What skills do bar staff need?

It’s no secret that the bar can be a pretty fast-paced place to work. 

You’ve got orders coming in, drinks to serve, cocktails to mix, guests to chat with, and a bunch of other on-shift responsibilities. It makes sense then that there are a lot of skills you need to set you up for success in this role.

Bar staff keep the atmosphere cheerful with their hard work and attentiveness, they know how to help the guests have a day to remember!

We all know the standard skills like good customer service, communication, and time management, but what about the often overlooked skills that help you out in your bar staff duties?

We’ve broken down some essential and some overlooked skills that will help keep the bar running smoothly. 

What skills do you need for bar work?

The skills everyone associates with bar work

Now, we know that when you browse online for any hospitality-related skills, you’re likely to find the same few pop up over and over again. 

These are important and, of course, absolutely vital to help the bar squad run like clockwork but you’ve probably read that information before!

We’re instead going to include these skills as a simple list and expand on the overlooked skills after:

• Communication
• Time management
• Customer service
• Teamwork

Overlooked skills

A lot goes into working on the bar, more than you might think about at first glance. We’ve broken down some extra skills that are pretty handy when it comes to bar staff jobs. 

Basic sales skills

Sales skills can go hand in hand with customer service and communication. They help build rapport with customers, making them feel valued and understood, increasing the chances of them coming back for a second round!

Sales techniques like storytelling or offering personalised suggestions can go a long way when it comes to creating memorable guest experiences.

If you enjoy the sales side of things, we’re pretty flexible here with what roles you can move into! Who knows, one day your sales experience might lead to working in Holiday Home Sales.

Knowledge of Drinks and Mixology

When you work on the bar, it’s important to understand different aspects of making drinks. 

Whether it’s pulling a pint, measuring out the right ratios, or answering any guest queries, there are a few often overlooked areas.

To develop in these areas, you can study different drinks and familiarise yourself with various soft drinks, spirits, beers, and wines, and even take online courses! 

And if you’re interested in upskilling and eventually considering bar manager jobs, we offer a lot of learning and development here at Parkdean.

Attention to detail and memory

Working at the bar naturally means taking a lot of orders from our guests. 

From simple single-drink orders to orders for the whole family, it’s important to stay sharp when it comes to your attention to detail!

Attention to detail skill helps you notice when areas need cleaning, if the orders are correct, and if the right amount has been charged for the items sold it also goes a long way in helping out your team with any extra to-dos!

Stamina and physical endurance 

We’ll be real - bar work can mean you’re on your feet for long hours. But we promise this isn’t a bad thing!

You might be on your feet but you’ll be on your feet with a cracking team that’s full of Parkdean passion. You’ll also get to work on increasing your own stamina and endurance - who doesn’t love keeping fit?

Every hour is happy hour when you work the bar at Parkdean

There you have it! Some standard and some overlooked skills that help you out in your bar staff duties.

Here’s hoping we answered the question “What are the skills of a bartender?”.

Now you know what skills you need and what skills you develop along the way, check out our bar staff jobs today. 

Browse more of our Food and Beverage blogs.