Beckaly Franks

Bar codex Beckaly Franks

A good bar isn’t about leather armchairs. It’s all in people who care about what their guests are feeling.

I started working in bars where people came to dance and listen to music, and where the most popular cocktail was a Long Island. I needed a lot of time to understand anything about my job: about how it involves real craft, and that cocktails can be high-quality.

I still like dancing on the bar! And if I can mix drinks that I’m proud of while doing it, I’ll keep it up.

My style is honest attention to my guests. The most important thing for me is to show that I’m really happy to see them, and that they can be themselves. There are clients who come here every day. We’ve become family for them.

Now we have only girls working at Pontiac. Men just haven’t been able to fit in. And I believe that it’s my mission to make people accept female bartenders. We’re all equal, and we have the right to do what we want – and be feminine at the same time.

Today, guests have become really well educated. They know what they want.

I’m much more interested in what’s in the bottle than I am in what you can change about it or mix it with. I am truly interested in alcohol. My style is to underline and enhance the flavor of what I work with.

You can’t completely prepare for a move to another country. You never know what you’ll run up against and what will turn out to be unexpectedly complicated. For me, the most unpleasant thing was the noise of the city that you just can’t get away from.

If you ask me to make a Long Island today, I’ll make you the best Long Island you can imagine. You always have to take the guest’s wishes into account and offer the best that you can.

The biggest pleasure for me is when I see that my employees are sure of themselves.

In order to become successful in our profession, you need to be really ambitious. And never stop learning.