Frequently Asked Questions About Our Courses
Why Bartending?
Bartending is a great skill to have. It is comforting to know that should you suddenly find yourself short of cash, unemployed, or moving to another state, you can always fall back on bartending. Regardless of the economy or the time off season, there will always be a social drinking and therefore a need for bartenders. Each state has its own laws.
FLEXIBLE HOURS:
What other job offers such flexible hours? Work days or evenings, weekdays or weekends, only one day a week or three days, part-time or full-time, or maybe the occasional private party when you feel like it!
GREAT PAY:
Bartenders are known for their ability to make a very good living, you will be surprised at how much money a good bartender can make. It is one of the very few jobs that actually pays you for socializing.
HAVE FUN / MAKE FRIENDS / EARN MONEY!
Where else are you going to get paid to party with others?
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How old do I have to be to Bartend?
In Florida, it is 18 to serve and 21 to drink (go figure). If you want to know about a particular state please feel free to call or email us.
Do I need a license (certification) to bartend?
All bartending schools must be state licensed (in Florida a school must receive licensure by the Florida Commission of Independent Education). Upon successful completion of a bartending course, each graduate is awarded a Certificate in Bartending/Mixology. Certification is NOT a requirement by law in most states to become a bartender. Truth be known, certificate means little when seeking a bartending job! The RIGHT TRAINING on the other hand means EVERYTHING! You may have the personality to become a bartender, but without the necessary skills it is extremely unlikely that you will get hired. A good bartending school will provide you with the those skills, unfortunately the quality of training varies widely from school to school, so make sure you do your research. When you leave our school you will have the knowledge, skills, speed and efficiency to be able to work behind any busy bar immediately upon graduating! Certification is only as good as the training you received! At the New York Bartending School we make you earn your certification.
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What should I look for when choosing a Bartending School?
Years ago it was much simpler to find a bartending job, much easier to be trained on-the-job. Drinks were more basic; red or white was the standard question when someone ordered a glass of wine. The skills of bartending have certainly changed over the years. In the old days it could be said that all bartending schools were the same, that does not hold true today. The facilities, the instructors, and the quality of training has advanced to a new level, so it is important that you choose a bartending school that is not stuck in the 70's mode!
The following tips will help you evaluate a school, to weigh one school against another one, help you make the right choice so you can receive the necessary training to land that great bartending gig!
Nothing Beats a Visit!
You may have already done a bit of research on bartending schools before you came across our web site. You may even have called a few schools or filled out a contact form for more information. However; nothing beats visiting the school. This will give you the real picture! You can look at the facilities, sit in on a class, talk to real students and instructors. By visiting several schools, you will walk away with an informed and educated decision as to what you will receive for your tuition dollars.
- Check to see if the school is licensed. You can call the Florida Commission of Independent Education at: Toll Free: (888) 224-6684 or copy and paste the following link in your browser. http://www.fldoe.org/cie/pdf/directory.pdf. To check the status of our school scroll down to THE NEW YORK BARTENDING SCHOOL OF SOUTH FLORIDA, INC,
- Inquire if they offer a hands-on trial class (a good way to see the quality of training first-hand). Check out the school's training manual. Is it up-to-date? Will you learn ALL the trendy and classic drinks served in the bars, restaurants and clubs of today? Or will you be wasting your time learning obsolete drinks like the Angels Tip, King Alphonse, Pink Lady and Banana Banshee.
- Most schools say they offer seminars in Wine, Spirits, Beer, Alcohol Awareness, POS/micros registers, etc. Unfortunately this is not always the case. A good way to find this out beforehand is to visit the school on a Friday and talk to students that are graduating that day! Or ask for a list of graduates that are working and go visit them.
- Does the school have a job placement director that will help you one-on-one whenever needed? Do they have an 24/7 on-line job site with daily job listings? Or can you ONLY call the school once a week, at a specific time? Watch out for this 'bait and switch'. Have the job placement director show you the website listing.
- Be aware of bogus bartending school 'survey' sites that attempt to disparage other bartending schools. When choosing a bartending, ALWAYS visit the school in person. Only then will you get the TRUE picture! COMPARE! COMPARE! COMPARE!
OUR GUARANTEE TO YOU - There is NEVER any pressure to sign up at the New York Bartending School of South Florida. We will answer ANY questions you have. You may stop by the school anytime you want (NO appointment is needed). You can tour the school, sit in on a class, get behind the bar, talk to the students and staff, talk to past graduates, and even take a trial hands-on class (no-fee). Afterwards we suggest you visit other bartending schools. In fact we recommend it! The RIGHT training REALL does make a difference!
TRIAL INTRODUCTORY CLASS
We are very proud of our bartending school and know you will be impressed with our facilities and professionalism of our staff. We also want you to feel equally confident in the training we offer, which is why we also offer a hands-on trial introductory class with no pressure, fee or obligation to sign up. Call 954.568.2676 to reserve a spot.
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Do you help us find a job?
We certainly do! In fact we are just as proud of our job placement program as we are of our training. After graduation we follow up with a job hunting seminar that includes interview techniques training, resume building, and the occasional guest speaker to prepare for your job search. When then provide one-on-one assistance along with a 24/7 password protected job placement site that offers our graduates real job leads. Our job placement director is in constant communication with the managers and owners of South Florida’s popular establishments, so that we can pass on any new leads to our graduates. Our job placement assistance does not stop at Fort Lauderdale-Broward, Miami-Dade County, Palm Beach County as well as Tampa and Orlando through our affiliates bartending schools. Tuition also includes reciprocal job placement assistance throughout 37 states nationwide via our affiliated state licensed bartending schools plus 23 professional bartending schools worldwide (we have graduates working in England, Ireland, Japan, China, Brazil, Australia, Austria, Spain, etc). We also have in-house job fairs (recent job fairs have included the Turnberry Isle Resort & Club, Sheraton Hotel, Holiday Inn, Hyatt, Ocean Nightclub and Boston Culinary). We also work with caterers and prestigious party planners. We provide bartenders for the Dolphin stadium, the Boat Show, Beerfest, Sun Fest, White Party, the annual Deerfield Renascent Fair, the Dolphin stadium (including the past super bowl) and many other events and private parties. A partial list of the establishments where our graduates have found work can be found on the following page; many more are available on-line at www.nybssf.com Please also feel free to stop by the school (no appointment necessary). Take a tour of the school and read the many student testimonials along with the establishments from which they are working.
We believe that the training we provide our graduates is unsurpassed however, we do understand the confidence builder of real on-the-job experience, which is why the training at our school is similar to working behind a real bar.
"As an event planner that produces events for the Roth Vodka Estates, Pernod Richard and Remy Martin, I can easily say that your bartenders were by far the best I have worked with. I will 100% recommend your services to all my clients and I will use you in future events."
Isabella Marquez - EventsTM
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Can I retake the course again?
Sure you can! In fact you can take the full course over again as many times as needed, as often as you like for the rest of your life! You will never pay an additional fee!
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How can I learn so much in only 40 hours?
Simple really! We don't overcrowd our classes; we are the ONLY school that provides students with their OWN station! We provide great learning aids and individual attention. Of course, it certainly helps that we have excellent instructors that are experienced and enthusiastic about what they do. And remember, if you can always take the course over if you need more time.
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Do you have a Payment Plan?
YES WE DO! and we do NOT charge you an additional fee for this service. Call us at 954.568.2676 or drop by the school. We will be more than happy to assist you.
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Why Choose this School over other Florida Bartending Schools?
- We offer, what we feel, is the most complete and up-to-date bartending training program available. No bartending school in the Fort Lauderdale-Broward/Miami-Dade and Palm Beach County area comes close to the atmosphere, the state-of-art facility and the quality of training taught at the New York Bartending School of South Florida. We offer real-bar atmosphere while learning behind a fully-equipped bar with 11 modern bar stations that include a full stainless steel underbar (sinks, ice bins, speed racks), a full premium back bar, plus blenders, beer keg system, micros register system, giant screen and stereo, and much more. We make learning FUN! We keep it real! We get you trained and ready for work!
- Our gregarious staff of instructors, job placement and office staff are very professional, supportive and all have bartending experience; our instructors must have at least 5 years of bartending/management experience; most have over 10 years. All are presently employed in the hospitality business!
- We teach you all of the classic and trendy drinks served in today's popular bars, not obsolete drinks!
- We teach a comprehensive 'Spirit & Liqueur' seminar. Even bartenders are surprised at what they learn. Cognacs, Armagnacs, Single-Malts, Bourbons and all the flavored liqueurs-you will learn it all!
- Wine knowledge is a MUST for the bartender of today! No bartending school offers a comprehensive wine seminar like ours! Taught by a wine sommelier.
- Learn about beer styles, how to tap a keg, and draw perfect headed ales! We use a real beer/keg system. The only South Florida bartending school that has a real tap/keg beer system with real beer.
- Our real-life speed drills provide our graduates with the speed and efficiency to work in any busy bar, lounge or nightclub.
- We offer an 'Alcohol Awareness' program providing intervention strategies for handling difficult situations, as well as third party liquor liability lawsuits.
- Proven & documented job placement assistance program that covers Fort Lauderdale-Broward, Miami-Dade County, Palm Beach County, Tampa and Orlando plus reciprocal job placement assistance at 35 affiliated state licensed bartending schools nationwide and 23 bartending schools worldwide. At the New York Bartending School of South Florida we have you trained and ready to work immediately after graduation.
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Do you offer flexible schedules?
Yes we do! We do it all the time. Come and and talk to us, we will be more than happy to work a schedule to fit your needs.
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I do not drink; know nothing about alcohol. Can I still learn?
Most of our students start out with little or no knowledge of alcohol, yet most still graduate the first time. It all boils down to a comprehensive curriculum and unique teaching from qualified licensed instructors. Still not convinced? Then try our free hands-on trial class and then come back and sit in on a class when our students are graduating. Talk to the students first hand!
And remember, ALL our students can retake part or the entire course as many times as they want and anytime they want, be it the following week or ten years down the road and never have to pay another dime!
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