Beach Bar Behavior
Tuesday, March 24th, 2009
photo credit: Space Ritual
Working as a bartender has allowed me to see many different people in different bar settings. This has allowed me to understand what is the proper bar behavior at different types of bars. One thing you get with new drinkers and people on vacation is they do not know how to approach the bar and order a drink in different settings. Many times people are used to one or two bars and a new setting throws them off. Let’s go over the most common vacation bar, the beach bar.
Casual beach bar settings can be a great time at the bar. Many times people are on vacation when they first arrive at these bars. When you sit down to the bar you must wait for the bartender to approach you, especially if there are other customers. A good bartender will get to you quickly if you wait, but many times if you start trying to get their attention they will ignore you. Once the bartender gets there you should know what you want to order inside your head. It is okay to ask if there is a special of the day or a local specialty. If you do and then have to think about your drink, ask for a second and let the bartender help another customer. If not, order right away and if you do ask for a second, when the bartender comes back be ready. You can cost a bartender a lot of money if you keep distracting them with non orders especially on busy shifts. Now if you are going to order more than one drink, start a tab by leaving your credit card with them. This makes it easier on you and the bartender. Have one tab per 2-3 people. If you want to start a tab for an entire group that is okay but when it comes time to pay don’t pull out 10 different credit cards. Most bartenders will be fine in splitting a bill in two but when multiple credit cards come out it can be a hassle on many computer systems.
photo credit: alpha du centaure
When it is time to tip you can either tip on the amount of drinks or on a percentage. What I mean is that if you have three beers for $10 it is common curtsey to tip $3 for 3 drinks instead of $2 at 20%. When your bill starts getting over $30 you do not have to worry about the amount of drinks too much. You will receive a happy bartender next time you come back if you tip well. Tipping well will work out in the long run. Often time’s bartenders will make better drinks, have better service, and compensate drinks if you are a good tipper. I’m not saying tip excessively, but in the 20%-30% will pay off in the end if you expect to return.
It can be recommended to find a home base bar that you can enjoy on vacation or by your home. This way you can build up a good reputation and it will pay off in the end. One last bit is to remember to wear a shirt in the bar when you leave the beach.
Do you tip your bartender?
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Tags: beach bar
