Bar Owner

Between the constant flow of alcohol and the potential to meet someone really exciting, bars are pretty much synonymous with a good time. If you enjoy hanging out with large groups of people, meeting new friends, and pouring lots of drinks, consider getting your own place and working as a Bar Owner.

Before you get carried away envisioning amazing parties all night every night, you should know that being a Bar Owner calls for a lot of hard work. Though you get to do the fun stuff, like giving your friends free drinks and serving as the face of the bar, Bar Owners also have to do a lot of not-as-fun, behind-the-scenes stuff. These include things like creating marketing materials for the bar, developing budgets, and ordering supplies. You keep up to date on licenses, and if you decide to serve food, you make sure you have a kitchen that will pass the tests of even the pickiest Food Inspector.

Unless you’re really lucky, you do a lot of the necessary jobs yourself in the beginning. That means you start the night pouring drinks or doing PR, and when the patrons leave, you switch to Janitor mode. After cleaning, you’re still not done for the night, as this is when you start paperwork. You handle issues like broken fixtures or upset clients, and track and stock supplies.

As your bar becomes more successful, you can then hire staff like Bartenders and Bar Managers. But this won’t lessen your workload because you then need to train and manage your new employees. Most Bar Owners spend most of their time at their bar, so say goodbye to quiet nights on the couch!