Bartender Summary
Lobby Bar
- Bartender 1: Male, 5’8”, xxxxxxxxx, in his forties, with a medium build and short, brown hair. He wore a tee shirt.
- Bartender 2: Female, 5’3”, xxxxxxx, in her twenties or early thirties, with a medium build and long, dark hair. She wore xxxxxxx and a black hooded sweatshirt.
- Bartender 3: Male, 5’4”, xxxxxxxx, with an average build and a dark xxxxxxx.
- Bartender 4: Male, 6’2”, xxxxxxxx, in his thirties, with an average build and long, wavy blond hair. He wore a baggy hooded sweatshirt and a knit cap.
- Bartender 5: xxxxxxxx, 5’5”, xxxxxxxxx, in her twenties, with a medium build and short, dark hair. She wore a black xxxxxxx.
Barback: Male, 5’8”, xxxxxxxxxx with a slender build and dark, curly hair. He wore jeans and a hooded sweatshirt. He had a slight xxxxxx and xxxxxxxx.
Bartender 1 was friendly when the agent approached the bar. He did not offer upsell options or ask for a liquor preference. He filled the round promptly and asked if the agent wanted to start a tab when the agent presented a credit card.
Bartender 1 accepted the card and appeared to begin the tab properly.
When the agent approached the bar again, Bartender 5 gave him a pleasant greeting. She also did not offer upsell options or ask for a liquor preference. She gave a verbal total for the round, then located the agent’s tab and recorded the items.
The bartenders demonstrated proper free-pour technique, delivering 1 ¼-ounce single-liquor drinks and shots. Their pours were consistent.
The bartenders occasionally asked for identification when patrons presented credit cards.
The bartenders worked quickly and were generally pleasant but not friendly. They initially were diligent about ensuring guests had wristbands before serving them. However, their attention to upholding liquor laws was meager. When two patrons attempted to order a total of six shots, Bartender 5 explained she could serve them two shots, but they would have to walk away from the bar and approach again for the next two. However, after several exchanges with the patrons, Bartender 5 served them four shots. The patrons then turned around and delivered two of the shots to female guests that accompanied them—the guests did not have wristbands and were clearly not of legal drinking age. Bartender 5 was looking straight at the group during this time but did not acknowledge the transgression. This occurred at 7:38pm.
TITLE 4, CHAPTER 3
4-241. Selling or giving liquor to underage person; illegally obtaining liquor by underage person; violation; classification
A. A licensee, an employee or any other person who questions or has reason to question whether or not a person ordering, purchasing, attempting to purchase or otherwise procuring or attempting to procure the serving or delivery of spirituous liquor is under the legal drinking age shall require the person to exhibit a written instrument of identification and may require the person on a card to be retained by the licensee to sign the person’s name, the date, and the number of such identification. An off-sale retail licensee or employee of an off-sale retail licensee shall require an instrument of identification from any customer who appears to be under twenty-seven years of age and who is using a drive-through or other physical feature of the licensed premises that allows a customer to purchase spirituous liquor without leaving the customer’s vehicle. The following written instruments are the only acceptable types of identification:
TITLE 4, CHAPTER 3
4-244. Unlawful acts
23. For an on-sale retailer or employee to conduct drinking contests, to sell or deliver to a person an unlimited number of spirituous liquor beverages during any set period of time for a fixed price, to deliver more than thirty-two ounces of beer, one liter of wine or four ounces of distilled spirits in any spirituous liquor drink to one person at one time for that person’s consumption or to advertise any practice prohibited by this paragraph.
The general practice of the bartenders was to ring in items immediately after they were served; there did not appear to be a protocol that only tab transactions were recorded on the computers. However, Bartender 4 worked the left side of the bar, where a loose cash drawer was placed atop the back bar. Bartender 4 rang in items on the screen many times, but he also frequently simply made change from the cash drawer without ever touching the computer screen. This was a red flag for the Agent to observe and an apparent integrity issue. It quickly became clear that Bartender 4 had other integrity issues, as well:
- At 7:20pm, he served a draft beer and two Coors Light bottles and accepted cash without ringing in anything.
- At 7:25pm, he placed cash accepted for a draft beer directly into the tip bucket.
- At 7:48pm, Bartender 4 accepted cash for a round and did not ring it in.
- At 8:32pm, Bartender 4 accepted cash for a round and did not ring it in. Shortly thereafter, he showed special interest in a female patron and prepared her drink with two full ounces of alcohol.
At 8:36pm, Bartender 4 did not ring in an order of draft beer.
Other bartenders were not without transgressions:
Bartenders 1 and 5 frequently left the drawer to the right cash register open through multiple transactions.
- At 7:55pm, Bartender 5 hit “No Sale” to open the register and extracted what appeared to be two tens and one five-dollar bill, all of which she placed in the tip bucket.
- At 9:04pm, Bartender 5 slipped cash that was sitting on top of the right register into the tip bucket.
Barback appeared behind the bar and collected tip buckets. He took the buckets to the rear right corner of the bar and changed out tips. The agent strongly discourages allowing this, as it functions as an easy method by which to extract laundered stolen funds.
Barback drank from a cup with no lid while behind the bar.
When the agent requested his tab, Bartender 5 provided two credit card receipts, with no itemization. She did not request identification for his card, as it instructs.
Bartender 5 thanked the agent before he departed.
The agent observed the remainder of the bars from afar. He did not view any suspicious activities or evidence of theft.
Outside Bar
- Bartender X: Female, 5’4”, Caucasian, in her twenties, with an average build and dark hair.
Bartender X appeared very friendly and chatted throughout the visit with guests. She utilized proper pour technique and appeared to charge appropriately for all items.
Inside Bar, left of stage
- Bartender A: Male, 5’11”, XXXXXx, in his twenties, with a slender build and with multiple tattoos. He wore a tight maroon polo shirt.
- Bartender B: Male, 5’7”, XXXXXXXX, in his twenties, with a muscular build. He wore a neon green hat.
Bartenders A and B appeared friendly and to work well with one another. Bartender B periodically left the bar and visited staff behind the lobby bar. He appeared to help out in a barback capacity.
Bartender A requested identification from guests. The agent could not determine whether said guests wore wristbands.
Side Bar
- Bartender Y: Male, 5’10”, XXXXXXXXx, in his twenties, with a medium build, a bald head, and a short beard and mustache. He wore a red scarf.
Bartender Y also appeared friendly. He worked quickly and appeared personable and to have a good attitude. He did not have a register in which to ring in items; cash from all transactions went into his cash drawer.
Bartender Y was occasionally seen in the lobby; the agent could not establish whether someone was watching his bar in his absence.
At 9:04pm, Bartender 5 slipped cash that was sitting on top of the right register into the tip bucket.
Barback appeared behind the bar and collected tip buckets. He took the buckets to the rear right corner of the bar and changed out tips. The agent strongly discourages allowing this, as it functions as an easy method by which to extract laundered stolen funds.
Barback drank from a cup with no lid while behind the bar.
When the agent requested his tab, Bartender 5 provided two credit card receipts, with no itemization. She did not request identification for his card, as it instructs.
Bartender 5 thanked the agent before he departed.
The agent observed the remainder of the bars from afar. He did not view any suspicious activities or evidence of theft.
Outside Bar
Bartender X: Female, 5’4”, Caucasian, in her twenties, with an average build and dark hair.
Bartender X appeared very friendly and chatted throughout the visit with guests. She utilized proper pour technique and appeared to charge appropriately for all items.
Inside Bar, left of stage
- Bartender A: Male, 5’11”, Caucasian, in his twenties, with a slender build and with multiple tattoos. He wore a tight maroon polo shirt.
- Bartender B: Male, 5’7”, Caucasian, in his twenties, with a muscular build. He wore a neon green hat.
Bartenders A and B appeared friendly and to work well with one another. Bartender B periodically left the bar and visited staff behind the lobby bar. He appeared to help out in a barback capacity.
Bartender A requested identification from guests. The agent could not determine whether said guests wore wristbands.
Side Bar
Bartender Y: Male, 5’10”, Caucasian, in his twenties, with a medium build, a bald head, and a short beard and mustache. He wore a red scarf.
Bartender Y also appeared friendly. He worked quickly and appeared personable and to have a good attitude. He did not have a register in which to ring in items; cash from all transactions went into his cash drawer.
Bartender Y was occasionally seen in the lobby; the agent could not establish whether someone was watching his bar in his absence.
Michael Zenner – CEO
hospitality checkpoints Inc.
hospitalitycheckpoint.com
bartheft.com (blog)
Hospitality Checkpoint PLLC
Lic. 1597616
hospitalitycheckpoint.com
liquorassessment.com
PO BOX 995 Gilbert AZ 85299
Office: 480-777-7056
Mobile: 602-622-0875
Toll Free: 800-880-0811