In a viral video, a seasoned bartender shared a few of the ways she’s seen fellow bartenders slyly steal from the bar. Viewers are split.
In the video, Michelle (@michellebellex), who’s been a bartender in North Carolina for several years, shared a handful of ways she’s seen bartenders steal. Depending on the method, it could be at the expense of the bar owner, the fellow bartender on shift, or the customers.
In the caption, Michelle said the deceit she’s seen has turned her off to the idea of leveling up to own a bar. “I could not own my own bar bc I have [control] and trust issues apparently,” Michelle wrote.
Cheaping out on the liquor quality
The first method she shares has to do with the quality of the liquor a customer gets. “Let’s say you order a Tito’s and soda,” Michelle says. Instead of pouring the $8 shot of the brand-name vodka, the bartender will pour the $5 house vodka. When the customer pays $10 in cash (including a $2 tip), the bartender pockets $5 instead of $2. Over the course of a shift, that can add up.
That’s why people need to always watch their bartender make their drink, she suggests.
Giving out “free” beer
Another way is to give draft beer on tap away instead of bottles since missing bottles are hard to cover up, but beer on tap can be at an inconsistent quantity for multiple reasons. What happens is the bartender will pretend to charge for the beer and put money in the cash register but will instead leave the cash on top of the machine so they can grab it later. This in turn ends up being a “free” beer, and the profits come out of the bar’s margins.
Fake dine-and-dasher
Some dishonest bartenders will also keep a customer’s cash payment, let’s say it was a $50 tab, and tell the manager that the person walked out without paying.
Shorting customer drinks
At some bars, managers weigh the liquor bottles at the end of the night. Taking this into account, some bartenders will short-pour multiple drinks so that at some point in the night, there’s a bit extra liquid in the liquor bottle. So when a cash payer comes in, they use the extra alcohol for their drink but don’t ring in the order, and instead pocket the money.
“Really that one’s not stealing from the bar, that’s stealing from all of the customers you short-poured,” Michelle says.
Screwing over your co-worker
The last example Michelle gave was instances in which co-workers stole from her. What would happen was the cash drawer would be $50 to $80 short because the other bartender took the money. They’d have to split the difference to pay the bar back, and each pays $40 of the missing $80, meaning Michelle paid $40 out of her own earnings while the thief ends up pocketing $40.
Her video is nearing a million views and has over 500 comments.
@michellebellexo I could not own my own bar bc I have contol and trust issues apparently😅 I could do a whole part 2 on this!!! how to catch a bartender stealing #bartender #barowner #howtocatchatheif #badbartenders ♬ original sound – Michelle Charlotte Bartender
Michelle is a very popular bartender on TikTok who shares tips and drink suggestions and skits about her life as a bartender. She has a whopping 4.3 million-person following on TikTok.
Commenters were divided about the video. Some called Michelle out, accusing her of giving bartenders a bad name and of possibly being a thief.
“I hope the new place watches you close. Sounds like you know too much about these secrets,” a commenter wrote.
“People already have a jaded opinion about bartenders. Why make them think even more lowly of us? That’s one bartender out of every 100 and most of us,” another said.
Others shared their own stories and appreciated the content.
“So basically you’re telling me to always pay with card,” a viewer responded.
“At my last job if we claimed we needed a drink comped we had to show our manager and then dump it. they wouldnt just take our word bc ppl do this lol,” a person said.
The Daily Dot reached out to Michelle for comment via email.
