Career Overview: What I Do As a Bar Owner
Opening your own bar sounds like a relaxing retirement project – until you realize that building a sustainable hospitality business is painstaking work in a harsh environment. Pour yourself a sip, you may need it.
To learn a little about how to own and operate a bar, we spoke to Den Hospitality , a three-person company: Adam Fulton, Kyle O’Brien, and Gavin Moseley. The trio owns and operates two bars in New York and Jersey City and is working on a third. Note that these guys don’t spill the drinks themselves – they create the destination and try to make the customers happy by hiring qualified bar dealers to do the job.
Tell us about your current position and how long you have been in it.
Adam: My name is Adam Fulton and I am the creative director and founder of Den Hospitality. As a group, we open cozy bar-oriented hospitality establishments in the wider New York area. We opened The Garret , a hidden cocktail bar in 2014 located above a West Village burger, and recently opened the doors to dullboy , a cocktail bar and restaurant in Jersey City, a few months ago.
What prompted you to choose your career path?
Adam: I’ve always had a great interest in restaurants and bars, even before I knew that one day I would try to open them. There are so many facets of experience, from decor and lighting to product range and service; Every tactile aspect is an opportunity to tell a brand story. I found myself having lunch and wondering why one restaurant decided to include X on the menu, or why they chose to play certain music. It might have annoyed the people I dined with, but it let me know that I have an interest in the industry!
How did you get a job? What kind of education and experience did you need?
Adam: People in the hospitality industry come from a wide variety of backgrounds. There are guys who start working on buses, learn from the inside and one day find an opportunity to discover something of their own. There are also people who go to hospitality schools and have a business first mindset. I would not say that there is one correct way. I personally studied Marketing and Finance at NYU and after that I founded a Marketing Agency.
While I was working with clients (in particular, with many restaurants and bars) on the side, I wrote a business plan for The Garret, and one day this plan was able to come true. I personally do not have all the education or experience required to bring a bar or restaurant to life, I am involved in the concept, corporate identity and day-to-day marketing. The only way to be successful is to know what I don’t know: I have great partners who know a lot about the job or how to make a great drink. I think the industry is a great collaborative skill.
Do you need any licenses or certificates? I believe that the bureaucratic aspect of opening a bar is a pretty big hurdle.
Adam: A big part of opening a bar or restaurant in New York is getting a liquor license. There are lawyers, paperwork, background checks, and community councils who should welcome your idea in their area. It took us a couple of years to learn how to navigate all of this before we could open the doors of our first place.
What are you doing besides what most people see? What do you actually spend most of your time on?
Gavin: Most of my work is behind the scenes, not during office hours. If the guest goes smoothly and pleasantly from entry to exit from the hotel, my job is done. I do whatever it takes to set my people up for success – they are the faces of the bar, the brand, and the company. If you need help setting the bar for that because the employee has a last-minute audition, I’ll do it. I need to make sure I have the equipment, the machines are working fine and the attitude is pleasant. There are many moving parts in any job, so I do my best to make life easier for employees when they come to work. I spend most of my time planning, running errands, and worrying. The restaurant / bar business is often spontaneous and unpredictable, and a lot can go wrong at any moment.
Adam: My work is mainly in the daytime when the bars are closed, so in general people don’t see much of what I do day in and day out. Right now, we have two panels working, and then other concepts that we are working on bringing to life, so I spend my day jumping between the creative elements of these two worlds. As for the open bars, I can work on some social media posts or try new drinks and menu items. Maybe I’m looking on eBay for some new decor or a cool glass from which we can make a new cocktail. In terms of new properties, I’m working on the branding design, the original furnishings, and developing a vision of what the properties might be. At night, I often go to the location and just observe the buyers in the premises and see if we need to change something.
What misconceptions do people often have about your job?
Adam: In general, I have a lot of assumptions that I go out late every night. In fact, my work is more in a normal format. But with my partners who are involved in the operations, it is a completely different matter!
Gavin: It’s glamorous. Lots of dirt and troubles are out of sight of guests to create a functional and fun atmosphere. People can see me chatting in the bar and just scanning the room with a smile, and I love those moments! But earlier this morning, I was suddenly awakened and told that the police had been called because of a disgruntled guest or that a pipe burst in the basement and dirty water flooded. To tell the truth, I like it all.
What’s your average uptime?
Gavin: I don’t serve a guest as often as I used to. So, I no longer have closing evenings at 4 a.m., but my watch is definitely later than Adam’s. Adam gets up early and sets up early. I am late and late because I like to monitor the pulse of the spots at different times of work. I oversee all operations; observation of different employees on different days and hours. So I always come in to feel.
Adam: 10-6 hours in the office or jumping to meetings, and then a couple of hours in the morning indoors, but actually, being an entrepreneur, the exact hours are cloudy. Even when I’m not sitting at my computer, I’m thinking about something creative that we can or should do, or visiting new bars and restaurants to find out what’s hot. Work flows into life, but as long as there is a passion for work, that’s okay!
What personal tips and shortcuts have made your job easier?
Adam: Patience. I am learning slowly.
What are you doing differently from your colleagues or colleagues in the same profession? What are they doing instead?
Adam: The world of hospitality is very diverse, people get into it, experiences [are different]. There is no single correct way to own a bar or restaurant. I think everyone has different settings. Sometimes the chef opens a restaurant, or one guy does everything and he has no partners. We have several talented partners who do different things. I’m not saying I’m reinventing the wheel, but this is what works for us. My position as a whole [as] a person overseeing the creative direction of property may not be one that attracts so much attention from others in the profession. I think the difference in our roles is what allows us to grow a little without expanding ourselves.
Gavin: I think what sets me apart is what I did before becoming the owner. I went to hospitality school and never had a job outside of the industry. I’ve seen a lot, and when something happens outside of my competence, I seek advice. I’m not ashamed to ask for help. I also live and breathe industry every day. If I’m not in my place, I’m in someone else’s. I like to see what people like and dislike and convey those preferences to my work. I think other operators are more practical and manage little things. I give my employees more freedom than many others in the profession. Most of the places are extremely structured, which is very important. However, I like to put points A and C within the framework and trust my employees to stay between the lines, but innovate between the points. I think it gives more space for personality and character to the place, and it changes every day.
Have you ever walked behind the bar yourself?
Gavin: Unfortunately not. I wish I had the skills of my staff. I envy the owners who, in this sense, have both hands.
What’s the worst part of a job and how do you deal with it?
Gavin: Not to everyone, employees and guests alike. My parents told me when I was young that I spent too much time on others and little on myself. I think they just wanted me to study in the middle of the semester, but there is some truth in that. Some employees won’t like the shifts they get, or their paycheck, or my management strategy. Some guests won’t like my service structure or food, or think I should have three bartenders on duty instead of two. And I try to please everyone. I deal with this reality, accepting the fact that believing that you can please everyone is a fairy tale. But I try to do it every day.
Adam: It’s hard to deal with negative criticism or an unhappy guest. It was that I really needed to learn how to navigate when we opened. You put so much work and effort into something, and then someone, for some reason, doesn’t like the time. It’s really hard to hear. Obviously, we want to fix all the problems and give our guests an amazing experience, but sometimes something just happens. It is important to consider these isolated issues in a vacuum. If they become a trend, then another matter.
What is the most enjoyable part of the job?
Adam: The pride that comes from sitting and watching people hum at The Garret or dumbass watching people have a really good time. Or eavesdrop on a conversation on the street when someone is lighting up one of our hotels in a positive light.
Gavin: When I walk into one of my bars and the staff greets me with a smile and a handshake. If they are happy, then most likely the guests are also happy. This also means that they are in the mood for a successful shift and have a mise-en-scène to create a pleasant atmosphere for the guests.
Many people try to open their own bars or restaurants and fail quickly. What are most people doing wrong?
Adam: There are many factors that can make a bar or restaurant difficult. Most often we are talking about renting in New York. It’s really hard to find good deals where restaurant or bar savings really work. I believe that being conservative and fair in forecasting is the biggest challenge. People may want to open something, but forcing a deal if it doesn’t make sense increases the risk of an already risky business.
Is the opening of a bar in New York different from other cities? I suppose there will be more attention and thoroughness here, if nothing else.
Adam: The focus on bars is new, but in line with the growing interest in food and beverage in general. The number of media, blogs and Instagram accounts covering the industry is now overwhelming. But that’s great too! I think that while it might get attention, it also gets attention and excitement. The most unique aspect of New York City is its skyrocketing commercial rents. You really need to have all of your bases covered and your numbers buttoned up to compete.
How much money can you expect at your job? I usually ask people what the average starting salary in their area might be, but I know there is no typical answer here.
Adam: The structures in the industry do differ. There may be bar owners who own 10% or 100% of their business, it all depends on how they were able to raise money or finance the project and open it. They can own 10% of four bars, or they can own only one – and there are properties that do not bring much profit, and those that do. In general, a normal mid-sized bar should generate a couple hundred thousand dollars a year in profit.
How are you “progressing” in your field?
Adam: It really depends on the goals. One option might be to open more properties or larger and more highly professional properties. Many hotel companies want to do business with hotels and provide food and drink on hotel property. I think that just doing what you like is enough to move up, whichever direction you go.
What do people underestimate / overestimate in what you do?
Adam: Nowadays people really respect the food and beverage industry as a real “job” – I don’t think it was that recently, so people appreciate the work and the effort that goes into it. There are many real business savvy people in the hospitality industry, so the competition is fierce and everyone continues to strive for excellence.
What advice would you give to those who want to become your profession?
Adam: Before you get started, make sure you have a passion for the industry. There are ups and downs, ego kicks, criticism, and long hours.