Bar Lead

One Off Hospitality Group; Highwood (IL); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

One Off Hospitality Group in the Chicago area seeks a Bar Lead to support bar operations and ongoing education with the General Manager. This role focuses on wine, beer, cocktails, and program execution across events and tastings.

Prospective candidates should have ServSafe and BASSET certifications, strong leadership and communication skills, and the ability to manage inventory, coordinate schedules, and uphold safety and sanitation standards in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• ServSafe certification required.
• BASSET certification required.
• Ability to handle stress under pressure.
• Maintain a clean, safe working environment.
• Coordinate multiple activities with attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a cheerful, courteous disposition and professional image.
• Teach and motivate team to follow recipes, bar standards, and safety.
• Lead bar program development, menus, and beverage events.
• Oversee inventory, ordering, and cost control to minimize waste.
• Coordinate bar training and educate staff on spirits, wine, beer, and cocktails.
• Front-of-house supervision during shifts as needed (MOD).
• Ensure bar is prepped and ready for service; communications with GM/AGM.

Skills

Team leadership

Cocktail development

Inventory management

Training & coaching

Customer service

Communication

Safety & sanitation

Education

High School Diploma or GED

ServSafe Certification

BASSET Certification

Tools

Menu software

POS systems

Job description

Description

Description

For almost 30 years, One Off Hospitality has developed and operated some of Chicago’s most beloved places to eat and drink. More importantly, we’re a group of people – chefs, hospitality veterans, managers and creators – who believe in the power of treating our guests like family and our restaurants like home.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The bar lead is responsible for helping support bar operations and continuous education in conjunction with the General Manager.

Requirements

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Maintains a cheerful, courteous disposition and a neat, clean and professional image
• Guides, teaches, motivates and encourages team members to follow recipes as well as bar, service, safety and sanitation standards
• Encourages healthy communication and strong teamwork across entire team
• Executes effective and respectful communication to all team members, including leadership
• Attends manager and beverage meetings as needed
• Receives, stocks and organizes orders as needed and bundles invoices for superiors
• Responsible for periodic bar inventory
• Leads with the creation and implementation of new cocktails, event packages, wine, beer and liquor menus, POS edits and communication to team members
• Helps roll out and oversee bar program assets at events, tastings and other curated packages
• Helps maintain quality and cleanliness standards
• Focuses on improving bar costs (ensure proper rotation, utilization and inventory to ensure minimum waste)
• Assists with relaying structure and execution of side work by all bar team members
• Conducts as-needed bar and floor training within spirits, wine, beer and cocktail categories
• Works in a front-of-house supervisor capacity, as needed including floor shifts as MOD
• Helps create and coordinate larger scale continued education opportunities for team members
• Keeps immediate superior promptly and fully informed of all problems or unusual matters of significance and takes prompt corrective action when necessary
• Performs other administrative tasks as will be communicated by superiors
• Adheres to all company safety and sanitation policies and procedures
• Assists other team members as needed or when business needs dictate
• Makes necessary edits to cocktail, wine and beer pages on menu software and prints menus as needed
• Oversees liquor purchasing and limited cocktail program at PQM (ensures batched cocktail quality and quantity)
• Has a minimum of annual quarterly visits (or as needed) to Publican Tavern O’Hare for oversight, training and new cocktail implementation
• Works with Chef and GM for wine/bev/cocktail pairings as needed for special menus and events
• Ensures that bar is fully prepped, stocked and ready for service prior to opening
• Works with GM/AGM on bartender training

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications (Education, Experience, Skills)

• High School Diploma or GED graduate
• ServSafe Certification required
• BASSET Certification required
• Ability to handle stress under pressure
• Willingness to maintain a clean, healthy, and safe working environment
• Ability to coordinate multiple activities with attention to detail
• Ability to work independently, with minimal supervision
• Ability to work a flexible schedule

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Ability to be flexible with job demands and open minded when being asked to complete tasks
• Ability to operate and use all equipment necessary to run the restaurant
• Ability to move or handle equipment throughout the restaurant generally weighing 0-50 pounds
• Ability to work varied hours/days as business dictates
• Ability to stand for up to 8-10 hours a day
• Must be able to tolerate potential allergens: peanut products, egg, dairy, gluten, soy, seafood and shellfish
• Must be able to tolerate potential allergens: peanut products, egg, dairy, gluten, soy, seafood and shellfish

One Off Hospitality provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.