Use limited-pour controls to prevent abuse with shaken drinks.
Bartender theft at your bar eats into your profits and makes running the bar more difficult, especially in a smaller bar or during poor economic times. The quick and often busy nature of running a business can make a dishonest employee harder to spot and give him more opportunities to steal from the bar. Establish measures to deter theft and uncover bad employees.
Instructions
1. Set tipping procedures. The tip jar makes stealing easy for a dishonest bartender if the jar is near the register, as she can stuff stolen money into the jar. Do not allow the bartenders to keep the tip jar by the register, make change out of the money in the jar or cash the tips themselves for bigger bills.
2. Take inventory yourself. A bartender who is stealing can alter inventory data to hide missing alcohol. Assign a trusted, non-tipped employee inventory duties if you do not have the time.
3. Handle drawer balancing at the end of each shift or assign another employee. The bartender should not cash out her own drawer, as this gives her an opportunity to hide theft.
4. Establish register rules. For example, tell the bartender she must keep the register drawer shut when she is not placing money in the drawer. Do not allow use of the "no sale" key, as the key opens the drawer without the bartender ringing in the sale. Require approval from a floor manager for voids, as a thief can use the "void" key to open the drawer without recording a sale.
5. Install limited-pour systems. Limited-pour systems use special caps for the liquor bottles and a lock box to control how much liquor is poured from each bottle, preventing the bartender from over-pouring and undercharging. Install a system that works with the register to record the liquor poured. Check the reports against physical inventory. Discrepancies may signal a thief.
6. Install security cameras out of easy reach of the bartenders. Point at least one camera at the bartender's register. Check cameras at regular intervals to look for suspicious activity.
Tags: drawer without, keep register, liquor poured