A guide for bartenders, or how to mix drinks. Part 1

Chapter 40
How to keep bronze and other metal items clean.

Impeccable-looking metal utensils and accessories are a source of pride for any owner. However, cleaning and polishing them takes too much time. It is possible that you will have to hire an additional worker so that there is someone to care for all this beauty, which entails extra costs. In addition, if the establishment is overloaded with metal products, they can spoil the effect of beautiful hand-crafted woodwork; carved cabinets, bar counter, etc.
It would be right, when opening an establishment, to immediately calculate how many metal products you will need and how much money you are willing to spend on keeping them in order and clean. When properly caring for metal utensils for beer, ale and spirits, as well as beer taps and other products, you will understand that you cannot take this activity lightly, you must clean everything very thoroughly until it shines. All you have to do as the owner is to monitor them daily and make sure they sparkle and sparkle like your chandelier.

Chapter 41
How to handle glassware.

Glasses that the bartender puts out for visitors to self-service, as well as utensils used for mixing drinks, must be without a single stain or streak. After use, it should be washed as quickly as possible, placed in its designated place behind the rack to dry, and then thoroughly wiped with a clean linen towel. A bar that operates in a restaurant or hotel requires a lot of glassware. A special cabinet or buffet is installed for it in a place convenient for the waiters. They should ensure the cleanliness of the glass themselves, and not bring used glassware to the bar counter. When placing dishes in a buffet, they must be arranged according to their intended purpose: for Rhine wine, for red, for champagne, etc. Whoever breaks a glass in the dining room should notify the head waiter or his assistant about this fact. In a well-run business, each bartender should have his own glassware inventory book kept by the cashier behind the bar. When glassware is broken accidentally or intentionally, “fooling around,” you must immediately report this to the cashier so that he can make a note in the book about what type of glassware was broken. This measure is not intended to charge the bartender and force him to pay a fine, but rather to keep track of the remaining glassware and remind employees to be careful when handling it. Without controls, a business can suffer serious damage due to simple staff negligence.
There is an agreement between the employer and the employee that the latter must compensate for the cost of the broken dishes - of course, not the full amount, but a significant amount with a small discount. This agreement is intended to punish a negligent and inattentive waiter or bartender and should not make employees feel unfair. However, having a fairly successful business, the owner can afford to be liberal and not fine the staff for broken dishes.
Bartenders and waiters feel it's unfair when money is withheld from their paychecks. But those of them who eventually manage to open their own business themselves come to the need to enter into such agreements with staff, because where there is no correct system, there is no success.

Chapter 42
Working with ice .

Before purchasing ice, decide how much you need. After weighing out the required amount, make sure it is absolutely clean before storing the ice in storage. In recent years (the author operates with the realities of the 1860s - BN), mainly in the southern United States, artificial ice has largely replaced natural ice. And this, in my opinion, is very good, because artificial ice can be bought packaged in briquettes of a convenient size.
In addition, it does not contain unnecessary additives or impurities. This ice does not produce cloudiness when mixed with water or other drinks; it always remains transparent.
If you want to get artificial ice at a very low temperature and
as quickly as possible, do not keep the packages close to each other, leave a small space between them. In this case, air circulating between the packs or boxes of ice helps cool it. It is absolutely necessary to check your ice storage area every day, especially during the summer season.
Personally, I prefer artificial ice because of its purity, transparency, ease of use and economical price. By purchasing artificial ice from a reliable company, you will never be disappointed in the quality and safety of yourgoods.

Chapter 43
Buying an “old place” for business.

When making such a transaction, it is important to be especially careful. Research the area where the establishment for sale is located, find out how much the owner is asking for it, whether he is paying the mortgage (how much and for what period), whether he owes debt to the brewery, alcohol suppliers and other wholesalers. You need to know about the conditions for purchasing this business location. Make sure the transaction is legal, the cost and terms of the lease. Find out if it can be extended. Is the rent rate stable or is it regular?
is it increasing?
Find out how successful the previous business was, what the stock of drinks, wine, cigars, etc. is. remains in stock, what is the condition of the furniture, does the furnishings require repair and renovation. Don't forget to inquire about daily expenses and reasons for overspending. Take into account everything: rent, salaries of bartenders, receptionists, cashiers and other workers, costs for their lunches, as well as gas, ice, laundry, repairs, taxes, coal, obtaining a license to sell alcoholic beverages
drinks, etc.
You need to get an idea of the daily costs to decide for yourself whether the place is worth the asking price. It is also useful to find out if the business owner has any financial or legal claims against him and what his reputation is. If, after all the checks, you are convinced to purchase the place, it would be prudent to ascertain the quantity and quality of the product. If necessary, consult with someone who is experienced in the business and understands how much alcohol to have on hand. Make sure that alcoholic beverages are fully paid for and are well sold and consumed in the business area. The same applies to wines, cigars and other goods.
Next, you should conduct a complete inventory of furniture, crystal, glass and metal dishes, paintings, curtains, etc. You should inquire about all payment receipts for goods sold. Ask residents of the area whether the business has been successful with visitors, whether it has been artificially advertised, and what the main reason for its sale is.
When a transaction is made for a fairly large amount, it often requires more than your knowledge and abilities. It is worth hiring competent and qualified accountants to ensure that all books, records, receipts and receipts are thoroughly checked. However, I do not recommend blindly relying on their conclusions, since they too can be wrong. As a rule, experts who are versed in the intricacies of accounting have little understanding of our business. But your experience and their knowledge together will help you find out if there is any trick or deception in the proposed transaction.
Find out from the landlord whose responsibility it is to maintain the building, its floors, windows and walls, and
should you repair everything yourself at your own expense and how much money do you need to spend to bring it into good condition?
If you cannot fully understand all the details of this transaction, in particular the terms of the lease agreement, I recommend using the services of an experienced and competent lawyer. Try to negotiate “on the shore” with the owner of the building on extending the lease term and on a fixed fee for it.
It is very important to know how many people will be working in this place and how much they will cost you. I recommend paying what you can afford, because a good, experienced worker is worth a lot of money. But do not increase your salary from year to year, except in exceptional cases.
Finally, I would like to draw your attention to a very important point that must be reflected in the purchase and sale agreement. It consists in the fact that the seller has no right to open another business similar to yours during the time specified in your agreement and cannot operate in the same area closer than fifty blocks from your place. Unfortunately, there are cases of breach of contract when the seller reopens the business near his sold location and takes all the previous staff with him. Of course, this is extremely dishonest towards the buyer, but this often happens.
To summarize, I will list the main points that should be analyzed when buying a business.
Study its location, find out the price, find out whether this place is mortgaged by the bank, as well as the rental rate and conditions for its renewal.
Find out the state of the business: availability and quantity of goods.
Collect complete information about the daily expenses of the purchased business, supported by receipts confirming these expenses.
Find out how much alcoholic beverages are purchased in the area.
Hire experienced professionals to audit the books.
If necessary, contact the services of lawyers to formalize a legal purchase and sale transaction.
Be sure to check that the building is in good condition. If it requires repair, thenguess who will pay for it.
You need to make sure that all hiring and rental conditions are transparent and legal.
Explore the area of your future business and get to know the people living there.
Include in the purchase and sale agreement a clause stating that the former owner of the place you purchased does not have the right to open a similar establishment next to yours.

Book by Harry Johnson.
Translation: Alexey Shaposhnikov /BARNEWS/