What are Free Bar Management Courses?
Simply put, bar management can be defined as operating and running an establishment that serves alcoholic beverages. There are several free bar management courses online. These impart training to anyone working in the hospitality industry for some time and keen to upgrade their skills. The courses offer lessons on how to manage and oversee a bar's staff and operations so that it functions efficiently.
Top 3 Free Bar Management Courses for Bar Workers
What to Look for in Free Bar Management Courses
Before we plunge into free bar management courses, let's first summarize bar management it's the supervision of every aspect of the bar. Bar management requires you to be a jack of all trades. A good bar manager should be able to make an awesome cocktail, handle inventory, the staff, the bar menu, customers, and marketing and sales.
Bartenders, barbacks, and even professionals from other parts of the hospitality industry looking to give their careers a boost, seek out bar manager positions. While work experience is always a plus point, a course in bar management can give them the extra leg-up they need. Keep in mind, most bar management courses are designed for people who have spent time in the hospitality industry working as bartenders or barbacks.
There are both, paid and free bar management courses around. But for those anxious to test the waters and understand what the job entails before diving in, free online courses are a safe bet.
Here's what most online courses cover-
- Basics of bar management and restaurant management
- Importance of customer service
- Understanding how to market, brand and promote a bar
- Creating the perfect ambience that will draw customers in and induce them to spend
- Good inventory management aimed at maximum profit
- Building and managing a motivated team that works towards a shared vision
What Makes a Good Bar Manager: Staying cool under pressure
Thorough knowledge of bar management, inventory management and food and beverage handling
Ability to handle human resources managing a team, staff scheduling and delegation
Ability to multitask and be creative
Good at customer service
Ability to drive sales and promote the brand offline and on social media
Possess the necessary certification and licenses (mandated by local authorities)
Thorough knowledge of bar management, inventory management and food and beverage handling
Ability to handle human resources managing a team, staff scheduling and delegation
Ability to multitask and be creative
Good at customer service
Ability to drive sales and promote the brand offline and on social media
Possess the necessary certification and licenses (mandated by local authorities)
Are Free Bar Management Courses Online as Good as Paid Ones?
Online courses on bar management are ideal for those who want to drive their careers ahead, but don't have the time to attend physical classes. The flexibility of an online course makes it easy for a bartender or barback to learn at their own convenience. However, industry experts believe online courses can't match up to the hands-on, guided experience of in-person training.
If you run a search online you will find several courses offering hospitality management and bar management training. Most are paid, but some are free courses . A number of these courses are recognised by the hospitality industry . But it's also important to check if they're accepted by the bar or restaurant one wishes to apply to for a job. The downside to applying for free online courses is that they don't always offer a certificate of completion. Or one has to pay for it. The learning material itself is free but the certificate comes at a cost.
Paid courses usually offer more in-depth knowledge about curriculum subjects. Their classes are also taught by industry professionals. These sessions tend to run longer than free courses. Some paid courses also have physical lab classes, where participants can watch a professional at work. Not all free courses provide such in-depth training. Taking all this into consideration, let's look at some of the free online management training courses on offer.
Payscale and Work Hours:
- The average annual bar manager salary in the U.S. is $47,740. Depending on the city of work and the bar in question, this could go up to $90,000.
- A bar manager is often required to work the evening shift, stretching late into the night. They're also expected to work on weekends and public holidays.
- A bar manager is likely to work 60 hours a week.
- In 2020 U.S. bartenders earned on average $24,960 a year. A good bartender could additionally earn at least half this amount in tips.
Landing a job in the bar industry can be tough, especially without formal training.
Get started with free bar management courses that teach you the basics of bar management.
Free Bar Management Courses on the Web.
Master in Food and Beverage Management Online by Rome Business School
These free food beverage management online courses cover various aspects of management. The course teaches personal development which includes critical and creative thinking, as well as professional development which covers networking, goal-setting, problem-solving, and research. All of this is geared towards the hospitality industry.
It focuses on food, wine and beverage management for the global food and beverage industry. Marketing and communication for the hospitality industry is also a part of the curriculum.
Rome Business School is a member of the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD), a world recognized accrediting body for business schools, business school programs, and corporate universities. The course duration is 10 hours, with a certificate offered on completion of the course.
Free Bar Management Courses on the Web.
Hospitality Management Studies - Food and Beverage Services by Alison
This free online hospitality management program introduces participants to the functions, operations, and organization of food and beverage management. The course covers service principles, menu design and objectives, and restaurant layout and design. Participants also learn about the organisation and key duties of restaurant staff. A certificate is offered on completion of the course, but at a fee.
Free Bar Management Courses on the Web.
Food & Beverage Management by Coursera
This free online course focuses on the challenges faced by managers and entrepreneurs in hospitality management . It also provide models and tools to tackle them. The course has four modules, each of which explores one dilemma food and beverage companies face. On completion of each module, participants have to participate in a quiz and weekly discussion forums. The duration of the course is five weeks and it provides 13 hours of study material. After successfully completing the course, the participant has to pay to obtain the course certificate.
Bar Management Training Guide: Restaurant Doctor UK is a restaurant management website that offers essential training manuals, free advice and downloads, as well as informative articles that provide insight into various aspects of hospitality management. The free online bar management training guide provides detailed understanding of everything you should know about bar and cellar management. This includes inventory management, barcode apps and point of sale systems. But it is just a training guide and offers no certificate.
Finding a job in the bar management industry can be hard. With so many applicants, it’s hard to stand out from the crowd.
Improve your chance of getting hired with a free bar management course. It pays to learn the ropes.
Will Free Bar Management Courses Help Me Find a Job?
Most applicants of online bar management courses are working professionals who cannot attend physical classes. It's important to remember that an online bar management course is primarily a means to improving your knowledge about bar management. Most people opting for bar management courses already have some experience in the field. Certification in bar management will no doubt give them an edge over the competition. There is no guarantee, however, that completing a course will result in a job.
Before signing up for an online bar management course, it may be a good idea to find out what qualifications local bars seek for their bar manager positions. Sometimes, a vocational certificate or an undergraduate degree in a related field of hospitality or food and beverage management could also work. To begin working, a food safety or alcohol certification or license may be additionally required.
Free Entry-level Bartending Courses: Here's a list of certified free online bartending courses for beginners-
Udemy's Bartending Basics by Small Batch Learning
Bartending for Beginners by Typsy Courses
An Introductory Course on Alcoholic Spirits by Alison Courses
Bartending 101 by Udemy Courses
Wine Tasting by Coursera Courses
Udemy's Bartending Basics by Small Batch Learning
Bartending for Beginners by Typsy Courses
An Introductory Course on Alcoholic Spirits by Alison Courses
Bartending 101 by Udemy Courses
Wine Tasting by Coursera Courses
What Certification do Free Bar Management Courses Offer?
Most free bar management courses offer a certificate of completion. But the certificate comes on payment of a fee. Free courses are typically geared towards knowledge enhancement. There are also paid online courses that offer bar manager certification.
Here's a short list of paid online bar management courses that certify you as a bar manager -
- Online certificate in bar management by Royale Institute- This 2-month course costs $150.
- Bar Management by Reed Courses- The 30-hour Accredited Online Course costs around $13.
- Bar Management by Eventrix- This Continuing Professional Development (CPD)/ Continuing Education (CE) certified course costs $99.
You want to learn about bar management before you start your new job, but you don't have the money for a college course.
Luckily, there are a couple of free bar management courses out there that cover the basics. Have you checked them out yet?