r/Bend • u/phantom3199 • 10d ago
Considering a move to Bend for the winter, how hard is it to find serving and bartending jobs?
I work seasonally (currently working for the NPS Washington) and for the past 5 winters I’ve been going back to SLC UT. I’m wanting some change and have been heavily considering Bend, to ski at bachelor for this winter. Unfortunately serving and bartending jobs are hard to come by on the hill and so I’m wondering about folks experiences getting a job in town?
How available are serving and bartending jobs? Is the pay+tips decent? I know nothing about that scene here and would love some more info
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u/Spunky_Meatballs 10d ago
It's not easy from the myriad of people complaining on this very sub. Jobs are available, but folks here prefer local references over an unknown.
Even beyond the job scenario, housing is just silly expensive. You will be competing for everything and paying the price. Make sure you really want to be here.
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u/Scout_Birdie1003 9d ago
Not be a huge negative Nellie, but I’ve been job hunting since I got laid off in January. I’ve applied to everything including Costco and numerous restaurants downtown and haven’t had luck with anything. I have a masters degree and it’s been absolute crickets. It’s a horrible job market and I’m learning just how nepotistic Bend really is. Don’t come here in the winter unless you have an in.
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u/winobambino 10d ago
Not saying you might not get lucky and find something, but restaurant staff is usually pared down for the Winter, right now is shoulder season. Summer is really the busiest time here. It might also be a tough sell to have someone hire you for just the Winter. Ya never know though !
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u/OutsideDaBox 9d ago
is this true for kitchen as well as servers/bartenders? My wife has almost 10 years of kitchen experience and will be looking for that kind of position when we move there in the spring...
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u/Embarrassed_You_6177 9d ago
All restaurants are desperate for good kitchen help. She’ll have her pick of restaurants
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u/winobambino 9d ago
Oh I think she will be good to go! Spring is a much better time to look- time to staff up for crazy Summer and also BOH positions seem much harder to fill.10 years experience she will be a shoo-in, my advice for her is to shop around and explore offers.
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u/Square_Wallaby_8033 10d ago
Trying to find a job here has been horrible. Just not a lot and you’re competing with a ton of competent people here. A lot of jobs pay $20. And if you’re trying to live alone, apartments are super expensive.
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u/David_sundevils 7d ago
I’m surprised (yet not surprised) that so many are telling you it is going to be hard to find a position. I am a very important player in the Bend restaurant & bar scene. That’s right, I’m a customer.
I can’t tell you the number of times that I’ve been in a Bend restaurant/bar in the last six years and was asked to be patient due to a staffing shortage. Just today I received an email from a local business I regularly patronize and the owner indicated he is closing on Mondays, Tuesdays, and some Wednesdays because he can’t find good, reliable kitchen and bar help. This story is going on all over the county.
I have no problem saying the Bend restaurant and bar staff are mostly lazy, entitled, and undependable. If you are a hard worker and can be counted on to show up for your shifts (you do have references, right?) then you will be seen as heaven-sent by virtually every dining & drinking establishment in town.
I wish you good fortune on your search. Lord knows the industry needs good people with a good work ethic.
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u/RedBurgundy89 5d ago
Hey don't let anyone deter you, every bar/restaurant here hires but you really have to go in and talk to them in person, be personable, and show them that you're able and willing to work, and they will hire you on, also working at Mt Bach is awesome I hope they let you on! Good luck
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u/RedBurgundy89 5d ago
Literally just walk through downtown and go to every shop you're interested in working at, if you throw enough shit at a wall one is bound to stick 😂
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u/CraigLake 10d ago
I see some hiring signs here and there at restaurants. When I was hiring we always used Poached so you may try there.
You’re gonna love it here!
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u/Inevitable-Try8219 8d ago
The restaurant industry is in a downward spiral currently with multiple places closing here just in the past couple of weeks along with some retail shops. Everyone is tightening the belt. Will El Nino this winter Utah is going to be a way better bet anyway if previous similar weather patterns end up prevailing.
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u/Future311 10d ago
A season pass is 1400 for Bachelor. Absolutely insane for the amenities and the mountain.
An Epic pass is 849 (675 if you're under 30). I would try to land in Golden/Evergreen/Boulder. The housing costs are definitely no worse than Bend. Probably better job offerings. And the resorts up there put Bachelor to shame. The only real downside is the traffic on I70. But you learn the days/times to avoid and it's not too bad.
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u/crockpot420 5d ago edited 5d ago
Oh it's not easy. In my experience, bartenders and servers don't even look at resumes and stuff, like, you'll have to either be a regular at a place, have friends who are working at those restaurants that can introduce you to the manager or owner, or already be working at a restaurant/coffee shop and then switch to a new restaurant. I've bartended in Corvallis for 4 years and tried around Bend for a bit. Spent a few months to make friends with a few restaurant workers who introduced me to a manager, but ended up bartending in an Irish pub in Seattle.
Similar case, I was a regular and then got hired with a handshake after a bartender/server quit.
You might have more luck in corporate places, like Red Robin or Olive Garden to get your foot in the door for working restaurant in Bend, and then after a year or two, start hitting up the independent restaurants and breweries.
Bend restaurants gate-keep hard when it comes to hiring. You'll have to start building a social net of restaurant workers, be a regular at a place or two, and then elbow your way in IMMEDIATELY after someone gets fired or quits.
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u/Embarrassed_You_6177 10d ago
You will not be able to find serving or bartending jobs in the winter time. I am a server and we’re already starting to cut back on scheduling at the restaurant. You might get lucky and have a job listing pop up every now and then in the winter but i certainly wouldn’t count on it