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What Are the Different Types of Part-Time Bar Jobs?

By Lori Kilchermann
Updated Feb 11, 2024
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Some of the various and well-known, part-time bar jobs are bouncer, bar tender and waitress. There are also some lesser-known, part-time bar jobs, such as dishwasher, bar-back or stock person and disc jockey. Many of these jobs involve direct contact with the consumer crowds and can influence repeat business from a patron based on the level of service that was offered. In order to save money on salaries and to maximize the best workers with the busiest working hours, some bar owners choose to run several employees in part-time bar jobs and none on a full-time basis.

Many bar owners are aware that different types of bartenders draw in different types of crowds. For this reason, many part-time bar jobs include bartenders or servers. The owner will schedule the best draw for certain nights and save the best workers for the busiest times. This not only allows the bar to operate at its absolute best, it aids in drawing some patrons in on what would be an otherwise slow shift. Many bartenders even advertise their working hours on a social media website in an effort to draw patrons into the bar during certain shifts.

Bouncers and door men are also types of part-time bar jobs. A slow night may not require a bouncer, however, a busier weekend evening may require two or more bouncers or door men to maintain a smooth shift. Most of these employees are used on a part-time basis so as to save the bar owner money. Entertainment, such as bands, disk jockeys and comedians, are also filling part-time bar jobs and some work and receive tips only. In some areas, these entertainers actually pay the bar to do their act in an attempt to get the word out to the public.

Dishwashers, cooks and stock personnel also fill part-time bar jobs, with some of these workers performing several jobs within the bar. It is not unusual for a dishwasher to also work as a part of an entertainment crew in an effort to become a known musician. In some areas, off-duty police officers will fill security jobs at local bars both for the extra wages as well as the contact with the patrons. Leads on crimes, suspects in crimes and even new people to date on the social scene are often motivating factors for a police officer to take these kinds of part-time bar jobs.

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Discussion Comments

By Phaedrus — On Sep 18, 2014

When I worked at my dad's bar during the summer, I wasn't allowed to serve alcoholic beverages to customers because of my age, but I was allowed to pull soft drinks out of the cooler for the bartenders and serve food. I also ran around the tables and collected "dead soldiers"-- the empty bottles that would pile up on customers' table. My dad always said I was collecting ammunition before it could be used on the band.

I think working in a bar part-time can be a great second job. You meet a lot of interesting people and usually get to hear the entertainment for free while you work.

By Reminiscence — On Sep 18, 2014

When I was a dishwasher at a restaurant in a college town, I also had to be a bar-back on busy nights. It was fast-paced work, and called for some heavy lifting at times. Those beer kegs were really heavy, and would only last for about an hour once they were tapped. I also had to keep the bar stocked with glasses and keep the bus pans under the bar cleared out. The bar area was cramped, so I also had to learn how to maneuver around busy bartenders and servers without causing accidents.

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