Lead Bartender

New Castle; Woburn (IL); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Matadora is seeking a Lead Bartender to lead daily bar operations, set up and train staff, and uphold beverage quality. You will engage guests, craft cocktails, and ensure efficiency during peak periods.

The ideal candidate has bartending and supervisory experience, strong knowledge of cocktails and spirits, excellent communication, and the ability to coach teammates while maintaining a welcoming guest experience.

Qualifications

• Previous bartending experience required.
• Lead, training, or supervisory experience preferred.
• Strong knowledge of cocktails, spirits, wine, beer, and responsible alcohol service.
• Strong communication, organization, and guest-service skills.
• Ability to remain professional and composed in a fast-paced restaurant environment.
• Ability to coach and support fellow team members while maintaining positive working relationships.
• Dependable attendance and punctuality.
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and other shifts based on business needs.
• Ability to perform the physical duties normally associated with restaurant bar operations.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the lead bartender on assigned shifts and help establish a professional, organized working environment.
• Lead by example in guest engagement, beverage preparation, cleanliness, teamwork, and service standards.
• Ensure the bar is completely set up and prepared before service.
• Monitor bar operations throughout the shift and communicate operational concerns to restaurant management.
• Help coordinate workflow during high-volume periods to maintain timely beverage service.
• Assist the restaurant leadership team with opening and closing standards.
• Prepare cocktails, wine, beer, and other beverages accurately and consistently according to established recipes and presentation standards.
• Maintain knowledge of Matadora’s cocktail, wine, beer, and spirits offerings.
• Provide knowledgeable recommendations and create an engaging, polished guest experience.
• Ensure beverages are produced efficiently for both bar guests and restaurant service.
• Maintain proper glassware, garnishes, presentation, and overall beverage quality.
• Assist management with training and onboarding bartenders.
• Reinforce cocktail recipes, proper pours, product knowledge, POS procedures, side work, and service expectations.
• Help maintain consistency between bartenders and shifts.
• Provide real-time direction when operational or service standards are not being followed.
• Serve as a resource for the bar team while escalating significant employee or operational concerns to management.
• Assist with liquor, wine, beer, mixers, garnishes, and bar-supply inventory.
• Monitor stock levels and communicate items that need to be ordered or replenished.
• Help maintain established par levels and organized storage areas.
• Follow proper pouring, portioning, and beverage-control procedures.
• Help minimize waste, breakage, over-pouring, and unnecessary product loss.
• Ensure products are properly rotated and stored.
• Maintain a clean, sanitary, and organized bar throughout the shift.
• Ensure opening, closing, and daily cleaning responsibilities are completed thoroughly.
• Maintain organized liquor, wine, beer, glassware, garnish, and supply areas.
• Ensure bar equipment is cleaned and cared for appropriately.
• Follow applicable food safety, sanitation, alcohol-service, and workplace safety requirements.

Skills

Bartending

Leadership

Training

Cocktails

Guest service

Communication

Organization

Punctuality

Team coordination

Safety compliance

Job description

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Bar Operations & Leadership

• Serve as the lead bartender on assigned shifts and help establish a professional, organized working environment.
• Lead by example in guest engagement, beverage preparation, cleanliness, teamwork, and service standards.
• Ensure the bar is completely set up and prepared before service.
• Monitor bar operations throughout the shift and communicate operational concerns to restaurant management.
• Help coordinate workflow during high-volume periods to maintain timely beverage service.
• Assist the restaurant leadership team with opening and closing standards.

Beverage Quality & Guest Experience

• Prepare cocktails, wine, beer, and other beverages accurately and consistently according to established recipes and presentation standards.
• Maintain knowledge of Matadora’s cocktail, wine, beer, and spirits offerings.
• Provide knowledgeable recommendations and create an engaging, polished guest experience.
• Ensure beverages are produced efficiently for both bar guests and restaurant service.
• Maintain proper glassware, garnishes, presentation, and overall beverage quality.

Training & Team Development

• Assist management with training and onboarding bartenders.
• Reinforce cocktail recipes, proper pours, product knowledge, POS procedures, side work, and service expectations.
• Help maintain consistency between bartenders and shifts.
• Provide real-time direction when operational or service standards are not being followed.
• Serve as a resource for the bar team while escalating significant employee or operational concerns to management.

Inventory & Beverage Controls

• Assist with liquor, wine, beer, mixers, garnishes, and bar-supply inventory.
• Monitor stock levels and communicate items that need to be ordered or replenished.
• Help maintain established par levels and organized storage areas.
• Follow proper pouring, portioning, and beverage-control procedures.
• Help minimize waste, breakage, over-pouring, and unnecessary product loss.
• Ensure products are properly rotated and stored.

Cleanliness & Organization

• Maintain a clean, sanitary, and organized bar throughout the shift.
• Ensure opening, closing, and daily cleaning responsibilities are completed thoroughly.
• Maintain organized liquor, wine, beer, glassware, garnish, and supply areas.
• Ensure bar equipment is cleaned and cared for appropriately.
• Follow applicable food safety, sanitation, alcohol-service, and workplace safety requirements.

Qualifications

• Previous bartending experience required.
• Previous lead, training, or supervisory experience preferred.
• Strong knowledge of cocktails, spirits, wine, beer, and responsible alcohol service.
• Strong communication, organization, and guest-service skills.
• Ability to remain professional and composed in a fast-paced restaurant environment.
• Ability to coach and support fellow team members while maintaining positive working relationships.
• Dependable attendance and punctuality.
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and other shifts based on business needs.
• Ability to perform the physical duties normally associated with restaurant bar operations.

Leadership Expectations

The Lead Bartender is expected to be a standard-setter for the Matadora bar team. Success in this role means arriving prepared, maintaining an organized and fully stocked bar, protecting beverage quality and consistency, supporting fellow team members, and addressing operational needs before they affect the guest experience.

The position should work closely with restaurant management to continuously improve beverage execution, cleanliness, inventory control, bartender training, speed of service, and the overall guest experience.