1954 Practical Bar Management by Eddie Clarke

THE BARTENDERS

of supply and placed conveniently in the bar cooling cabinet. 7. Fresh sprigs of mint and borage should be gathered and placed in water thereby ensuring that it retains its good condition. 8. Olives, potato crisps, etc., and jugs of fresh ice-water, should be prepared and placed on a convenient shelf, ready to save delay when business becomes brisk. The small ice-bucket for the use of patrons should be filled with clear, cracked ice, and placed with accompanying ice-tongs on the bar-counter. g. The"float"must be checked, and a glance given to the cash register item slip, to confirm that nothing has been rung up by mistake, through a carelessly handled duster pressing down one of the keys. ID. Time is marching on 1 So a final look around,and a tidy ing up of the bar floor—check and confirm that the clock is correct—and away the staff go to change. II. Five minutes to the zero hour of opening, the bar is ready for service and all the staff are on parade. There must be no question of the"early customer catching the bartender"—for there is no worse commencement to the day than the surprise of the first arrival and the bartender still in his shirt-sleeves giving the final run-over to his domain. (Make certain that all equipment is to hand,and that all the staff are familiar as to its whereabouts. There is no spare time during the service for such games as"hunt the corkscrew ", etc.) Dress and Personal Appearance Just previously there was a reference made to the staff going away to change, a matter which in passing demands some con sideration, because there should be a room or space allotted to meet with this requirement. Provision should be such that the staff have decent facilities for hanging up and caring for their clothing, also for washing and other toilet essentials. For it would be hardly fair to blame them for being negligent in appear ance if they were not given ijie opportunity to be otherwise. Taking it for granted that there are no misgivings in regard

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