‘It’s kind of a rush:’ Student bartenders talk life behind the bar

Whether you are enjoying a $5 pitcher from Hemingway’s, sipping cocktails on the dance floor at Phat’s Bar or attempting to make it into the Beer Cult drinking competition at Fuel and Fuddle, Oakland is swarming with places to grab a drink. And the person serving you from behind the bar could be a fellow Pitt student.

Kaeleigh Karetas, a junior psychology major, has bartended at Hemingway’s Cafe since last August. Karetas works up to 45 hours at Hemingway’s every week, in addition to balancing the coursework of a full-time student.

“I work 45 hours a week, probably,” Karetas said. “Monday, Tuesday, Wednesdays aren’t terrible. I’ll usually get home around one in the morning. But then Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, that’s when I get home at like two in the morning usually.”

Balancing this busy schedule is difficult, according to Karetas. But with some effective time management skills, she is still able to stay on top of her school work.

“I try to get most of my assignments done a week in advance so that I don’t even have to stress. And then that’s why I can work 40 to 45 hours a week,” Karetas said. “I can get school and everything out of the way, I can go to the library in the afternoon and then spend my night at Hem’s. And I feel like I balance it pretty well.”

Mary Pitz, a fifth-year applied mathematics and psychology double-major, has worked at Fuel and Fuddle for more than three years. She said she is familiar with the difficulties of working and going to school full time.

According to Pitz, who is taking a semester off school, it can be easy to burn out while trying to find the right balance.

“I ended up working almost full-time while I was in school, so that’s why I’m taking this semester off,” Pitz said. “Balancing school and work gets to be pretty hard because I do want to make money and pay my rent and stuff, but obviously school is very important.”

Sierra Scott, a senior studio art and English literature double major, also bartends at Fuel and Fuddle. She said bartending can be one of the most financially stable jobs you can get as a college student, especially if you are financially independent.

“You get a lot of money for the amount of work that you do, especially bartending. You can finish your shift probably at $700 on a busy night, or a steady night. And when it’s super busy, sometimes you can make like up to $1,000,” Scott said. “And as a student, if you’re paying for your own tuition, or you’re paying for anything, it’s really valuable.”

But money isn’t the only potential perk for student bartenders. Karetas, who has worked various jobs in both the retail and service industries, said chatting with regulars is one of the best parts of her job and helped develop her interpersonal skills.

“I have regulars that come in every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and I know them on a first-name basis,” Karetas said. “I know about their life and they know about mine. And being a psych major, it’s also great being able to build all those social skills with people that come in.”

Pitz had a similar experience getting to know patrons and said even though there’s a significant age gap between her and her customers, it’s refreshing to talk to them about what goes on in their lives.

“I know [the regulars] pretty well. Even though they’re 40 and I’m half their age, we still vibe pretty well, and I like chatting with them,” Pitz said. “It’s a lot different from chatting with people in class where it’s like, ‘Oh what party did you go to this weekend?’ Where my regulars are like, ‘My kid got in trouble at school today’ and I’m like, ‘God, tell me what Tommy did this time.’”

Small talk is a major part of the job, according to Pitz. She said as someone who used to be wary of talking with adults, bartending helped her be more comfortable in her ability to address concerns, especially with professors.

“I used to be an anxious person about talking to adults. I don’t know why, but it would always make me so nervous. But I’ve been more comfortable, especially with professors, and it’s helped me with asking for extensions, or reaching out when I need help,” Pitz said. “So mostly [bartending] has made me more competent in being able to talk to adults.”

Pitz said the fast-paced environment is exciting, and loves the confidence she’s developed behind the bar.

“It’s kind of a rush. You’re just running around, throwing drinks around,” Pitz said. “And people will be sitting at the bar watching me slaying drinks or pouring up 10 vodka sodas at the same time, and they’re like, ‘Wow that’s so cool!’ or, ‘You look so cool back there.”

Scott said bartending is fun, but there are also some instances where the job can be confrontational and it’s essential to learn how to stand your ground.

“I think, being a bartender or server gives you the grounds to learn how to stand up for yourself,” Scott said. “You do have to be strong-willed and strong-minded in order to do some of the stuff that we do, or in order to deal with the customers that we deal with sometimes.”

Karetas said one of the hardest parts of the job is dealing with rowdy customers. But she has found that her co-workers at Hemingway’s always have her back, and have no problem dealing with rude customers.

“Everyone that works there is super supportive, and they won’t let people treat you poorly,” Karetas said. “It’s a one-strike basis pretty much, so if you curse us out, or if you do anything that’s disrespectful, you’re out right away.”

Karetas said working in a social environment, meeting new people and seeing familiar customers are some of the best parts of her job.

“Bartending is one of the most fun things that I’ve ever done. And you still have your social fill because it’s such a social job, which I think it’s amazing,” Karetas said. “It’s a great time. I enjoy doing it and seeing familiar faces.”