“Build bars for guests, not for bartenders” – POV by Maria Gorbatschova 

When bartenders talk about bars, it can sound pretty self-referential to our industry. How many guest shifts is a bar doing? Who built the bar station? Do they have specialised equipment, such as a rotary evaporator? Do they have a lab? How many followers does bartender xyz have? Who won which competition? What bar equipment is used? How can we reach more insiders and encourage them to vote for us?

The truth is, 99% of guests do not care about any of that. Building bars that cover all the points only from a bartender's perspective might not work in practice. Even interested guests, unlike those in the food world, might not be able to name famous bartenders or bars. But they can certainly name the last bar where they experienced great hospitality, had a good drink, and had a good time. And they will tell their friends about it.

There's nothing wrong with pushing the boundaries of our industry, creating a state-of-the-art workplace, and getting yourself out there. Still, your guests are not interested in your bar station, your award-winning team, or your cutting-edge techniques if they do not find what they are looking for: exceptional hospitality, tasty drinks, and value. A friendly welcome, warm service, and an approachable menu language. For all guests, not only the ones you perceive as important. And those people matter. At least if you want to create a running business with returning customers, not a vanity project. A service training with your team might do so much more for your business than the next guest shift.

Build bars for normal people, not for nerds only. In the long term, this might be the only business strategy that works.

Maria Gorbatschova
Bar Manager of Green Door Bar / Member of the Education Board of BCB