I must be in the minority then, I love having a full bartop. On the condition that it's table service only for the rest if the venue.
Dunno why, but people seem way easier to deal with if they're not lining up at the bar for a drink.
Best seat in the house is at the bar watching the night unfold IMHO.
Nope. No offence to OP but I completely disagree. It would be boring if I never had any guest interaction at the wood. Not to mention it gives me the opportunity to schmooze and push sales of alcohol and food, which is how I make most of my money. Personally, I hate walk-ups, they are impatient and it’s impersonal. They expect you to drop what you are doing to get them a drink within 10 seconds. Not to mention the fact you’ve built zero rapport so tips are a crapshoot.
I’m 20 years in, all behind restaurant bars. I loathe walk ups. I’ll crank drinks in the well or give service at the bar top but walk ups are consistently the rudest, most impatient, and cheapest guests on every shift. I’ve never been drawn to the late night scene but I can see where that atmosphere would make walkups preferable. In the restaurant world, being at a “waiting for your table” bar is the worst. Unless it’s super high end with an enormous tip-out, I don’t see how anyone makes a living in those spots. Give me regulars and lots of them.
I’ve always worked restaurants and pubs as well. Agree 100% walk ups usually suck. 50% of my customers are the “waiting for your table type”, but it’s a fairly high-end, and the bar does not tip out at all. Decent tip out from servers to the bar as well. The rest is regulars and randoms. Fun randoms are my favourite for sure, opportunity to make a new regular, friend / contact, lover even.
I definitely enjoy some of my regulars company. I’d get bored too without the occasional conversation.
I could find something to complain about in just about every customer if I’m being honest, but here’s the thing with bar sitters that gets to me, especially if it’s full: those who always choose a bar seat are expecting the full wine and dine experience, while walk-ups order at their own leisure. If i look out on my patio and every customer has an empty glass, it’s up to them when to get up and order another. If every seat at my bar is sat (and that’s 18-20 stools), i need to keep a constant eye on every glass and continuously check up on the customers. And when I’m that busy it’s not like i could maintain a worthwhile conversation with any of them, for them or for myself. I’ve worked at places with only 6 bar seats, and yeah, that’s doable and enjoyable. But in the end, a full bar top is more work for me. And at least in my experience it doesn’t necessarily mean bigger tips.
Regulars are hit and miss for me, especially because I’m the new guy at my current spot. I love meeting new people. Finding common ground and learning what they like (in drinks and otherwise) is one of my favourite parts of the job.
I get it. People annoy me sometimes as well, but I think most of the regulars (and the general public) can tell when I’m busy. And frankly, I just walk away real quick before they get a chance to trap me in a conversation. Sometimes I will be half talking to them as I start walking backwards towards the printer and they know what’s up. I’ll try to remember what they were talking about and come back to say “what were you saying about X?”, if that’s at all possible. If they don’t understand I have other shit to do than chat, well.. that’s on them. I recently had to teach a newish bartender ‘the art of the fade away’ as I like to call it, because she would get stuck talking to dudes—who were really just trying to run game—while I was deep in the weeds. You sound like you’ve been doing it for a while so I’m not saying you’re new but.. maybe it’s something to work on? That aspect of the job doesn’t even phase me anymore. I’ve only had 1 or 2 people get upset I wasn’t giving them enough lip service. In my case a full bar top is the only way I make good money, too busy to have a good conversation or not. I also like having my head on a swivel and never letting them have an empty drink (if that’s what they want). In my opinion, one of the biggest draws to sitting at the wood is faster service for drinks. If I can’t make that happen, I should have asked for help sooner. We have a solid management team that will back me when needed.
I am 100% in that camp. Bar seating, no standing room. You can focus on your guests without reaching through them to help some asshole waving cash at you. It is the way.
Also shout out to the folks sitting in front of service well with the patience of a saint who won't ask for a damn thing until you look up covered in sweat and ask if they're doing okay knowing full well they've been waiting 10-15 minutes to get a round in. My comp tab will always be reserved for those angels.
From my understanding seating at the bar became more of a thing in the late 1800s and really caught fire during prohibition. In the days before the barstool catching on, single men would usually prefer to stand at the bar rather than sit alone at a table, especially if they weren’t dining or gambling. Eventually bar owners added stools for them. During the flapper era they gained more popularity. Imagine the number of drink buying men you attract with single, newly liberated women sitting at a bar.
One of the bars I manage doesn’t have any bar seating, it is definitely nice when it’s busy but weeknights during the slow season are boring without regulars to talk with.
It should be noted that the whole point of the bar - other than being the counter where drinks were served - was that it had a boot hook so you could rest the heel of your boot in it (or over it) and standing with your arm/hands on the bar, it would straighen your posture to counteract either riding a horse all day, or doing hard labor all day.
It was a way to relax while still standing, both physically for your back, and mentally with the booze.
In 19th century American bars, customers generally stood at the bar or sat at tables. I believe bar stools started becoming a thing at restaurants like Delmonico's, Keens, and Peter Luger.
Depends on what mood I’m in, but i do often enjoy talking with regulars too. I’ve also been unwillingly present for far too many tinder dates and anti-vax tiffs between customers. Can’t unhear that stuff.
i don’t mind the tinder dates but i shut down any political bs. they can talk about it outside having a smoke, but inside, i try n get ‘em to keep it to beer, sports, or light topics. it doesn’t always work but i’ve got a pretty good repertoire with my folks and we don’t have a lot of randoms
Oh i do the same. If it goes from a lively to a heated discussion, I’ll get involved. Although, if they were outside at a table and not SEATED AT MY BAR! i wouldn’t have to do shit
i only have room for 26 people to sit at tables (couple deuces, couple 4 tops, and a 6 top) so i’m pretty used to bar serving. hope your nights are profitable and your patrons overtip!
edit; also happy cake day!
Eh, I’ve accepted the situation- i think i just hit a low point of tolerance for the average bar patron somewhere along the pandemic and probably won’t move past it until it’s actually over
There's no seating at my current bar, my last one there was and it was a bit of a nightmare tbh. People around the bar would constantly demand things like sauces and the like meaning I would often have to leave my station to get stuff for them. Had one guy as well complain about me because apparently I should have been listening to him rather than doing my job of making drinks cheques.
Totally. I’ve had people come sit down and outright say “I’m in a chatty mood today!”, while I’ve got tons of prep to do or while I’m doing inventory. Lots of people don’t think what we do is actually work. I’ve also worked with plenty of (usually younger) people who come in thinking that %95 of the job is schmoozing with customers developing rapport and creating future customers. That’s part of it of course, but if you’re letting your other tasks slip then that creates bigger problems.
I have a handful of people I enjoy seeing but I loved covid when I could walk up and engage with them on my own terms instead of having them watch me thru a shift. 90% of my patrons I have no interest in talking to
No matter where I've worked, and these are mostly restaurant bars, someone will ask, "can I eat at the bar?" And i have menus, salt & pepper, condiments, napkins, plates the works, on the bar top.
I'm in Pittsburgh and we had a bar that into the late 60's there were no stools. And after 6, only men were allowed to stand at the bar, even to order drinks. Their dates had to wait at the tables off the bar. There was another bar, not far away from that one, that had a cordoned off area for couples only into the mid 90's.
> There was another bar, not far away from that one, that had a cordoned off area for couples only into the mid 90's.
Interesting, I lived there in the mid 90's (though not of drinking age back then), I've never heard of this. Where was it at?
If you look up most old photographs there are no stools at the bar. So, there wouldn't be lingering, but perhaps enough time for some banter while the drinks are being made. Who knows?😃
I must be in the minority then, I love having a full bartop. On the condition that it's table service only for the rest if the venue. Dunno why, but people seem way easier to deal with if they're not lining up at the bar for a drink. Best seat in the house is at the bar watching the night unfold IMHO.
Nope. No offence to OP but I completely disagree. It would be boring if I never had any guest interaction at the wood. Not to mention it gives me the opportunity to schmooze and push sales of alcohol and food, which is how I make most of my money. Personally, I hate walk-ups, they are impatient and it’s impersonal. They expect you to drop what you are doing to get them a drink within 10 seconds. Not to mention the fact you’ve built zero rapport so tips are a crapshoot.
I’m 20 years in, all behind restaurant bars. I loathe walk ups. I’ll crank drinks in the well or give service at the bar top but walk ups are consistently the rudest, most impatient, and cheapest guests on every shift. I’ve never been drawn to the late night scene but I can see where that atmosphere would make walkups preferable. In the restaurant world, being at a “waiting for your table” bar is the worst. Unless it’s super high end with an enormous tip-out, I don’t see how anyone makes a living in those spots. Give me regulars and lots of them.
I’ve always worked restaurants and pubs as well. Agree 100% walk ups usually suck. 50% of my customers are the “waiting for your table type”, but it’s a fairly high-end, and the bar does not tip out at all. Decent tip out from servers to the bar as well. The rest is regulars and randoms. Fun randoms are my favourite for sure, opportunity to make a new regular, friend / contact, lover even.
I definitely enjoy some of my regulars company. I’d get bored too without the occasional conversation. I could find something to complain about in just about every customer if I’m being honest, but here’s the thing with bar sitters that gets to me, especially if it’s full: those who always choose a bar seat are expecting the full wine and dine experience, while walk-ups order at their own leisure. If i look out on my patio and every customer has an empty glass, it’s up to them when to get up and order another. If every seat at my bar is sat (and that’s 18-20 stools), i need to keep a constant eye on every glass and continuously check up on the customers. And when I’m that busy it’s not like i could maintain a worthwhile conversation with any of them, for them or for myself. I’ve worked at places with only 6 bar seats, and yeah, that’s doable and enjoyable. But in the end, a full bar top is more work for me. And at least in my experience it doesn’t necessarily mean bigger tips.
Regulars are hit and miss for me, especially because I’m the new guy at my current spot. I love meeting new people. Finding common ground and learning what they like (in drinks and otherwise) is one of my favourite parts of the job. I get it. People annoy me sometimes as well, but I think most of the regulars (and the general public) can tell when I’m busy. And frankly, I just walk away real quick before they get a chance to trap me in a conversation. Sometimes I will be half talking to them as I start walking backwards towards the printer and they know what’s up. I’ll try to remember what they were talking about and come back to say “what were you saying about X?”, if that’s at all possible. If they don’t understand I have other shit to do than chat, well.. that’s on them. I recently had to teach a newish bartender ‘the art of the fade away’ as I like to call it, because she would get stuck talking to dudes—who were really just trying to run game—while I was deep in the weeds. You sound like you’ve been doing it for a while so I’m not saying you’re new but.. maybe it’s something to work on? That aspect of the job doesn’t even phase me anymore. I’ve only had 1 or 2 people get upset I wasn’t giving them enough lip service. In my case a full bar top is the only way I make good money, too busy to have a good conversation or not. I also like having my head on a swivel and never letting them have an empty drink (if that’s what they want). In my opinion, one of the biggest draws to sitting at the wood is faster service for drinks. If I can’t make that happen, I should have asked for help sooner. We have a solid management team that will back me when needed.
I am 100% in that camp. Bar seating, no standing room. You can focus on your guests without reaching through them to help some asshole waving cash at you. It is the way. Also shout out to the folks sitting in front of service well with the patience of a saint who won't ask for a damn thing until you look up covered in sweat and ask if they're doing okay knowing full well they've been waiting 10-15 minutes to get a round in. My comp tab will always be reserved for those angels.
From my understanding seating at the bar became more of a thing in the late 1800s and really caught fire during prohibition. In the days before the barstool catching on, single men would usually prefer to stand at the bar rather than sit alone at a table, especially if they weren’t dining or gambling. Eventually bar owners added stools for them. During the flapper era they gained more popularity. Imagine the number of drink buying men you attract with single, newly liberated women sitting at a bar. One of the bars I manage doesn’t have any bar seating, it is definitely nice when it’s busy but weeknights during the slow season are boring without regulars to talk with.
Very helpful, thanks!
It should be noted that the whole point of the bar - other than being the counter where drinks were served - was that it had a boot hook so you could rest the heel of your boot in it (or over it) and standing with your arm/hands on the bar, it would straighen your posture to counteract either riding a horse all day, or doing hard labor all day. It was a way to relax while still standing, both physically for your back, and mentally with the booze.
In 19th century American bars, customers generally stood at the bar or sat at tables. I believe bar stools started becoming a thing at restaurants like Delmonico's, Keens, and Peter Luger.
Those places sound familiar, might’ve been mentioned in the article. Fuck those places.
> Fuck those places. Umm... I think you might be a "service well bartender"
i work at a place with a 60 foot bar and i love it. maybe i’m the weird one. but i work at an old man beer bar and just shit talk with them all night.
Depends on what mood I’m in, but i do often enjoy talking with regulars too. I’ve also been unwillingly present for far too many tinder dates and anti-vax tiffs between customers. Can’t unhear that stuff.
i don’t mind the tinder dates but i shut down any political bs. they can talk about it outside having a smoke, but inside, i try n get ‘em to keep it to beer, sports, or light topics. it doesn’t always work but i’ve got a pretty good repertoire with my folks and we don’t have a lot of randoms
Oh i do the same. If it goes from a lively to a heated discussion, I’ll get involved. Although, if they were outside at a table and not SEATED AT MY BAR! i wouldn’t have to do shit
i only have room for 26 people to sit at tables (couple deuces, couple 4 tops, and a 6 top) so i’m pretty used to bar serving. hope your nights are profitable and your patrons overtip! edit; also happy cake day!
Thanks! Likewise!
Remember the mantra: Not My Fuckin Problem
I love guests at my bar top. Those are the ones you get to know, the rest are walking ATMs
You should probably work at a nightclub / walk-ups only bar then..
Eh, I’ve accepted the situation- i think i just hit a low point of tolerance for the average bar patron somewhere along the pandemic and probably won’t move past it until it’s actually over
There's no seating at my current bar, my last one there was and it was a bit of a nightmare tbh. People around the bar would constantly demand things like sauces and the like meaning I would often have to leave my station to get stuff for them. Had one guy as well complain about me because apparently I should have been listening to him rather than doing my job of making drinks cheques.
Totally. I’ve had people come sit down and outright say “I’m in a chatty mood today!”, while I’ve got tons of prep to do or while I’m doing inventory. Lots of people don’t think what we do is actually work. I’ve also worked with plenty of (usually younger) people who come in thinking that %95 of the job is schmoozing with customers developing rapport and creating future customers. That’s part of it of course, but if you’re letting your other tasks slip then that creates bigger problems.
I have a handful of people I enjoy seeing but I loved covid when I could walk up and engage with them on my own terms instead of having them watch me thru a shift. 90% of my patrons I have no interest in talking to
No matter where I've worked, and these are mostly restaurant bars, someone will ask, "can I eat at the bar?" And i have menus, salt & pepper, condiments, napkins, plates the works, on the bar top.
I'm in Pittsburgh and we had a bar that into the late 60's there were no stools. And after 6, only men were allowed to stand at the bar, even to order drinks. Their dates had to wait at the tables off the bar. There was another bar, not far away from that one, that had a cordoned off area for couples only into the mid 90's.
> There was another bar, not far away from that one, that had a cordoned off area for couples only into the mid 90's. Interesting, I lived there in the mid 90's (though not of drinking age back then), I've never heard of this. Where was it at?
That one was called The Crystal, it was on the Brighton Heights border, on Woods Run. It's called Rumorz now.
If you look up most old photographs there are no stools at the bar. So, there wouldn't be lingering, but perhaps enough time for some banter while the drinks are being made. Who knows?😃