Thank the bartender with your generosity

For five years I've been in the food and beverage industry as a bartender. This is a labor of love. Every time I have a shift I look forward going to work - you never really know what kind of party one might have.

In the five years I've been a bartender, there have been different venues, each one comes with a different challenge. What hasn't changed is how we are paid. We may get a few dollars an hour, but we mostly depend on the generosity of our guests. That hasn't been the case this last several months.

The economy has taken a toll on us all. However, that shouldn't be the case for the venue in which myself and my peers work. We are in an entertainment place where money is needed to enjoy oneself - gambling, wagering or whatever you choose. To add to that, we work in a banquet setting. Events are prepaid and the guest don't need to worry about the purchase for their drinks. If they were to purchase their own, it would be costly for them.

This is what I find so difficult to believe and can't figure out why the guest won't tip. We provide a service and work hard to make sure you, the guest, are taken care of and to make sure you're entertained and have a great time. We are not some clerk at Starbucks or some other place that has a tip cup out to enhance their own bottom line. This is how we earn our living. So please take this into consideration next time you're at a prepaid function and there is an open bar.

I look forward serving you and your friends in the near future at my venue. Thank you.

Patrick Kilbourne

Arlington Heights