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Thread: Bowling alley bartenders dress code?

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    High Roller Phonetek's Avatar
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    Default Bowling alley bartenders dress code?

    Silly question but at your bowling centers where you go, how do the male bartenders generally dress? Our dress code is black slacks, black shoes (black gym shoes okay) and either the company long sleeve dress shirt, company short sleeve polo or a nice button up dress shirt, collar length hair and no facial hair of any kind (I assume no facial hair for the ladies too). Just for kicks I decided to take it to the next level and wear some really tasteful and stylish dress shirts and a tie. I wanted to see if I got better tips looking a bit more professional. As it turns out I did by about 15-20%. Could just be a coincidence but maybe not?

    The general manager did raise an eyebrow when he seen me but didn't really say anything about it. The regular manager decided that I should no longer wear them because if the owner came around and see me then he would require it for all the male bartenders including him. He said he would not be happy if he had to do it as well. In my opinion if I make better money and it makes us look more professional then who gives a crap if it's mandatory. They need to take their cheap butts to Walmart and buy a few and find a youtube video on how to tie one. LOL

    I do remember back in the day at the couple local centers that my mom was a bartender at the men wore vests and a bow tie. Don't remember what mom had to wear but I think it was a black skirt? Of course that was then in the 80's & 90's, times have changed or have they? Anyway, where you peeps bowl what do they wear?
    Last edited by Phonetek; 07-12-2018 at 09:49 PM.
    Bowling Center Manager
    Arsenal consists of mainly 15# Motiv balls, I have several now and they are the bomb! Too many to list and carry. Still have a couple Hammer balls and my AMF RPM Swirl (old reliable) & 25+yr old Linds worth a mention
    Currently 535+ Rev Rate @ 19 MPH (This probably needs to be updated, I think I've toned each down a click or two these days. I'm letting the ball do more of the work as I get older.)

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    I bowl at a privately owned center so this will likely change the standard, but bartenders essentially show up in street clothes - t-shirts or polos and jeans. What helps the majority of them with tips is the fact that they have been there for a while and you know for the most part who will be there each night (in all honesty this really just counters the fact that drinks are significantly cheaper than the Bowlmor standard (18% tip at Bowlmor is probably closer to a mid 20% tip here). In the more corporate standard houses, I have noticed what seems to be standard of black polo - haven't seen the ties/bow ties/button up much if at all.
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    Usually street clothes. Its hard to tell who the bartender is, because they’re usually screwing off somewhere else.

    I’d really like it if they acted more like they care about the job or the place.

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    SandBagger drlawsoniii's Avatar
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    I'd be very careful in what you do, you could easily become the most hated coworker. Most workers are happy with the status quo, and if you rock the boat and make their lives suck by having to wear more uncomfortable clothes, you could be painting a target on your own back. Your actions don't always affect yourself.
    Rolling: Storm Snap Lock, Track Kinetic Emerald, Columbia 300 Freeze, and Pyramid Path Spare

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    The dress code in our Bowling ally for Bar Staff must be similar to yours. They guys wear Black pants, and shoes, white shirt, usually open collared. Females, it gets a bit interesting, still the black and white, but the pants are shorts, and I guess they get more tips the shorter they wear them. Wouldn't call them trashy, but they are pretty short on some of them. Not sure how the shirt and tie would play out here. If it was to get more tips, it may help. Mostly from women I guess, doesn't make a difference to me if the Bar Tender has a tie on when I order a beer. It just better be cold. lol

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    High Roller Phonetek's Avatar
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    The females wear the polo shirt, it's a kinda shiny looking charcoal grey. I have one but I got a big blop of grease on it fixing a pinsetter so I never wear it. In addition to the polo the women wear black yoga pants, that seems to be the thing. Lets just say they are pretty tight, they leave little and I mean VERY little to the imagination. The used to be able to wear shorts but corporate put a stop to that.

    As far as tips go, believe it or not I tend to get better tips than our ladies because they all have attitudes. They just give them their drink and wait until they ask for another and that's that. As you can tell from my posts I have the gift of gab. Plus I don't hesitate to mess with people and make them laugh. Most tend to remember me by name, they may remember the women but only because of their yoga pants. LOL To me that's the difference between a server and a bartender.

    Don't really know how to make all that many drinks to be honest. People come up asking for all kinds of weird things. If they know what's in it I'll make it of course if I have the stuff but if I had to make a menu on what I know off hand it would be a pretty short list. If they'd pay for a bartending class I'd take one though.
    Bowling Center Manager
    Arsenal consists of mainly 15# Motiv balls, I have several now and they are the bomb! Too many to list and carry. Still have a couple Hammer balls and my AMF RPM Swirl (old reliable) & 25+yr old Linds worth a mention
    Currently 535+ Rev Rate @ 19 MPH (This probably needs to be updated, I think I've toned each down a click or two these days. I'm letting the ball do more of the work as I get older.)

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    High Roller Phonetek's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by drlawsoniii View Post
    I'd be very careful in what you do, you could easily become the most hated coworker. Most workers are happy with the status quo, and if you rock the boat and make their lives suck by having to wear more uncomfortable clothes, you could be painting a target on your own back. Your actions don't always affect yourself.
    That was the manager who said that, as it turns out he was only kidding. He thought it was funny I took him seriously and stopped wearing one. He said he could care less if they made it mandatory, he wouldn't listen anyway and suffer no problems as a result. LOL He said that the professional look could bring in more business as well as better tips. However, I'm the only male bartender / counter person we have left anyway. Two left to start their careers now they are done with college and two others got the boot. I won't say specifics but a tie wouldn't have saved them even if it had a picture of the boss on it. So if they were to make ties mandatory then it would be for future hires which wouldn't know the difference so no boat would have been rocked.

    Going with your scenario, say my actions changed policy and there were currently other men on staff. Honestly, if I continue to make 15-20%+ more tips because of a simple clothing accessory that takes 30 seconds to put on and tie, I could care less if they like me or not. LOL It's so little effort for the rewards. It's just a tie, it's not like it's a vasectomy. If you tie them correctly they aren't uncomfortable at all. Saying it would make their lives suck is a bit of an overstatement.

    Bottom line, I'm there to make money for myself, my wife and my 3 kids, enjoy myself and get the most of out of a job. If it hurts the feelings of the other men equals and below for me to accomplish that, then so be it. On the other side of it, if I can make more money wearing a tie then it would stand to reason they will as well. What's to hate about that, I assume they are there for money too? If that upsets them then they need to go home and put on their big boy pants plus a tie and man up or quit! LOL If everyone above me is happy with me and the customers are happy then what they think of me really is of no consequence. I'll think of them when I'm counting my cash and buying things for my family.

    Seriously though, if you found an easy way to increase your income by 15-20% or more wouldn't you do it? Even if it may "rock the boat" with your co-workers? Would you come home and tell your significant other "I have a way I can make a lot more money at work but it may make some people mad so I'll just make less."?

    When I was a regional manager at the phone company I worked at I know the employees that stood out were the ones that reaped the most benefits. They got bonuses, better raises, perks and moved up the ladder. The ones who came in and put in their 8, just doing their job and went home at the end of the day kept their jobs but of course didn't get much more than a okay yearly review and mediocre raise. Sadly except when layoff's came around they were the first to go, well them and the subpar of course. Business is business, if its a fortune 1000 telecom company or a tiny bowling center. Sometimes you have to hurt some feelings or make other people's lives suck to get ahead, I didn't invent the concept so don't look at me.

    This kinda went way beyond my OP topic which was "What do the bartenders where you bowl wear?"
    Bowling Center Manager
    Arsenal consists of mainly 15# Motiv balls, I have several now and they are the bomb! Too many to list and carry. Still have a couple Hammer balls and my AMF RPM Swirl (old reliable) & 25+yr old Linds worth a mention
    Currently 535+ Rev Rate @ 19 MPH (This probably needs to be updated, I think I've toned each down a click or two these days. I'm letting the ball do more of the work as I get older.)

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