Lead Bartender - X Center Apex Grille

M1 Concourse; Pontiac (MI); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee discounts

Paid time off

Job summary

The Apex Grille at M1 Concourse's X Center in Pontiac, Michigan seeks an experienced Lead Bartender to establish our opening beverage program and bar culture. This role emphasizes organization, leadership, and precision in cocktail execution while maintaining high guest service standards across venues.

Responsibilities include coordinating beverage operations, training, inventory control, and ensuring cost-effective, consistent service with a premium guest experience throughout events and daily

Qualifications

• Opening beverage program experience and leadership desired.
• Strong knowledge of classic cocktails, spirits, beer and wine.
• Ability to maintain cocktail execution, mise en place and presentation.
• Proven skills in inventory, waste control and cost awareness.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate daily beverage operations across restaurant, terrace, catering and events.
• Lead bartenders, train staff and ensure consistency in recipes and service.
• Monitor inventory, set par levels and manage glassware and cleanliness.
• Ensure responsible alcohol service and premium guest experience.
• Manage bar setup, batching, garnishes and service-wloor flow during busy periods.
• Communicate performance and operational concerns to management.

Skills

Leadership

Cocktail knowledge

Bartending operations

Training & mentoring

Job description

Benefits:

• Employee discounts
• Paid time off

HELP BUILD THE BAR - NOT JUST WORK BEHIND IT

The Apex Grille at M1 Concourse's X Center is seeking an experienced Lead Bartender to help establish our opening beverage program and bar culture. We're looking for a beverage professional who understands that speed comes from organization and great bartending combines craft, hospitality and leadership. You'll help establish cocktail execution, mise en place, presentation, cleanliness, responsible alcohol service, opening/closing standards and guest experience while helping develop the rest of the bar team. Strong knowledge of classic cocktails, spirits, beer and wine is expected. Opening experience and leadership experience are valuable. Most importantly, we're looking for someone who stays composed when the bar gets busy and leads through competence and consistency rather than ego. If you'd like the opportunity to help establish a new bar program instead of simply inheriting one, we'd like to talk.

The Apex Grille | M1 Concourse's X Center | Pontiac, Michigan

JOB SUMMARY

The X Center Apex Grille Lead Bartender is responsible for coordinating daily beverage operations and maintaining beverage quality, consistency, profitability, organization and execution across restaurant, terrace, catering and private-event service. In addition to performing all Bartender responsibilities, this position reinforces cocktail and service standards, supports Bartender training, monitors inventory and par levels, coordinates preparation and batching, manages glassware and promotes effective waste and spillage controls. The Lead Bartender serves as the primary operational resource behind the bar and works closely with management to support efficient service and a premium guest experience. The X Center Apex Grille Lead Bartender shall represent M1 Concourse with the highest level of professionalism and decorum.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Communicates performance, training, conduct and operational concerns to management promptly and objectively.


• Conducts routine product counts and supports accurate beverage inventory records.


• Confirms that assigned closing Team Members complete required duties - communicates unresolved matters to management.


• Coordinates bar setup, beverage preparation, batching and garnish production based on anticipated volume and event requirements.


• Coordinates beverage support for terrace service, catering bars, private events and other temporary service locations.


• Coordinates restaurant closing duties within the assigned area, including cleaning, restocking, product storage, inventory security and checklist completion.


• Coordinates service-well production and adjusts assignments or priorities to support restaurant ticket-time expectations.


• Identifies anticipated product needs and provides timely, data-informed ordering recommendations to management.


• Leads daily bar setup, service execution, shift transitions and closing activities across assigned beverage-service areas.


• Maintains awareness of beverage costs and identifies recurring waste, over-portioning, inventory or product-control concerns.


• Maintains established pars for spirits, beer, wine, mixers, garnishes, glassware and operating supplies.


• Maintains garnish quality, freshness, quantity and presentation standards across beverage-service areas.


• Monitors bar cleanliness, sanitation, organization and readiness throughout service.


• Monitors beverage preparation and service to ensure recipe consistency, product quality and timely execution.


• Monitors glassware availability, cleanliness, condition, distribution and storage across restaurant, terrace and event operations.


• Organizes beverage products and storage areas to support security, accessibility, rotation and inventory accuracy.


• Performs all Bartender responsibilities and provides direct bar guest, food and service-well support as operational needs require.


• Provides practical training, demonstrations, coaching and shift guidance to Bartenders and other beverage-service Team Members.


• Reinforces approved cocktail recipes, measurements, preparation methods, glassware, garnishes and presentation standards.


• Reinforces proper pouring, measuring, portioning and product-handling practices to support beverage-cost objectives.


• Responds to guest concerns professionally and involves management when resolution exceeds the position’s authority.


• Supports compliance with M1 Concourse policies, Apex Grille procedures and applicable alcohol-service, health, sanitation and safety requirements.


• Tracks and reports breakage, spillage, comps, voids and product waste according to established procedures.


• Verifies that bar equipment is functioning properly and reports maintenance, repair or replacement needs promptly.


• Verifies that prepared and batched products are accurately measured, labeled, dated, rotated and stored.


• Performs all other duties as may be required and assigned.