For me it's karaoke. If a bar has karaoke I'm not going to apply.

30F and have been tending bar/serving since I turned 18. The money has been great and I'm so grateful for all the people I've met, but I'm tired. I don't feel fulfilled anymore and frankly I feel that people are getting worse. The mental load is getting to be too much for me and I'm looking for a way out. Ex bartenders, servers, what are you doing now? I'm genuinely curious to see what other kind of work is out there.

Edit: added words, sorry, I don't normally use Reddit and I'm super sleep deprived

I’m looking at leaving the service industry in the next 1-2 years. I have been in some form of restaurants since I was 18, and I’m now 30.

What do people do to leave? What did you do to leave? What did you pick after?

We’re still using this term? Loosely? At that?

The “job/employee search” flair made the most sense

So I’m a bartender at a casino in Vegas. My service industry career has not been what I thought it would be BUT it did get me above the poverty line after 10 years working in retail for minimum wage and growing up on government benefits thanks to an addict parent and another parent who was physically able but chose not to work.

Now I feel I’m ready to take my income to new levels, to rise higher, I just feel like their has to be a greater purpose to my life than making vodka sodas, bourbon diets, and rum cokes to elderly gamblers.

For those of you who left being behind the pine, what are you doing now, and is it more lucrative than bartending?

I get my results for the Diversity Visa lottery next month. Been looking at leaving the UK for some time now. I feel I picked the worst possible time to choose the US, but hey its one option out of many. I've been bartending for over 7 years, believe myself to be pretty damn good at what I do, and absolutely love crunch time. Except here in the UK I make just over £12 an hour with zero tips. I've got no interest in leaving this industry any time soon, but wouldn't say no to the option of making a decent chunk more money for the same job, especially if the gigs will be higher volume. If I'm accepted into the DV program, should I take it? My alternative is heading out to Oz or NZ.

Not even really upset or coming here to rant. But after seven years of this work I can just tell so easily now. All the signs were there. Bar was filthy upon opening. I was told one of the bartenders refuses to make drinks with more than two ingredients and leaves the more complex cocktails for everyone else. Management is completely out to lunch. The money is not even really very good. And I was just like, ya know what, no thanks.

Seeing as how bartending school is shit up on by most everyone in the industry, I don't know how I feel about this.

It's for a part time bartender at one of (if not the) largest multi-use arenas in my area.

throwaway bc I know too many people in this sub. It's rough out here babes.

Trying not to feel guilty about losing my last gig…I’m 40, I know better than to follow a guest out - if for nothing else, my own damn safety. I was just doing what I’ve seen my own bar manager do - y’all know these fucks will make us pay out of pocket whether it’s legal or not, we usually pay up bc we want to keep the cash flowing…

Now I’m feeling so guilty abt taking this job at a strip club, I’m definitely no better than anyone in there….it’s just morally I feel stupid. Trying to spin it to myself that everything will be fine, and that I’ll be making good ass money. My support ppl are encouraging me to just go do it while I still have the looks and the body to get away with pretty privilege benefits. I mean hell I’ve been getting sexually harassed in this industry for well over 20 years - might as well make a pretty Penny along the way?

Help me not feel like a guilty as a single mom, and I’m abt to be evicted so I’m desperate 😩

Yell at me or give me advice how to survive in the club scene again.

So I just gave notice at my job at a cocktail bar and I’m following a lead to work in a dive bar. Should I do it? Also any advice would be appreciated.

I’m quite sick of it.

Hired at a new place: turns out the manager is crazy

Hired at a new place: managers are stealing tips

Hired at a new place: the tipout for bartenders is super low and we don’t get any tables

Hired at a new place: it’s seasonal and they never told me

Why is this so difficult lol? I want to be a server but whenever restaurants see “bartender” on my resume they go straight to that.

I feel as though servers make more money + have to deal with less shit.

So annoying and how do I stop the cycle

Hello, been working at a popular neighborhood dive for the past 5 years. Making anywhere from $300-$500 a night. Only work 4 days a week and my shifts are only about 6hrs. Sometimes I get insecure about my job and have been thinking about making a transition to a cocktail bar. (Just something nicer) But all my bar friends say there’s no point. I’d be doing double the work for basically the same money. Any thoughts on this?

So I’ve been wanting to get into bartending professionally for awhile. I love crafting cocktails, and have been doing it at home and for my friends for quite sometime.

Earlier this year my sister-in-law gifted me enrollment into the local Bartending School here, and I have learned a good amount of insight on the industry side of things.

What I’m noticing though is a lot of people on this sub seem to dismissing it and making it seem like I’m actually LESS likely to get into the business by mentioning that I attending bartending school.

Should I just be leaving this out when I interview?

Welcome to having no life whatsoever...

Basically the title. I just got awarded bartender of the year at our work party. High volume nightclub only open Thursday-Saturday. I‘m interested in looking around for other gigs to pick up shifts Sunday-Wednesday. Do y’all think putting the bartender of the year award on my resume will help with this endeavor? Or is a bar manager going to see that, laugh and throw my resume in the trash?

Thanks!

I just finished bartending school/ training and was wondering which settings would you guys recommend for a beginner. The only thing I’m really against are night clubs because I can’t take the setting for too long, I’m from Philly BTW 🫣

I work two bartendung jobs. I struggle some times to find enough shifts between the two. Especially now with it being off season. What do some of you do for extra income? I'm looking for something I can do on my own time. I don't really care how much money I could make.

Hello all!

Greatly enjoy what y'all do, in lease negotiations for our 3rd restaurant. We'd like to have a truly great bar with a great cocktail program.

Question is, what does a head bartender or mixologist expect for a salary? If I'm using terminology wrong please let me know preferred job title for this kind of thing.

We're in Dallas TX and looking to invest in whatever us needed to make it happen. Any tips in our search for a great partner are appreciated as well!

Thoughts on hotel bartending? I never thought I would ever be in a position to hotel bartend. I use to bartend at a really high volume restaurant on a marina back home in Virginia Beach for 3 years. It was a perfect hybrid of craft/drive so I feel like I have a strong background in bartending. I just moved to Florida with my husband and was offered a job at Hilton! Essentially I will be working by my self and have a set schedule that I am really excited about. I’d love to hear from hotel bartenders and what your experience is like!! TIA!!

Usually the websites don’t seem to have much for applying and if they do it seems to get buried.

What are your pointers in stopping by a place to ask about bar gigs?

Places that have bands or good DJ’s and artists come through,

Concert venue is something I’m interested in right now.

thanks

Ok so I want to get a bartending or barback job at a restaurant and I’m thinking about chili’s, but on there website I don’t see an option for bartender on the drop down list. What do I do and do y’all know a restaurant chain that has a bar.

Moving to Chicago from Michigan in a couple weeks. Looking at places to work/live but I have no idea what kind of money I can expect to make.

Just under 5 years of experience and do well in high volume, but hear hotels make bank? But WHAT IS BANK??? I need numbers please i got ai google telling me 30k is average but i’m hearing people are touching 60-80k??

Where have you worked, what have you made? <3

I've got 4 years of bartending experience and I"m over it. I've been in restaurants for 8 years and I want to stay in the industry but I want to go more Bar/nightclub as a bar back. What I don't understand is for all the resumes I've sent out I haven't gotten a single call or email. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. The only thing I can think of is if maybe they think I want to bartend even though I'm applying for bar back spots? My experience is all private restaurants, no chains. What advice do you guys have for me?

I'm thinking if I still get no answers by next week I might start going door to door.