Hey everyone, I'm moving to SoBe on Sept 28th

[Dan Heath]

i am 21 yo and an aspring sobe bartender.

[Doug]

Hi Dan, welcome to the forums! Are you bartending presently somewhere, or you want to start a new career?

[Jess]

Hey Dan, what brings you to South Beach? Where do you live now?

[Dan Heath]

Im from springfield mass, where baskettball was created. I have barbacked for two years and worked at a liquor store for three. I want to bartend on the sobe strip or for the miami heat. For now in sept , im jus staying with my uncle who lives right by flamingo park so i dont have to worry about room n board while i look for a job. any thoughts on elite bartending school anyone?

[Doug]

Most bartenders I know don't recommend going to bartending school. They say each bar has its own way of making drinks. When I worked briefly as a bartender in New Orleans, I was surprised how little time I spent making complicated drinks! Almost everyone wanted beer or rum and coke or vodka and cranberry. There were a few times I made bloody marys, but the bar had their own special formula for that.

[Maria de los Angeles]

Welcome Dan! Our forum member Matt used to work as a bartender. I'll ask him to chime in here. He often says it's one of those things you have to work your way up in. Start as a barback, network a lot and eventually you may get a good bartending gig.

[Matt Meltzer]

Yeah, the big time jobs here, you don't just walk in with no experience and get. If you want to have a guaranteed foot in the door, go to bartending school (take THAT, Doug). They guarantee placement, although that may be at a small sports bar or hotel or something where you'll be lucky to clear $100 a shift. But from there you gain experience and contacts. Like you'll meet other people in the service industry, and hear of other opportunities at better places. From there you just keep meeting contacts and working your way up from place to place until you find the right job.

I was lucky, and good, and within 6 months of graduating bartending school I was working somewhere where I made $1000 a month. Though it wasn't in South Beach. Don't limit yourself to Sobe, because Miami is a HUGE city, and if you factor in Ft. Lauderdale there are a lot of places you can make good money. But with not experience, you will not walk on to SoBe, as a guy, and make money right away.

If you're good, that is. and bartending at the Arena you wont see any of the game and you'll make sh!t tips from the people I know who've worked there. I mean, it's basically going to be crappy service bartending and maybe catching a little of the game on TV. You actually won't even work for the Heat, you'll work for Levy Restaurants.So I wouldn't advise it.

[Carlos Miller]

People who buy drinks at the arena are so pissed at getting gouged that they're not going to leave good tips.

[Dan Heath]

Matt, when would you say the most opportune time to get hired as a barback or bartender on the sobe strip? What did you bringin a week at ur best bartending gig in sobe?

[Matt Meltzer]

I would say around November or so, when people start gearing up for tourist season. But it's hard to say. Its really all being in the right place at the right time. And hiring right now is slow.

The best gig I had in the Beach I would make about $200 a night. Except during Super Bowl week, it was way more. But that was at The Clevelander during the early part of the Season. And I was new so I did not get the best shifts. I think $1000 a week is about average during Season.

But read my comments above first, please. Unless you have some rock solid connections the line ahead of you is very long and filled with people with a lot more experience and a lot more connections.

[TheShellyStory]

Hey there,

Matt gives good advice on this topic. When I first moved here I bartended on South beach and then at Club Space for 5 years. If you don't take the bartending class, you can get a job in a slower bar, like a hotel bar where you have time to teach yourself and learn from the other bartenders..that's how I did it and then once I got good, I then went to the clubs. Even if you get hired quickly in a club, if you aren't fast, they'ill pretty much fire you that night, so better to get used to it right away, it takes a little while to get fast and know all the drinks, but once you do, it's a blast.
I wouldn't limit yourself to SoBe either, the competition will be more fierce, get somewhere laid back, learn, get really good, then go to the moey places...also, as I think Maria said, networking is a great idea too. Good luck!

[Maria de los Angeles]

Shelley, thanks for your input.

Since we are on this topic, bartenders out there ... what is your typical order? I mean I know what *I* like to drink, but does anyone ever order anything utterly complicated like a gin fizz? I would think most people stick to easy cocktails. Anyway, you guys have worked the field, so let us know.

By the way, I bartended once at Fox's in South Miami. I was trained there. That used to be a slow bar, but it was old school, so I had people ordering things like Tom Collinses and Manhattans. I wonder if "kids" these days even know what those are.

[Doug]

It's always refreshing to see that more people are asking for advice on how to move to Miami than how to escape it!

[sungal]

I would say go to bartending school. It can only help you. To comment on what Maria said about common drink orders, I'd say mojitos and margaritas, the fruity/sweet martinis, and then just the standard mixed vodka drinks.

Also, when handing out resumes, have a head shot of yourself on the actual resume so the managers can remember you when flipping through resumes. In addition to restaurants and clubs, I'd pass out resumes at the smaller hotels on Collins like South Seas. I used to go there a lot to use the pool and the bartender was ridiculously slow.

And, when handing out resumes managers may give you a quick on-the-spot interview and throw out questions like
How do you make a mojito, name five brands of rum..so be prepared!

[Dan Heath]

Thanks to all of you that have given me the much needed advice on everything. Another question for you Matt, do you know austin gagnon, he works at the Clevander hotel and runs a bartending school in sobe.Also for shelly how long did it take you to move up to good paying nightclubs. Is flair prevolent down in miami?

[Matt Meltzer]

Shelly is also a 6-foot blonde with implants. So getting good jobs was a little easier for her. Just sayin....

I do not know Austin, no. He probably started at The Clever after my time. "Flair" is not prevalent here at all. Here it's pretty much about how fast can you make drinks. It's high volume anywhere good, and there's plenty of other entertainment. It's always a good thing to be able to do, but if you cant turn over customers fast (especially as a guy) you're useless to a big club. As a guy here, you have to be a workhorse to pull your weight, which generally means ringing more than any of the girls.

I'd say the typical drink is actually a Vodka-whatever mixer or scotch on the rocks. Bottles/Draft beer would be a close third. People really don't order a lot of fruity ridiculous stuff at most bars.

[sungal]

People may not order Pina Coladas, but mojitos, margaritas, caiperinas...very popular here, not only with me but lots of visitors.

[Doug]

The iced mojitos are a great slushy drink, too. The pool bar at the shore club has the most delicious I've found.

[sungal]

And they also have the best frozen lemonade.

[Matt Meltzer]

I'm just saying, for every mojito some inconsiderate visitor decides to order, I'd say I probably make 5-7 vodka-whatevers or beers.