Courtesy of Starr Douglas
- Starr Douglas is a former bartender and the founder of a hospitality hiring platform.
- She describes ways to encourage a large tip from customers — and people to watch out for.
- She suggests performing while making a cocktail and engaging with customers so they feel special.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Starr Douglas, a former bartender who founded FrontHouz. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I started in hospitality when I was very young. I was homeschooled, so I was able to move through grades faster than my peers, which allowed me to graduate high school and start college at the University of Georgia just before turning 16.
I worked in bars all over Athens, Georgia. I loved the fast-paced nature of the job and getting to be a part of the late-night city scene without feeling its social pressures.
After transferring to the Georgia Institute of Technology, I continued my bartending career in Atlanta. I eventually transitioned out of hospitality and created a platform that provides venues with experienced, pretrained industry professionals on demand.
But during my nine years as a bartender, I regularly found myself earning more tips than anyone else on my team.
Here are some of the techniques bartenders can use to earn bigger tips and ways to determine who will be a good tipper.
1. Show guests how much work goes into making each cocktail
When guests order a cocktail, they don't always understand how much time and effort goes into making it. An espresso martini can take around five minutes to make, for example. Other cocktails, like the Ramos gin fizz, can be quite labor-intensive, too.
When I would make a drink, I'd always try to craft it directly in front of the guest, maintaining both conversation and eye contact. I also tried to make the creation of a drink visual and add a little flair.
You can be playful with the way you hold your bottles, pour the ingredients, ice the tins, garnish the drink, and place the beverage napkin before the customer.
If a guest sees that you care about what you're giving them, they're likely to tip more than they normally would.
2. Treat regulars like they're good friends
I always made it a point to remember regulars' names, stories, and drink orders. People want to feel remembered, understood, and appreciated. If you make them feel special, they'll want to make you feel special, too.
Genuine connections and compliments can go a long way. Surface-level compliments are devoid of meaning, and guests will feel like you're trying to schmooze your way to a higher tip.
I took a sincere interest in getting to know regular customers. It was my favorite thing when a guest returned and I already had something to talk about with them. This is another way to make the guest feel special — and when the bill comes, they'll feel obligated to leave a larger tip because of it.
3. Recommend additional foods and beverages
When a guest would sit at the bar and only order a beverage, I would suggest food items that paired well with their drink. That way, their bill would be higher — and so would the tip amount.
Bartenders are expected to understand both the food and the beverage menus, and I used this knowledge to elevate the guests' overall experience. For example, I wouldn't pair a spicy appetizer with a spicy drink, as it might be too much for someone's taste buds.
4. Tell stories about the drinks
If you often make classic cocktails at work, brush up on their history and try to tell the cocktail's story as you craft it. Two favorites of mine are the World War I history that inspired the original French 75 and the connection between the blend of ingredients in the Vieux Carré and the blend of cultures in 1930s New Orleans.
Be sure to follow trends to see which cocktails to highlight as you make them. The Negroni sbagliato is a great example of a historic cocktail that became super trendy with bar guests in 2022.
Explaining the lore behind people's drinks makes them feel connected to a bigger piece of history, and they might feel more inclined to tip based on the experience they had with you.
5. Identify who may be a good tipper
Regulars tend to earn their status after bartenders recognize them for being good tippers and reward them with special treatment, so it's a reasonable expectation that their tip will consistently be 20% or above.
Craft-cocktail enthusiasts are also pretty dependable for good tips, as they understand the level of craftsmanship and knowledge that goes into making their drinks.
Couples in the preliminary stages of dating usually want to appear generous in front of their date. It's pretty standard to receive a 20% tip from whoever pays for the date.
Business clientele typically leave 20%. If they're networking, they'll be laser-focused on work and will appreciate your allowing them to do so. If they're freshly off the clock, this may be a good time to suggest taking shots.
Individuals who are particularly flashy and wear excessive designer items tend to be unpredictable with their tips.
If I could choose one type of guest to sit at my bar, it would be other bartenders. Other hospitality-industry workers instantly feel like they're part of my family. Because of this deep connection, they tend to tip a disproportionate amount — usually upwards of 40% and sometimes even more than 100%. Though that may come at the price of a free shot or two.
6. Be wary of large groups
Try to avoid serving people in large groups who seem to not know who's paying. Bars are loud, and space is limited — so unless drink orders were predetermined, large groups won't be well coordinated with their orders. This becomes extra complicated when it's time for the bill.
The likely aftermath is that you'll be forced to split the check 15 ways, and the sum of their tips will be less than 20%. Or one person will end up paying and will be hesitant to leave a proper tip out of confusion or fear that they won't be paid back by the other members of their group.
If you're serving a group, establish who's on each tab before making any drinks.