Bars are retail establishments that serve alcoholic drinks to be consumed on premises. Bars or similar drinking establishments become successful because they attract steady business, provide a desirable atmosphere and benefit from good management. Managing a bar and making it a success requires not only good customer service skills but also a sound business sense. A bar manager must be able to effectively recruit, train and motivate staff.

Duties and Responsibilities

Bars are heavily regulated establishments and they require liquor and beverage licenses. In addition to finding and then training and retaining bartenders and other staff, bar managers must also keep up with applicable licensing, and health and safety requirements. A bar manager is normally responsible for any kitchen staff and also orders and manages all food, beverage and other supplies. Inebriated and sometimes aggressive customers are a fact of life in a bar environment and managers must effectively deal with them.

Work Hours, Experience, Salary

Because those are peak customer times, bar managers sometimes must work long hours on nights and weekends. Experience counts for much when it comes to being a bar manager and many start out by working in food and beverage service jobs and as bartenders for several years. For aspiring bar managers, in-class and online bartender training is widely available. Bar manager salaries can also be relatively attractive. At time of publication, the Simply Hired website says the average salary for bar managers is $49,000.