A freelance bartending side hustle is a great way to earn some extra income. If you have the skills and a few free weekends a month, you can start bartending private events or pick up shifts at a local bar to practice your craft and make a few extra bucks.
From honing your customer service skills to mastering your signature cocktail recipe, a bartender side hustle offers many professional and personal advantages. While every job has pros and cons, freelance bartending can be the perfect fit for the right person.
The Benefits of Bartending as a Side Hustle
If you’re going to dedicate your precious free time to a side hustle, it better be worth it. So, is being a bartender a good job? Let’s find out.
Make Extra Money
Who doesn’t want a little extra cash? Freelance bartenders are in high demand, particularly during busy times like wedding season or the holidays. With the availability of jobs and the ability to set your own prices, you could give your bank account a nice boost.
Part-time bartenders typically charge anywhere from $30 to $60 per hour, depending on the services they provide and how many guests will be in attendance. Add on tips, which usually range from 5% to 20% of the total fee, and you’re looking at a nice payday for a few hours of work!
Flexible Scheduling
Working as a freelance bartender means you get to pick when, where, and how often you want to book jobs. This kind of flexibility is a huge benefit for those juggling other responsibilities. This side hustle is a great fit for people who:
- Are in college or grad school
- Have a full-time job and want a side gig
- Want experience to open a bar or become a mobile bartender
- Are researching how to open a wedding bartender business
- Are a caregiver for children or a loved one
- Prefer evening and weekend shifts
A bartending side hustle provides the freedom to schedule gigs that fit your life rather than building your life around the job. You’re empowered to accept or turn down gigs as it suits you, improving your stress levels and overall work/life balance.
Opportunities for Networking
If you want to expand your network of professional connections, freelance bartending is a wonderful way to do it. You’ll have the opportunity to meet a wide range of people at every stage of the job. For example:
- Booking gigs: The more bookings you make, the more people you’ll meet. This can lead to referrals and recommendations down the line. Not only does this benefit your bartending side hustle — it’s an opportunity to build connections for your day job as well.
- Event vendors: As you work more events, you’ll meet other professionals, like DJs, coordinators, caterers, florists, photographers, etc. These mutually beneficial business relationships can help you build your client base.
- At the bar: You never know who you might connect with over the course of a shift. If you make a good impression, it just might lead to positive returns in the future.
- Day-to-day networking: Even when you’re not bartending, your side hustle provides an excellent way to connect with people. Break the ice with new acquaintances and coworkers by talking about your craft — you never know who might need your services!
Meeting new people comes with the territory when you’re a bartender, so you might as well maximize your results by turning it into a networking opportunity.
Have Fun While You Work
Let’s be honest, the atmosphere is one of the best parts of being a bartender. Whether you’re working at a wedding, a club, or a corporate event, the vibe is typically lively. It’s easy to look forward to work when nearly every shift is a celebration!
A bartender side hustle is an excellent fit for extroverted personalities and people who love a good party. Not only do you get to enjoy social interaction, but every gig is in a new place with new people. Each booking is an opportunity for an exciting and unique experience.
Hone Your Craft
If you love to dabble in mixology but your day job doesn’t give you the opportunity, freelance bartending is a great way to get creative and grow your repertoire. Not only can you strengthen your skills with popular drinks like martinis and Long Island Iced Teas, but you can also experiment with signature cocktails of your own.
Of course, being an amazing bartender goes beyond mixing drinks, you also need stellar customer service skills. Working as a freelancer gives you the chance to practice and improve how you interact with customers while you streamline your processes and best practices.
The Challenges of Bartending Side Hustles
Keeping up with a freelance bartending gig isn’t all margaritas and mojitos. You can face some real challenges in this industry, too.
Physically and Emotionally Demanding
Bartending is hard work. Between setting up, serving drinks, and cleaning, there’s not much time for you to sit down and take a breather. Once your shift starts, you’ll be “on” for several hours in a row before you can relax. This can be physically and emotionally exhausting.
Most bartending jobs also involve working late into the night. This can be disruptive to your sleep patterns if you’re not usually a night owl, especially if you work a regular 9-to-5 job during the day.
Between the demanding work and possibly disruptive schedule, a bartending side hustle can negatively affect your work/life balance over time if you’re not careful, particularly if you have a full-time job, too. Running from one gig to another could take a toll if you don’t manage your time thoughtfully.
High-Stress Shifts
A busy bar can be exhilarating, but it can also get overwhelming fast. Your head may start spinning when you’re juggling multiple guests, a stack of orders, and piles of prep work. Managing a busy shift can be tough, especially if you’re the only one behind the bar.
Demanding customers also add to your stress. Some patrons can be rude or particular about their orders, which requires you to have tact and patience to deliver great service.
A drunk customer can be even more frustrating than a rude one. Moreover, they’re a liability if they get out of hand. You may need to cut off intoxicated guests, which can result in conflict. If a patron is belligerent or combative, this can take an already stressful shift to the next level.
Irregular Income
When business is booming, you can easily take home several hundred dollars per event. But there will be dry seasons, particularly for event bartenders. January, February, September, and November are the slowest months due to the lack of party-related holidays and other events.
If you rely on your bartending side hustle to make ends meet, you’ll need to front-load your gigs in the busy seasons to compensate for the inevitable slow-down.
Tips can also vary depending on the gig, venue, and client preferences. For example, if you’re only serving wine and beer, guests may be less likely to tip since they require less work to prepare. Or, perhaps a bride and groom don’t want their guests to worry about tipping at the reception at all.
Whatever the reason, missing out on tips can significantly reduce your profits.
Laws and Regulations
Bartenders need to follow a list of rules to stay compliant and operate legally. Depending on where you work, this could include:
- Getting a liquor license
- Completing certifications
- Paying for permits
You also need to check identification to ensure guests aren’t underage. This includes knowing how to spot a fake or fraudulent ID, even during busy times.
Dram shop laws are another challenge freelance bartenders face.
While they vary from state to state, these laws generally hold bartenders liable for the actions of their intoxicated customers. If a patron hurts somebody or causes property damage while under the influence, you could be financially responsible.
The Profits You Can Expect to Make From Being a Freelance Bartender
According to ZipRecruiter, freelance bartenders average around $624 per week. Considering most freelance bartenders typically work one or two nights a week, that’s not bad!
How much you make depends on a few key factors. If you provide the alcohol, mixers, drinkware, and other essential bartending equipment, this can cut into your final profits. On the other hand, if your employer or client supplies everything, your overhead will be fairly low.
What You Need to Start a Bartender Side Hustle
Now that you’ve weighed out the pros and cons of bartending as a side hustle, here’s a quick breakdown of the steps you’ll need to take to get your business going.
Choose a Name
Choosing a name is the first step toward making your business official. Not only is this important for setting up your business, but it’s also an opportunity to create a recognizable and memorable moniker for your clients.
Choose a Business Structure
Next, you’ll need to choose a business structure. As a small freelance bartending business, you can probably operate as a sole proprietorship, though there are legal and tax benefits to creating a limited liability company (LLC).
Register Your Business
Once you choose your name and structure, it’s time to register your business with your state to be compliant and align with the local laws and requirements.
Get an EIN
An employer identification number (EIN) ensures that you can file taxes for your business as its own entity. In other words, it separates your business funds from your private finances. This has many advantages for yourself and your business.
Open a Business Bank Account
Keep track of your earnings by opening a business bank account. Use it to accept digital payments from clients, deposit checks, and purchase business-related supplies.
Get Bartender Insurance
Protect your business by investing in bartender insurance. If you accidentally overserve a patron or provide alcohol to an underage guest and they cause injuries or property damage, you could be on the hook for medical bills, repair costs, court fees, and more. Liquor liability insurance can prevent you from paying out of pocket.
Create a Business Plan
Operating a successful business isn’t about luck, you need to make a business plan to outline your goals, next steps, brand personality, funding, and other vital info. Even though you’re starting a bartending side hustle for now, it has the potential to grow and expand in the future.
Build Your Bartending Side Hustle
If you’re prepared to take on the challenges of the job, bartending is absolutely a good side hustle! For the right person, earning some extra income, socializing, and mixing delicious drinks is a fantastic way to spend a few free evenings.
If you’re ready to launch your bartender side hustle, start developing your business plan now, and you’ll be shaking up cocktails before you know it.
FAQs About Bartending as a Side Hustle
Requirements for bartenders vary depending on where you work; however, most areas require those who sell or serve liquor, beer, and wine to complete alcohol safety training, such as TiPS.
Some areas have region-specific training which is usually available online.
You can start bartending without prior experience, but you won’t have as many job options. Limit your offerings to simple drinks like wine and beer rather than complex cocktails and start with small, private events to get some practice.
The best way to boost your income from freelance bartending is to provide top-shelf customer service. Be friendly, professional, and fast to ensure guests and clients are pleased, and they’ll tip accordingly.
If your schedule allows it, take as many jobs as you can during busy seasons since this is when you have the highest earning potential. During the summer and holiday months, it’s possible to book multiple gigs a week.
