Timo Janse: Guests’ tastes can only change if bartenders want them to

You can be forgiven for being tough on your team, but not for ignoring your profits and giving your "friends" drinks on the house.

Behind the bar, I’m a perfectionist: concentrated on speed, ideal presentation, and a big smile.

A financial background is important for a bartender. I need it every day in order to control my stock levels, buy fresh produce, and count my profits.

It’s far better to be shy than it is to be judgmental. With each new acquaintance, it gets easier to open up to people.

It’s important to be patient if you open a speakeasy. Right after the opening, there won’t be any guests, but if the service is good, their numbers will only keep growing.

Instead of going out into the world, I prefer spending my days off at home together with my wife.

A bartender’s three mortal sins: discrimination, a lack of empathy, and their own ego.

I believe that any situation involving aggression can be avoided or neutralized without the use of force.

Guests’ tastes can only change if bartenders want them to.

You need to treat every guest as though they’re your best friend or a member of your family.

Every day, I try to turn one of my guests into a cocktail enthusiast.

Photo: Tomas van Shaik