The bartender is the face of a bar. They’re often seen as being at fault for all service problems, and they take orders from customers or enter them into the point-of-sale system.

There is another position that has been proven to be an integral part of the bartending team. The barback, who often operates in the shadows and helps with many duties during service, can help make sure things are running smoothly.

Barbacks are the bartenders’ right-hand men. They do everything from stocking shelves to cleaning up spills, but what does that mean?

We’ll explore what a barback is and how they work in this post. We will also talk about the skills needed to succeed in this position and tips for hiring a great candidate.

• What is a barback?
• Responsibilities of a barback are to ensure that the bartenders have everything they need.
• How much a barback makes 
• A job description for a barback
• Hiring a barback
• How to train a barback
• A bartender is a profession that requires much more than just someone who can pour drinks. The barback may not be ready to take on the responsibilities of bartending, but it’s good for them to know what they’re in store for before making any decisions.

Let’s dive in! 

What is a barback?

A barback is the equivalent of a busser in that they are responsible for ensuring that the bartender has everything needed to complete their job. A key responsibility is keeping things tidy and restocking anything running low.

Many people in the industry start as barbacks and then work their way up to the bartenders.

For Stephanie Jones, former restaurant manager, and b, arsenal as the founder of the blog Two Girls One Suitcase, a barback’s job is to make bartenders’ life easier by helping them with tasks like ordering supplies or running errands. A good barback will also help maintain service and provide an enjoyable experience for guests.

It is common for bartenders to start as barbacks, which can be a great position because it teaches them how the back of the house works and what customer service should look like.

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What are a barback’s duties and responsibilities? 

A barback has a long list of tasks to complete, but some general duties can vary be expected. The type and extent of these vary by the establishment. Here is the typical workday for any barback: – – Prepare clean glassware  – Greet great the door or register as needed. What does a barback do?

Cleaning tasks 

• I used to flip tables
• I had to take out the dish soap and wash all my dishes.
• As the waitstaff, I constantly ran back and forth to clear plates or brought new food.
• Cleaning up the tables and bar area
• I had a service that was constantly cleaning up after themselves, but they never seemed to recycle.
• When someone spills a drink, it is essential to clean up the mess as soon as possible. This includes mopping behind the bar so that no one slips and falls.
• Unclogging sinks

Stocking tasks 

• A fully stocked bar is essential for any service industry, including restaurants.
• Juicing citrus
• Preparing garnishes
• Refilling ice wells
• Making sure that the bar has glasses, toothpicks, napkins, and coasters is iesseessentiato l tore guests’ quality experience.
• Cleaning rags are always in short supply at each bar.
• Restocking liquor bottles
• Changing beer kegs

Opening and closing shift tasks 

• Cleaning up the bar before opening
• The company found that when they switched to putting away liquor and beer shipments, the sales increased by 12%.
• Tracking the amount of inventory that is sold each day.

Miscellaneous tasks 

• Hanging out with the bartender and helping them when they need it.
• When customers are drinking from a personal bottle, acting rowdy or inappropriately, or underage, security should be notified.
• When taking orders, I will either put them through the point of sale system or tell a bartender about new ones that show up on the Kitchen Display System (KDS)

Suzannah Gerber, a food and beverage industry consultant who owns her own company called Haven Foods, says that barbacks are an essential part of any high-volume team. They have different skills than other service members.

A barback is a bartender’s right-hand man or woman. They are responsible for ensuring that the inventory levels of all necessary items, such as kegs and ice machines, stay stocked while also being strong enough to carry heavy objects like kegs on their own.

How much do barbacks make? 

Entry-level bartenders usually take on the position of barback.

The pay is low, but tips can make up for it depending on where you work and how your drinks are priced. Click To Tweet

How to write a grean excellent hack job description

Every establishment has different needs, which means that the barback’s job description should be tailored to reflect their duties and responsibilities.

A successful bar or restaurant manager should assess what skills each of their employees needs and communicate that information in the job description. However, it is essential for thetoto provide tasks based on skill level and allow flexibility when necessary because different workers will need help with other jobs.

The barback should have the following skills: -Good customer service and understanding of hhandlingtoughdemandingomers. -Ability to l up 50 pounds. This is important for carrying cases and heavy equipment around the restaurant or venue, but it also helps if you need someone who can help out in a pinch with smaller tasks like stacking chairs or tables.

Hard skills for barbacks 

• The barback position is about more than just stocking the shelves with bottles. You may be asked to prepare garnishes or help out in the kitchen when needed.
• It is essential to make sure that your barback can do some heavy lifting. They will be doing everything from putting away shipments of liquor and beer, carrying kegs for the draft system, stocking shelves with bottles, cans s, etc.
• Bartenders will usually teach their barbacks about the liquors, beer,s, and wines they carry. But a bartender must know what they sell bthey recommendations to customers.

Soft skills for barbacks 

• Organization is a critical element of being successful in the bar industry. Barbacks need to be organized and system and also flexible enough to handle any obstacles that come their way during each shift.
• A good barback needs to anticipate what will be required before it is asked for. That means that the right amount of bottles, garnishes, and other supplies should always be available without having to ask
• The one thing that makes customer service enjoyable and challenging is the people. If a person has an issue, your staff needs to keep their cool while still solving their problem with a smile.
• When hiring a barback, make sure they have strong interpersonal skills. This will ensure that customers are satisfied and happy with the service.
• A barback is a person who works at the front of the house and takes care of tasks such as cleaning tables, bussing dirty dishes from guests’ tables to be washed in a dish pit. The critical skill for this job is multitasking: if they are aware of walking back into the kitchen with dirty plates on their tray, try to do other chores while heading there.
• Working in the service industry is fast-paced. This means that a barback nneeds to handle high pressure, such as needsorking on a packed Saturday night without burning out.
• If there are many tasks to be done at once, the barback needs to prioritize and take care of certain things first. If the toilet is clogged and napkins need refilling, for example, they should handle those two issues before anything else.
• Christopher Manning, Managing Director of Gastronomer Lifestyle Ltd., says that one trait to look for in a good barback is their ability to adapt. They need to assess and prioritize tasks when hit with an evening rush, or else they will not need doing first.

Many people are content with being a barback because it’s the first step to becoming an experienced bartender. Make sure you outline what opportunities there may be for career growth in your job description and how long that process takes on average.

How to hire a barback 

To post a job ad, you need to need toth the proper channels. The best places are:

• Monster
• Simply Hired
• Indeed
• Craigslist
• Staffy

In addition to posting on job listing websites, post your hiring status on Facebook and Instagram. These are the people who come into your establishment all of the time; they’re like your biggest fans. Who knows? Maybe one of them is looking for a barback position too.

Ensure your staff knows that you are looking for a barback. People who work in the industry have networks of friends to refer to potential candidates. If these people need some incentive, make it worthwhile by giving them referral bonuses when the candidate is hired, performs well in their role, and completes probation.

Barback training tips  

Once you’ve hired your ideal candidate to be a barback, they must be adequately trained so they can reach their maximum potential. The good news is that training them will not take too much time or effort because there are similarities between teaching any restaurant employee: on-the-job learning with formal training and feedback from the manager.

Onboarding

When you hire a new employee, it is crucial to be upfront about what they can and cannot do in your establishment. If you have a dress code or guidelines for customer service, the best way to ensure that eemployeefollowg them properly is by creating an Employee Handbook.

Shadowing

Before you let your barback go off on their own, make sure they know how to do the tasks that are required for them. Have one of our senior bartenders or a bartender show them what needs to be done before service starts, during, and after.

Inexperienced salespeople can learn from their more experienced peers and supervisors when they’re new. This helps them grow as a person and feel confident about themselves sooner.

Shadowing is also a great way to help your new hires learn about the company culture and how they can best fit in. It gallowsthemallowss ttalentedwith their co-workers, find out what everyone does on the team, and see who will be working closely together.

Menu education

When it comes to se, the bartender needs to know about their menu and how each drink is made. They also glass ga good understanding of what flavors work well together to recommend dishes that complement sure cocktails.

Encourage your bartender to train the barback on essential cocktail recipes so that they can be helpful and ask quest The more information passed between them, the better.

Environment

When you first hire somsomeonecouldu, you give them a tour of the restaurant? it. Show them where to find all their tools and supplies to be more proactive when service starts.

How to know when your barback is ready to become a bartender

It can take anywhere from 12 to 16 months to becometo a bartender. This is enough time for the newbie to learn everything they need about bartending and get comfortable with their clientele.

When you think your barback is ready to be a bartender, make sure they have the opportunity to shadow their lead more intently and start serving customers during slower shifts. This will give them time to adjust before being thrown into high-volume, dchallengingsituations.

It is illegal for bartenders to serve alcohol in some states if they are under the legal drinking age. Ensure that your barback has a permit and meets state law before hiring them.

Finding the barback that’s right for you

Finding a barback can be challenging, but finding one that meshes well with ppolitics Working in the restaurant and bar industry means long hwork on busworkhts while working closely in high-tension environments. Finding someone who gets along well with everyone else will make or break success.

A barback can have all the qualifications, but it will show if they don’t fit in with your team’s culture or are not motivated to work hard for you

Jones states that a good attitude and willingness to help make one great at being a bar back. Click To Tweet

There are a few skills that can’t be taught, and one of them is work ethic. You want someone who has the right attitude and complex, soft skills (mentioned earlier,) but ou , ut  not worth hiring if you don’t have those two things

Good luck in your search!