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1.1 Error: Reference source not found

Introduction

Before work starts in a bar it needs to be set up

for trade.
This Section identifies important set up work to
be covered as part of this process.

Context for this Unit

This unit describes the performance outcomes,

skills and knowledge required to carry out bar operations in a range of
hospitality enterprises. It reflects the role of a bar attendant and applies to bar
operations in all hospitality sectors, including all types of bars.
It relates to the service of a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages
commonly found in a bar.
Different countries will have various legislative requirements in relation to
service of alcohol.

Need to set up the bar

Bars need to be properly set up prior to service

for two important reasons:
 To ensure the bar is fully ready to provide
service to customers when they arrive –
everything must be ready, everything needs
to be in place. You have to give the
impression you were ready for the
customers and had prepared for their
arrival
 To make sure the bar looks appealing to customers – there is a need for the
area to be neat and tidy and for staff to be able to focus on customer service
when they place an order, rather than spend/waste time doing tasks which
should have been done prior to opening.

Types of bars to which this unit applies

This unit applies to the operation of all bar types including:
 Permanent bars – bars which are ‘in place’ all the time
 Temporary bars – bars which are established for short-term reasons such as
parties, special events, or to cater for especially high levels of trade
 Dry till bars – see below: a bar where drinks are served but no money
changes hands.

What is involved in bar service?

Understanding what a bar does is useful as it gives a context and focus for the
set up duties which need to be performed.
In general terms, bar service will include the preparation and service of a range
of drinks including:
 A variety of mixed drinks – which may be served in short (capacity approx.
140 ml) or long glasses (capacity approx. 200 ml) and served using either a
full nip of spirits (30 ml) and/or a half nip (15 ml) nips
 A range of cocktails – some bars promote cocktails more than others. Some
bars have a limited range of house cocktails while others boast a
comprehensive range
 Beers – draught and packaged. Draught beer
comes from kegs/barrels and is the beer ‘on
tap’ – packaged beer refers to all the beer
available in bottles, stubbies and cans. Not all
bars have ‘draught’ beer
 Spirits – these may be:
 ‘Neat’ - served on their own with nothing
added
 ‘On ice’ – served only with ice: also known as ‘on the rocks’
 Mixed with aerated waters (such as cola, lemonade, dry ginger, lemon
squash) or juices
 Liqueurs – these are usually served on their own (a serve size is 28 ml – 30
ml) but may be served over ice, mixed into a cocktail or in some cases added
to coffee
 Wines – still table wines and sparkling wines (red and white)
 Non-alcoholic beverages – fruit juices, still and sparkling waters and aerated
waters/soft drink: aerated waters may be dispensed from bottles, cans or
post mix
 Fortified drinks – which include sherry, port, muscat, tokay and frontignac.
A standard serve size for a fortified wine is 60 ml.
Enterprise requirements

Enterprise requirements and standards will apply to the set up of a bar and the
following requirements may apply – set up:
 Must support and reflect the style of service being offered
 Needs to accommodate and embrace the equipment being used
 Will vary with the size and layout of the bar
 Will vary depending on staff numbers working in the bar and helping with
set up tasks
 Must comply with required food safety requirements.

Opening procedures
‘Opening procedures’ is a generic term used to describe the tasks needed to set
up/prepare a bar for service.
Opening procedures will vary between establishments and will vary between
bars in the same business.
Opening procedures may include:
 Connecting the draught beer – where bulk beer is
served you may be required to:
 Turning on instantaneous beverage chillers
 Drawing beer through to taps and
testing/examining for quality
 Turning on espresso coffee machine
 Setting out drip trays – with de-naturing agent – under
beer fonts
 Setting out trays and racks – ready to hold dirty glassware
 Checking stock levels of all beverage items – where any beverage item is ‘out
of stock’, other staff should be notified of this and effort made to
order/obtain what is required
 Collecting clean cloths/swabs, tea towels and bar runners
 Laying out bar runners, coasters, tent cards, promotional materials and
other items as required
 Setting ashtrays in smoking areas
 Checking equipment and bar utensils are clean and in working order – this
check should include all operational bar equipment (such as refrigeration,
beer taps, blenders, ice machines, ice crushers) as well as all ancillary items
 such as lighting, air conditioning, music systems, vending machines,
advertising signage
 Placing racks of clean glassware out into their service positions – this
requires glasses to be placed into a glass chiller which will also need to be
turned on
 Checking glassware – to ensure they have no cracks, chips, lipstick marks:
all glasses must look clean
 Placing spirit pourers on the appropriate bottles – ensuring sufficient supply
of liquor
 Preparing garnishes – most bars prepare standard garnishes such as lemon
and orange slices, and lime quarters: where a strong demand for cocktails
exists there will be a greater demand for a bigger range of garnishes
(cherries, cucumber, orange wheels, pineapples) plus the likelihood of a
need to prepare sugar syrup, sour mix, and fresh juices
 Checking bar displays and all promotional material – refilling as required
 Re-stocking accessories for cocktails – straws, decorations, glassware
 Stacking and ensuring cleanliness of service trays
 Filling up ice buckets/tubs
 Collecting cash drawer and placing in cash register – checking or replacing
register journal.

Additional pre-service considerations

Dry till, tab or account

Most bars, with the exception of those operating within an accommodation
venue, will trade on a cash basis.
Some bars will also have credit card and electronic fund transfer facilities.
However, from time-to-time the bar may run a ‘dry till’, a ‘tab’ or an account for
a customer.
This can be used (sometimes only with prior arrangement and approval from
management) where a group or party wishes drinks to be served to them
without the need for payment every time they receive a drink.
When you run a dry till, tab or account, the selling prices of all the drinks
served are rung up (or otherwise recorded) behind the bar, and the bill is then
paid by the appropriate person (such as the person organising an event, or the
host of a small party): in some cases, the account is pre-paid.
On some occasions, the person paying the account sets a pre-determined dollar
amount up to which they will pay. It is usual to notify this person shortly
before this amount is reached, as they sometimes extend the amount they have
agreed to spend.
Otherwise, when the set amount has been reached, people start paying for
their own drinks.
There may be limitations on what people can order when a dry till is being used
– for example, customers may only be able to have draught beer, soft drink and
house wine: if guests want to drink spirits or bottles of wine they have to pay
for their own drinks.

Inclusive packages
In some bars on some occasions – regularly or
rarely – staff will be expected to deal with
‘inclusive packages’ situations.
This may be where a busload of patrons arrives for
a meal and the arrangement is they are entitled to one
or more prescribed drinks as part of the package.
There are usually limits about what sort of drinks can
be dispensed for these packages: the arrangement
may only include house wine, draught beer and soft drinks.
In other circumstances, patrons may only be allowed one set drink, or one
drink from a restricted drink list.
Check with management to see if patrons are allowed to up-grade their drinks
if they pay the difference: also check to see if any additional 'special' limitations
or extras apply.
In some other cases, people on a package will not receive any free or inclusive
drinks, but are eligible for a set discount across a range of drinks.
In package deal situations it is critical to ensure:
 Only people eligible for the package deal receive drinks
 Patrons only receive the number of drinks they are entitled to
 Patrons only receive the type of drinks covered by the deal.

Pre-set drinks
On special occasions – the exact nature of these occasions is limitless but it is
common – a group, business or individual may arrange a mini-function where
they pay for a set amount of specified beverages.
In such a scenario the guests may arrive at a given time, and receive one or
several drinks from a prescribed list – examples include a sherry, a glass of
sparkling wine, a set cocktail.
If patrons want anything else, they have to pay for it themselves.
Beware: you will have to apply excellent customer service skills with patrons
who have to be told their favourite drink has not been included on the 'free list'!

Open bar
The term ‘open bar’ is used for functions where
there is no limit on the type of drink guests can
order.
Whereas many/most functions will have some
sort of limitation on what guests can have 'free of
charge' an open bar means there are no such
restrictions.
Note: despite the above definition, there are variations on a theme – at some
venues an open bar will include bottled premium products and wine whereas
other venues will exclude these from their definition of an open bar.
You will need to check with your supervisor.

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Introduction

An important part of setting up a bar is to ensure all the required products and
materials are available and ready to use.
This Section identifies items which need to be checked, possible enterprise
requirements and what to do if things are not as they are supposed to be.

Products and materials to check

The exact nature and type of products and
materials to check will depend on the
individual bar where you are working.
Some bars have very basic requirements and
others have extensive requirements.

All types of drinks

You need to check:
 Alcoholic beverages – beers, wines, spirits, liqueurs
 Non-alcoholic beverages – aerated waters, fruit juices, milk, cream.
Checks must ensure:
 Sufficient quantities of all items to meet expected trade
 Juices, milk and cream have not exceeded their ‘best
before’ or ‘use by’ dates
 Stock is readily accessible
 Back-up supplies are available.

Garnishes
You need to check:
 The garnishes commonly required by the bar
are prepared and available – these will
include basics such as slices of lemon and
slices of orange
 Ingredients are available to enable
preparation of extra and/or other
garnishes as possibly needed by the type of
drinks offered on the drink list.
See Section 1.5 for detail on preparing garnishes.

Cleaning equipment
You need to check:
 Equipment and service counters are clean and ready for service
 All equipment used in the preparation and service of drinks is clean
 Cleaning materials (chemicals, cleaning agents and cleaning tools and
cloths) are available and ready to use if needed during trade.

Refrigeration equipment
You need to check:
 All refrigeration units are turned on
 Items are operating at the required temperature:
 Units containing food (milk, cream, fruit) should operate at 5°C or below
 Drink units may have a nominated temperature for different types of
drinks – such as 2°C for beer fridges.

Utensils and equipment

You need to check:
 All required utensils are available – items may include:
 Chopping/cutting boards and knives
 Bar spoons to stir drinks
 Cocktail shakers.
 All required equipment is available – items may include:
 Blenders
 Ice crushers
 Glass chillers
 Utensils and equipment are safe to use
 Items are clean
 Sufficient utensils and equipment are available
 Items are laid out in their correct location.

Cloths and towels

You need to check:
 All required linen is available – such as bar runners/towels, swabs, tea
towels, cloths
 Items have been washed and are clean
 Sufficient quantities are available
 Items look appealing – not torn, tired or shabby.

Display items
You need to check:
 Advertising and promotional materials are available – these may include:
 Tent cards
 Menus
 Drink lists
 Book matches
 Signage and posters
 Sample products located strategically to encourage sales
 Special displays have been created as required – these may include:
 Displays to support a theme
 Displays for a special event/party
 Displays in a dining area to promote wine.
Enterprise requirements

Enterprise requirements relating to re-stocking bar products may include:

 Only the supervisor may be authorised to order stock
 A requisition must be used to order all stock
 Stock can only be ordered to re-stock the bar to a nominated par level.
 An inter-departmental transfer form must be completed if stock is taken
from another bar or department
 All stock delivered to a bar must be immediately secured and stored behind
the bar or under refrigeration (as appropriate)
 New stock delivered to the bar must be rotated using the FIFO method –
meaning new stock is placed behind old stock.

Action to take if items are not available or things are not correct

You may need to:

 Advise your supervisor – tell them of your concern and they will take the
necessary action
 Order necessary items (materials, ingredients, utensils, equipment, linen)
 Undertake cleaning which has not been properly done
 Put away deliveries to the bar which have arrived
 Create (or replenish or tidy) displays.

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Introduction

Some bars will have very little in the way of garnishes and decorations, and
some will have quite a deal.
This Section explains the need for, and identifies, garnishes and
accompaniments.

Need for garnishes and accompaniments

Over time bars have evolved into places where some

decorations, coasters, garnishes and/or
accompaniments are required.
In many instances, these items are necessary:
 To meet customer expectations
 To meet competition
 To differentiate the establishment from the opposition.

Sample items

You may find the following ‘miscellaneous’ items behind a bar to enhance the
presentation of drinks:
 Coasters – these can be placed on bar counters, tables, shelving, and served
with individual drinks
 Decorations – there is a wide range of animal figures,
umbrellas and the traditional mermaid
 Edible garnishes – usually lemon and orange slices,
but can include almost anything where the bar
serves an extensive variety of cocktails
 Non-edible garnishes – includes hollowed-out
pineapples and coconut shells for eye-catching
cocktails
 Drinking straws – these may be long or short,
straight or flexible: they may also be individually wrapped or stored in a
container to comply with health regulations.

Preparation

It is important for these items to be prepared as part of the set up procedure,

and re-stocked in the same way that beverage products are ordered.

Garnishes
Garnishes should be prepared fresh for each service session.
Where your venue stores left-over garnishes from previous sessions, these
should be used first, before freshly made ones.
After cutting and preparation, garnishes may be:
 Stored on a plate or saucer
 Placed into a plastic or stainless steel container
 Covered
 Refrigerated.
Garnishes should be prepared as shortly as possible before service as leftover
ones look tired and unattractive.
See Section 3.4 for more detail on garnishes.

Accompaniments
Preparing accompaniments involves:
 Checking they are available
 Re-stocking supplies of drinking straws
 Ensuring the containers they are supplied in are open and readily accessible
 Placing individual decorations/items into other containers ready for use.
Check out the following website for ideas about bar items and accompaniments
available:
 http://barware.cart.net.au/cat/34725.html.

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Introduction

When customers place a drink order, either at the bar or at the table, they
expect they will receive the drink they have ordered.
This necessitates you noting or memorising the order correctly.
Your employer also expects you to get the drink order right so you deliver high
levels of customer service and to avoid wastage caused when the wrong drink is
mixed, served and rejected by patrons.
This Section describes practices to ensure customer orders are correctly taken.

Greeting the customer

When taking a drink order, always greet all customers in a

friendly manner.
See Section 3.1 for detail on how this is done.

Taking orders

Accuracy is important regardless of whether the order is

written down or memorised.
If you are not sure of exactly what is being ordered, ask the
customer to repeat it or clarify it.
You should repeat the order back to the customer to check you have heard the
order correctly.
Behind a bar, it is preferable for service staff to memorise the order, whereas
an order taken at a table may have to be noted down.
In some cases, the person taking the order
might not be the same person who prepares or
serves it so legibility and clarity are important for
hand-written orders.
Many venues use a standard order form and
may employ a range of house-specific
abbreviations familiar to all staff – for example:
 OJ = orange juice
 DWW = Dry, white wine.
Make sure the order is clear
Lots of drink orders have the potential to be misinterpreted unless they are
clearly explained.
For example, a customer may come to the bar and say ‘A beer thanks’ and be
quite clear in their own mind about exactly what they are ordering, but they
have nor stipulated:
 The brand they want
 The style of beer required
 Whether they want a can or glass
 The size they want.
The moral of this story is where there is room for confusion, ambiguity, options
or alternatives, make sure you clarify the situation, for example:
 If they order “rum” do they want:
 Dark, white or other?
 Under- or over-proof?
 Imported or domestic?
 If they order a “glass of white wine, do they want
 Dry?
 Sweet?
If ever there is the possibility of a mix-up, you must always clarify the order.

Enterprise standards

There are lots of variations possible for many commonly ordered drinks so
businesses usually have their own standards about how to interpret orders
which may be unclear.
It would become very time consuming and repetitive to ask every customer to
clarify orders such as ‘Brandy and dry’ – for example:
 Do they mean a full or half nip?
 Do they want it served in a short or
long glass?
 Ice or no ice?

Full or half nip?

It is usual for bar staff to interpret an order for a spirit as a request for a full
nip (30 ml).
This means if a customer orders a ‘Vodka and tonic’ you will serve them a 30
ml of vodka.
House rules may require you to ask the customer “Full or half?” but this can
be time consuming and tedious.
Some premises will have house rules preventing you from serving double shots
of spirits or liqueurs for responsible service of alcohol reasons – check with
your supervisor.

Long or short glass?

If the customer does not specify whether or not they want a long or short glass,
it is industry practice to make the drink in a long glass (one of approx. 200 ml
capacity).
Once again, house rules may require you to ask “Long or short?”

Ice or no ice?
If the customer does not mention whether they want
ice or not it is standard practice to add ice.
Note however any drink ordered ‘neat’ should not
have ice added.
A spirit ordered ‘on the rocks’ means the customer
wants it poured over ice – nothing else added: no
water, no mixer or aerated water.
Note to any drink order ‘with water’ (such as ‘Scotch and water’) should not
have the water added by bar staff: common practice is to pour the neat Scotch
or other spirit into the glass and offer the water jug to the customer so they can
add the amount of water they deem appropriate.
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Introduction

There are many different products and brands available with more coming onto
the market seemingly everyday.
It makes good sense and is excellent customer service to check with the guest
regarding their preference if they have not specified what they want.
This Section presents information to assist in ensuring customers receive the
drink they want.

Personal preference

Some people are devoted to a certain brand and simply will not want to drink
anything else – if your bar does not stock their brand they will not drink a
substitute.
People like this will usually switch drink type rather than drink an alternative
brand.
Some people will prefer one brand but will be happy to drink something else
understanding a bar cannot possible stock every brand of spirit available.
Other people consider price and prefer to drink a cheaper, domestic brand if
one is available – they will appreciate you pointing this out to them.
Pour and Call brands

Behind the bar, most venues stock a ‘Pour’ brand, as well as several ‘Call’
brands, and you must know what these are in order to:
 Answer customer questions
 Provide the drink that satisfies identified customer need and preference.

Pour brands
A ‘pour’ brand (sometimes referred to as a ‘house’ brand) is the brand of spirit
(or other drink such as liqueurs or wine) used/poured if a customer does not
specify a brand name.
If the customer simply asks for a ‘Scotch’, then they have not indicated a
preference for one particular brand so it does not matter what brand you pour
them just so long as it is Scotch.
Usually pour brands are cheaper alternatives to recognised national brands
but sometimes they are the better known, better quality, premium brands.
Call brands
A ‘call’ brand is the brand specified by or called out
by the customer.
Instead of just asking for a ‘Scotch’, the
customer would ask for a specific brand –
perhaps a Johnnie Walker.
Most bars will stock a range of call brands, but no
bar can stock them all.
You need to become familiar with the ones you stock so you can accept an
order straightaway, or inform the customer you do not stock their preferred
brand.
Always be alert to the possibility to up-sell the customer to a more expensive
brand.
Where you do not have the call brand the customer asks for you should:
 Apologise for not having the brand asked for
 Offer an alternative.

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Introduction
The majority of customers know what they want to drink and simply place an
order with you, but there can be times when customers need some help
deciding on what to drink.
This Section highlights that advising customers is a perfect opportunity to
provide excellent customer service.
When might customers need help deciding what to drink?

Advice may need to be given when:

 Customers are unsure about what they would like – sometimes regular
customers come in and they are just bored with
their normal drink, and want something a bit
different
 Customers who have never been in the bar
before are uncertain about what you have
available – they will appreciate help about
liquors stocked, brands available and drinks
which can be served
 The drink or brand customers have ordered is unavailable – apologise then
recommend an suitable alternative
 It is a special occasion for the customer or group – perhaps they have just
won a promotion, had a baby, or are celebrating a birthday: suggest
something really different to their traditional drink – Champagne or
sparkling wine is a usual choice for many
 You have a new product in stock – let the customers know: tell them what it
is like, what it goes with, how much it costs, how strong it is, and so on.

Perhaps the boss will let you give away a few free samples – some companies
will provide you with a couple of bottles to encourage you to give some free
taste tests
 The customer is feeling ‘off colour’ or a bit low – you may want to suggest
some refreshing style of drink, or a non-alcoholic alternative to their usual
 They are dining – while a detailed knowledge of wine falls outside this unit,
a very basic rule of thumb is:
 White meat – white wine
 Red meat – red wine
Nonetheless, many, many people drink a nice
white (say, a Chardonnay) with a steak and
there are many who are dedicated red wine
drinkers and will drink a ‘good red’ with
whatever they eat be it chicken, fish or
anything else
 They do not want to drink alcohol, or they need to limit their alcohol intake
– you have a duty to assist patrons who do not want alcohol, or want only a
little.
Be prepared to offer fruit juices, waters, mocktails (non-alcoholic cocktails),
alcohol-free wine and aerated waters. In addition, you must also become
familiar with the alcohol strength of the liquor you serve, so you can help
people to roughly determine their BAC.
What advice should I give?
When advising customers, it is useful if you can give them information about:
 Price – this is the price for:
 Individual drinks
 Different size bottles/cans

 Special promotions – informing them of:
 Discounts applying at the time – such as ‘Happy Hour’
 Low prices for new drinks or brands
being promoted at the time
 Details of the product – which may include
details about:
 Flavour
 Ingredients it is made from
 Colour
 Aroma of the product.
Be prepared to let customers handle and have a look at the product
 Whether it is imported or domestic – including identification of the country
of origin
 How it may be served or consumed – give the customers some options about
how they can experience the beverage:
 Can it be served over crushed ice?
 Can it be mixed with a fruit juice or
aerated water?
 Can it be made into a cocktail?
 The alcoholic strength – never guess at this
(for RSA reasons): read it from the label
 Any special points about the product – for example:
 Mention any awards it may have won
 Tell customers about special things like the worm in certain tequilas
 Inform guests about any special advertising campaigns running for it
 Tell them of any competitions people are eligible to enter if they buy it
 Explain the value-for-money it represents.
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Introduction

Customer service is vital in the industry.

The level of the customer service you provide can be the factor which
differentiates for the customer the venue where you work and your
competitors.
This Section presents basic requirements for excellent levels of customer
service in all bar situations.

Greeting the customer

Basic elements of a greeting

When taking a drink order, always greet all customers in a manner that is:
 Polite – this includes:
 Using customer name of known
 Saying ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’
 Friendly – this includes:
 Smiling
 Showing interest in the individual
 Helpful – this includes:
 Making suggestions or recommendations
 Answering questions.
This applies whether you are taking orders at the table, or
if the customer has come to the bar to order.
Customers must always be made to feel welcome and
should never give the impression they are an
inconvenience.
You may be really busy but serving customers remains
your Number One priority – everything else takes second
place even though those demands may be quite pressing.
Acknowledging and apologising

If a customer cannot be served immediately, they should at least be

acknowledged verbally and with a smile – “Sorry, I’ll be with you in a moment”.
Never ignore customers who are waiting to be
served.
Even a non-verbal acknowledgement (a
nod of the head, eye contact, a hand
signal) is appropriate in some
circumstances.
Always try to serve customers in the order
they were waiting – people become upset if
served after a person who arrived at the bar
after they did. If things are so busy you do not know who was next, the two
options are:
 Ask customers who was next
 Work in a set pattern (left to right, or right to left) and serve the next person
in-line in the direction you are working regardless of when they arrived –
most customers will quickly understand what you are doing and accept it.
Check to see if your employer has other options or preferences and comply with
what they wish.

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Introduction

The preparation and service of all drinks must conform to legal requirements
and house practices.
A central aim is to achieve consistency of service and product.

Legal requirements

You must always ensure service of liquor aligns with the requirements of your
country’s liquor licensing laws.
The specific requirements vary between countries so you need to investigate
exactly what applies, and what is allowed and prohibited:
 In your country
 In the various bars or service areas in your workplace there can be different
legal requirements in different parts of the same business.
Common liquor-related requirements
Many countries have regulations
relating to:
 The age of people who can be served
with liquor
 The age of people who can be in
licensed venues – even though they are
not consuming alcohol
 Hours that liquor is allowed to be served
 Whether liquor can be served for drinking on or off the premises
 The areas from which liquor can be served and sold
 Who may be served with alcohol – prohibitions may apply to certain classes
of people
 Behaviour of people on licensed premises.
There may also be a requirement anyone serving alcohol must hold an RSA
certificate.

Enterprise standards – drinks

Following are some enterprise standards used when preparing and serving
drinks – they indicate glassware, ingredients and measures.
Remember each establishment may have its own guidelines and these should
take preference over the following to achieve the required consistency and/or
profit targets.
Soft drink
Glassware: Highball
Method: 1/3 full of ice
Add soft drink
Garnish/Additional: Straw
Add a slice of lemon to
mineral water, soda water,
water, lemonade, tonic and
squash
Juice
Glassware: Highball
 Method: 1/3 full of ice
Add juice
Garnish/Additional: Straw
Slice of lemon or orange according to juice type
Spirit – ‘on the rocks’ or ‘on ice’
Glassware: Old Fashioned
Method: 1/3 full of ice
Measure of spirit (30 ml)
Garnish/Additional: None

Spirit with mixer

Glassware: Old Fashioned (for short

glass)
Highball (for long glass)
Method: 1/3 full of ice
Measure of spirit
Add mixer
Garnish/Additional: Straw – optional
Lemon garnish – in clear
spirits: vodka, gin, tequila
Orange garnish in all orange-
based drinks
Liqueur – neat
Glassware: Liqueur glass
Method: Measure of liqueur
Garnish/Additional: Not normally
Liqueur – with mixer
Glassware: Old Fashioned or Highball
Method: Measure of liqueur
Add mixer
Garnish/Additional: Straw
Lemon or orange garnish if
required
Wine – red or white
 Glassware: Wine glass
Method: Dispense out of cask or bottle
Garnish/Additional: None
Bottled beer
Glassware: Pilsener or Pot/Handle
Method: Open bottle
May need to pour beer before serving (tilt the glass to
avoid creating a large head), or house rule may be to
allow customer to pout their own
Garnish/Additional Normally none (lemon or lime wedge with
Corona)
Draught beer

Being able to ‘pull a beer’ is an essential skill for all bar staff.
It is important when pulling beer to avoid spillage or wastage: beer costs
money, you’re your boss will not be impressed if you waste it.
A good beer:
 Has about 2.5 cm of head
 Should be cold enough to put a frost on the
outside of the glass
 Should be slightly effervescent.
Glassware to choose from can include:
 Pot
 Handle
 Pilsener
 Glass.

Pouring draught beer

The following are the steps involved in pouring a
draught beer.
1. Keep the glass away from the tap, hold the glass on
an angle to break the fall of the beer.

Never hold the glass straight up and down, or the

 beer will have too much head: do not knock the glass against the tap or it
may crack or chip the glass.
2. Turn the beer tap on quickly and ensure the glass is angled so beer hits the
side of the glass about halfway down the main trunk.

Never turn the tap on slowly, or the beer will ‘squirt’ out from the beer tap
and result in loads of froth and wastage.
3. As the glass starts to fill and the beer reaches three quarters of the way up
the side of the glass, lower the glass away from the tap and straighten it.

Keep pouring beer until the glass is full and has the appropriate amount of
head: you may have to ‘drop’ the glass to get the ‘head’ right.

Things to remember when pulling draught beer

Do not over-pour beer
If you fill the glass too much this will:
 Give the beer no head
 Waste beer
 Produce a very unattractive looking product.

Check the quality of the product

If beer is pouring heady, cloudy, slow or warm, alert the appropriate person
(cellar person, supervisor) immediately.
Always use clean glasses
It is standard practice to use as fresh glass for
every beer – you should not re-fill a previously
used glass.
Grease from people’s lips (who are eating a
meal) and lipstick can flatten beer.
Ensure glasses have lipstick removed – hand
washing can be necessary to achieve this.
Make sure glasses are not cracked or chipped
before using them: a visual inspection is required.
Never touch/knock the glass on the tap
This is a common way in which expensive glasses can be chipped, cracked or
broken.
Hold the glass near the base
Glasses must not be held around the rim – it looks bad to the customer and
raises cross-contamination and hygiene issues.
Hold the glass around its bottom half/part.
Never put your fingers in the glass.
Do not let beer flow over the side of the glass
This is not only wasteful but it really annoys customers when they pick up
their beer and it may drip down on their clothing.

Non-alcoholic beverages

As with alcoholic drinks, customers may have individual preferences for their
nominated non-alcoholic drinks.
Bar staff must ensure they treat the service of
non-alcoholic drinks with the same expertise
and professionalism as they do the sale and
service of alcoholic drinks – the consumption of
non-alcoholic drinks is rising (given drink-
driving legislation, health concerns and social
issues related to alcohol consumption) plus
establishments often obtain a better financial
return on non-alcoholic drinks than they do on
alcoholic ones.
Non-alcoholic drinks can be hot or cold.
The usuals
In many establishments, the only non-alcoholic drinks are the ‘traditional’ sort
– proprietary brand lines of fruit juices, aerated waters and waters.
Examples are:
 Juices – tomato, orange, apple, pineapple, mango
 Waters – a wide range includes still, sparkling, mineral, and even tap water
 Aerated (also known as ‘carbonated’) waters – these are the soft drinks such
as cola, lemon squash, dry ginger, lemonade, soda water, tonic water: these
may be dispensed from a post-mix machine or served from bottles or cans.

Mocktails

MOCKTAILS is a trade mark.

Excellent recipes for mocktails can be found in Graeme Goldsworthy’s book
“101 MOCKTAILS”.
Mocktails are non-alcoholic cocktails looking like an alcoholic drink, served in
the same style of glass as an alcoholic cocktail but contain zero liquor.
Your establishment may have a special Mocktail List, or you may work in a
venue simply serving traditional non-alcoholic drinks such as fruit juices and
soft drink/aerated waters.
You can invent your own mocktail – ensure it is tasty, looks inviting and of
course, contains no alcohol.
See http://cocktails.about.com/od/mocktailmocktail/Mocktail_Recipes.htm.

Frappes

Frappes are cold drinks made by blending ice together with other ingredients
such as coffee, fruit, milk, flavourings, yoghurt and/or fruit juice.
They can include shaved ice with ingredients poured over it.
They are very popular where customers are health conscious and/or where
there is a strong demand for non-alcoholic beverages to be served.

Coffee

When you work behind a bar you may be required to operate a variety of coffee
equipment/machines:
 Dripolator – ‘Cona’-style filter coffee: frequently used in self-serve situations
 Plunger – available in different sizes and may be placed on the customer’s
table for self-serve
 Espresso machine – very popular for service of cappuccinos etc
 Percolator - may be used at large functions: can hold over 50 cups.
All coffee machines should be wiped down externally during a shift and
dismantled and cleaned fully at the end of each shift.
There are many different types and models of coffee machines – in-house/on-
the-job training will show you how to use the one at your workplace.

Coffee recipes
Cappuccino – normal cup
 1/3 espresso coffee
 Fill cup with 80% hot milk
 Top with milk froth
 Sprinkle with chocolate powder.
Flat White – normal cup
 Use the same recipe as for a cappuccino
 No froth
 No chocolate powder.
Short Black – demitasse cup
 Fill small (demitasse) cup with black coffee.
Café Latte – coffee glass
 Fill glass with 1/3 coffee
 Top with hot milk.
Ristretto – demitasse cup
 Shorter than a short black and double the strength of a short black.
Vienna Coffee – tall glass (handled)
 Same as a long black
 Top with whipped cream
 Sprinkle with chocolate powder.
Iced Coffee – tall glass with a spoon
 1/3 cold espresso
 Add ice cream
 Top with cold milk
 Top with whipped cream
 Sprinkle with chocolate powder.
More recipes and information on espressos?
To obtain more information about coffee and espresso, go to:
 http://coffeetea.about.com/od/espressorecipes/Espresso_Recipes.htm
 http://www.espressoplanet.com/espresso_recipe.htm.
Tea

While the service of coffee has started to become popular in some bars, the
service of tea has not reached the same heights.
There are many types of tea available with some featuring effective eye-catching
displays for presentation on the bar/behind the bar to promote the sale of teas:
 English breakfast
 Irish breakfast
 Ceylon breakfast
 Darjeeling
 Earl Grey
 Jasmine
 Chamomile
 Peppermint.
Depending on the establishment, service of tea can
be:
 In a teapot
 In a cup using a tea bag.
Tea should be served with milk (white tea) or slices
of lemon (black tea) on the side.
Never forget to provide the customer with a plate for the
used tea bag, where appropriate.
Iced tea – highball glass
 Make quarter of a cup of strong tea
 Place tea in shaker full of ice
 Shake and strain into a glass full of fresh ice
 Garnish with a slice of lemon.
Websites
If you are interested in more tea information and recipes,
visit:
 http://coffeetea.about.com/od/tearecipes/Tea_Recipes.htm
 http://www.tbythesea.com/tearecipes.html.
Error: Reference source not found

Introduction

Once the drink order has been taken, it is important to prepare and serve all
beverages in a prompt and courteous manner according to known or stated
customer preferences.
This Section explains the requirements for prompt and corteous bar service of
beverages.

Providing prompt and courteous service

The basics elements of providing prompt and courteous service for drinks are:
 Thank the customer for placing the order –
always thank the customer for every order
they place
 Fill the order as quickly as possible – this may
involve:
 Making the drink straight-away
 Preparing the drink ‘in turn’
 Interpret the order properly – make sure you:
 Comply with special instructions made by the customer, such as ‘extra
ice’, ‘long glass’ or ‘two slices of lemon’
 Use the ingredients requested by the customer – where possible
 Apply house ‘standard recipes’ for the preparation of mixed drinks and
cocktails – where customer wants to depart from these standard
practices there may be a need to charge extra for different ingredients or
extra ingredients
 Never sacrifice accuracy and cleanliness of drink preparation for speed –
customers will always prefer to have a properly made/served drink rather
than one which gives them less than what they paid for, and/or is served in
a sloppy fashion
 Use the right glass for the right drink – the basis for this is:
 House recipes
 Tradition
Never over-fill glasses.
 Follow required mixing/preparation methods –
for example:
  For mixed drinks the accepted sequence is:
– Get the glass – check it is clean and not cracked
– Add the ice to the glass
– Add the spirit
– Add the aerated water/mixer
– Add the garnish and/or decoration
– Serve – may be served with a coaster
 Follow ‘house protocols’ – where they differ from the
above.
 Serve the drink as soon as possible – this may
require:
 Physically handing the drink to the customer
 Notifying wait staff the drink is ready to be served
 Prompt service of the drink once it has been made is
important to:
 Optimise enjoyment of the drink – most drinks should be served cold and
they will quickly warm-up and become less pleasing if allowed to stand
on the bar for even short periods of time
 Avoid customer waiting time – patrons do not like being kept waiting for
the drinks
 Name the drink as you present it to them – ‘Your brandy and dry, Sir, with
extra ice’
 Thank the customer – when you give them their drink
 Offer a pleasant sentiment – ‘Enjoy!’

Error: Reference source not found

Introduction

Industry and or venue standards must be applied when handling and using
glassware ad garnishes/accompaniments.

Glassware

Following are some industry standards for the use of glasses.

Remember each establishment may have its own guidelines and these must be
followed where they differ to what is presented below:
 Glass Drink Glass Drink
Highball Soft drink Old Fashioned Neat spirits
Pilsener Juice Spirits ‘on ice’
Short mixed
drink
Liqueur glass Liqueurs Old Fashioned Liqueur with
(Short) mixer
Highball (Long)
Stemmed wine Still table wine Pot Beer
glass Larger glasses Pilsener
used for red Handle
wine; smaller
glasses for white Mug
wine
Champagne flute Champange and Port glass Fortified wine
other sparkling
wines

Handling glassware

The following are standard industry requirements applying to the handling of

glasses:
 Check all glasses before using them or offering
them – no cracks, no chips: they must be clean
 Use the same type of glass for the same type of
drink – to give consistency
 Handle glasses by stem or base – not by the rim
 Be careful – glasses are fragile and easily broken.

Points to remember when making garnishes

 Always use a clean surface when cutting garnishes

 Always have plenty of fresh garnishes prepared before service
 Always store garnishes under refrigeration
 At the end of trading, all garnish containers should be sealed with a lid or a
good quality clear wrap
 Never re-use garnishes that come back from the table/customer – they may
be contaminated
 You are not permitted to eat the garnishes – or the raw materials from
which they are made.

Garnishes

Most recipes stipulate a specific garnish for the drink – in some cases changing
just the garnish can change the name of the cocktail.
For example, a dry martini garnished with a cocktail onion instead of an olive
or twist of lemon is called a ‘Boston’.
Garnishes are food-based – as opposed to other
decorations which are made from paper, wood and/or
plastic.
It is important to keep garnishes simple.
Using too much in the way of garnishes can spoil the
presentation of the drink, and detract from the other
appealing features of the finished product.
Also, remember garnishes can be costly so they
should be used, handled and stored with this in mind.
Common items used for garnishes for cocktails are:
 Citrus slices – half and full
 Maraschino cherries – speared on to either one or two toothpicks
 Olives – speared on a toothpick, traditional with a dry martini
 Pineapple, and citrus wedges – pineapple done like this is also called
‘pineapple spears’. Pineapples may also be hollowed out and used as the
‘glass’/service item for some cocktails
 Citrus twists – the twisted zest of citrus fruits
 Celery rib – used traditionally for a Bloody Mary
 Sprigs of fresh herbs – rosemary, thyme and mint are
common
 Kiwi fruit – half or full slices
 Chocolate powder – sprinkled on top of the finished
drink
 Whole strawberries – or sliced strawberries (sometimes
chocolate-dipped)
 Nutmeg – sprinkled as a powder, or used as a stick
 A range of other products can be added to different, more modern cocktails
– coffee beans, liquorice sticks, jelly beans, jelly babies.
Garnish options

There are a wide variety of garnishes available for adding to drinks/mixed

drinks and cocktails.
Some are traditional, and many are the result of personal preference.
As a basic list of standard garnishes, you should be able to produce the
following:
 Slice of orange or lemon – full slice, half-slice
and quarter-slice
 Wedges and knots/twists – of lime, lemon or
orange
 Lemon or orange wheel
 Olive on a toothpick – and Maraschino
cherry on a toothpick
 Slice and cherry – a slice of, for example,
orange with a cherry attached by a toothpick. The slice is slightly bent to
give the garnish a ‘sail’ effect.

Edible flowers

Flowers are sometimes used as garnishes for cocktails – both as heads floating
in drinks, or frozen in an ice block which is placed into the drink – but some
flowers are poisonous so some venues avoid them.
Edible flowers include:
 Nasturtiums
 Marigold
 Borage
 Ranunculus
 Primrose
 Rose
 Crystallised poppies.

Drink decorations

These are commercially prepared decorations that cost money.

They are most commonly used with cocktails but may be
used on other long drinks as well.
They are not food-based (meaning they are inedible) and include:
 Paper parasols – stuck into a wedge of fruit
 Plastic animals – hung off the side of the glass: monkey, giraffe, dolphin,
elephant
 Mermaids – also hung from side of glass
 Pickaxes – can be used to hang cherries onto side of glass
 Doilies – sometimes placed under drinks
 Swizzle sticks – placed into a cocktail for the customer to stir the drink if
they choose
 Sparklers – to add a fiery dimension to cocktails and
popular for use at celebrations
 Straws – placed into the cocktail and should be the right
size: flexible long straws are commonly used in tall
cocktails, and other alternatives include normal full-
length straws, and half-straws.
When using or adding decorations to cocktails:
 Make sure you use only the amount of decorations as specified in house
recipes – no more, no less
 Never over-decorate – the finished product should look like a drink or
cocktail and not a fruit salad.

3.5 Error: Reference source not found

Introduction

Wastage and spillage costs the venue money and usually slows down or
otherwise adversely impacts on service.
You must do everything possible to minimise it or eliminate it.

How and why does wastage and spillage occur?

Wastage and spillage will occur more if you rush: this is the main cause of
wastage and spillage.
The following undesirable consequences may occur – you may knock bottles
and glasses over, you may overfill glasses, you may knock bottles against each
other and break them, and you may knock glasses against
taps and crack them.
If you break an unopened bottle, check with your supervisor
to see if they want the top of the bottle (the part with the
intact seal, or cap) kept. A decreasing number of suppliers
will replace broken bottles free-of-charge where the seal is still intact.Lack of
training can also cause waste, especially with beer pulling, mixing drinks and
cocktails, carrying trays, pouring bottled product (especially wine and beer).
Failure to store opened products properly after service has finished can also
cause waste – tops must be put on open bottles to preserve the contents (if this
is house policy), and they must be refrigerated where appropriate.
Note some establishments have a policy of throwing out any open bottles and
cans at the end of trading, as they believe the customer would receive an
inferior quality product the following day, and the few cents saved is not worth
the bad public relations caused.

House policies

House policies regarding waste and spillage vary.

Your workplace may require you to record waste in a book (such as an Ullages
Book) – this may include recording waste beer from beer drip trays, a bottle
dropped and smashed, and drinks knocked over.
This book may also be used to record
‘promotional’ drinks – that is, drinks given
away by the establishment with the approval of
management for promotional purposes or to
replace drinks accidentally knocked over, or
drinks given away in order to compensate for
poor/bad service. These are known as ‘Comp’
drinks.
Your venue will also have a policy on replacing drinks which customers knock
over. Many establishments will replace soft drinks, house wines and beers free
of charge, but charge for replacement spirits and premium wines.
Some places will replace everything free-of-charge, some will charge for
everything.
Things become tricky when a customer knocks over a drink you believe was
nearly empty, and then demands you replace it – free of charge: check with
your supervisor to see what the house does in these circumstances.
Often the decision made will depend on the customer in question – questions
address issues such as:.
 Are they a regular?
 Do they spend significant money with you?
 Are they part of a larger group spending well and not causing any trouble?
 Is it house policy?
Venues usually ban staff from drinking while on duty.
Dealing with the issue
When dealing with broken glass in a bar situation you
must follow housie policy.
House policy about the removal of broken glass is
usually not written down anywhere but commonly
exists as standard procedure in the head of the
owner, manager or supervisor – so ask them what you
should do.
In some limited cases, there may be a ‘work
instruction’ (or similar) outlining what needs to be done and how broken and
chipped glasses should be handled.

Standard practice
Commonly, the broken glass is swept onto a shovel or dustpan and simply
thrown in the bin – this bin may be the bin behind the bar, or a larger bin or
dumper outside.
Where the item is just chipped or cracked the usual disposal method is to just
throw it in the bin, making an effort not to break or smash it.
In these days of increased Occupational Safety
awareness, a responsible approach for disposal of
broken glass would be to:
 Sweep the broken glass into a cardboard box – using
dustpan and brush
 Seal the box – there are always boxes lying around
somewhere behind the bar
 Dispose of it into bin.
Alternatively, the broken glass could be wrapped in
thick layers of newspapers, taped closed and then
disposed of.
Some premises have a designated ‘broken glass’ container behind the bar for
dealing with such eventualities.
Employers must provide the necessary
equipment for disposing of broken glass and
this should include suitable protective
equipment/clothing such as an appropriate
pair of gloves, plus (perhaps) a small
shovel/dustpan and brush.
It is not acceptable to use your bare hands to pick up/clear up broken glass.
Environmental considerations may require you to dispose of glass in a special
container/bin for the purposes of recycling.
 Error: Reference source not found

Introduction

All venues are under an obligation to care for the safety and welfare of people
when they are on the premises.
This Section identifies action you may take to address identified threats.

Duty of Care

All venues are under a ‘Duty of Care’ to protect

everyone who comes into the premises.
This obligation applies to anyone who is on the
premises – such as:
 Customers, guests and patrons of any type
 Staff
 Members of the public
 Delivery drivers
 Service men and technicians who are installing or
repairing equipment and systems.
Duty of Care obligations means the premises must take necessary action to
protect people from ‘foreseeable harm’.
If the business fails to do this they can be held liable for ‘negligence’ and sued
by those who may have been injured (or lost property) as a result of that
negligence.
This means the venue is under an obligation to take action when it identifies a
situation which poses a threat.

Situations which may pose a threat

Threat defined
In the context of a bar, a ‘threat’ may be seen as:
 Anything which exposes the venue to legal action –
that is:
 Being charged by police or the authorities
 Being sued by customers
 Anything which places the safety of individuals in danger and or jeopardises
the security of physical property – including stock, cash and personal
belongings.
Anything which exposes the venue to legal action

Anyone whose presence on the premises renders the business liable to an

offence under the liquor licensing legislation is cause for concern – this may be
someone who is:
 Under legal drinking age
 Intoxicated or drunk
 Violent
 Gambling in a way prohibited by law for the
venue
 Disorderly – annoying others; making too
much noise; not behaving in an acceptable way
 Trying to obtain liquor for someone who has
been refused service
 The subject of an exclusion order
 Quarrelsome or argumentative
 Trying to obtain liquor outside licensed hours
 Unable to be served with alcohol given the type of
licence in operation
 Identified by legislation as not being allowed on
licensed premises – this will vary between
countries and may include known prostitutes,
known criminals and or people who associate with
known prostitutes or criminals.

Anything which impacts safety or security

This may include:
 Customers who are drunk, violent and
quarrelsome
 Patrons who are threatening or intimidating others
 People who are fighting
 Extreme weather events
 Equipment breakdowns which pose a hazards
 Gate crashers
 Power failures
 Emergency situations – such as fire, gas leaks, any situation creating a need
for evacuation.
Responding to threat situations

The keys to responding to threat situations are:

 Follow workplace policies and procedures – many venues have Emergency
Management Plans in place to deal with these situations and conduct drills
to assist you become familiar with what you need to do when faced with
such a situation. Make sure you determine what is required and participate
in the training/drills.
 Notify others promptly – as soon as you become aware of a situation you
must report it. It is a fact of life situations never resolve themselves so you
have to notify the appropriate person (see below) in
order they may take the most appropriate action to
resolve/address the identified problem.
 Provide details of the situation – such as:
 Location of the problem
 Number of people involved
 Reason for your concern
 Details of anything already said, or action
already taken in relation to the issue
 Take action where authorised to do so and when safe
to do so – this may include:
 Removing customers to a safe area
 Securing property – by locking doors and cash drawers
 Initiating a first response - such as fire fighting
 Calling external authorities for assistance.
When taking action always put the safety of people
above the security of property: people must always take
priority over money or other physical
resources/assets.

‘Appropriate person’
The appropriate person may be:
 Supervisor
 Bar manager
 Duty manager
 Security officer
 Front desk service agent
 Owner.

Error: Reference source not found

Introduction

It must be part of standard operating procedure to always check the quality of

all beverages you serve.
No sub-standard product/beverage must ever be allowed to leave the bar for
service to a customer, regardless of who the customer is, or how much/little
they are paying for the drink.
This Section identifies how to check beverage quality and presents possible
corrective action.

Seeking feedback

You should actively solicit feedback from customers about the service they are
receiving and the quality of the drinks they are being served.
The best ways to do this are:
 Ask for feedback – verbally or by asking customers
to complete a ‘Customer Comment Feedback’ form
 Listen to what customers are saying to each other –
are they complaining to each other, or do they seem
happy with what is happening? Follow up with a
question where you think there may be a problem –
the sooner you know, the better
 Observe customer body language – do they appear
pleased or displeased: ask a question if you suspect
a problem
 Note the drinks which are being left unfinished – a trend in a certain type of
drink may indicate a problem
 Encourage feedback – tell customers to let you know if they have
compliment, complaint or opinion they want to share.

Checking beverage quality

Checking beverage quality must be an ongoing effort.

Every time you prepare, or serve, a drink it must become second-nature for you
to check its quality.
The rule is simple – if you would not drink it, if you would not like it served to
you: then do not serve it to anyone else.
There are no exceptions to this rule.
Things to check
While there are health and hygiene considerations –
clean glass, no contaminants, correct personal
hygiene practices – there are also other product-
specific concerns you should be monitoring:
 Temperature:
 Cold drinks should be cold
 Hot drinks should be hot.
Every bar should have its own thermometer to be
used to objectively test/take the temperature of
beverages if there is a concern they are not (for
example) cold enough.
You should use the feel of your hands on products/glasses, as well as the
readouts on refrigeration units, to judge temperature.
 Taste – making sure:
 There are no ‘off’ tastes
 The beer is not ‘green’ (sour)
 Wine has not oxidised
 Post-mix brixing is correct
 Smell – there must be no ‘off’ smells
 Clarity – check to ensure:
 The product is not cloudy
 There is nothing floating in the glass, bottle or jug.

Responding to a problem

The basics for taking corrective action are:

 Take action – never ignore the situation and simply hope ‘no-one will notice’
or ‘the problem will solve itself’
 Remove the product from sale – do not sell/serve any more of it. Where you
believe the product poses a risk to public health, you must also initiate
 immediate action to retrieve from customers any of the affected product –
this means you may have to walk around the bar/tables looking for the
product and removing it from patrons: you will have to apologise for this,
explain the situation and offer an appropriate replacement drink
 Keep the offending bottle, drink, item safely to one side – so it can be shown
to your supervisor or examined later in more detail
 Advise other service staff immediately about the problem and the beverages
involved – so they do not serve/use the product
 Inform management about the problem.

Reporting beverage quality issues

Where you become aware of a beverage quality issue within the bar you must
immediately notify a supervisor and get them to come and make a decision
about what has to happen to address the problem.

What action must you take?

It is critical as soon as you notice (or are informed by a patron) of any beverage
quality issue you notify your supervisor immediately: this is the first step you
must take.
It is strange but as soon as one person says they think the beer (or whatever)
tastes ‘bad’ or is ‘warm’ – everyone else starts agreeing with them whether they
are right or not.
You have to take immediate action to fix the problem before things get to the
stage where all customers start complaining.
What if the customer has complained/made you aware of the problem?
If it is a customer who has alerted you to a problem, then you must be seen to
be taking action to fix the problem: the customer
must believe you have taken their
complaint/notification seriously and are doing
something to rectify the situation.
The most effective response is:
 Thank them for their complaint
 Apologise
 Offer a suitable alternative
 Advise them you are immediately notifying management so they can take
the appropriate action.
What if there is no manager or supervisor to refer things to?
If someone complains about the quality of the product and you are unable to
obtain management input on the problem, you will be expected to cope with
the situation as best you can.
Doing nothing is not an option; ignoring the situation and hoping it just goes
away is not an option.
You may be given a prescribed scope of authority for dealing with these events
and this may provide some guidance on what you can/should do.
Where no guidance on what to do exists, the following may assist your
thinking:
 Thank them for their complaint
 Apologise
 Make an objective decision about whether or not their complaint has
substance – you must determine from a fair and reasonable standpoint
whether their complaint about warm beer, an off-tasting wine etc is
genuinely justified. This may mean you have to:
 Take the temperature of the product/beer – do not take the temperature
of their beer, but pull through three glasses of beer through the tap and
take the temperature of the fourth one in the glass
  Taste the product – to your palate, does it taste OK, or is there definitely
a problem?
 Smell the product – does it have off-aromas or is the smell correct and
acceptable?
 Look at the product – does it look normal as it usually does? Are there
unacceptable things floating in it? If it is supposed to be clear, is it clear
or cloudy? Is it the right or usual colour?
 If, after assessing the beverage yourself, you believe their complaint is valid,
then you need to take some action to fix the problem – the customer has
done you a favour by complaining
 If you genuinely believe the complaint is without basis, you may elect to
(nonetheless) apologise to the customer, and still replace the drink in
question, free of charge: sometimes it is easier to replace a perfectly good
drink rather than argue about whether there is a problem or not
 Your house policy will provide further indication about what applies at your
workplace.

3.8 Error: Reference source not found

Introduction

It is difficult to predict all unexpected situations which can arise when

operating a bar but you must develop the capacity to respond to all of them
promptly and effectively.
This Section identifies generic response requirements, provides examples of
unexpected situations with possible responses and introduces the concept of
pre-determined decisions.

Generic response requirements

All unexpected situations must be attended to immediately and professionally.

It is important not to panic when an event occurs.
Generic responses should be:
 Identify and recognise the problem as soon as
possible
 Analyse the situation:
 What is the problem/issue?
 What impact will it have on service/customers?
 Decide the best course of action to take – given the
circumstances
 Take action – two keys are:
 Use common sense
 Follow internal EMP or pre-determined decisions
 Notify the appropriate person straightaway – supervisor/management or
Security.

Examples of unexpected situations and possible responses

When working behind a bar you may have to deal with the following situations:
 Dealing with equipment breakdowns – response may be:
 Notify management or Maintenance
 Arrange replacement item
 Tag broken item as ‘Out of Order’
 Make sure others do not use it
 Remove item from service – if possible
 Advise customers of products which cannot be
produced and served due to item breakdown
 Dealing with power failure – response may be:
 Notify management or Maintenance
 Implement EMP for ‘power failure’ – evacuate customers; activate
emergency/stand-by generator; verify emergency lighting has activated
 Protect assets/cash
 Urge people to keep calm
 Use ice to chill bottles and cans
 Switch to manual operation of POS terminals
 Dealing with violent incidents – response may be:
 Notify management or Security
 Implement EMP for ‘violent incidents’
 Never place self in danger – do not intervene
 Move customers to safety
 Ask people to modify their behaviour
 Contact police/authorities – if scope of authority allows
 Dealing with medical emergencies – response may be:
  Notify management, Security or reception – or House Doctor, or
designated staff member trained in First Aid
 Provide basic first aid
 Comfort and re-assure patient
 Contact ambulance authorities – if scope of authority allows
 Dealing with running out of stock – response may be:
 Predict the situation – try to avoid actual stock outages
 Notify management and request extra stock
 Requisition stock from Store
 Borrow stock from another department – completing an inter-
departmental transfer sheets if required.
 Dealing with employee absences – response may be:
 Notify manager or supervisor if staff are absent
 Close sections of the work area
 Reduce service and or items offered
 Work extra hours to cover absences – if authorised.
 Using pre-determined (‘programmed decisions’) decisions
 Most establishments will have a set of guidelines for you to follow where
certain predictable situations or mishaps arise.
 These pre-determined decisions will allow you take immediate on-the-
spot action when a mishap occurs and saves you involving management
in every single minor mishap/decision.
 Examples of pre-determined decisions may be as follows.
 Mishap  Pre-determined action/remedies staff may be
authorised to take
 Staff member  Apologise
knocks over  Replace drink, free-of-charge
customer’s
drink at the
bar
 Staff spills  Apologise
tray of drinks  Immediately obtain help from other staff
over guests at
table  Clean/dry affected areas – offer cloths for
guests to dry their own clothes
  Replenish and re-serve drinks
 Contact supervisor who will make decision
on any further action, or on reimbursement

Six Steps for Closing a Bar

There are six general steps your bar employees need to complete to close your
bar at the end of the day. These steps can be carried out in different orders,
depending on your flow, but we'd suggest leaving cleaning and mopping the
floors for the end to prevent your employees from making any potential
additional messes while closing.

1. Empty Out and Lock Up

For the first step of your bar closing checklist, check your restaurant for any
remaining customers. Locking up should be the first step because you want to
make sure everyone is out before you start cleaning and counting the money.

Ensuring every one of your customers is out of the bar at the end of the night
is critical not only from a courtesy standpoint, but also in terms of safety. Your
staff should complete a clean sweep of your whole bar from head to toe to find
any patrons that may have stuck around after last call, ignored your bouncers,
or even hid to wait for your staff to leave. Here's a list of places that you should
go over when closing your operation:

 Dining areas

 Restrooms

 Kitchens

 Accessible closets

 Patio or outdoor dining area

After your staff has checked the area for

any remaining customers, have them lock
the doors as they begin the next phase of closing for the night. While you're
 clearing out your bar, you'll also want to turn off any televisions, radios, or
LED signs. Additionally, you can turn off some of the lights to help save on
your utility bills.

2. Count the Money

Once you've locked up, you can begin counting the money and cleaning up for
the night. Along with counting the
money, you'll also need to distribute the
night's tips. You should have
an established tipping system in
place, such as working on an individual
basis, daily pools, or other ideas that
distribute the money fairly.

Here is a short list of things you need to do

to secure your profits at the end of the
night:

 Distributing tip pool. Because

many servers and bartenders make their
living off tips, this is one of the most important aspects of closing your bar, as
it directly impacts the morale, satisfaction, and loyalty of your staff.

 Balancing cash registers. Make sure that the amount in the cash
registers matches your orders for the night.

 Securing money in safes. Keeping your money in a safe is one of the

most secure options. You should also change your safe combination regularly
to help prevent theft.

As the money is divvied up at the end of the night, keep in mind that your
bartender or service staff may not be the best candidates for balancing your
cash registers or handling the night's profits. This is because it's exceptionally
easy for bartenders, servers, and other staff to take a little bit off the top. To
prevent theft in your establishment, have your general manager handle the
cash or use a management checklist to keep your books balanced accurately
and honestly.
 3. Store Perishables

Storing and refrigerating perishables is an

important way to save money at your bar.
Every drink or ingredient that you save
overnight is money going toward profits. Here
is a brief list of things that should be properly
stored or refrigerated at the end of the night:

 Garnishes such as lemons, limes,

oranges, and celery that are already sliced
need to be refrigerated. Storing these items in
plastic bags or containers can help prolong
their life and freshness.

 Cocktail ingredients such as soda, juice, and pre-made mixer need to

be refrigerated.

 After service has ended, you can refrigerate any pre-made mixed

drinks such as sangria or punch.

 You may also want to store expensive beers and liquor bottles in a

refrigerator with a lock to prevent theft.

4. Organize and Date

Organizing your bar and kitchen is an important task, and it ensures that
opening will run smoothly on the following day. Additionally, dating your food
and alcohol lets you know when it was opened and if it's still good to use. It
may sound like a minor consideration, but staying organized makes everything
run smoother, and dating your food is essential for passing health
inspections. Here are a few things you can do while closing to stay organized:

 Date newly opened bottles of wine

 Recycle old menus

 Set glasses to air dry

5. Clean Everything
 Cleaning is probably the most labor-intensive part of the closing checklist, but
if your staff all works together, it can go quickly. When going through and
cleaning your establishment, you should stress that everything needs to be
cleaned, whether or not it has been used.

Cleanliness is one of the prime indicators of a professional and well-managed

bar space, and whether it's dust on the shelf, rings on the countertop, or a
napkin that didn't make it to the trash, unclean appearances can speak
volumes about your business, particularly to health inspectors.

Here is a short list of important cleaning tasks that need to be completed every
night:

 Wipe down countertops

 Wipe down the soda gun

 Clean out soda gun holsters

 Remove clogs from floor drains

 Wipe down your speed rails

 Clean the outside of liquor bottles if any product has spilled

 Load the dishwasher and clean glassware

 Drain off dirty dishwater and scrub down your sink

 Wash other smallwares like muddlers, jiggers, and stirrers

 Wipe down beer taps and thoroughly clean them once a month

 Sweep the floors in the front- and back-of-house, then mop

 Clean out blenders

 Clean the bathrooms thoroughly

 Leave all of your glassware, smallwares, and equipment out to air dry,
ensuring they're clean for the following day.

When cleaning your bar, be sure that you have the right cleaning supplies to
ensure a thorough cleaning and sanitizing.

6. Refill Disposables
 Refilling disposables behind the bar can help save time when opening the
following day and keep your bartenders quick on the draw during service. Any
single-use product should be stocked for the next day, no matter how
inconsequential it may seem. Here is a list of a few disposables that need to be
refilled every day:

 Toothpicks

 Parasols

 Stirrers

 Straws

 Napkins

A bar closing checklist is imperative to maintaining the sanitation,

organization, and streamlined operation of your business. Writing down your
own bar closing duties ensures your staff has constant access to the
established protocol and procedures and closing runs smoothly every time.
Whether you're training new hires or providing a refresher for seasoned
veterans, a bar closing checklist is a great tool to make your bar more efficient.
 Task Sheet

It is a requirement of this Unit you complete Work Projects as advised by your

Trainer. You must submit documentation, suitable evidence or other relevant
proof of completion of the project to your Trainer by the agreed date.

2.1 Provide a demonstration in (or submit video evidence of) a real-life/actual

or simulated situation which provides proof you can:

 Take drink orders from customers at a bar

 Check product and/or brand preferences with customers in a courteous
manner
 Provide recommendations and/or information to customers to assist
with drink selection.
 Task Sheet

It is a requirement of this Unit you complete Work Projects as advised by your

Trainer. You must submit documentation, suitable evidence or other relevant
proof of completion of the project to your Trainer by the agreed date.

3.1 Provide a demonstration in (or a video evidence of) a real-life/actual or

simulated situation which provides proof you can:

 Greet patrons who order a drink

 Take their order
 Thank them for their order
 Prepare required drinks in accordance with legal requirements and
standard industry and house practices
 Serve drinks promptly and courteously handling glassware correctly
and hygienically and adding garnishes and or decorations as
appropriate
 Minimise spillage and wastage during preparation and service
 Seek feedback from customers regarding drink/beverage quality.

3.2. Provide a written submission suitable for use by staff in a bar situation
detailing:

 Situations which may pose a threat to staff and/or customers

 Who the threats identified above should be reported to
 Possible effective responses for dealing with the following ‘unexpected
situations’ in a bar:
 A fight
 Bar runs out of beer
 A fire.