um OK just from my own perspective, bartending school can be a total waste of time and money. even with the training they give you there, keep in mind that every bar has thier own recipes and POS systems (micros, squirell) that you need to relearn anyway. also there is no substitute for real on-the-job training, when you get a crowd 3 deep at the bar and and your literally drowning in orders, no school can teach you that.

i think the best way to get that job your looking for is to apply as a server in the bar/club you like, then ask to be transferred behind the bar after your comfortable with how the place works. you can also try entry level jobs that dont really require experience like a service bar. or banquet bartending (which is easy bc the well liquor is usally limited to like 8-10 bottles, so ppl cant order something off the wall and confuse you) i dont mean to bash bartending schools, there are certainly good places out there, but from what i have seen and heard they wont be woth your time. just my two cents on this subject....

 

damn, i'd hate to see what the dollar would be

 

^^ Thanks for your input and yes you are right alot of schools are a waste of time and money. I have researched heavily into this however and have seen what makes some of these schools crap. For instance, instructors who have never been a bartender, half butt bar stations where 3 students share a cramped learning station etc. The gentelman that will be my instructor has over 20 years experience as a bartender as well as a nightclub owner and numerous other things involving the liqour and entertainment service industry.

Would you still consider it a waste of time given the above information? I have been a server many times so that aspect I am very comfortable with including high pace demanding environments. Out of curiousity have you or are you a bartender?

Thanks!

 

yea im working as a bartender/server in a resort, money was great during the holiday season, now i need to pay off my tuition and start saving for some mods for my car, lol

as far as bartending schools concerned this is just me but i like getting paid WHILE i learn as opposed to paying TO learn. anyway if you've done your homework and found a good school im sure you will learn some useful things. i think what it boils down to is how well you take advantage of the instructors time and facilities while you are there... hope this helps

 

^^^ Thanks for your input, I really appreciate it. How is the money? I am considering doing this part time then we have some other things in mind down the road as my girlfriend finishes Culinary School at Le Courdon Bleu.

When I spoke with the instructor he satated that classes are a max of 7 students so we have more personal training time with them.

Yeah, saving for mods for the tC I hear ya.......oh di I hear ya.

How long have you lived in Tuscon? I am from Phoenix originally.

 

money is good but now that the in-season is over it wont be as busy as before... been in t-town almost 7 yrs, great city but considering moving back to the west coast

 

Had a roomie back in college, he worked thur, fri, sat, and some sundays from 10pm-3am. He made about $500-800/week in untaxed cash money. This was in Austin, TX and he worked at a fairly busy bar on 6th st. Nothing posh either, just big ole bar with a bunch of frickin pool and foose tables.

 

Well tomorrow is my first day of training. Was going to start last Sat but had a foot injury and couldn't be on my feet. Anyway.....off to LA tomorrow!

 

Cool. You still gonna make a Liquid Cocaine for me? :D

 

Bartending is one of those things that pretty much anyone with a reciepe book can do, but it's harder to do well... I say go try to learn some stuff. Worst case, you burn some money, have a decent time and know how to mix stuff for your friends.

 

Ok guys get a load of this.

I finished school...it rocked.....I learned way more than most bartenders I know now so it was worth it's weight in gold. Anyway enough of that here's a hell of a story for you.

Last night my girlfriend, her brother and I go to a new upscale nightclub. I was going to apply for a bartending position and we were going to stay and watch a live band that was playing.

I start talking to the owner and give him my resume and he says he wants to talk to me in a little bit, I say ok.

Bar starts slowly getting busy.....then more busy...then more busy. The owner writes me a note because it is too loud to talk asking how to make a few drinks that someone ordered. Seeing as obviousley he is without a bartender I write down a few recipes to help him.

You can see where this is going.

A couple more recipe requests later people are getting ____ed.....waiting for 20 minutes for a drink and so on. I finally say " Do you want me to jump back there and help?" At first he says no then about 15 minutes later he gives me the ummmm PLEASE HELP look.

My girlfriend and her brother start laughing I jump behind the bar......granted this was my first time ina real life situation bartending. Start making drinks.......get everyone takin care of clean up the bar, and actually have people following me to whereveer I was at the bar to get their drinks.

Finally it slows down and I go have a seat. Owner pours me a FAT grey goose and cran....comps our whole bar tab and forks over some green for my help from the register.

I was sitting there and had 2 or 3 different people come up to me and say..."can you go behind the bar again and make me a drink....you make them better. " LOL

I start Saturday ;-)

 

congrats! talk about getting hired on the spot... (= that is a koo story though.

 

^ Sweet dude!

 

[borat]Very nice![/borat]