Tip or Treat: 7 Halloween Bartending Tips
October 15, 2008 · Print This Article
7 Halloween Tactics to Make you MORE Money this Holiday Season while Bartending
YES! This is my favorite time of year! As a kid I had Haunted Houses in my garage. Today, I still think of the BEST possible costumes I can come up with!! But as a bartender with a Mobile Bartending Business…Expect a lot of Halloween Parties!
Below is a small list of great tips for all my fellow Mobile Bartenders that you can implement during Halloween!
Halloween Bartending Tips:
1. Dress Up! If you are NOT dressing up for Halloween parties…you’re CRAZY! Not only is it fun (and more casual, but your clients/guests will LOVE it. (Just make sure you ask if you can dress up first) Try something related to bartending or your task behind the bar. This year I am going to be a Mad Scientist mixing up some crazy concoctions! (Yes, you may steal my costume idea!)
2. Add Dry Ice: This is awesome! Every martini I make, I put in a REAL glass and add a small coin-sized piece of Dry Ice. The effect is amazing! Your guests will love it and it will keep your cocktails a bit colder!
3. Charge More: It’s basic Supply & Demand here people! When you have more party requests…up your rates. You can only be at one place at one time, bless only the highest bidder with your presence.
4. Unique Tip Jar: I love to decorate my bar with cobwebs, an ugly rat or snake, and a unique tip jar. Try something like a witch’s cauldron or one of those cheesy candy bowls with the motion-sensor hands. Let people have FUN while they give you money (yay!)
5. Include Halloween Inspired Recipes: I have include a great website that has a huge list of Halloween Drink Recipes. Click Here to check those out now: http://www.drinknation.com/theme/Halloween
6. Include a Menu: Put those fancy drink recipes on a menu of some sort and display proudly on your bar. Find one of Grandma’s ancient/gaudy picture frames, print out your recipes, and add some cob-webs to the frame. BOOM!
7. Bring a Camera: Chances are, your party will be a dress-up Halloween Party. Well, here is the BEST way to capture leads for your business: Take group pictures of guests as they approach the bar. For them to get the pictures, they must e-mail you…so make a list of their names and e-mails…and now you can promote to them! Oh, and you can also add these pictures to your website!
Got any more Tips?
Have any costume ideas, tip jar suggestions, or anything else that could help the other bartenders out there? Post a comment and let me now? Also, did my tips help, or do they suck?! Let me know your thoughts! Other than that, I hope you have all booked a lot of events for this October (and yes Nov. 1st for those Saturday party-planners)
Cheers,
James Wedmore
Mobile Mixologist
Hello, the halloween tips were good. I have a question for you. I recently signed up with a catering company . I wanted to get some experience on that side of the business. My question is, is it normal practice for the bartender not to have a tip jar? Does it depend on the function itself? I did my first event and I was a little disappointed. I worked what would have been a normal neigborhood bar shift– but i did 10X more work. At the end of the day I only made $96.00 that is what the caterer paid @ 12hr. If I would have been able to collect tips it would have been at least a $300.00 night easily. I quess if the no tips is the case.. I will change my mind set as use this opportunity to gain experience and networking. Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks
Hi James,
I just read your blog; great ideas for tips. I’m going to try decorating the tip jar. I’m bartending a Halloween party with another bartender I know through our staffing agency. Can you recommend any ideas for a theme costume for 2? Any advice would be apprecited, thanks.
Brenda
i took a bartending course in aug, but i can’t find anyone willing to give me a chance, how can i break into the business? i have never worked in the food & beverage industry before, i am accountant by trade & unfortunately not getting any younger either. i wish i had done this when i was young, but i didn’t. any suggestions?
Hey Denise! Tip jar depends on the event, you simply ask the host before booking the party, and have a suitable alternative for gratuity if the host says no to a tip jar.
You MUST work for yourself. You can charge $30-50 an hour PLUS tips! NEVER, EVER, EVER work for a catering company…unless it is to get your feet wet and get comfortable with how the business works…but don’t do it long term!!!
Hey Linda!
Start a Mobile Bartending Business! That’s what I did! Opt-in on my blog for BARTENDER BLUEPRINTS to get my free course to start a mobile bartending business