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I'm a Bartender. Customers' New Habits Are Ruining Bars
Newsweak ^ | July 6, 2024 | KC Connolly

Posted on 07/06/2024 10:00:58 PM PDT by where's_the_Outrage?

This month marks 11 years of working in New York's service industry. It's changed a lot.

As an Irish lad, I grew up on Cheers and in my first gig in New York, I found my solace at Molly Pitcher's Ale House—a popular joint where the regulars could have been characters on that show.

Now, Molly Pitcher's is no more, Cheers is no more, and the characters are no more.

In my first gig, a month in, I had learned that the bar corner seat was Rosie's, an 80-something iconic regular.

When Rosie entered, she imperiously claimed her throne and those already occupying it immediately yielded. No questions asked. I have no doubt that this unwritten rule wouldn't be respected today.

Nostalgia is a seductive liar, as George Ball once said, and hands up, it is customary for thirty-somethings to point out that their heyday was much better (it was). But I can't help but feel, having by now served thousands, that the public house is different, not for the better, and you, the customer, are in fact ruining the sacred space of the bar.

I simply wish to tell you, the patron, on behalf of all New York service industry employees: You. Look. Ridiculous.

Off the back of the pandemic dining protocols, change occurred. Everything has been done or is expected to be done for the patron.

This, coupled with mass phone addiction and its anti-social ramifications, has created a sick baby of over-reliance on the worker and over-convenience for the patron.

But we, the service industry employees, are not an app, a button you press, and shazam, it's done. We're people, treat us as such. The public house is just that: Public.

(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Chit/Chat; Food; Pets/Animals; Society
KEYWORDS: bars; barsociety; community; culture; nyc; nycbars
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I've been to exactly 2 NYC bars, both in Oct 92 waiting to be in the audience of the Rush TV Show. The 1st my friend and I entered we were the only customers, and left after 5 minutes of being ignored by the bartender. The 2nd was a block away and we quickly got a beer. Don't care if I ever experience another NYC bar.

Now I literally live crawling distance from a redneck bar in a blue collar neighborhood, usually go there once a week for taco Tuesday. Great place, often some customers bring their pet dogs (not service animals). As Toby Keith would say, My Kind of Bar.

1 posted on 07/06/2024 10:00:58 PM PDT by where's_the_Outrage?
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

If they went to a bar out in the boonies they’d probably be more comfortable. The urban clientele is spoiled and needy, and as someone in service, I get it. I serve a LOT of needy, rude people.


2 posted on 07/06/2024 10:06:59 PM PDT by Tacrolimus1mg (Do no harm, but take no sh!t.)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

Our society does not do community. That is what is killing pubs. In Jolly Olde England, the whole town went to the pub in the evening. Now, it’s just for a quick drink.


3 posted on 07/06/2024 10:15:27 PM PDT by Jonty30 (He hunted a mammoth for me, just because I said I was hungry. He is such a good friend. )
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

>> I simply wish to tell you, the patron, on behalf of all New York service industry employees: You. Look. Ridiculous.

It’s New York. NYC is a hellhole from hell. Bartender from Hell, You. Are. Atypical.

The rest of America doesn’t work like NYC. Thank GOD!


4 posted on 07/06/2024 10:20:28 PM PDT by Nervous Tick ("First the Saturday people, then the Sunday people...": ISLAM is the problem!)
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To: Nervous Tick

Yep, a foreign country.


5 posted on 07/06/2024 10:25:27 PM PDT by doorgunner69 (I don't know what he said at the end of that sentence. i don't think he knows what he said either)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?
My grandfather owned and ran a small bar and grill in Orlando for many years. With good service and a strong following of regulars, it was written up in Esquire as one of the country's great neighborhood bars.
6 posted on 07/06/2024 10:34:07 PM PDT by Rockingham
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To: where's_the_Outrage?
My wife and I were at an upscale Italian place a while ago. We were seated and a group of maybe 7 or 8 young women came in, briefly chatting.

As soon as they sat down, they were all on their phones. Not a word of conversation with each other. They ordered & the whole meal was silent. Then they paid and left.

It was one of the weirdest things I've ever seen. Like "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."

7 posted on 07/06/2024 10:54:24 PM PDT by pierrem15 ("Massacrez-les, car le seigneur connait les siens" )
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To: Jonty30

“Community” seems to have been redefined as a group of like-minded people with a grievance or agenda rather than as a group of people who merely live in one’s neighborhood or town.


8 posted on 07/06/2024 11:00:59 PM PDT by skr (Righteousness exalteth a nation: sin is a reproach to any people. - Proverbs 14:34)
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To: pierrem15

My niece uses her devices all the time, but she has the uncanny ability to do whatever on her pad or phone, and carry on a conversation at the same time.


9 posted on 07/06/2024 11:04:57 PM PDT by jimtorr
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To: where's_the_Outrage?
And just yesterday, I read an article from a patron, complaining about service employees.

That service employees are lazy, unhelpful, passive aggressive, resentful, and appear to hate their employers and customers.

10 posted on 07/06/2024 11:12:00 PM PDT by Angelino97
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

You didn’t order a mocha coffee martini? You’re so square dude.


11 posted on 07/06/2024 11:12:56 PM PDT by monkeyshine (live and let live is dead)
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To: Jonty30

It’s also due to drinking and driving laws - because while the nearest beer joint is about 1.2 miles from my house, if I went to meet any friends at a bar, it’s a 30 mile drive back from said bar. I’d rather just drink at home, save the money and the cop car ride.


12 posted on 07/06/2024 11:12:57 PM PDT by ro_dreaming (Who knew "Idiocracy", "1984", "Enemy of the State", and "Person of Interest" would be non-fiction?)
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To: pierrem15
group of maybe 7 or 8 young women

They didn't even make a Spreadsheet to figure out EXACTLY what each of them must contribute to the total Bill ?!

13 posted on 07/06/2024 11:15:00 PM PDT by mabarker1 ( (Congress- the opposite of PROGRESS!!! A fraud, a hypocrite, a liar. I'm a member of Congress!!!)
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To: mabarker1

There’s an app for that.


14 posted on 07/06/2024 11:29:03 PM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

Who cares about Communist NY? They can all rot in hell.


15 posted on 07/06/2024 11:43:14 PM PDT by for-q-clinton (Cancel Culture IS fascism...Let's start calling it that!)
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To: jimtorr
+++she has the uncanny ability to do whatever on her pad or phone, and carry on a conversation at the same time. ***

And that, if you think about it, is somewhat disturbing.

16 posted on 07/07/2024 12:22:09 AM PDT by Right Brother (Pray for God's intervention to stop UMCRevMom's invasion of Free Republic.)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?
I've been to exactly 2 NYC bars, both in Oct 92 [...] Don't care if I ever experience another NYC bar.

I am not a "bar person," but unless it's a question of your chute not open properly while skydiving, basing your judgement on a mere two data-points gathered within 100 yards of each other in a one-month span is a little hasty, in my book.

Regards,

17 posted on 07/07/2024 12:45:40 AM PDT by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
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To: Jonty30

betting many people stop in for a quick drink and leave so the won’t have to associate with loudmouth angry people pushing their political or social grievances on anyone who half listens. I remember Cheers! as a place where everybody knows your name and your politics but one can drink with people you may disagree with and still be friends AND friendly. the world of today is not the same one I grew up in. everybody screams while nobody listens. I drink at home now where only my wife can scream at me.


18 posted on 07/07/2024 1:32:59 AM PDT by Qwapisking ("IF the Second goes first the First goes second" L.Star )
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To: Qwapisking
For most part, people on the right can agree to disagree.

But for the folks on the left, you have to agree with what they're preaching. All other points of view are wrong.

19 posted on 07/07/2024 1:38:38 AM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

All other points of view are wrong.

Yeah...well, thats how I think of the left’s POV’s. So I am very guilty of that.
But i won’t be tolerant of their intolerance.
Besides, their opines are just wrong.


20 posted on 07/07/2024 2:19:13 AM PDT by Adder (End fascism...defeat all Democrats.)
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