Lead Bartender

Detroit Foundation Hotel; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 42,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A unique urban hotel in Detroit is looking for a Lead Bartender who will create memorable guest experiences through exceptional service and beverage knowledge. The role requires at least two years of bartending experience and a passion for hospitality. You will collaborate with the team to develop seasonal menus while ensuring safe and responsible alcohol service. If you enjoy building relationships with guests and working in a dynamic environment, we want to hear from you.

Qualifications

• 2+ years experience as a bartender.
• Ability to manage time effectively.
• TiPS Alcohol service certification preferred.
• Available to work a flexible schedule including nights, weekends and holidays.
• Fluency in English both verbally and non‑verbally.

Responsibilities

• Create memorable guest experiences through outstanding service.
• Manage beverage service and ensure guest safety.
• Collaborate with F&B team for menu development.
• Participate in daily line ups and staff meetings to develop ideas and objectives.
• Greet guests and ensure beverages and food are delivered timely and accurately.
• Maintain an organized, clean workspace and respectful guest interactions.
• Use service steps to provide professional service and ensure safe, legal alcohol service.
• Know menus, ingredients, and day’s availability; manage monetary transactions accurately.
• Share beverage knowledge with guests and create add‑ons for enhanced experiences.
• Observe facilities and relay issues to leadership for improvements.
• Communicate with F&B and Culinary teams to ensure orders are fulfilled.
• Assist in Banquets, Bar, In‑Room Dining and Restaurants as needed.

Skills

Bartending techniques

Customer relationship building

Knowledge of beverages and cocktails

Time management

Job description

Reports to: Apparatus Room General Manager; position is non-exempt

The Role

The Lead Bartender reports to the F&B Managers and works in a team environment with other F&B professionals, including barbacks, bartenders, servers, dishwashers, cooks, and chefs. It is critical that the person in this position possess a background in advanced bartending techniques, has a natural ability to manage time, and a second‑to‑none knowledge of beverages and cocktails.

As a bartender, you will be responsible for creating memorable guest experiences. You will be responsible for the timely and friendly delivery of food and drinks. In depth menu knowledge is necessary to ensure safe service to guests with allergies and restrictions. Ongoing beverage tasting and training will allow you to expand your knowledge of beer, wine, and spirits and you will also be responsible for creating and hosting these types of classes as well. You will have the ability to collaborate on seasonal menus.

All of our service team members are expected to be reliable and responsible. You will arrive changed, polished and mentally ready to work on time. We put an emphasis on treating all of our team members just like we treat our guests- giving a smile, a helping hand, and a willingness to jump in to assist in any situation.

You will also actively develop trusting and transparent relationships with your peers on the service team and other associates of the hotel. As a team member within Aparium Hotel Group you will work with a phenomenal group of peers who insist that you are collaborative, humble, experienced, and open‑minded – no egos are allowed.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Uphold and model the company’s principles of People, Place and Character by being proud of who you are, where you come from and who we serve at our hotel.
• Be collaborative with your co‑workers and leaders and use your intuition to fix things when you know they are not right or could be better.
• Be a storyteller of the history of Haya hotel and share our translocal hospitality efforts about our local collaborators and partners.
• Participate in daily line ups and quarterly all staff meetings to further develop ideas and objectives with the service team while simultaneously providing constructive feedback and strategizing to overcome and correct any previously missed opportunities.
• Assist in all aspects of the F&B guest’s experience from beginning to end by extending a friendly greeting in an inviting environment, ensuring bar products and supplies are well stocked, and executing on requests in a friendly and timely manner, ascertaining satisfaction throughout and adjusting as necessary.
• Work in an organized and clean fashion, with the utmost respect for your guests, peers, equipment, and workspace to create lasting impressions and strong relationships.
• Use steps of service to provide professional service and exceed guest expectations, ensuring alcohol is served safely, responsibly, and legally and utilizing recipes and jiggers to assist in creating consistent cocktails, juices, syrups, and bases; and creating lasting impressions on all guests.
• Be accountable for working knowledge of the menus, menu ingredients and what is unavailable for the day; and to serve alcohol safely, responsibly, and legally; and of course, accurately account for all monetary transactions during your shift.
• Share your extensive knowledge of the beverage world with your guests, using your product knowledge to enhance guest experiences with add‑ons; and demonstrate basic culinary terms and strive to know more through constant study of your craft.
• Observe conditions of all physical facilities and relay any challenges to the Food and beverage leadership team to make corrections and improvements as needed.
• Communicate effectively with the F&B and Culinary teams to ensure all guests get their food as ordered in timely fashion.
• Assist in other areas of the F&B Department as needed, including but not limited to, Banquets, Bar, In‑Room Dining, and Restaurants.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

• Passion for the People, Place and Character of our community, love of Restaurants and Guest Service also required.
• Minimum of two (2) years’ experience as a bartender in either a free‑standing or hotel restaurant or bar.
• TiPS Alcohol service certification and Liquor Card, or ability to obtain such within 30 days of hire.
• Must meet local age requirements in order to serve alcohol.
• Available to work a flexible schedule to include nights, weekends and holidays.
• Fluency in English both verbally and non‑verbally.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Continuous standing and walking and negotiating wet tile floor and steps.
• Fine motor coordination is needed to pour beverages, decorate cocktails and fold napkins.
• Standing and walking is continuous for 4–5 hours at a time.
• Lifting and carrying 30 lb. tray, crate or box is occasional.
• Negotiating varied floor surfaces is continuous.
• Carrying over shoulder is occasional.
• Hand and elbow movements for polishing glassware, silver, setting up tables, shacking, pouring and mixing drinks.
• Excellent sight and balance needed for negotiating varied floor surfaces.
• Handling lighted candles, and handling hot fluids (coffee and tea).
• Ability to lift, balance and carry up to 25 lbs. to transport beverage goods inventory, equipment, etc.
• Ability to lift, balance and carry (with assistance) up to 100 lbs. to transport beverage inventory, equipment, etc.
• Must be able to work in extreme temperatures like freezers (‑10°F) and kitchens (+110°F).

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Aparium Hospitality Services celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an equitable and inclusive environment, and a sense of belonging for all associates. We do not discriminate and believe every individual should be proud of who they are, and where they come from and take pride in who we serve. Aparium is an E‑Verify employer.