Bartending is demanding work, but the best bartenders really seem to love their job and take pride in what they do. Recently a poll was posed to Facebook users (including both industry workers and customers) asking what makes a bartender stand out from the crowd.

The top answer by far was personality, and it’s easy to see why. A personable bartender is someone customers can relate to and feel comfortable with, and friendliness always goes a long way in the service industry. Personality also makes a bartender stand out, which gives customers a unique experience.

Other things that make a bartender stand a cut above the rest include the ability to multi-task, knowledge about their craft, honesty, humor, a bold and respected attitude, cleanliness, and dependability.

Read the full article here: The 10 Things That Make a Great Bartender

When you become a restaurant manager, you take on more responsibility and become a central part of the business. Your staff relies on you for guidance, and it’s your job to make sure everyone else is doing their job correctly. While anyone can be a boss, it takes a special kind of dedication to be a team leader.

A meme recently popped up on the Server/Restaurant Biz Life Facebook page that lays out the difference between your average boss and a true leader, and it’s straight and to the point.

Some bosses are authoritative, inspire fear, issue commands, place blame, take all the credit, and use employees for their own gain. True leaders coach their employees, generate enthusiasm, fix problems, give credit where it’s due, ask for input, and consider themselves part of the team.

Are you a boss or a leader?

See the meme on Facebook here: Difference Between Boss & Leader

The restaurant industry is constantly changing, and your restaurant needs to adapt and change with it to continue making a profit. Diners are savvy and care about their food and where it comes from, so restaurants need to do the same.

This article from Harvest America Ventures lists a few key things restaurants need to do in order to be successful. At the core, it means being passionate about your work.

Your restaurant should be clean and you and your staff should be dressed well. Clutter has no place in a restaurant and you should keep only dishes that are free of cracks or chips.

Great bread can make or break a restaurant, so consider what you’re offering. Purchase fresh ingredients and buy locally and seasonally as much as possible. Remember that bigger isn’t always better, and balance meat with plenty of vegetables.

Smile often! You’re happy your customers are there, so always greet them with a grin.

For these tips and many more, read the full article here: Why Don’t Restaurants Get It?

No one ever said serving was an honest job. Servers have to deal with a variety of stressful situations on a daily basis, and they have to do it with a smile. Of course that smile is a bold-faced lie sometimes, but that’s not the only lie servers tell and get away with!

For example, maybe you get a customer that needs to be a constant temperature or they’ll become a zombie and terrorize the restaurant (or that’s what you imagine might happen), so you tell them you’ll adjust the thermostat when instead you grab a cold soda and put it on your forehead because you can’t imagine why someone would need it warmer when the entire back of house is an oven.

Lying isn’t a good habit to develop, but honesty definitely isn’t always the best policy in the service industry! Imagine telling the lady nothing can be done. There goes your tip!

This entertaining gif article from Shiftgig features 10 common lies told by servers everywhere. Do you think servers have to lie? Is there such thing as a 100 percent honest server?

Enjoy the full article here: 10 Lies Every Server Has Told