What Does A Bar Manager Do? Roles And Responsibilities - Zippia

What does a Bar Manager do?

Updated April 25, 2024
7 min read
What does a Bar Manager do

Bar managers are also called bar owners or supervisors of bar establishments. The managers are in charge of managing customer complaints, ensuring stocks in the bar, and in scheduling the jobs of employees. They oversee the overall operations of the bar, manage its staff, and ensure that the standards of products and services are met. They maintain the licensure of liquor and make sure that their staff follows the local regulations. Also, they see to it that customers are served promptly.

On This Page
Resume

Bar manager responsibilities

As a bar manager, key responsibilities include maintaining sales and profitability, crafting specialty drinks, managing inventory, and ensuring staff receive proper pay. They also oversee employee tasks, develop customer relationships, and create marketing materials for events. Bar managers are also responsible for administrative tasks such as payroll and training, and often transition businesses to automated systems to improve productivity. They also manage financial responsibilities, including inventory and operating budgets, and strive to provide excellent customer service to generate repeat clientele. In the words of expert John Doe, a bar manager at XYZ Corporation, "A bar manager's role is crucial in maintaining sales and profitability while providing exceptional guest experiences."

Here are examples of responsibilities from real bar manager resumes:

  • Manage liquor and wine inventory and develop cocktail menus taking advantage of fresh ingredients.
  • Inventory and order bar stock and manage FOH staff, as well as ensured food quality and timeliness of service.
  • Manage front-of-house operations for upscale wine bar and restaurant, including assisting in monitoring and management of inventory and finances.
  • Perform typical bartending duties including all aspects of customer service.
  • Direct all bartending operations as well as ordering and inventory management.
  • Help with shift movement according seniority while abiding by the bartender and culinary CBA.
  • Organize entertainment for lounge, such as hiring bands, karaoke, DJ's, etc.
  • Train all FOH and BOH employees on service standards and guest interactions in order to ensure the success of the company.
  • Provide assistance with store organization and cleanliness.
  • Assume responsibility for overall office administration, payroll and training of staff.
  • Maintain the facility by ensuring safety, mechanical/electronic repairs scheduling, and adhering to rigorous cleanliness requirements.
  • Develop skills in communication and time management interacting with staff and customers in a fast-pace service environment.
  • Transition business from handwritten ordering system to an automate restaurant POS system that reduce errors and improve productivity.
  • Coordinate seasonal and promotional events charting facility arrangements, decorating, book entertainment, develop and acquire POS.
  • Demonstrate exceptional quality assurance skills for a high volume restaurant/bar while providing strong employee retention during a transition to new management.

Bar manager skills and personality traits

We calculated that 21% of Bar Managers are proficient in Customer Service, Wine, and Beverage Orders. They’re also known for soft skills such as Business skills, Detail oriented, and Leadership skills.

We break down the percentage of Bar Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Customer Service, 21%

    Managed the proper accounting and recording of all financial transactions; demonstrated excellent customer service to generate repeat clientele.

  • Wine, 17%

    Managed front-of-house operations for upscale wine bar and restaurant, including assisting in monitoring and management of inventory and finances.

  • Beverage Orders, 7%

    Maximize profitability by effectively controlling bar and labor costs; responsible for beverage orders/inventory.

  • Bartending, 5%

    Directed all bartending operations as well as ordering and inventory management.

  • Payroll, 5%

    Assumed responsibility for overall office administration, payroll and training of staff.

  • POS, 5%

    Transitioned business from handwritten ordering system to an automated restaurant POS system that reduced errors and improved productivity.

Most bar managers use their skills in "customer service," "wine," and "beverage orders" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential bar manager responsibilities here:

Business skills. The most essential soft skill for a bar manager to carry out their responsibilities is business skills. This skill is important for the role because "food service managers must understand all aspects of the restaurant business, including how to budget for supplies, comply with regulations, and manage workers." Additionally, a bar manager resume shows how their duties depend on business skills: "run a successful bar business by controlling liquor inventory,staffing levels,and cleanliness. "

Leadership skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of bar managers is leadership skills. This skill is critical to many everyday bar manager duties, as "managers must establish good relationships with staff to maintain a productive work environment." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "cash handling, p&l;, customer relations, team building and leadership. "

Organizational skills. For certain bar manager responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "organizational skills." The day-to-day duties of a bar manager rely on this skill, as "managers have many different responsibilities, including scheduling and overseeing staff, budgeting, and maintaining financial records." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what bar managers do: "conducted daily pre-shift and weekly departmental meetings to ensure organizational efficiency managed accounts payable, accounts receivable and payroll. "

Problem-solving skills. A commonly-found skill in bar manager job descriptions, "problem-solving skills" is essential to what bar managers do. Bar manager responsibilities rely on this skill because "managers need to be able to resolve personnel issues and customer-related problems." You can also see how bar manager duties rely on problem-solving skills in this resume example: "maintained customer relations and resolved any issued prompted by customers to maintain customer loyalty. "

Communication skills. Lastly, "communication skills" is an important element of what a bar manager does. Bar manager responsibilities require this skill because "food service managers must give clear orders to staff and be able to convey information effectively to employees and customers." This resume example highlights how bar manager duties rely on this skill: "maintain customer relations by keeping constant open communication with patrons while in the restaurant. "

All bar manager skills

The three companies that hire the most bar managers are:

Choose from 10+ customizable bar manager resume templates

Build a professional bar manager resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your bar manager resume.
Bar Manager Resume
Bar Manager Resume
Bar Manager Resume
Bar Manager Resume
Bar Manager Resume
Bar Manager Resume
Bar Manager Resume
Bar Manager Resume
Bar Manager Resume
Bar Manager Resume
Bar Manager Resume
Bar Manager Resume
Bar Manager Resume
Bar Manager Resume
Bar Manager Resume
Bar Manager Resume

Compare different bar managers

Bar manager vs. Assistant manager/shift manager

An assistant manager/shift manager assists managers in maintaining an establishment's smooth workflow. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their company or industry of employment, it usually includes participating in setting goals and guidelines, establishing budgets and schedules, delegating tasks among staff, and monitoring operations, solving issues should there be any. They also perform administrative support tasks such as coordinating with internal and external parties, preparing and processing documents, handling calls and correspondence, organizing files, and implementing policies and regulations. In the absence of the manager, an assistant manager assumes their responsibilities to maintain efficient operations.

If we compare the average bar manager annual salary with that of an assistant manager/shift manager, we find that assistant manager/shift managers typically earn a $9,056 lower salary than bar managers make annually.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both bar manager and assistant manager/shift manager positions are skilled in customer service, payroll, and pos.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a bar manager are more likely to require skills like "wine," "beverage orders," "bartending," and "guest satisfaction." On the other hand, a job as an assistant manager/shift manager requires skills like "cleanliness," "food safety," "employee engagement," and "customer satisfaction." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Assistant manager/shift managers tend to reach similar levels of education than bar managers. In fact, assistant manager/shift managers are 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Bar manager vs. Assistant restaurant manager

An assistant restaurant manager's role is to perform managerial support tasks and oversee restaurant operations, ensuring efficiency in workflow and customer satisfaction. Their responsibilities revolve around maintaining records of all invoices and contracts, delegating tasks, monitoring the inventory of supplies, liaising with suppliers and vendors, and addressing issues and concerns. There are also instances when one must attend to customers' needs, prepare schedules, perform regular workforce inspection, and report to the manager. Furthermore, it is essential to implement all the company's health regulations and policies, all to maintain a safe and healthy environment for everyone.

Assistant restaurant manager positions earn lower pay than bar manager roles. They earn a $1,208 lower salary than bar managers per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both bar managers and assistant restaurant managers have skills such as "customer service," "wine," and "bartending. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, bar manager responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "beverage orders," "payroll," "alcoholic beverages," and "beverage service." Meanwhile, an assistant restaurant manager has duties that require skills in areas such as "cleanliness," "product quality," "guest service," and "work ethic." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

On average, assistant restaurant managers earn a lower salary than bar managers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, assistant restaurant managers earn the most pay in the hospitality industry with an average salary of $43,632. Whereas bar managers have higher pay in the government industry, with an average salary of $44,791.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Assistant restaurant managers tend to reach similar levels of education than bar managers. In fact, they're 0.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Bar manager vs. Dining room manager

Dining Room Managers are responsible for supervising the operations of a dining establishment or restaurant. Their duties include ensuring workers adhere to operational and service standards, implement training and recruitment processes, addressing customer concerns, achieving customer satisfaction, and overseeing a restaurant's inventory and budget. Dining Room Managers compile daily reports, greet customers, introduce menus, and ensure the dining area is healthy and clean. They also assist in the orientation of workers.

On average scale, dining room managers bring in higher salaries than bar managers. In fact, they earn a $2,544 higher salary per year.Using the responsibilities included on bar managers and dining room managers resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "customer service," "wine," and "bartending.rdquo;

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from bar manager resumes include skills like "beverage orders," "alcoholic beverages," "inventory management," and "facebook," whereas a dining room manager is more likely to list skills in "good judgment," "cleanliness," "food handling," and "taking care. "

Dining room managers earn the best pay in the hospitality industry, where they command an average salary of $46,045. Bar managers earn the highest pay from the government industry, with an average salary of $44,791.Most dining room managers achieve a similar degree level compared to bar managers. For example, they're 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Bar manager vs. Restaurant general manager

A restaurant general manager is someone whose responsibility is to handle the daily operations of the restaurant. Restaurant general managers ensure compliance with the overall operations to the company's standards. They oversee the preparation and delivery of products, restaurant repair and maintenance, team management, inventory management, and customer relations. To become a restaurant general manager, one should have excellent customer relations and service skills, and commercial awareness. Good personal skills, flexibility, and strong communication skills are also necessary.

Restaurant general managers tend to earn a higher pay than bar managers by an average of $9,693 per year.While their salaries may vary, bar managers and restaurant general managers both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "customer service," "wine," and "bartending. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A bar manager uses "beverage orders," "payroll," "food service," and "alcoholic beverages." Restaurant general managers are more likely to have duties that require skills in "strong analytical," "customer satisfaction," "cleanliness," and "human resources. "restaurant general managers enjoy the best pay in the hospitality industry, with an average salary of $45,190. For comparison, bar managers earn the highest salary in the government industry.restaurant general managers reach similar levels of education compared to bar managers, in general. The difference is that they're 1.5% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of bar manager

Updated April 25, 2024

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse executive management jobs