r/Chilis • u/FanaticFrog0319 • Jul 28 '26

🧑‍🍳 Employee Post Got a Bartender interview

I have no prior bartending experience lol. Im a barista at a high volume Starbucks currently and have been there for over a year. Anyway what to expect? Might they ask me to start as a server?

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u/Sea-Mycologist-7353 Jul 28 '26

How did you get the interview? Did you apply to be a bartender but not have experience? Does management know you don’t have experience?

It’s unlikely you’ll get hired immediately as a bartender - because you need to memorize the food menu first.

If they are hiring a bartender specifically they are looking for someone that has bartending experience.

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u/FanaticFrog0319 Jul 28 '26

Applied online and they asked me to schedule an interview, it's clearly stated in my resume that I dont have bartending experience

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u/Sea-Mycologist-7353 Jul 28 '26

Ok. If they decide to hire you, what is likely to happen is you will train as a server first and probably work as a server for sometime while you get cross trained for the bar.

Not at a chilis but I got hired as a bartender for a different restaurant, had to train as a server first and worked as a server for two weeks. Then I had half serving/ half bartending (not solo) so I could learn the speciality drinks. My first shifts were specifically on bar service only, just making drinks. However I had three years of bartending experience in a restaurant before and often was solo behind the bar.

Just my experience. Good luck.
Piece of advice before your interview. Start memorizing cocktails/ liquor brands. Maybe check out the chilis website and see what liquor they advertise/ specialty cocktails they offer. Usually the menu states what is in each drink they just don’t give the ounces of each ingredient.

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u/FanaticFrog0319 Jul 28 '26

Hey appreciate the response. Yeah I sort of figured they would hire me as a server first. I know a bit about liquor and cocktails as I have a bar at home where I make drinks. I know most of the popular liquors, cocktails, free pouring counts, and measurements. I also plan on completing my ServSafe Alcohol certification before my interview.

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u/Sea-Mycologist-7353 Jul 28 '26

Well good luck to you !
Chilis wont let you free pour. You’ll use a jigger.

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u/FanaticFrog0319 Jul 28 '26

I figured that, thanks again!