[AT WORK]
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Bartender
Jonathan Schwalbe enjoys
developing a rapport with customers
Jonathan Schwalbe >> I serve drinks, I serve food, and I try to dispense good conversation. I'm a bartender at Murphy's Bar and Grill.When I was in college I used to bartend at my college pub. Then my brother bought a restaurant in New Jersey and I tended bar there.
When I moved to Hawaii, I started at Manzo's in Restaurant Row. Those guys had to break me in, teach me about the islands. The people are what make it special. The people you work with and the customers.
You couldn't do this 60 hours a week if you didn't have that kind of rapport with people. You really learn who you work with when you work under stress. Their true personalities come out.
I've been at Murphy's for 10 years. The customers are always interesting. They keep you on your toes. It's different every day. Even when it's the same people, they always have something new to talk about. You never know what to expect.
You make an effort in this business to get to know people. The customers are all unique. Something about them about them will stand out. Even if I forget their name, I'll remember something about a customer. I'll remember what they eat or drink. I had a customer come in the other day; I hadn't seen her in a long time. I didn't remember her name, but she said she wanted her regular. I said Chinese chicken salad, and she said right.
This might sound like a line, but it's not: It's really the people that make this job.
At Work is a weekly feature that shows and tells what people do for a living in their own words. Send comments and submissions to: business@starbulletin.com