What do you find the most fulfilling about your work ?
I like being around people , and I love meeting new people . I enjoy the concept of treating people like guests , not just customers , so I love creating that welcoming environment and exceeding guest expectations . That ’ s how you get repeat guests and increase sales in this business , but you also end up with friendships and people who will really support you and your business . I ’ ve also trained many other bartenders around town , and it ’ s nice to see them excelling .
When you ’ re hiring bartenders , what are you looking for ?
First , temperament . You can teach anyone to make and pour a drink , but you can ’ t teach the ability to open up and easily talk to strangers , the “ gift of gab .” Next , experience . We are offering a luxury experience , so we need that higher level of knowledge and appreciation of the high-end products we are dealing with . We have bottles on our wall that cost thousands of dollars . Finally , work ethic . I want them to see themselves not as just a server but as a salesperson too . They are selling the brand and building that guest engagement .
Personal Matters :
Best Bit of Biz Advice : “ To be early is to be on time .”
Pour Pick : William Larue Weller is my favorite whiskey .
Point of Pride :
We recently started doing private barrel selections for the whiskeys we serve ; we ’ re one of the only bars doing it in our area . We actually go to the distillery , or they come to us , and we taste and hand-select a barrel and then buy it . Each barrel is different , so you can ’ t get this exact bourbon or whiskey anywhere else . We ’ ve gotten a lot of great feedback from guests , and I ’ m really proud of the program .
52 CentrAL Inc !