1954 Practical Bar Management by Eddie Clarke

THE BARTENDERS

of thejunior being"put in"by the Boss. The"certain reserva tions"could include the engagement of a local lad for the Head Bartender to train, because such an assistant will remain fairly "put"and can be the nucleus of a future permanent staff, whilst it also provides the bar with a local interest for the patrons. Needless to mention, it is in the interest of the Head Bartender to train his assistants correctly, and to instruct and teach them all he possibly can. There must be no silly fears that the pupil will take over the master's job, if such an unlikely thing did happen, then it would be all the more credit to the tutor for giving such excellent tuition. The main thing to take into account is that the Head Bartender must have the utmost confidence in his assistants, because there is always the matter of his own days off, annual holidays, etc., and probable sickness. He must therefore teach them all about the running of the bar, all about the most intricate mixtures, all about the likes or dislikes of special clients, and a host of other things appertaining to the particular establishment. When this is successfully accomplished, then, and only then, can the Head Bartender be assured that the reputation of his bar will not suffer through the absence of himself. There are a few general points worth mentioning, which apply to the Bar Manager and Head Bartender alike ; they are as follows; 1. When taking over a new job, don't try and change every thing overnight, let things run their own course for a while (unless, of course, there is something radically wrong), it will give one time to do the right thing, instead of a probable blunder. It is well to remember that every establishment has its own peculiarities, and minor adjustments are all that is needed, instead of the revolutionary ideas one has in mind. 2. There must be perfect harmony amongst the staff, so watch carefully to see if there is any member out of step. If there should be, it is advisable to tell him to seek anotherjob, otherwise in time he will probably wreck the much desired team spirit. 3. There must be discipline,but born from respect and notfear. Such a respect can be attained in a number of ways, but the most important is the fact that the Bar Manager or Head Bartender knows his job, and is not bluffing his way through. This is generally an idle speculation amongstthejuniors when a new Head

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