10 Signs You Work Behind A Bar

Everybody should work behind a bar at some point in their life. Pulling pints and dealing with rowdy punters is more than what you see on the tin; it provides some life lessons that you will never forget. So here are the 10 things you’ll understand if you work/ have worked behind a bar.

1. Being on your feet all day really is hard work.

The struggle is real; as real as the aches and pains you are feeling from standing on your feet all day long. If only you felt the same satisfaction of running from one end of the bar to the other as running an entire marathon because that’s how the weight of the shift feels on your poor legs! If slippers were work appropriate, they would never be off our feet.

2. Having a Friday or Saturday night off work is like gold dust.

When you work behind a bar generally means you dedicate your ‘weekends’ to fall on anything BUT the weekend. More often than not, your 2 days off will either fall on a Monday, Tuesday or a Wednesday – and in a consecutive order if you’re lucky. So when you’re struck with the luck of a Friday or Saturday night off; it’s go hard or go home.

3. You’ve become great at handling your money.

…because the pay is not all that. Which means you are required to be extra charming to rain in the tips from the punters.

4. Food being made incorrectly isn’t always a bad thing.

Being required to work behind a bar can be long and tiresome. Which means you may not necessarily have a chance to take the weight off and have a spot of lunch. So hearing “there was a pizza made wrong and has been put in the back if you want some?” is music to your eyes which have heard nothing but beer orders all day.

5. Being reminded by customers about the weather, constantly.

“Ah it’s such a glorious day! I bet you’re disappointed to be stuck in here working right now”

“Yes, Susan. Thank you for being the fifth person to remind me of my despair”

6. When you’re serving a customer a round of drinks and they say “…oh and a pint of Guinness please!”

All I have for you, Sir, is an eye-roll.

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7. Getting mad about the bar not being tidy when you open up, but realize it was you who closed down the night before.

“Oh man, I must have been exhausted last night if I left the place in this state…”

8. The moment the last customers leave and you lock the door is crazily satisfying.

After trying to get rid of the last group of customers for the past 15 minutes it’s FINALLY time to kick back and relax… but oh wait, there’s still so much cleaning up that needs doing. Send help; and a large glass of wine!

9. Work becomes your life.

When you work behind a bar, you automatically feel entitled to switch into work mode whenever you’re out in a pub or restaurant. From taking all the empty glasses to the bar, completely clearing the table of rubbish yourself and making sure all the chairs are put back exactly where you got them from.

10. It can be one of the most fun jobs.

Every job has its pros and cons. Even though they pay is questionable, the hours are long, and the constant running around can be tough; working with people on your level and having banter and a laugh with the locals can make the job worthwhile…some of the time.