go grab it, an Aviation, grab the violette, and so on. Knowing what's in the cocktails makes this really easy, and when it's busy it makes the bartender's job easier too.
There's only so much you can do here, but it all helps. A guest may say "something bitter with bourbon," and you don't know that the bartender is thinking of using Booker's until he says so. But, anything you can do to speed things up and allow him to just focus on making drinks at his well is improving the system.
For food, if you know which guests are ordering which food, you'll be able to help direct servers to the right person when the food is ready. On a busy night, the 'table numbers' can be confusing at a bar because they're not always clearly defined. Communication is key here too - if a guest orders anything from you, let the bartenders know.
Listen for when guests are finished ordering. If they've ordered drinks, clear the drink menus. If they've ordered food too, clear those menus too.
If you hear someone ask for the bill, print it out; if they mention a card, bring your portable machine if you have one. (And never let a customer wait too long to pay the bill - if a card is on the bar you need to process it as quickly as possible).
Now, don't take this as a lesson to constantly be trying to listen to everyone at the bar even when you're trying to talk to a guest. The guests should always feel like 100% of your attention is on them when you're actually speaking with them, so don't be glancing at other guests and straining to hear. Be in the moment and be engaged and listen to the guest in question, but you may still find your peripheral hearing picking things up and that's great.
Showing posts with label barbacking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label barbacking. Show all posts
Friday, 15 June 2012
Thursday, 14 June 2012
Diary of a Barback - Movement
My initial inclination in working behind a bar, especially one as narrow as mine, was to be very careful in my movements not to bump into things or the bartenders. Similarly, I was so afraid of breaking bottles or glassware that I was grabbing one glass per hand to keep everything safe. Moving carefully with small steps and taking extra trips is apparently the wrong way to move behind a bar. The lead bartender on Thursday nights informed me fairly early on that I should be taking big steps, reaching for things instead of necessarily walking up to them, and making as few motions as possible to accomplish whatever I'm doing. This will ensure that I'm not only getting things done faster, but also that I won't be getting in the way as much.
If you're putting back glassware, grab handfuls (within reason, it's obviously worse to break something). Take big steps. Reach from the side of the wells to water rather than trying to wait for the bartender to move and then swoop in (because he's probably coming right back and will be annoyed that you're in the way). Do anything to complete your tasks quickly, efficiently, and of course, stay out of the way.
This also hits home one of the biggest parts of your job as a barback or a bartender - pay attention. Try to always be aware of where the other staff are, where the customers are, and everything that's going on. This is obviously a separate topic altogether, but for the purpose of this one, if you're moving quickly and reaching for things, it's integral to the entire operation that you know exactly where your co-workers are so you don't bump into each other and have accidents.
Anytime you move beside or behind a bartender, say "behind" or "beside," and even tap them on the back. Anytime I'm near a bartender I touch their back or shoulder so they are aware that I'm nearby. What if he's holding a $150 bottle of Scotch and is turning around to put it back on the back bar right as you're zipping behind him with six wineglasses? If he hears "behind!," he won't turn around until he knows you're gone.
Move efficiently, pay attention, let people know when you're near.
[ Again, I encourage anyone and everyone to make comments, email me, tweet me, or whatever. I hope this is a good resource for barbacks and those aspiring to do so, but also an opportunity for bartenders to give feedback, insight, and maybe share some pet peeves]
If you're putting back glassware, grab handfuls (within reason, it's obviously worse to break something). Take big steps. Reach from the side of the wells to water rather than trying to wait for the bartender to move and then swoop in (because he's probably coming right back and will be annoyed that you're in the way). Do anything to complete your tasks quickly, efficiently, and of course, stay out of the way.
This also hits home one of the biggest parts of your job as a barback or a bartender - pay attention. Try to always be aware of where the other staff are, where the customers are, and everything that's going on. This is obviously a separate topic altogether, but for the purpose of this one, if you're moving quickly and reaching for things, it's integral to the entire operation that you know exactly where your co-workers are so you don't bump into each other and have accidents.
Anytime you move beside or behind a bartender, say "behind" or "beside," and even tap them on the back. Anytime I'm near a bartender I touch their back or shoulder so they are aware that I'm nearby. What if he's holding a $150 bottle of Scotch and is turning around to put it back on the back bar right as you're zipping behind him with six wineglasses? If he hears "behind!," he won't turn around until he knows you're gone.
Move efficiently, pay attention, let people know when you're near.
[ Again, I encourage anyone and everyone to make comments, email me, tweet me, or whatever. I hope this is a good resource for barbacks and those aspiring to do so, but also an opportunity for bartenders to give feedback, insight, and maybe share some pet peeves]
Diary of a Barback
I find I'm having a lot of trouble writing posts and articles these days and just as much trouble promoting them. While I don't think about drinking less, between two fairly new jobs I just can't find the time to focus on it. However, working as a barback, or bar support at a reputable (not coincidentally one of my favourites) bar in Vancouver has allowed me to get a behind-the-scenes view of how a bar works and of the process of serving drinks (as I'm sure most of you know - there's a lot more than mixing and placing it in front of you). I've learned a lot about service, the craft, spirits, wine, beer, the system of running a bar, and I've gained a huge new respect for people in the industry - and this includes hosts/hostesses, servers, managers, owners, and everyone involved.
I feel a good way to keep myself writing is to do little entries on things I've seen or learned after a shift behind the bar or things that have occurred to me days later. I hope that this can be a bit of a resource for anyone barbacking right now or anyone trying to get into it, but I'm also hoping to involve bartenders and other people in the industry and encourage comments, emails, and tweets to create discussion and further insight.
I will start with something small, but in concept something huge. A bar on a busy night is a system. If it's a good bar with good bartenders, it's a finely tuned system. The job of the barback is to really learn how to fit into this system and contribute to its efficiency. Every bartender works differently - speed, style, layout, when he/she grabs the glass/tin, what he/she double-strains, how the citrus oils are zested, and so on and so forth into further minute detail. Learning how your bartenders work is one of the first keys.
Learning how to contribute to the bartenders and their systems and styles without getting in the way is ultimately your job, and after you've learned how they work you need to slowly learn how to anticipate when you're needed. For example, if chits (drink orders) aren't printing out like mad for a small period of time, you can really look at polishing glassware, bussing dishes, emptying bottle bins, or even checking for any booze that needs restocking. These are all things that might cause problems if it gets really busy, so do them when you have the time.
When the chits really start coming, pay attention to them. The bartender (if there are two) making drinks for the restaurant (the other bartender will usually take care of the bar itself) has a ton of orders, look at them and see what you can do yourself. In fact, do this all the time. Any beer, wine, spirit, or non-alcoholic drink order can be taken care of without bothering the bartender. If it's crazy busy, it has to be taken care of without bothering the bartender.
The next step is knowing what the bartender will need for the drinks, whether it's busy or not. If a Mojito or Old Cuban order comes up, make sure he has the mint handy. If a Dark And Stormy comes up, make sure he has both ginger beer and Gosling's rum right next to him. If an order comes specifying a whiskey or gin from the backbar and not the well, grab it right away and place it next to him or on the bar in front of him (or her, please excuse my choice of pronoun for ease of typing). This is where drink knowledge really comes into play as well; if you know what a Dark And Stormy is, you know that it requires Gosling's, lime, and ginger beer. A Last Word requires Green Chartreuse, which the bartender might not have in his well, and so forth. Keep an eye on the chits, keep an ear on the orders coming from the bar, and anticipate what the bartender will need.
On this same note, pay attention to his well. If he's low on a certain spirit, place a new bottle where there's space next to him and mention that you grabbed it already - and remove the cork/cap! Also, keep an eye all the time as they're pouring drinks, if you want to be perfect, they should run out of Tanqueray gin right as you're handing them a new bottle with the cap removed. When it's really busy this won't be possible, so again, keep an eye and make sure you restock where necessary when it's slow.
Lastly, stay out of the way.
Nothing seems to annoy a bartender more than having a barback in the way when he has ten drink orders up and he's hunting for a spirit and he's out of lemon juice and you're standing right in front of the fridge chatting with a customer. Be very aware of your surroundings, stand as close or as far to/from the bar as possible to leave space (I work at a very narrow bar), and never stand in front of commonly used areas like the pass. This is another case where catching up during downtime pays off - if the bartender already has a new bottle of lime juice and some mint in his well when he gets to the Mojito orders, he won't have to get annoyed trying to reach past you.
That's it for now. I hope to impart more knowledge and get more discussions going soon.
Again, please comment, email, and tweet at me with questions, responses, or arguments.
I feel a good way to keep myself writing is to do little entries on things I've seen or learned after a shift behind the bar or things that have occurred to me days later. I hope that this can be a bit of a resource for anyone barbacking right now or anyone trying to get into it, but I'm also hoping to involve bartenders and other people in the industry and encourage comments, emails, and tweets to create discussion and further insight.
I will start with something small, but in concept something huge. A bar on a busy night is a system. If it's a good bar with good bartenders, it's a finely tuned system. The job of the barback is to really learn how to fit into this system and contribute to its efficiency. Every bartender works differently - speed, style, layout, when he/she grabs the glass/tin, what he/she double-strains, how the citrus oils are zested, and so on and so forth into further minute detail. Learning how your bartenders work is one of the first keys.
Learning how to contribute to the bartenders and their systems and styles without getting in the way is ultimately your job, and after you've learned how they work you need to slowly learn how to anticipate when you're needed. For example, if chits (drink orders) aren't printing out like mad for a small period of time, you can really look at polishing glassware, bussing dishes, emptying bottle bins, or even checking for any booze that needs restocking. These are all things that might cause problems if it gets really busy, so do them when you have the time.
When the chits really start coming, pay attention to them. The bartender (if there are two) making drinks for the restaurant (the other bartender will usually take care of the bar itself) has a ton of orders, look at them and see what you can do yourself. In fact, do this all the time. Any beer, wine, spirit, or non-alcoholic drink order can be taken care of without bothering the bartender. If it's crazy busy, it has to be taken care of without bothering the bartender.
The next step is knowing what the bartender will need for the drinks, whether it's busy or not. If a Mojito or Old Cuban order comes up, make sure he has the mint handy. If a Dark And Stormy comes up, make sure he has both ginger beer and Gosling's rum right next to him. If an order comes specifying a whiskey or gin from the backbar and not the well, grab it right away and place it next to him or on the bar in front of him (or her, please excuse my choice of pronoun for ease of typing). This is where drink knowledge really comes into play as well; if you know what a Dark And Stormy is, you know that it requires Gosling's, lime, and ginger beer. A Last Word requires Green Chartreuse, which the bartender might not have in his well, and so forth. Keep an eye on the chits, keep an ear on the orders coming from the bar, and anticipate what the bartender will need.
On this same note, pay attention to his well. If he's low on a certain spirit, place a new bottle where there's space next to him and mention that you grabbed it already - and remove the cork/cap! Also, keep an eye all the time as they're pouring drinks, if you want to be perfect, they should run out of Tanqueray gin right as you're handing them a new bottle with the cap removed. When it's really busy this won't be possible, so again, keep an eye and make sure you restock where necessary when it's slow.
Lastly, stay out of the way.
Nothing seems to annoy a bartender more than having a barback in the way when he has ten drink orders up and he's hunting for a spirit and he's out of lemon juice and you're standing right in front of the fridge chatting with a customer. Be very aware of your surroundings, stand as close or as far to/from the bar as possible to leave space (I work at a very narrow bar), and never stand in front of commonly used areas like the pass. This is another case where catching up during downtime pays off - if the bartender already has a new bottle of lime juice and some mint in his well when he gets to the Mojito orders, he won't have to get annoyed trying to reach past you.
That's it for now. I hope to impart more knowledge and get more discussions going soon.
Again, please comment, email, and tweet at me with questions, responses, or arguments.
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