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Operating Standard No. 77 · Bar

The Bar Welcome Standard

Five steps for the first minute at the bar, the most timed moment in it. A guest will wait for a drink far more patiently than they will wait to be seen.

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Who
Bartenders and bar waiters, checked by the bar manager
When
Every guest who walks in, at the counter or at a table
You need
Clean menus at the station, a clear view of the door, coasters
Measured by
  • Acknowledged within 1 minute
  • Menu in hand within 2 minutes
  • Order taken within 3 minutes of seating

5 steps

  1. 01

    Watch the door

    One person per shift owns the door and stands facing the room, not the back bar. When they are making a drink, the nearest colleague takes the door over without being asked.

    Say this

    “Door’s yours, Marco. I’m on the Martinis for table six.”

    Common mistake Everyone turns to the bottles during a rush. The guest waits at the entrance for a minute and decides the bar is full.

  2. 02

    Acknowledge

    Within one minute of the guest walking in, make eye contact and say a few words, even with a shaker in both hands. If you cannot leave the station, a nod and one sentence buy you two minutes.

    Say this

    “Good evening. I’ll be with you in a moment, please take any seat you like.”

    Common mistake Waiting until your hands are free to look up. To the guest, silence and being ignored look exactly the same.

  3. 03

    Seat and settle

    Offer a choice of seat if there is one, pull out the stool or chair, and put a coaster and the menu down within two minutes. Coats and large bags go on a hook or a spare chair, never the floor.

    Say this

    “The counter, or somewhere quieter by the window, Mrs Laurent?”

    Common mistake Pointing at a stool from behind the bar. The guest climbs onto it alone and spends a minute finding a place for the bag.

  4. 04

    Take the order

    Come back within three minutes of seating, before the guest has to look for you. Ask whether they know what they would like or want a suggestion, then repeat the order back with any change.

    Say this

    “A Negroni with mezcal instead of gin, stirred, one large cube. Coming up, Mr Okafor.”

    Common mistake Waiting for the guest to close the menu. Many never close it: they sit holding it, waiting to be asked.

  5. 05

    Hand over

    When the guest moves to a table or your shift ends, tell the colleague taking over the guest’s name, what they ordered and anything they said. The guest never repeats themselves to a second person.

    Say this

    “Table nine is Ms Rossi, second Spritz, no olives, a friend joining at half past eight.”

    Common mistake Changing shift in silence. The new bartender asks “What can I get you?” of a guest who has been there an hour.

The desk card

When the Bar Is Three Deep

Six moments when the welcome breaks first, and what keeps it intact. Most of them happen every Friday night.

The momentWhat you doWhat you say
Both hands on a shakerLook up, nod, then speak“One moment, I’ll be right with you.”
Guest at the door, no seat freeWalk over, give a time and a standing spot“Ten minutes for a table. A drink at the rail meanwhile?”
A regular arrives in a rushUse the name and their usual, then return“Mr Al-Harbi, your lemon and mint while you wait?”
A group of six walks inGreet the first person, count the group“Good evening. All six of you? Give me one minute.”
Guest on the phone at the counterCoaster and menu down, no words yetA smile, then wait for the call to end.
Both bartenders mid-drinkWhoever finishes first takes the guest“Thank you for waiting. What can I get you?”

Read one row at each pre-shift briefing this week and ask who has lived it. On Friday the bar manager stands by the door for ten minutes at the peak and times every acknowledgement.

The Standards Library.

No. 78 · Bar

The Drink Delivery Standard

Five steps from the order to the glass on the table. A guest tastes a cocktail for a few seconds and looks at it, and at how it arrived, for half an hour.

Read the standard

No. 79 · Bar

The Bar Snack Standard

Five steps for the small bowls beside the drink. They cost less than the garnish, and a guest notices at once when they are missing, stale or left empty.

Read the standard

Masterclasses · Luxury Bartending