by Debbi | Jun 27, 2011 | Drinking Rules, Social Media
These aren't necessarily deep thoughts, but they're thoughts that every bar customer should know. Dave's Facebook page after a busy night at the bar is a gold mine for this stuff.
- You usually are not the only one in the bar.
- Don't wave your hands.
- Don't yell my name.
- Don't order a drink while I'm in the middle of making another order.
- Don't throw popcorn at me.
And this observation was left by a frequent patron, and it's true:
If you treat your bartenders with respect, compassion, and patience (generous gratuity, too), you will be treated with great service and friendliness (& they'll tolerate your drunk self so much better, too).
Keep this in mind next time you're out at a bar!
by Debbi | Jan 16, 2009 | Drinking Rules, Newsworthy
There was an article in yesterday's campus newspaper about "the secret life of bartenders." It talked about the various roles that bartenders can play, like babysitter, peacekeeper, and even chauffeur; the drama they get to see; and the pros and cons of attending a professional (and expensive) bartending school.
It was a very timely article because when I came home from work yesterday, Dave made a comment about how he's had lots of people walking in lately and asking for a job.
Two girls stopped by and asked for applications, and Dave started to hand them something to write their name and number on, when Joe- yes, Joe!- had the presence of mind to say "You know you have to be 21 to work here." Score one for the Factor- the girls didn't know, and weren't.
The article mentions how most bartenders in town have worked their way up from other less glamorous jobs in the bar. That's definitely true in some ways at The Sandbar- Dave has never hired someone he's never seen before who walked in and asked for a job. Attending a fancy bartending school doesn't impress him either. Pretty much everyone who works at The Sandbar was a regular customer first, and a customer who wasn't a pain in the you-know-what.
It was interesting to read about some student bartenders experiences with their jobs. You can read the article here.
I was amused, though, by the author's characterization of bartenders as "mysterious" and "charismatic."
by Debbi | Oct 18, 2008 | Door Diaries, Drinking Rules
Overheard at the door last Saturday:
Doorguy John, to couple approaching the door: "There's a $2 cover tonight."
Woman (breezing past John): "Oh, we don't pay that."
John: "Why?"
Woman: "We know Dave."
To give the guy she was with a little credit, he paid the requested cover and didn't argue.
I'm always amused by the things people think they can get away with, simply because they "know" Dave. And for the record, I'd never seen her before, so she couldn't have known Dave that well.
by Debbi | Aug 3, 2008 | Drinking Rules
We haven’t visited the topic of bar etiquette for quite some time here, and a funny incident the other night reminded me that karma will come back to bite you in the butt, sometimes literally. I thought it was a good time to share a few more thoughts on what you should- or shouldn’t- do while partying at The Sandbar.
A group of middle-aged folks came to the bar one night this week, and Dave said from the minute they walked in, they were a nuisance. You know they type- loud, demanding, obnoxious. He said that at one point, one of the ladies actually grabbed him around the neck while ordering her drink, apparently to make sure he heard her.
Several of us were upstairs rocking out with our new toy when a couple of the women in this group joined us. We apparently weren’t meeting their expectations, as one of the ladies started to loudly criticize us. Then they wanted to play. They wanted Madonna. They wanted 80’s music. They wanted it now. Unfortunately, there is no Madonna or 80’s music in Rock Band (there isn’t much music I’ve even heard of, but that’s beside the point).
We finally found a song they could tolerate and let them play for a couple songs.
Dave told me the next day that the group continued to get more obnoxious and more annoying as the night progressed. And to top it off, he’s pretty sure they didn’t leave a tip.
Where’s the karma you ask? Late into the night, the worst offender in the group- the woman who grabbed Dave’s neck- fell off her chair onto the floor. Hard. It may not have hurt her physically, but it surely hurt her pride. And it gave Dave a good laugh.
The lesson here? Tip your bartender. Don’t butt into someone else’s Rock Band game. Don’t annoy Dave’s wife. And for God’s sake, don’t touch Dave when you’re ordering a drink.
by Debbi | Feb 22, 2008 | Drinking Rules
This blog was tagged again by those crazy Texans at 650miles. We "met" in November when we all signed up to post a new blog every day for the entire month. They’re funny, go read them.
Anyway, I’m supposed to give you six actions or achievements that every person should accomplish before turning 18. However, since this blog is about The Sandbar and you have to be 21 to be there, I’m going to modify the rules a little bit.
So, here are six things that every true Sandbar fan should accomplish.
- Be the mermaid. (But wear the dress over your clothes, please.)
- Sing along to "Sweet Home Alabama," or my personal favorite, "You Never Called Me By My Name."
- Leave a dollar bill on the wall.
- Order a Shark Attack and know what to do with it.
- Do the "Car Wash" on the bar.
- Take a picture on the upstairs beach.
Bonus points if you manage to do all six things in one night.
Add your ideas about the Sandbar rites-of-passage in the comments.
by Debbi | Oct 18, 2007 | Drinking Rules
I found this article about bar etiquette online today (yes, I was bored again, and perusing the UDK). Even though it didn’t feature any of the fabulous Sandbar-tenders, it proves that bartenders everywhere seem to want the same things from their customers: respect, brains, and tips.
Seven local bartenders from a couple different places were interviewed, and the results are their version of the Five Commandments of drinking. We agree with them.
{The LJW would have interviewed someone at The Sandbar.}
